Last Tango in Halifax

The premise of this BBC series finds widowers Alan and Celia—childhood sweethearts who haven't seen each other for 50 years—reunited in their seventies via Facebook and quickly deciding to marry. Thanks to perceptive writing by Sally Wainwright and outstanding performances from a strong ensemble cast, Last Tango in Halifax proves to be a surprisingly affecting comedy-drama. Much of the credit goes to Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid as the septuagenarian lovers learning anew about one another and surrounded by families whose problems ring true. Alan's daughter, Gillian (Nicola Walker), is a widow struggling to keep the family farm afloat while caring for a teenage son troubled by rumors about his father's death, and Celia's daughter, Caroline (Sarah Lancashire), finds her philandering husband trying to worm his way back into her life after going off with a younger woman—a situation that unnerves their two boys. The initial disastrous meeting between Gillian and Caroline has a calculated feel, and the episode in which Alan and Celia are locked in a local museum for the night comes off as contrived, but for the most part the material that Wainwright has invented for the characters (such as Celia's reaction to news of Caroline's liaison with a fellow teacher) is genuinely moving, with twists that make emotional sense. Compiling all six episodes from the 2012 first season of this BAFTA-winning series, this is highly recommended. (F. Swietek)