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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Sugar Rush, Channel 4

All Acting Regiment

13:01 / 11.06.05

I've seen the first one. I take my hat off to whoever made this simply for taking the premise- quiet, awkward teenage girl fancies loud, grown-up one- and making something non-cheap and non-nasty out of it, and avoiding the "H&M Catalogue" approach taken by Hollyoaks.

I reckon the characters were well observed as well. The awkward, shy boy: "Uh...I'm not, y'know. Queer or anything."- then he tries to kiss her- when that girl's just got tarted up with her mate and she's walking down the street, trips on high heels- "Whoops!"- that's exactly what I'd do if I was a girl.

On the other hand, there were a hell of a lot of double entendres, and the electric toothbrush thing scared me a little but then that's probably because I'm a male.

What did you think and will you be watching the rest of the series?

16:38 / 11.06.05

This mostly reminded me of more progressive after-school dramas of my youth, and I'm mystified why it's been made for a post 10.30 slot. I'd have thought that a good proportion of the natural audience (young teens) would be in bed by then.

Seemed pretty tawdry to me - the opening masturbation scene was tacky, the characters clichéd beyond belief and the acting self-conscious and lumpy.
There were one or two okay lines, but it was all a bit Byker Grove sponsored by Pure & Simple, wasn't it? A bit "Grown-ups! Tsk. What are they like?". And this comedy-drama conceit of 'adults as kids and kids as adults' is getting pretty tired, if you ask me. It was pretty well worn before Teachers came along.
I can't see myself watching any more, but I'll be interested to read about it here.

17:55 / 11.06.05

On the plus side, this should finish off what little's left of La Burchill's credibility ('But Oi di'n't write the script !' you can picture something resembling a cross between a crow, a wardrobe and a bottle of gin wailing after midnight on the beach in Brighton - fans of the writers MR James and HP Lovecraft may be able to picture the scene - but it seems as if this time she's gone too far. )

On the minus side, virtually everything else - pointless characters, complete lack of dramatic tension ( it's been flagged up enough in the pre-publicity that 'they don't get it on,' but after about five minutes in it seems as if the series could end with an orgy in a slaughterhouse, and barely raise a polite smile, ) terrible script, and no I'm not prepared to believe the book was any better either.

I liked the Channel 4 helpline at the end of it though, for people who identified with some of the issues raised in the show -

'Hi, Channel 4 ? I just feel so... so unconvincing somehow... I've tried everything to get their attention, but they still think I'm boring, the people at school.'

Though I dare say I'll still watch the rest of it anyway, just for the horror buzz.

Regrettable Juvenilia

07:40 / 13.06.05

Yeah, just dreadful from start to finish really - at best mediocre; at worst it stinks of many of Burchill's most irritating prejudices (see: the dad, easily the worst, most outdated caricature of the "liberal middle classes" I've seen in half a decade, and a reflection of Burchill's true status as the new Richard Littlejohn).

09:40 / 13.06.05

I absolutely agree that it should have been on much earlier, ideally should have had a slot on Cbeebies.

09:55 / 13.06.05

I haven't seen this yet (and the next part clashes with something unbelievably unmissable on Channel 1, though I forget what), but I read the book and I bet you the TV adaptation is going to be better - at least because it's easier to believe that characters are teenagers when they're being played by teenagers in front of your very eyes, rather than when their thoughts as written down are very clearly the thoughts of a grown-up lady (best example [this is a paraphrase, I don't have the book to hand]: "We think we have sex to be more grown-up, but really we have sex to be allowed to be more childish - to play and be comforted by skin contact like babies").

I think I speak for all 15-year-olds when I say Gneeshushushaaargh.

09:57 / 13.06.05

Oh gosh, I thought it was just rubbish. It was quite embarassing, really; came across as smug and silly instead of as knowing as it wanted, and I found the constant descent into caricature rendered much of the exercise pointless. I watched it, semi-compulsively, I guess, but it was plain bad, through and through; I have no idea why it's receiving the half-decent press that it is.

Regrettable Juvenilia

10:13 / 13.06.05

I'm sure Deva's right and it is better than the book - forgot to mention that the main actress has a decent stab at making a terrible script believable/watchable - she fails in the end, but anyone would.

