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.

I was watching this with my DH but we both found it pretty dull so switched off after 2 episodes but then I tried again when DH was away last week and still didn't make it beyond episode 4. I am not convinced by Emma as she seems so sensible, the restaurant scene in episode 3 is confusing as she appears to embarrassed and frustrated by this chatty man but then goes on to kiss him, I get that it's highlighting that Leo is unreliable as the friend appears to confirm her feelings that he is a user (even if it is untrue) but surely she is bright enough to see the ulterior motive of the obsessive friend. Also, how is Dexter that bad- I graduated in 2001 so I'm unsure if societal standards had slipped so much over the 90s that Dexter would have been considered a flawed young person but I knew lots of Dexters at uni across the classes and it was pretty regular behaviour. Equally, the girls weren't much better unless they were the type not to go out socially. Emma's just so so sensible and a bit boring that I didn't warm to her.

But I agree with the above, it makes a change to murder and violence.

@Sonora25 again not all Asian people have Asian sounding names.

Do people honestly believe mixed race couples didn't exist before 2024?

Agree @closbang . I can think of people I know in England in their 40s/50s who have mixed race parents. Not from London.

The comments here around Ambika’s ethnicity have taken me aback. It’s not like immigration is new to the U.K. - our multicultural society is about 100+ years in the making!

This programme is set in the 80s/90s/00s when plenty of white people embraced diversity… it’s not the bloody dark ages! I grew up far away from London in the 80s and my best friends were black and Asian kids- I don’t agree we weren’t mixing back then. Of course racism was prolific but don’t tar all white people with the same brush. It’s not rewriting history. I feel like these comments are a bit insulting as you’re claiming it was everyone’s experience.

Nobody with an even tiny amount of intelligence would believe that. But the amount of mixed race couples back then wasn’t as high in the U.K as it is now. Even these days mixed race couples are fairly unusual.

I think the bit to do with the casting choice of Ambika as Emma is that it doesn’t feel right for the 80s. It absolutely sits right as a narrative today but it just jars as not being realistic for the times. PP articulated this better than me upthread.

@Rosieleerose yes sure a confident Asian girl from an inter religious marriage (from the 60ies!) attending university in the 80ies, drinking, sharing a flat with another woman, with a completely English name attracting a posh upper class boy is very very unlikely narrative.
And that they didn’t address that and the casual racism from the 80ies is even more unbelievable. Woke casting choice that missed the point (previous posters also explained that much better).

How common exactly was interreligious marriage between Asian people in the UK in the 60ies?

Oh and the parents are completely fine that she lives with her boyfriend in London.

Yes, it’s the fact that it’s still at in the 80s which makes it so jarring and unbelievable. The solution would have been to set it 20 years later, but then there are lots of parts of the story which would then have been affected by the widespread use of mobile phones etc - much less easy to ‘lose touch’ etc.
To be fair, even Ambika herself said she didn’t audition initially/ consider herself suitable for the role as it was so unlikely a match!

Blimey. I think a lot of you are forgetting it’s series based on a book. They wouldn’t have explored mixed race relationships in the 80s as it’s got nothing to do with the book.

Well I really enjoyed it. Am confused and disappointed about race being called into a question about authenticity. It’s a role played by a brown actor. Get over it.

@westisbest1982 You are wrong. There are 1.7 million people in the UK with mixed race heritage. Hardly unusual!

Out of what - a population of 70 million?

Yeah, you’re wrong.

Wow just wow. 1.7 million people don’t count?! That’s a sizeable minority in statistical terms. Horribly dismissive of you.

Also it takes 2 people to make a baby (usually) so the number of people in mixed race relationships is going to be far, far higher than 1.7 million people, considering not every couple has a child.

People earlier in the thread are claiming her parents are both Asian and there is no evidence in series that one is white.

And how often in the 1960ies did people have interreligious and/or mixed race marriages? It definitely was not common!

Meh I honestly think if it bothers you that much in a fictional love story then it does say something about you.

What a weirdly passive aggressively comment. Just say what you want to mean and grow up.

Says the poster with the most thinly veiled racist posts on this thread.

the actor who plays emma didnt take the part initially because she loved the book, i dont think she didnt take it because she didnt agree with her race

anyway, she was great

Yeah all the mixed race people just stayed under their beds in the 80s; well not me, and none of the other mixed race people I knew in the 80's, but all the ones you knew.

They didn't show menstruation or sneezing or condoms or rain (I don't think!) but I'm pretty sure those are things they could credit the audience with knowing may have happened.

Or maybe the 80s weren't as racist as your little corner of the world is now?

Or maybe the 80s weren't as racist as your little corner of the world is now?

Yes and I can’t believe what I’m reading on this thread and the other thread about Ambika. It’s really sad to see.

White boys DID fancy brown girls in the 80s … brown girls CAN be romantic leads in a fictional piece set in this era.

It’s entirely plausible and there are lots of mixed race adults in our society, who are the result of mixed race relationships to prove it.

This thread has taken a turn for the worst

most of the thread wasn’t about Ambikas race. But just appreciating the story for what it is

but what on earth has happened since?! There are tons of mixed race adults - mixed white:black and mixed white/asian.

and in London where I am now - well there are loads of mixed race couples.

honestly…people can fall in love outside their race.

why are we honestly thinking about race and colour so much when watching a fictional tv show - just wow

this was an unbelievable programme - loved e try single minute of it

What’s shocked me about this thread is that race is still playing such a big discussion on a fictional tv show that is amazing

ambika is British born and bred - but ultimately it’s the colour of skin that attracts this disdain and actual disbelief that mixed race couples can exist - what on earth

yes the show is set in 1988 - but it’s 2024 and this is the chat that’s prevalent about a talented actress

there are plenty of mixed race adults in their 20s/30- look around!

besides I met my own husband to form a mixed Asian/white relationship only a few years after one day finished. Voila

im shocked at the nasty turn this thread has taken. I was about the age of the characters in 1988 - yes its nearly 40 years ago but its not the middle ages.
im a northern girl too and had mixed race friends, a mixed race relationship was not uncommon especially among my age group.
I love the actress who plays Amika and all i thought when i watched it is what an amazing job she did and that its nice to see s woman of colour as s romantic lead!