Review for In the Club Series 2

In The Club tells the stories of a number of people who have just gone through childbirth. In this second series we catch up with these characters in their first child's first year, or in the case of some, another child on the way.

Diane, who's husband has been imprisoned, has been learning to cope on her own by setting up her own child minding business. Kim is still writing her blog, but is struggling with the problems with being a mum and also with her relationship with father Neil. Roanna's divorce is almost settled, but that is until she meets her young lover's family... which brings back some dark secrets from the past.

Jasmin and Dev are coping with their first child and also the upcoming arrival of their twins, which is a complicated birth. Midwife Vicky is struggling with being a mum and working and this leads to a horrible mistake. Finally there is the complicated matter of Shelly being a surrogate and the problems this is causing.

Now, this may all seem complicated, but this is a very simple and in some cases heartwarming show. Only six episodes, each one moves smoothly and doesn't feel as though it is rushing with what they need to get done. I will openly admit that this isn't a show for me. There is very little action and only a little comedy, but enough to make the show bearable. I found most of the cast particularly The IT Crowd's Katherine Parkinson to be enjoyable to watch and the constant bickering between Sacha Dhawan and Taj Atwal as Dev and Jasmin was a high point, particualrly Dev's inability to get anything right, no matter how hard he tries.

My biggest issue with the show is the ridiculous Roanna story which could almost have been in any soap and just felt so forced and groanworthy. The problem is that this is the main story that runs through the series and if it had been cut it would have made the show much better. By the end of the sixth episode there really feels like nothing happens and the happily ever after aspect left a bitter taste in my mouth.

In The Club is a good show, and if you have just had or about to have a child you will relate to all the problems they are having. But at times writer Kay Mellor relied too much on cliché and this was a shame. We shall have to see if in Series 3 more happens to make this a show that everyone is talking about.