PASADENA, California 鈥� The women of Girlfriends are having a very rough go of it, and that鈥檚 just in the first episode.
Miranda Richardson鈥檚 Sue is dumped by her lover and the magazine she helped him build. Phyllis Logan鈥檚 Linda is abruptly widowed and might be broke. Zoe Wanamaker鈥檚 Gail is losing a husband to divorce and gaining her ex-con son.
鈥淚t鈥檚 high farce what happens on one day to all these people, who are sort of thrown together in the storm,鈥� Richardson said during a recent visit to Southern
California.
But there鈥檚 pain to be had in Acorn TV鈥檚 six-episode Girlfriends, which neatly combines drama, humour and mystery and, significantly, is delivered up by three veteran actresses. Netflix鈥檚 Jane Fonda-Lily Tomlin series Grace and Frankie aside, there are scant Hollywood TV or movie vehicles that give full voice to mature women and their experiences.
So it鈥檚 up to the U.K.鈥檚 Girlfriends to help fill the void. The series, from prolific English writer-director Kay Mellor, debuted in North America courtesy of the British-centric Acorn streaming service. The show is something of an anomaly in its native land: When its trio of stars ages 50-plus was announced, it made the evening news.
There are younger characters, male and female, in Girlfriends, including Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter movie franchise) as Gail鈥檚 son. But Lewis knows his character鈥檚 place in the scheme of things.
He recalled series mastermind Mellor discussing TV鈥檚 habit of relegating female characters to serving as the mothers, wives or secretaries of the men who carry the story.
鈥淪he said: 鈥榃e wanted to make a show where, no, they were the focus and it was the men that were supporting roles,鈥濃�� Lewis said during a recent Q&A with TV critics.
Centre ring is owned by the three respected actresses who play longtime friends reunited by their woes. Richardson鈥檚 credits range from The Crying Game to Black Adder II to the Harry Potter role of Rita Skeeter. Logan played the admirable housekeeper Mrs. Hughes in Downton Abbey (yes, she鈥檇 love to see the talked-about movie happen, but has no update to offer). Wanamaker appeared in Agatha Christie鈥檚 Poirot and Mr. Selfridge.
Another sign it鈥檚 a British show: The women look attractive and real.
鈥淚t would be ludicrous if a woman meant to be working class was looking like she鈥檇 Botox-ed off her face,鈥� Logan said in an interview, referring to the injectable potion that reduces facial movement and thus lines. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not believable, is it?鈥�
The actresses make the most of their roles, from the occasional bits of slapstick to moments of vulnerability. All revolves around the small indignities of aging 鈥� those darn wrinkles, grey hair 鈥� and the bigger life crises that don鈥檛 discriminate by decade.
For Richardson鈥檚 Sue, there鈥檚 a memorable hear-me-roar moment in which she bravely confronts her disloyal partner and then discovers the makeup she applied while driving is at absurd, kabuki face-paint levels.
鈥淪he thinks she knows what she鈥檚 going to say and how she鈥檚 going to do it, and she鈥檚 holding it together,鈥� Richardson said in an interview. 鈥淎nd she鈥檚 betrayed herself. Awful, awful.鈥�
As her glossy life crumbles, type-A Sue has a lot to learn.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think she鈥檚 unkind, but maybe she needs to get kinder to herself. Instead of making pronouncements to other people, 鈥榶ou should do this,鈥� she needs to look after herself,鈥� Richardson said.
