Last Tango in Halifax

Peter McGinn10/10

May 25, 2020

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Just because I give a show or movie the highest five star rating doesn’t necessarily mean I think it is perfect. But, um, in this case I do think Last Tango in Halifax is very close to perfect. The show was created and to varying degrees written by Sally Wainwright. We always seek out shows she is involved with because they don’t disappoint us. Scott and Bailey, Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack are superb examples of shows she has created. The plot seems almost stereotypical. Two oldsters who never quite connected as a couple when younger rediscover each other at an advanced age, and make a go of it. We’ve seen it all before, at least once done also almost perfectly (As Time Goes By). But we all know it isn’t the plot, but rather what you do with it that counts. The four leads in Last Tango in Halifax are superb. There is the great classic actor Derek Jacobi, who we can be forgiven for thinking of as Claudius and Cadfael; and Anne Reid, who we first met Yonkers ago in Coronation Street; Nicola Walker, who is in many shows we have enjoyed (a River, Unforgotten; and Sarah Lancashire, who we have liked in any shows (also Happy Valley) since we enjoyed her own stint on Coronation Street. And did I mention that Sally Wainwright wrote for Coronation Street at one time? The supporting cast is also excellent. And with the great writing that uses drama and humor and character development to hook you and keep you, um, yeah, I stick to my claim that the show is nearly perfect. My only criticism is that the last two seasons have only contained two and four episodes, respectively. But two of the leads are in their 80s (though I suspect that doesn’t slow them down much) and the other two are very busy in other productions, so I will take what I can get.