Last night saw the return of ITV’s Cold Feet, after a 13 year hiatus from our screens, to the delight of critics and fans alike. The original ITV series ran from 1997 to 2003, and starred James Nesbitt, Helen Baxendale, Hermione Norris, Robert Bathurst, and John Thomson, following three 30-something Manchester-based couples at varying stages of commitment in their relationships.
The first episode of the new series, which saw the original cast (minus Helen Baxendale) back in Manchester in middle age, was seen by an average of 5.8 million viewers (rising to 6.1 million when those watching on ITV+1 were included).
Viewers took to Twitter to praise the revival, while critics were similarly pleasantly surprised.
The viewers
Just sitting down to watch brand new #ColdFeet starring my little bro @celspellman!!
— Nathan Sykes (@NathanSykes) September 5, 2016
Absolutely beside myself that Cold Feet is back. Cannot wait for this!!!!
— Charley Webb (@MissCharleyWebb) September 5, 2016
Love love love the new series of Cold Feet. Great storyline and brilliantly acted. It’s like seeing old friends again. #ColdFeet
— Emma Bennett (@EmmaBennett29) September 5, 2016
Loved cold feet, the characters dropped straight back into how they were. It’s like they’ve never been away, so glad it’s back #coldfeet
— richard hughes (@hughesr9) September 5, 2016
What if Ross called Emily Rachael because he’d just watched an episode of cold feet!? #Friends #ColdFeet
— Danny (@Dannyowen98) September 5, 2016
Never thought I’d see the day when the whole of Twitter loves a TV show. Guess it was pretty, pretty, pretty good. #ColdFeet
— Sunny (@sunbeam007) September 5, 2016
Can’t spot a single negative tweet… So rare. Especially for a show that’s returning after 13 years! They’ve done so well. #ColdFeet
— Elliot Gonzalez (@elliot_gonzalez) September 5, 2016
The critics
Sam Wollaston, the Guardian:
Middle age – as a subject, not his own, though that must help – gives writer Mike Bullen a whole new area to explore, full of traps and miseries and even the occasional joy. Plus there are teenage kids around now to add an extra, multi-generational 21st-century layer (Adam’s troubled son Matthew played by Cel Spellman looks interesting). Teenagers make more interesting television than babies. Bullen – and the cast – tackle the challenge with the same wit and warmth and humanness that they did last time out.
It is a relief, then, that something that could have been a really bad idea isn’t. Stay in touch? Absolutely … I’m saying after one episode. But then I’ve said the same thing before, after other unexpectedly pleasant reunions.
Michael Hogan, the Telegraph:
Could the old magic be recaptured with this heavily hyped comeback? Largely, yes. […] This was witty, well-made drama – no longer as fresh or original, perhaps, but still compelling and warm. It worked because it wasn’t purely wallowing in nostalgia or trading on past glories, offering something more sobering and poignant. Cold Feet had become Old Feet – less about commitment issues, more about navigating the mid-life minefield.
James Jackson, the Times:
We didn’t think we wanted Cold Feet back, but perhaps we needed it. It’s a comfort blanket for the middle-aged.
[…]Cold Feet 2.0 was warm, funny, confident, and, as always, cleverer than it looked.
Christopher Stevens, the Daily Mail:
Some things don’t change. It’s been 13 years, but Pete still hero-worships Adam. Clever Karen is still too nice for her own good. And Cold Feet – back for an eight-part relaunch – is still the best in its class, a silly romantic comedy that’s shot through with pain and grief.
[…]Cold Feet is a show to be enjoyed for the emotions it evokes: the overriding one was a wave of warmth at meeting old friends, people we thought we’d never see again.
Andy Halls, the Sun:
The cast of returning classic Cold Feet always said they would only make a comeback if the script was right, and all the signs were there as it returned tonight. [It …] sums up what Cold Feet has always been about. Normal people – that the audience can relate to – being honest, touching and very funny.
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