All Acting Regiment

13:07 / 13.06.05

I think the design of the whole thing can be summed up as "Look! Pop! Noise! Bacardi Breezers!", which is probably more interesting to teenagers than it to adults, but in turn means it can't ever be as serious as some here would like.

Personally, I appreciate the fact that a series is tackling something often misunderstood or seen as a stigma- and am I the only one who felt a sigh of releif to find that the characters are not your stereotypical "Gothy Outcast Kurt Cobain" types; I mean it could have been so cliched.

Regrettable Juvenilia

13:46 / 13.06.05

which is probably more interesting to teenagers than it to adults

I doubt many teenagers are interested in Burchill's continuing vendetta against the liberal middle class strawman that exists inside her head.

but in turn means it can't ever be as serious as some here would like.

I don't want it to be serious. I like lots of things that aren't serious. I want it to be less bad.

Personally, I appreciate the fact that a series is tackling something often misunderstood or seen as a stigma-

Really? How is it "tackling" the issue of queer teenage sexuality, apart from in a typically cack-handed reactionary Burchillian fashion - "I fancy this girl but I am not a lesbian or bisexual because the queers are weird and not normal like me do you see?"

I mean it could have been so cliched.

It is unbelievably clichéd.

Tryphena Absent

14:02 / 13.06.05

My first problem with this drama is that I've never met a 15 year old lesbian who is like the protagonist of the story. At 15 no girl would have the... guts? instinct? awareness? to not snog that boy. Even if you knew you weren't straight I think you'd still give it a go just in case. 15 year olds hardly stick to pulling people they're attracted to. So nice comic scene but totally crap.

I have no idea why it's receiving the half-decent press that it is.

Because there isn't any good drama about lesbianism. I mean, Tipping the Velvet was lauded as a fantastic drama despite having a protagonist who wailed the name Kitty in one of the shittest accents the BBC has ever broadcast.

14:45 / 13.06.05

Lately loads of programme makers appear to be desperately trying to remake 'Shameless' but getting it horribly wrong.

Shameless is actually very funny whilst being very dark and has heart-wrenching sadness when you least expect it. Sugar was trying to do that and failed. Dismally.

All Acting Regiment

09:52 / 14.06.05

At 15 no girl would have the... guts? instinct? awareness? to not snog that boy.

Wouldn't they? He sat on her bed looking visibly worried and frightened, he wasn't particularly attractive physically- he spent a long time trying to convince her he wasn't gay in a way which suggested he wasn't too sure.

All in all he just wasn't a particularly good catch. Then he lunged at her agressively. I didn't associate the not snogging him thing with being a lesbian, I associated it with the fact that because of his manner and appearance he wasn't, well, atractive, however mature she was.

All Acting Regiment

09:57 / 14.06.05

Flyboy:I doubt many teenagers are interested in Burchill's continuing vendetta against the liberal middle class strawman that exists inside her head.

No, probably not, but that's not what I said. When I said "Design" I was referring to the bright colours, loud fashion/music and rowdy teenage slang used throughout.

Regrettable Juvenilia

10:11 / 14.06.05

I would be very interested to hear what teenagers thought of this show, put it that way.

10:15 / 14.06.05

One thing that annoyed me about this -which might have something to do with the aforementioned continuing vendetta against the liberal middle class strawman -was the fact that the mother was an alcoholic. It seemed too much -I'm sure there are lots of people who are functionally alcoholic, and equally lots of people who are emotionally distant, and that there's some kind of intersection between the two groups, but I don't see why one has to equal the other. I suppose Smoothly mentioned it in referring to characters clichéd beyond belief but for some reason I found that one thing really, really grating.

Even if you knew you weren't straight I think you'd still give it a go just in case.

I don't know -if I'd been in that situation I think the 'yes, just in case it's fun' would have been quite thoroughly outweighed by 'no, just in case he starts THINKING HE'S MY BOYFRIEND AND COMING OVER EVERY DAY TO TELL ME HIS DEEP OPINIONS ON THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR AND RITCHEY JAMES OF THE MANIC STREET PREACHERS OH NO THIS IS THE WORST THING!!!' But since I never was in that situation that's really just me guessing.

