Big Love

[vintagecakeisstillnice]

Is currently being repeated on Sky Atlantic. .

Any on e not seen it before its very good, well worth the time

[clangermum]

I loved this series but never met anyone else who'd watched it and never understood why.

[Whitershadeofpale]

I did clanger the first series was on channel 5 but then it disappeared. It took years for the DVDs to come out too.

I think it's great and my favorite wife is Margene.

[AlexReidsLonelyBraincell]

It's well worth watching, I saw it through to the end and it was such a fantastic programme.

[clangermum]

I've seen documentaries about polygamous families that you'd think would be fascinating simply because they're real, yet somehow they just weren't. Maybe it's because the men are usually so unlikeable. At the start of Big Love I thought Bill Paxton was a really odd choice because he was just quite bland, but I think it was great casting because he wasn't unlikeable and didn't get in the way of the women's stories.

[clangermum]

And he got a bit more interesting as time went on, seeing all the directions he was pulled in

[Clayhead]

I loved this! Watched it all on Sky Atlantic, then Friday Night Lights, now they're both finished.

[vintagecakeisstillnice]

Wow, I did wonder if I was the only person who had ever watched this. I never got why it wasn't bigger. .

[sparklesandbling]

I love this programme but also never found anyone else who did. I just have to squeeze in the time to watch the season 4 & 5 now!

[diddl]

Well due to this thread, I've started watching.

I'm about half way through the pilot & tbh, I don't like it at all!

There's no explanation of how they all came together.

He's thoroughly unlikeable & of course, each wife is younger

[clangermum]

Second wife nursed first wife through cancer. Third wife was babysitter I think. If you can bear it, it's worth persisting!

[clangermum]

I never got past the pilot of Friday Night Lights, mainly because I thought I couldn't stick with something based on American football, yet how many times have I heard it's one of the greatest series ever. I might revisit. People say it's not really about the football

[diddl]

I assume that it becomes apparent at some point during the series how they got together then?

And the first wife expected to hand over her cheque to pay for the 2nd wife's spending habit??

Why doesn't she just get a job herself??

And the youngest wife a similar age to his oldest kids?-just bleurgh!

I think I remember trying to watch it when it was first on TV & gave up then as well.

Maybe I just don't like the idea behind it.

[clangermum]

Yes the back story is quite complicated.

I think the first wife was able to resume her career because second wife took over most of housework and some childcare of the youngest (think they were previously all under same roof), and feels indebted for the nursing care second wife gave her. It's a lot about how roles are divided up.

I started watching Sister Wives, a documentary, and couldn't get past how revolting the husband was. In Big Love at times you feel sorry for the husband.

[diddl]

OK.

See I think that the "reasons" are just going to irritate me.

So wife one wants to return to work-just get childcare-don't take on another wife & have more kids!!

[clangermum]

The most difficult bit I found was the drive to have as many kids as possible (it seemed). First wife can't have more kids, second wife takes up the reins.

It is totally alien but for some reason I found it addictive watching. Plus the idea that the wives are married to each other, not just to him.

[diddl]

Oh that's sad.

They have three don't they as it is?

I'm intrigued as to how it comes about & why the wife allows it-assuming she's not from the same church.

[clangermum]

The really strange bit is I think first wife and husband had been together alone for 18 years or something before second one joined.

And yes, already had 3 children.

Massive change for the first wife.

[diddl]

Finally got through it!

When they visited Bill's father & the young girl said that Barb couldn't have more children due to not following "the principle".

And his mum!

Bit stereotypical!

[MadameJosephine]

I've never met anybody else who had seen this, I watched it through to the bitter end and loved it

[clangermum]

It's a shame there can't be any more, at least not with same set- up

[whatkungfuthat]

I watched about 3 episodes of this and couldn't get into it at all. I just found it hard to empathise with any of them and couldn't help thinking of the youngest one as her character from He's Just Not That Into You