User reviews

Like some of the reviewers, I found the first episode cringe-worthy. There were many clangers. It's hard to be objective when watching locally produced TV. Lots of cliches.

However, three episodes in and it's trying to find it's groove.

As Northern Irish, I am happy to see a BBC drama based here and not about orange and green. I think the acting is mostly good. Donaghadee looks great.

I'd add that the show needs to decide what it is. At the moment it's skimming over gritty issues like people trafficking, while creating silly humour between the older characters and a portrayal of a naive constable. Maybe it's identity will evolve over the remaining episodes.

Overall, let's give it some encouragement. Shouldn't we nurture local talent and programmes about our country?

Please don't judge this on the first two episodes. It gets much better, and by episode five it tootles along nicely.

The temptation to switch off is almost irresistible at the start when several seasoned actors (who should know better) ham it up and let everyone else down. They eventually calm down and remember to act for modern television rather than an amateur stage. It is interesting to see the dynamic between three key relationships. In each one a strong, nuanced performer is paired with someone doing exaggerated slapstick. Perhaps that's intentional but I'm my opinion it doesn't work well.

Very well done to the crew who must have had great patience to film almost exclusively in sunny weather. Sun, sea and sand make it a show to look forward to.

If you've given up, please tune in and stick with it.

I don't know; I liked it. I'm a huge fan of the dark and beautifully intense British shows that one reviewer talked about watching on a dreary overcast day but you could clearly tell from the trailer, this wasn't that kind of show. I check out trailers before I invest in a show. Anyway yes, it doesn't have the dark depth of Crime or Line of Duty. It's lighter and "easier". There doesn't seem to be the multiple deceptive plots which is kind of nice for a change. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course, but it's a nice change of pace. Tonight I'm sure I'll be watching something with gloriously deep and twisted motives and so forth. But this will be in my back pocket to pull out often when I need to exhale.

Light and cozy watching. I've not had a desire to binge watch, but that's not a bad thing; it's a feel good, character, relationship, and community focused series filmed in Ireland. Far from a typical American-style series (a good thing in my books); no resorting to loud car chases, violence, sex, guns, and killing.

The characters are interesting and well developed, the actors are great, and production is terrific. The traditional drums in the soundtrack are a lovely addition, and the visuals are a delight.

Wholesome and gentle entertainment - enjoyable enough to be watching season 3, and hoping for a fourth season.

I've only just started the series. So much seems good, but they could use some subtlety: they have made the dialogue and characters so extreme. I just hope it improves.

The reviewers who suggested waiting were right. It is definitely light, but I do not think the writing or the acting are bad and I will continue to watch. There are times when light sweetness is a necessary respite.

Despite all the bad ratings on here, we really enjoyed it, it's nice to have something light easy going to watch rather than a heavy drama full of violence, it's nice with all that's going on in the world at the moment to have a bit of light relief!!

I enjoyed the first episode. I like the bright filming. So many of today's shows are dark even during the daylight. The sound is good but the Irish accent is difficult to understand a lot of the time. It will be interesting to follow the series and see how the characters develop and to learn the real reason why the new detective has come to town and why the sergeant is so against the new hire. The program has a winner in the setting. The setting is a great change from the usual stuff we see.

I cannot understand why the program is getting such harsh reviews. The story is realistic and the acting seems to be top rate. I do wish though that the director would fill up the teacups. There is nothing worse than actors pretending to drink from empty cups.

So glad I ignored the detractors, and watched all the episodes. Thoroughly enjoyed the series, the characters have their flaws but there's more to like about them than not, even nosy Concepta, the banter between her and Barry is great too! There are a few issues tackled and all done very well to boot!

Really hope there's a 2nd series, they've left us with more than a couple of cliffhangers!!

As much as I am enjoying this new series I can't understand why two Police Officers need to get romantically involved. It is very unprofessional and detracts from the storyline. I am getting a little tired of the flirty glances and suggestive smirks going on between them. Otherwise a watchable series.

