Last Tango In Halifax

New dramedy that follows widower Alan Buttershaw (Derek Jacobi), who - after spending 60 years wondering just what happened to one-time teenage crush Celia Dawson (Anne Reid) - suddenly bumps into her on Facebook. Soon they're flirting clumsily like inept teens. Aside from the septuagenarian Sense and Sensibility, plenty is going on in the love lives of respective daughters Gillian and Caroline, suggesting dark secrets yet to be uncovered beyond this engaging opener.

There hasn't been a good series about "second time around lovers" since Nineties sitcom As Time Goes By. This charming comedy-drama ends that drought in style. Celia Dawson (Anne Reid) and Alan Buttershaw (Derek Jacobi) are both widowed and haven't seen each other for 60 years. When the old flames are reunited via Facebook, their feelings are reignited - and they discover that it was a twist of fate that separated them in the first place.

This is superior fare, based on writer Sally Wainwright's (Scott & Bailey) own mother's internet romance. It's also directed by Doctor Who alumnus Euros Lyn and made by estimable production company Red. However, it's the performances that truly elevate it - not just from classy leads Reid and Jacobi who are amusingly irascible and sweetly bumbling, respectively, but a strong supporting cast which includes Sarah Lancashire, Nicola Walker, Tony Gardner and Ronni Ancona. All come into their own over the six episodes, as the lovers' families are thrown together amid sub-plots involving bisexuality, alchoholism and a murder mystery. Watch out for a neat surprise in the final scene of this opener.

Anne Reid interview

Anne Reid tells TV Choice more about the comic drama written by Sally Wainwright.

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