Regrettable Juvenilia

10:30 / 14.06.05

But that character was just another caricature of "people Burchill hates" anyway, so discussion of what a real teenage girl would have done in that situation is pretty mute.

22:10 / 12.07.05

Someone at work today was telling me that they've been enjoying this. Tried to tell me that it improved enormously after the first episode. Is this true? Has anyone been watching it? Legba? Alex?

23:24 / 12.07.05

I lost this a bit after the episode where the Burchill manque got 'crabs' after a sleepover at Sugar's place (although she didn't get to 'do' her, poor girl, d'you see what la Bismarck, the ship, not the person, did there?) leading to all manner of amusing situations wherein the pubic lice that infest the whole family were agents of the authors satirical intent, were in fact, if you will, stand-ins for the author herself. But it was refreshingly honest of the loveable old crypto-Ann-Widdecombe to cast herself in that light, and I do still try and watch it when I get the chance. Although whoever it was that gave the green light to ten episodes of this is possibly now doing favours for loose change at a bus stop near Euston, and not in a good way either.

Regrettable Juvenilia

20:18 / 07.06.06

So, somewhat implausibly, there's a new series of this on the way.

Does anyone know if Burchill has had any input into the new season? Because if not, I might give it a go...

20:40 / 07.06.06

My thoughts precisely. Will poke around in my secret Channel4 cupboard... [Rustle, rustle]... No mention of Burchill involvement in any publicity anywhere, which makes a change from the last series - which trumpeted very loud that it was based on her book - so I think that's a good indication:

"This spring the late-night drama Sugar Rush returns for a second series.

It’s 18 months later and Kim (Olivia Hallinan) is a sexually frustrated 17-year-old, with a Goth brother who sleeps in a coffin, and a pair of dysfunctional ‘swinging’ parents.

But it’s Sugar (Lenora Critchlow) who really got the rough end of the stick. After glassing a guy in the previous series, she’s still serving time in a young offenders’ institute. Kim visits her best mate regularly, but times change and Kim knows she needs to get a life of her own.

Brighton’s lesbian scene offers a world of sexual possibilities and Kim grabs them with both hands. But when she meets the cool, savvy Saint (Sarah-Jane Potts - Kinky Boots, Six Feet Under), her whole world is turned upside down and Kim has to learn how to juggle the conflicting demands of love and friendship.

Sugar Rush is a riotous exploration of what it means to be young, horny and queer in 21st century Britain."
(C4 release dated 28th March)

All Acting Regiment

04:27 / 09.06.06

This is bizarre. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I said positive things about this and argued with Flyboy. If I can say this without being cheesy, all the naysayers were right. I take back all opinions.

Wonder if the new series'll be any better?

Regrettable Juvenilia

07:24 / 09.06.06

Part of me wonders whether Channel 4 wouldn't like to have their own, British L Word, i.e. a show about queer women that is actually watched and enjoyed by a percentage of queer women, but also has wider appeal. I suspect Sugar Rush underperformed on both those fronts first time round, but that it might still have been deemed easier to revamp it (to whatever extent it has been revamped, again this is all speculation at this point) than to conceive a whole new show...

The resistable rise of Reidcourchie

08:31 / 06.07.06

OH CHRIST WHY O'WHY AM I STILL WATCHING THIS!?

14:55 / 07.07.06

I think it's great.

I know it's not the most complex of story lines and it is silly - but it's fun. I think the main three actors do sterling work and have great characters to work with. It is all a little contrived and they are still banking in on the lesbian plot a bit, but not as much as they could. It's on late at night and is a bit risque (Saint working in a Sex Shop for instance) but really it's just a less mopey version of As-If (another one I really liked) or any teen drama as seen on T4.

Last night's episode saw Kim ans Sugar have a row, then Kim and Saint have a row, then Kim getting chucked out the house by Stella so they could have a swingers party - so she went to a club and pulled a singer, only to have Saint catch them at it at the end. The subplots with Nathan and Stella are a little odd but it makes a nice counterpoint to the main narration.

Maybe people were expecting too much from it because of the perceived significance of the lesbian storyline, or maybe people don't like it because the initial ideas were by Burchill, but viewed afresh with non of these prejudices it's shaping up to be a light-hearted, fun drama.