La costa del crimine

Don't get me wrong, this show is not a BAFTA award winner. It's actually quite bad, but and it's a huge BUT, it's really enjoyable. The music, the terrible story & the acting are all part of its charm.

It's taken everything from terrible 80s shows, awful action films, thrown in a great soundtrack, neon lights and a comical story then stuck them all in a blender, and out comes this mess of an enjoyable show.

I found myself, zoning out and just going with it. Personally I think we have got so wrapped up in pioneering shows, that's sometimes a soap operaesque show, which is just entertaining is ok to admit to enjoying.

This isn't 10/10 or portraying reality. It's just something to zone out to after a stressful day.

There are so many clues that A Town Called Malice is a deliberate farce, the prime clues being the frequent scenes where the cast start singing to the backing music - true pastiche.

So the first thing we should be cognisant of is that this is a show that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's designed to take the mickey out of the times and the situations, and it does so with some gusto.

Amongst all this is a one family crime wave arriving on the Costa del Sol chasing riches with little care for the imprudence of their actions. They leave a trail of destruction in their wake, and come up against some stiff opposition, but they also give way to the comedic imperatives of the show - so the bumbling clowns get off the hook when in reality they would more than likely have parted ways with their heads.

The music is terrific, the show is outrageous - good times.

Sky seem to have a thing about producing glossy and quite clearly expensive productions that don't quite deliver in terms of overall quality or a second series. A Town Called Malice is another one of these.

I don't get the really negative reviews of this show. I thought it was good, especially the 80s soundtrack - get used to characters bursting into song and dance routines at random moments, and the costumes were great. Everything of this show when set in Spain is so colourful and glamorous, which is how we tend to see the 1980s, although in reality it wasn't quite like this. I was 12 when the 80s ended so do have some real life experience of what they were like. All the characters were well drawn, although my favourite was Kelly Lord played by Daniel Sharman - very easy on the eye and at first he sort of comes across as a reluctant gangster in this, gentle almost, compared to the rest of the Lord family, but does show his truer colours as the series goes on.

Unfortunately we aren't going to see whether the Lords manage to build their holiday resort with their ill-gotten gains as Sky announced the how's axing in April 2023. Whilst this wasn't the best show I've ever watched I think it is a shame we won't get any more episodes.

I don't understand some of the bad reviews here. This series was great fun. It's supposed to be a caricature of criminal life in East London transplanted to the Costa. It's not aiming to be an accurate depiction. It takes inspiration from some real-life characters from the underworld, in 1980s London, and then makes them OTT to great effect.

The main characters are well-acted, particularly Ma and Cindy, and Jason Flemyng does his great scene-chewing piece. It's beautifully shot, with some great camera angles and use of natural light and colour. The recreation of the 80s, in the clothes, cars and gadgets is top notch.

And to opt it all off, the soundtrack is a fantastic tour through the great music of the 80s, with songs well-chosen for the scenes in which they're used. Having characters sing along with the lyrics is very funny too!

Well worth a watch. Accept it for what it is meant to be!

Hoped for this to be good more than I did Santa being real as a kid.

Soundtrack is amazing although it's clear it's what carries every episode with so many songs crammed in, as with the attire.

Acting is just above GCSE drama level at best although the storyline does have substance even though it's nothing that hasn't been done before.

How much is packed in to the first and last episodes could've given an extra episode rather than cramming it all in.

Hoping for more for season two given that budget obviously isn't a problem.

Last episode bought it up to a 6 from a 4 for me.

Extra star given for Paul Weller cameo....mush.