Anybody seen this? After the first episode the only remark which came to mind was ‘akin to pulling teeth’.
I decided to give it another chance last night with hopes that the excellent performances of the actors, Sean Bean, Nicola Walker and James Bolam, would lift it from boring obscurity. Sadly, they couldn’t.
With its long, agonisingly awkward silences and tedious scripting, even the monotonous effing and blinding could not rescue it.
I won’t be watching again.
Couldn’t agree more. 
Gave up after 10 minutes of first episode.
Unfortunately directors who adore Nicola Walker seem to think that is the only character she can play. 
I think I have only seen her in Unfogotten before, and I came to that late so might not have seen them all. But her character in that was not quite the same as this, though it is true she can handle long expressionless silences. The best bit, from that point of view, was when she went round to her Dad’s, ostensibly to fix the cooker, but ended up without any prompting, in a long drawn out sequence making him a sandwich which he made no effort to dissuade her from. She really should have changed the fuse and left to go to her own meal with her husband, but that was not the way it was written. I thought both her and James Bolam handled it perfectly, but it simply wasn’t good telly.
@Mat_Davies I hardly ever can bring myself to do that, must be the eternal optimist, thinking it can only get better, and will, but often doesn’t. 
Well we are sticking with it.
An unusual production with lots of unspoken things to think about.
Only trouble is we currently have a house full of family who take the opportunity to chatter endlessly during the silent bits 
I think it might pay a more extended view. It’s a bit Mike Leighish is it not?
Yes, it is what I would call arty/farty myself. Seems to be all for the art rather than to entertain. The way things are communicated to us rather than explained. The touching scene at what looked to be a child’s grave, especially as they were both consumed by grief but not immediately giving each other close comfort. Also the fact that the daughter is obviously adopted though perhaps almost from birth regarding the closeness.
Again is that art for art’s sake, or is it a thread which will have consequences subsequently?
I liked it, I saw parts 2 and 3, maybe its because I enjoy observing people and situations but I feel it shows an (albeit compressed) view of their marriage and everyday life - the non verbal communication, internal dialogue, routines and the way we all hedge around things in order to preserve the peace. For me it was more real than what I have ever (rarely) seen as reality television.
Mind you I also enjoyed the “slow” tv programmes - bus trip through the Yorkshire Dales in real time etc.
I think that is possibly why I didn’t like it, if I want long silences with brief outbursts I can simply turn the tv off. 
However, the jury is still out on whether I watch eps 3 and 4 next week. 
Oh I quite agree, but I think it reassuring that it’s reflective of real life as we might know it. I thought I had missed the first one. I’ll definitely watch next week.
My wife watches a lot of these drama series on UK TV and I rarely like them (how many more ‘crime’ programmes can they possibly make? what’s the attraction of watching criminals and detectives doing roughly the same things over and over again?).
Generally, I switch off after a few minutes and read stuff online - but my reaction to Marriage has been just the opposite. I assumed I wouldn’t like it and would switch off (mentally) - but I actually find it really gripping - so different from the usual empty formulaic offerings.
I’ll grant you it is different. But then so would sitting watching paint dry be different, doesn’t make it good telly though. I wonder if you watched my Ever Increasing Circles video Geoff
and what you thought of it. 
I hadn’t come across this David but I do like ‘Slow TV’ - and am the butt of my kids’ jokes for it.
I didn’t see the log fire programme - but actually I do love to watch our own log fire - and bonfires when we’re allowed them. I saw and liked the reindeer migration.
I’m actually a fan of the whole ‘Slow’ movement, which I think came out of ‘Slow Food’ - the deliberate rejection of ‘Fast Food’ culture, and instead savouring the whole process of growing, cooking and eating real food very simply. It is, I guess, related to the ‘mindfulness’ thing, or Zen, but with an added ‘stop the world I want to get off’ dimension.
We had a lovely apéro with our neighbours last night, and I was enthusing about a wonderful restaurant we’ve discovered here. Everything made - slowly! - from scratch, mostly right in front of you - the proprietor cooks galettes and crêpes crouching over an open wood fire in a big old Breton stone fireplace. The first page of the menu tells you to go elsewhere if you want ‘fast food’!
My neighbour - a very erudite Frenchman - immediately knew the significance of the restaurant name, which had escaped me: Le Temps des Cerises.
Crikey Geof, so we do have something in common 
I am making Sauerkraut this afternoon, I love it and kimchi etc but have so far never tried making them.
In the spirit of the thread, what does your husband/partner think of this slow idea?
Very political. 
We’re split, he hates it and l am hooked
Marriage, BBC One, review - a brilliantly executed drama series with a big heart (theartsdesk.com)
A very polarised reaction wonderfully illustrated in this thread 
André Claveau also did it
EDIT I misremembered, it waa a different track sorry (Cerisier Rose et Pommier Blanc)