This series isn't complex, it isn't high entertainment but it isn't boring or terrible either.

The whole group of quirky characters seem like people you know or have met, and it's easy to care about them. Yes, at times it's a little soapy, but you can't help watching and caring about the outcomes.

All in all, it's very pleasant and a nice hour spent, kind of like Born and Bred.

As another reviewer said, this show started off well but turned into a soap opera. Hope Street has little to do with a crime mystery and plenty to do with small town relationships, prying and melodrama. What a shame. The potential was there and it crashed and didn't even bother to burn.

Addendum: Season 3 has continued the erosion of Hope Street into a soap opera, as I alluded to previously. It's become barely watchable because of the melodrama and cliffhangers that fail. All that has been exacerbated by the over abundance of establishing shots between every single scene. These fillers are unnecessary and distracting. I suspect tonight's episode (number 5] will be our last for this promising but disappointing series.

Such a shame that the writers /producers think we are that dense that they have to continually show the location frontage to give us a clue as to where the next scene is staged !?

I lost count of how many times they screened the Police station, Commodore pub front and even interview room 1 , not sure if they have an interview new room 2 yet , not seen tibia don't think ?

The sea front scenes are great, but even they are repeated times over.

I think if I did a stop watch on scenes acted and scenes repeated, the times would not be that far apart from each other , or perhaps a little more acting would grab the minutes !

Like the show, Apart from the above......

I enjoy watching this show as a break from the hardcore crime I often get caught up in watching. The town is a beautiful spot, shown vividly in the aerials at the start of each program and there is a cast of characters that you might see in any small location where people all know one another. Finn, the head of the local police, is a smart, down to earth guy with an on-again off-again marriage, who struggles with PTSD and the demon whiskey. His mother Concepta is the town busybody who takes on all comers who don't toe the line, as she sees it. Make no mistake, there is crime but it's the crime they can deal with because everyone knows everyone else and it doesn't take long to nab the culprit. After a few viewings, you get to know them all and enjoy watching the cast as much as the stories.

I'll be honest, this really isn't a very good show. It's pretty 'meh', actually. Someone in TV worked out that showing beautiful scenery with pretty inoffensive drama and varying levels of acting skills can get pretty good ratings.

I've added two points in my rating for easy viewing and scenery.* And I guess because everything else on TV is so utterly dreadful, depressing or unrealistic.

Not that this show is realistic, extremely well-written or acted. It really isn't. Yet, somehow, it wins you over. Maybe it's the accents?!

*Also, no dogs! Usually, these kind of shows have a 'cute' dog in them. ..

I really enjoyed this Irish Cop Drama. The quaint community of this sleepy little Irish town is charming and engaging and the characters are sweet and likable. I hope there will be a season 2.

I almost didn't watch because of all the negative reviews but I am very glad I watched it. I felt there was enough crime and personal drama to keep it interesting. Hope there is a second season.

The acting is bad, the plots are stupid beyond belief but the scenery is nice and it's a British program, which is a nice thing for expats like ourselves to watch. One of those programs to watch when nothing else is available and you need some filler.

This was so much better than most of the US produced TV shows. The characters were good and likeable. Much better than I expected after reading some of the negative reviews.

After the first episode, I was elated. It was tightly written, well acted and nuanced. However, as the episodes progress, a sense of icky boredom takes over. The plots, so expertly unraveled in the first few episodes, become more and more dreary soap opera, so that the plots become irrelevant. The largely unlikeable characters don't help. A wasted opportunity aimed at the lowest common denominator.

Same bar same couples every show gets a bit boring after a few shows. Same scenes of police station and Harbour the only different thing every show is the crime with the village regulars sticking their noses into the business. The affair between the police chief and the detective and the ex wife who has come back to town is being drawn out to a point where it is come to the point it needs to end one way or another. I would not binge watch this show as it is always pretty much the same every show. Some of the characters are annoying and you wish they would go away. Everyone ends up at the bar at the end.