Are you ever too old to find love…? ‘Last Tango In Halifax‘ Writer, Sally Wainwright doesn’t think so!

I imagine a heartwarming comedy drama focusing on an elderly couple and their families would normally be a hard sell and have commissioners running for the hills. But Last Tango In Halifax is no ordinary comedy drama though; It has a stellar cast including Sir Derek Jacobi, Anne Reid, Nicola Walker and Sarah Lancashire to name a few, in a story of love and family to make you laugh and warm your winter nights.

The story focuses on Reid and Jacobi’s characters; Celia Dawson and Alan Buttershaw – two widowed pensioners and almost-childhood sweethearts who get back in contact after 60 years when their grandson’s put them on Facebook. The couple meet up for a coffee and a discover a bittersweet misunderstanding robbed them of being together, followed by Alan’s car being stolen and a resulting car chase. Their scenes in the police station draw you in to how touching, heartfelt and amazing these two actors are.

But as we all know the course of true love never did run smooth and the couple face obstacles from their daughters whose lives are quite frankly complicated and messy. Alan’s daughter Gillian (Nicola Walker) works at the local supermarket and runs a farm where she lives with her teenage son Raff (Josh Bolt) and her father. However the death of her husband is shrouded in secrecy and her waring brother-in law, Robbie (Dean Andrews) is trying to turn her son against her. And then there’s her sleazy younger lover, Paul (Sacha Dhawan), not the best of choices – which Gillian knows, yet she appears to be repulsed and attracted to his rough and ready character in equal measure.

Celia’s daughter Caroline (Sarah Lancashire) is a headteacher who’s also having trouble with her relationships, with her cheating husband, John – who’s trying to wrangle his way back into her home and affections after he discovers his lover is actually an alcoholic, while her own love life is in turmoil as she tries to keep a relationship with a work colleague secret while denying her feelings.

Nicola Walker and Derek Jacobi have a natural rapport acting as father and daughter, the hurt plain in Gillian’s eyes when her dad explains his feelings for the woman who proceeded her mother. And then how can we forget the face-off between Caroline and Gillian; a fraught exchange of insults when they both vie for the same parking space, which was hilariously genius – and just as they find out much to their surprise their parents have got engaged. Gillian’s comments under her breath about her brother-in-law add to the comedy level too.

I have nothing but praise for this series. It’s took a while to get on our screens but the wait was certainly worth it. The acting, writing and direction is all top-notch, Sally Wainwright has produced another hit series which can’t help but bring an “Aww” when you realise it’s based on her own mother’s rekindled relationship (although through friends reunited) and having seen the whole series, I can tell you it’s a great feel-good ride ahead full of twists and turns.

There’s rumblings of a second series should it do well in the ratings, which I personally would love to see, as long as they keep the current cast. If you haven’t watched ‘Last Tango In Halifax,’ Please do! Go catch it on the iplayer! If you have, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.