There were moments in this special that reminded you of the wonderful chemistry and banter between the characters the first time around, however I think overall it was an unnecessary reunion.
The story had interesting elements but it generally felt a bit too contrived and somehow too extreme a development, particularly with Milly and Egg. I think it was a shame that Anna heard her biological clock ticking for this reunion, as she seemed the least likely to want such a thing (although at least it was a baby on her terms rather than settling down with a man). It was also a pity Ferdy was killed off as a means to bring them back together. That said, it was an organic reason for them ALL to be reunited - whereas it was a weird choice to have their reunion be turned into a thing within the show via the weak documentary storyline.
I watched this for the first time today, hot on the heels of finishing a watch of the original run for the first time as well. This meant that there were threads from "Apocalypse Wow!" that I wish had been touched upon, none more so than Francesca being a footnote and replaced by an entirely new wife! I wish we had seen a couple of other familiar faces, too; I don't think it would have been unreasonable to have had Graham appear in the early scenes with Anna or Lenny be at Ferdy's funeral, for instance.
Overall, it was enjoyable but I think when I do a rewatch at some point - which I undoubtedly will because the main run is terrific telly - I shan't bother with this special. I imagine fans who watched it originally were disappointed by this reunion after such a long wait. If it had been done well, it could have become a thing that the show does, reuniting/checking in with the five-some every decade. Unfortunately, I can't see them doing another special.
Review by ElliotVIP 6BlockedParentSpoilers2021-09-07T11:03:05Z
There were moments in this special that reminded you of the wonderful chemistry and banter between the characters the first time around, however I think overall it was an unnecessary reunion.
The story had interesting elements but it generally felt a bit too contrived and somehow too extreme a development, particularly with Milly and Egg. I think it was a shame that Anna heard her biological clock ticking for this reunion, as she seemed the least likely to want such a thing (although at least it was a baby on her terms rather than settling down with a man). It was also a pity Ferdy was killed off as a means to bring them back together. That said, it was an organic reason for them ALL to be reunited - whereas it was a weird choice to have their reunion be turned into a thing within the show via the weak documentary storyline.
I watched this for the first time today, hot on the heels of finishing a watch of the original run for the first time as well. This meant that there were threads from "Apocalypse Wow!" that I wish had been touched upon, none more so than Francesca being a footnote and replaced by an entirely new wife! I wish we had seen a couple of other familiar faces, too; I don't think it would have been unreasonable to have had Graham appear in the early scenes with Anna or Lenny be at Ferdy's funeral, for instance.
Overall, it was enjoyable but I think when I do a rewatch at some point - which I undoubtedly will because the main run is terrific telly - I shan't bother with this special. I imagine fans who watched it originally were disappointed by this reunion after such a long wait. If it had been done well, it could have become a thing that the show does, reuniting/checking in with the five-some every decade. Unfortunately, I can't see them doing another special.