An ambitious show that can sometimes lose focus among so many narrative threads, but that has clever and well-structured writing, a work that is as elaborate as it is complex, and that feels credible and deeply personal, although on the soundtrack we find less ska music and more popular songs of the time. Musically it may be debatable, and disappointing for those expecting a portrait of the music scene of the time, but it has the ability to reflect the instability of a country in a specific zone, as a catalyst for the economic crisis that Great Britain faced during the eighties. Not everything works, but sometimes it works very well.

I watched this expecting it to get better, or something major to happen, and... it just never does. I thought maybe it was based on a better book, but it was specifically created for TV. It just never focuses on one thing. Is it about the IRA? Is it about friends forming a band? Is it about the depressed state of Birmingham in the early 80s? It's all of them but just not enough to stay engaged.

Absolutely nothing to do with Two-Tone whatsoever, apart from a couple of soundtrack plays, no mention of Two Tone, Specials, or Ska! The soldier brother is the best character, and the IRA connection is the main interest, while the main character is unrealistic, uninteresting and doesn't grab your attention. The music is bad, the band is frankly ridiculous. The cartoon character of the dodgy club owner is unbelievably bad. Like the equally terrible "This is England", another show written by someone who has no idea of the youth movements and music of the time, but somehow think they do. Probably because they were a wannabe on the periphery and wished they could be one of the "In Crowd" but were rejected... If you were a Mod or Skin, and think it might be worth a watch, forget it!