User reviews

If you haven't watched the movie then you will love this series. This shouldn't be compared to the other versions. It should be reviewed based on its standalone story.

Loved this show, it was entertaining and light but still left me with food for thought in terms of culture and how it changes. I do wish there had been even more visuals of the fashions of that time period, just the gowns wasn't enough for me. Music in the series was from a mix of different eras, however, still managed to capture the right mood for the moments.

The acting all around was great and Miranda Otto took the cake.

I really hope they do a follow up season introducing some new characters and stories to get behind.

I enjoyed this series. Debi Mazar is mesmerising as Magda, playing against type and she nails it. Miranda Otto gives a brilliant nuanced performance. Some of the other characters are a little wooden. It's a fascinating glimpse into 1960's Australian life. The running of the department store, University life and the migrant experience are well portrayed. The fashions were enjoyable however I'm glad we've moved on. The music score worked well. Overall it's a lighthearted series however we feel Magda's angst. It's interesting to be reminded of a the restrictions of a woman's lot and the burden on men to provide in those times. This is handled well and not rammed down the audiences throat.

This is a delightfully light & entertaining yet accurate & dark portrayal of Australia's behaviour to post war immigrants & women seeking financial independence through work.

Set in the early 1960's there are glorious vintage gowns, heritage facades & stylish cars to create a delicious backdrop.

Although filmed elsewhere.. ( regional VIC?) I could have sworn it was filmed in Sydney's iconic Elizabeth Street store.

I remember the piano playing as you entered and took the escalator up to the temple of fashion with its gorgeous gowns kept safely out of reach of young girls greedy eyes & suspected sticky fingers.

As the story of each woman unfolds, we witness the past gender power imbalance & snobbery that was commonplace at the time while being gently soothed by fabulous dresses, hair & makeup.

The fashions may have changed but the memories & bad behaviour sadly linger. I am reminded to be grateful to those who cut a path before me & that everything and nothing changes when it comes to relationships.

This is a period piece if you don't like period pieces you will hate it. This drama is set at the beginning of the 60s and you can see the mind set in many of these people. This shows how minds are being changed from very narrow to more worldly. If you liked other period pieces from down under you will like this series. It reminds me of the "The Doctor Blake Mysteries" series in many ways. The language and mannerisms are well done and the "Sexual" problems are well dealt with. A pushy supervisor is dealt with as a simple firing when today they would be arrested and a large settlement would happen. All in all not a bad piece and the next "year" should be better.

Perhaps I wanted more from this series than it could deliver, perhaps I wanted the film to continue into the TV series, whatever, but this just misses, at every possible mark.

The layout of the store doesn't make me believe in it; The re-imagination of the characters doesn't make me believe in them.

The appalling continuity errors in the first episode made me not believe in it.

I tried, seriously I did. I got through episode 1, I got 8 minutes into episode 2 and just went: "I can't do this". Go right ahead and try and make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It'll still be a sow's ear, and that's what this show is.

Do yourself the favour. Miss it. Go back and watch the film.

I loved this series so much, but why is the music not from the era! 🙈 there are so many good songs from this era. The music choices are confusing. Casting of the Yanosis was also ill fitting, Ryan Corr and Rachael Taylor were perfect in the movie, the new casting didn't work. Jessica de Geow was great but Thom Green just didn't fit the bill, even the physical size difference between the two didn't make sense there just wasn't a charm factor, no chemistry between them, it just ruined that central storyline. Costuming was incredible, sets were incredible. Music, disappointing. Casting questionable.

Disclaimer: I have seen the movie, which I enjoyed. I also loved every episode of season 1! They are different but both great in their own ways, please don't let the reviews comparing this to the movie put you off.

This is a reasonably lighthearted period drama that will suck you right in and have you invested by the end of episode 1. The acting is fantastic (Miranda Otto is superb as always!), the sets and costumes are beautiful, and the characters and their various storylines are all very compelling. I binged the whole season over a few night shifts looking after my newborns and am excited for season 2.

As someone who watched the 2018 film and enjoyed it... This version in my opinion is really not it.

The 600 characters writing this are sad that this review has to exist. The only interesting thing was cinematography and the stunning shots of the store and the set pieces.

But I feel like even though the movie was in 2018, the decision to make a series 4-ish years on was a rushed one and sometimes it really shows.

It feels slow, characters are wooden and it's just really hard to like. But there are actors who you know and you're like "omg is that?" and yes it is!

Miranda Otto plays Virgina Ambrose brilliantly and is the one of many shining lights in the disappointment of the series.

How does a network get it so wrong? Absolutely want my time back after watching this. The movie had more heart, believable story telling and characters then this mess.

So instead go watch the movie because that was more enjoyable then what the network gave the cast to work with like a script and a better cast.

IMO this cured by insomnia and made me get up off the lounge to turn off by episode 2. Such a shame this is as slow paced as it is because it had so much potential to be great but really let down. And In my opinion let down by the script, pacing and actors looking like they'd rather be anywhere else.

Feel free to skip! You won't miss much. A rare FAIL from abc.

Having watched, and thoroughly enjoyed, the "Ladies in Black" movie a few years ago, I was really looking forward to the series. Sadly, it is nowhere near as good as the movie. I won't be watching the rest of it. There was so much potential for a brilliant series and yet it has been completely wasted. It feels as though they thought, "This is a nice idea, let's run with it." However, they haven't actually thought anything through. They've just thrown something together, quickly and thoughtlessly, hoping it works. It doesn't. Nothing in the series remotely resembles the beauty of the movie. So disappointed.

If, perchance, you are counting up the cliches. Other than that is is graced,for the most part, with haughty looking ugly women who are acting badly, at least in this dog.

Which is why you wonder about Miranda Otto, who at times is sublime and all other times at least watchable.

I always wonder why at least SOME of the vast team involved don't NOTICE that they are clipping through the entrails of a dead dog and DO SOMETHING about it!

I've just sat through 2 episodes of this and THATS IT NO MORE.

Australia HAS produced some superb movies and series. Sadly, ladies in Black is certainly not one of them.

Bit of a fan of the film, so was interested in watching this.

Set a few months after the film.

First disappointment was, it seems, no actors from the film are in this series. I didn't really expect Julia Ormond and Angourie Rice, but thought some of the others in the cast might have reprised their role. I can only assume the producers didn't bother to ask any of them?

The closest we get is "Marlow" character is mentioned in the film and the character gets an on screen presence is in the series. Also I think "Miss Cartwright" character, from the film, is mentioned in the first episode and why her character isn't in the series.

Overall I found it to be a bit more of a soap opera and felt the writing did let the actors down at times.

The acting is fine by the main actors, but some of the other roles I felt there was a bit of over acting happening, and that one or two of the roles were mis-cast.