(1997 – 2003, UK)

Creator: Mike Bullen
Cast: James Nesbitt, Helen Baxendale, Robert Bathurst, Hermione Norris, John Thomson, Fay Ripley, Jacey Sallés, Kimberley Joseph

5 Seasons (35 Episodes)

The British comedy-drama Cold Feet follows the lives and times of three young couples in Manchester. Both their ages and the times they live in, make it hard for them to commit to any one person. Adam (James Nesbitt) is the typical bachelor who just can’t stick in a relationship. Until he meets the attractive Rachel that is. They start a relationship in the pilot which will prove a challenging enterprise in the five seasons that follow.

Adam’s best friend Pete is married to the inglamorous Jenny. They are past the early ‘in love’ stage and face another challenge: their first child. Through Pete and Jenny, Adam and Rachel meet another young couple, the more upper-class David and Karen Marsden. The three couples deal with all the typical relationship problems; cheating, cold feet, honesty, commitment and sometimes separation. The themes are treated in a light and comical way, but a little drama is thrown in as well. Especially in the later seasons.

What is impressive about the series is that the writers work around the same subjects, but no episode ever feels repetitive. Every minute of Cold Feet feels fresh and inspired. They do an equally outstanding job in developing the very recognizable characters. Who doesn’t know an Adam? Always funny and charming, but in a relationship constantly on the brink of either cheating or running off. Or a Rachel: pretty and a tad demanding, but irresistible for Adam beyond any doubt. In fact all three couples are perfectly cast, forming matches that feel absolutely natural.

As the series progresses the characters go through thick and thin together and for the viewer it will become harder and harder to say goodbye to them. Only towards the end of the series, the writers slip up a bit. A dramatic event occurs which, although it’s part of life, changes the tone of the series and makes it a bit more soapy. Nevertheless, this is a magnificent feel-good series that you are likely to get hooked on after viewing the amazing pilot episode.

The acting deserves mention as well. Especially Nesbitt and Norris stand out. Nesbitt is the biggest provider of laughs through marvelous comic timing, while Norris gives the most balanced performance showing a wide spectrum of emotions throughout the course of the series. Neither actors won awards for their roles, but the series did win a number of awards for writing and best TV comedy. Cold Feet is great because it perfectly captures the spirit of the nineties and one of the major problems of that age: sticking in relationships.