I'm going to review this as "Season One" even though no second run of the show has been confirmed yet. If no more ends up being made, I'll move this review to the main page. "Cheaters" came to me via the Guardians Top TV of 2022 list and despite its gimmicky feeling elements, I enjoyed it.
Having enjoyed a one-night stand in Finland when their flight is cancelled, Josh (Josh McGuire) and Fola (Susan Wokoma) both head back to London and discover, to their horror, that they live opposite each other. Fola is married to Zack (Jack Fox), though their relationship has struggled recently, particularly in the bedroom. Josh has a (very) long term girlfriend Ester (Callie Cooke) who recently had an affair of her own, which the pair have decided to move on from. The two couples end up deeper in each other's lives, but the secret threatens to derail things at any moment.
Taking the shows unusual distribution method first, this series is split into 18 ten-minute episodes, rather than the more traditional half hour slot. It's not just that episodes were sliced up though, it's written to these ten minutes runs, with each one starting on a new day, or ending in a revelation. It would make the show difficult to air on TV but works well in a streaming set up.
There is an awful lot to like about the series too. It's funny, which is always a good starting point for a sitcom. The performances from the central four are all good and the show is written with a degree of sympathy for all of them. Fola cheats on Jack, but Jack and her haven't been physically intimate in about a yeah. Jack has reasons for this though, including an emotionally distant parent. It's emotionally literate and complicated and occasionally a bit sad (when it's not funny).
Speaking of physical intimacy, there's quite a bit of it in this series and nudity to go with it - I only mention this because I know that some people find it off putting. I'd also say, by way of a criticism, and I'll keep this vague because I don't want to post spoilers, the series ends without a fully definitive resolution. This, of course, only remains a problem if the characters never come back for a second run. We'll have to see.
Having enjoyed a one-night stand in Finland when their flight is cancelled, Josh (Josh McGuire) and Fola (Susan Wokoma) both head back to London and discover, to their horror, that they live opposite each other. Fola is married to Zack (Jack Fox), though their relationship has struggled recently, particularly in the bedroom. Josh has a (very) long term girlfriend Ester (Callie Cooke) who recently had an affair of her own, which the pair have decided to move on from. The two couples end up deeper in each other's lives, but the secret threatens to derail things at any moment.
Taking the shows unusual distribution method first, this series is split into 18 ten-minute episodes, rather than the more traditional half hour slot. It's not just that episodes were sliced up though, it's written to these ten minutes runs, with each one starting on a new day, or ending in a revelation. It would make the show difficult to air on TV but works well in a streaming set up.
There is an awful lot to like about the series too. It's funny, which is always a good starting point for a sitcom. The performances from the central four are all good and the show is written with a degree of sympathy for all of them. Fola cheats on Jack, but Jack and her haven't been physically intimate in about a yeah. Jack has reasons for this though, including an emotionally distant parent. It's emotionally literate and complicated and occasionally a bit sad (when it's not funny).
Speaking of physical intimacy, there's quite a bit of it in this series and nudity to go with it - I only mention this because I know that some people find it off putting. I'd also say, by way of a criticism, and I'll keep this vague because I don't want to post spoilers, the series ends without a fully definitive resolution. This, of course, only remains a problem if the characters never come back for a second run. We'll have to see.
