daneldorado I'm giving this show ("800 Words") 10 stars, because it is one of the smoothest and most enjoyable series I have ever seen. George Turner (Erik Thomson), a recently widowed journalist, is left with two teenage children -- a girl Shay (Melina Vidler) and a son Arlo (Benson Jack Anthony). The three of them decide to leave their Australian homeland and resettle in a small town in New Zealand, only about 900 miles away from their former Sydney abode.George becomes editor of a small newspaper in his new home of Weld, NZ. He settles in and becomes the eyes and ears of his new neighbors, makes friends, and soon becomes a beloved man in the new town.Sounds boring, but not so for a 40-something dreamboat who quickly befriends many marriageable ladies, several of whom come courting -- all very chastely, of course. He doesn't consider himself a ladies' man, but before long George is the most sought-after target for the (many) single ladies in town.Dan Navarro ([email protected])

Kay1977 800 Words was recently broadcast on PBS, and watching the 1st season made me buy as many series of it as I could get my hands on. The premise of the show has been discussed in other reviews, so I won't repeat it, but I'll give my opinion as to why the show is so good. The characters, actors and scripts are excellent, as is the scenery. The way it takes the trope of a quirky small town with "outsiders" adjusting to life there works so well because the show is very funny and very serious at the same time. That combination of laughing and then thinking - wow- this has something important to say about being human, grieving, family dynamics, making mistakes, loving and muddling through. It isn't preachy. It steals your heart because you fall in love with the characters. Even the town "villain" is likable in a way because the quirky characters are fleshed out human beings. The handyman is laid back and might be taken as a fool, but as with the Shakespearen fool, he has the role of helping his employer see the lay of the land and the people in it- plus he has a heart of gold. There are special characters throughout that show up in one episode (the has-been surfer dude is one of my favorites) and townspeople who make regular appearances. I like comedy to be meaningful, and meaningful drama to contain comedy. This show hits the bullseye.

PartialMovieViewer Formulaic and predictable and a family mending a horrible hurt...I love it. No painful PC garbage; no eggshells to navigate and no squishy characters you MUST accept...just normal folk. I am so glad to enjoy such a fun show. Another reviewer said its all about family...that person nailed it spot-on. The entire story revolves around a struggling family dealing with the terrible loss a loved matriarch. The son, the daughter and dad each handle this loss in different ways...oh and pardon the tears, this is too entertaining to cry a bucketful tears. The entire cast is tight and well directed. I could binge-watch this show in one. I highly recommend this show to one and all. Give it a whirl...you may like it or not. All I know is that this is a show I enjoy.

qui_j This is a "feel good", family oriented series. Typical of the genre, Single Dad has two teenage children, and all the problems that brings! The problems dealt with in each episode are all neatly resolved by the end of each episode. There are the usual stereotypical characters e.g annoying but useless handyman, beautiful and multi-talented schoolteacher, evil town Patriarch, etc. Everyone is impossibly good- looking, and at the end of each episode, all one wants to do is to move to this "Mayberry" in New Zealand. The scenery is stunning, and I'm sure the series has done wonders for tourism to that country. It's an entertaining series, and if this type of show is what you are looking for, this more than fits the bill!Be prepared however for a high dose of "Predictability". There are just no surprises!