I Watch TV: Dreamland

Dreamland*

Mel returns to her hometown of Margate, to discover that her pregnant sister Trish is having a party to try and use affirmations so the child will be a girl. Trish has a husband, and two boys, and is arguing with Mel, who stayed in Paris when Trish had a miscarriage. After some accidents they both go to the hospital where Mel discovers she is pregnant, which she thought was impossible.

There are two other sisters, Leila who works on the bin lorry, and Clare, a local journalist, who also goes to a creative writing group**. Trisha and Spence are trying to buy a house, which has BAD SHIT HAPPENED HERE graffitied on it. Which may help, as Margate’s on the rise, people from London buying up property, house prices going through the roof. Their Mum Cheryl has a girlfriend who she is trying to hide from everyone. And their Nan, the centre they revolve around, organises a litter clear up group and is going to be recognised in the local awards, in a funny and dramatic setpiece.

The sisters keep rubbing each other up the wrong way. There are several secrets. As someone familiar with the town it uses locations really well, the feeling of it. The mixed reaction to the town being a bit more fashionable, more money and work but also pricing people out. There’s several scenes in the hospital which is definitely a thing I've done around here. It’s a comedy drama.

Watch This: Funny, cutting family drama about somewhere local to me
Don’t Watch This: You don’t care about family arguments out here in the wilds of Thanet

* Dreamland is the name of an amusement park on the front in Margate

** I’ve been to creative writing groups in East Kent and, well, this is a comedy heightened version I found uncomfortably funny