One Day - series adaptation on Netflix, starts Feb 8th

[Netaporter]

Anyone fancy a watch thread? Loved the book by David Nicholls, loved the film, but it’s never really gained a strong following for some reason? The series stars Ambika Mod (This is going to hurt) as Emma and Leo Woodall (The white Lotus) as Dexter.

Really enjoyed this, like many other posters I relate as it’s a similar era to me living in London.

I too struggled with the concept of their relationship in the early episodes. A lad like Dexter, who was having casual sex all over Europe, just wouldn’t be taking the time to write letters to a girl in England who he had one one night stand with.

For those pp who say the author David nicholls would be unhappy with Ambika - he is exec producer but also posting the most doting posts about her on his Instagram

davidnichollswriter

Well of course he is, he's getting paid to do so.

And the book is number 1 in the Amazon book charts, and his new book is out in April. It’s beneficial for him to spin this series.

This thread is horrible.

Basically Dexter couldn't have possibly fancied this Emma

David Nicholls must secretly hate that this Emma was cast and he's only bigging her up because he's being paid to do so

The actress is really attractive! More so than Anne Hathaway imo but funnily enough nobody had an issue with that casting

Nothing to do with how attractive she is/isn't, she was boring and sour, it really was quite unbelievable what Dex would see in her. The whole point was he was drawn to her personality and she didn't have one in the series.

It's absolutely fine to criticise/discuss a TV production.

I don't think many people are saying she's unattractive. She just doesn't capture the Emma character. Emma was much quirkier and funnier and more feisty in the book. She 'got' Dex and that's why he liked her. You don't feel that connection in the series . Or I didn't

I think it's unrealistic. It's my era and I remember going to Uni at this time, with blokes like Dex. To an RG uni which attracted lots of students from public school. They always stuck with their kind, ie. the blond, rich, monied girls who also went to public school.

The issue a lot of posters seem to have is that she's Indian

Why couldn't Dexter have been attracted to somebody Indian

Emma was much quirkier and funnier and more feisty in the book. She 'got' Dex and that's why he liked her

Yes this. I loved Emma in the book and loved Dex in the recent show but just think that Emma was wrong - more angry and grumpy and hyper critical of him.

Apart from anything else, Ambika just doesn't have the chops for this role - e.g the scene in the restaurant in episode 7 where Dexter tells her that those who can't teach and in episode 4 where they're in the lake and he tells her he fancies her, then suggests a FWB scenario.

I watched it over a couple of days, wasn’t loving it to start with but felt like the characters and relationship developed as the series went on. I’d read the book so already knew that certain scene was coming and was dreading it. For some reason although I knew it was going to come, it has really affected me and I can’t stop thinking about it 😢 the story really is devastating.

Interestingly I have had many of the same experiences as Emma however 30 years later, and her character feels so familiar. What struck me is that although many things change (politically, socially, culturally), many experiences and feelings remain the same throughout the decades.

I was born in the 90s so can’t comment on how accurate the cultural references were, however watching the series made me feel really nostalgic for an era where I didn’t even exist/was very young for some reason. I’ve always felt that I would have loved to have experienced my 20s in the 90s and listen to a lot of 90s music now. I personally LOVED the soundtrack. Those who don’t agree with the music used, do you not think that this was due to people having differing music tastes? Popular music in the 80s and 90s spanned a huge range of genres and styles.

I also personally loved the casting :) more so than the film!

I totally agree with this – I thinkthat’s at the key of the entire romance – she’s the only one apart from his mother, who says you’re very pretty but you have to be more than that and believes he has it in him …

I had to go back to the book to check that part of the ending that I remembered had actually happened, which wasn't in the series. Not posting here for obvious reasons!

I think that maybe a lot of people who are defending the casting of Emma haven't read the book. It's one of my favourite books of all time, and if an actor doesn't capture the essence of the character in a much loved book, regardless of the colour of their skin, then I'm not going to like that person representing the character.

@ChunkyTofu now you've said that I'm going to have to read the book 😂

I think that maybe a lot of people who are defending the casting of Emma haven't read the book. It's one of my favourite books of all time, and if an actor doesn't capture the essence of the character in a much loved book, regardless of the colour of their skin, then I'm not going to like that person representing the character

Yes, this.

I didn't like "that scene" at all (cop out), but I'm sufficiently intrigued to read the book now, and of course I'll have Ambika and Leo in mind rather than my own image of Emma and Dex.

Thank you to all the contributors on this thread for not giving away spoilers

Just watched episode 8 - Mark Rowley who plays the married teacher Emma shags is seriously hot!

I was a similar age to Emma and Dexter in the late 80s and 90s and do notice the soundtrack being a bit off at times though I am still enjoying it. It completely missed the big Madchester music scene from the late 80s/early 90s. And agree with another poster who thought it was odd a Joan Armatrading track was used in the first episode.

I’ve read the book and I like the casting of Ambika as Emma. She is feisty, clever and funny- also attractive in an unconventional way.

I’d suggest there might be some unconscious bias associated with the criticism of her casting. In the book, Dexter fancies her because she’s so different and a breath of fresh air- he also likes her honesty and directness. Which Ambika brings to the role.

How is it a 'cop out' if it reflects what was written in the book?

I loved Joan Armatrading around that time (I was at school), had her LPs bought from the second-hand record shop. You're never going to reflect everyone's music likes and dislikes 100%

I’m up to episode 9, I haven’t read the book and am really enjoying it and it’s exactly my era.
Ultimately an adaptation of a well loved novel is never going to please all, everyone’s vision of the perfect casting and how the story plays out is different. Really don’t get the “not pretty enough” remarks though.
My uni friendship circle was a total mixed bag, ethnically, demographically and culturally - people you would not put together at all. There are so many shades of my experiences in this show, it’s bringing it all back.
I got to really like Emma - she isn’t happy in her life up until episode 4, and then things start to get better. To me it is more a story about friendship than romance. Avoiding the end spoiler for now but I think I can guess.

Love the soundtrack! Also I remember that Nokia phone from the 90s, my now dh had one back then!