I didn't know wha to expect from this, but ended up binge watching the entire series today.

Truly harrowing and shows just how much this tore through communities in the 1980's, with so much denial from those in control. Perfectly cast, Olly (Ritchie) and Callum (Colin) were outstanding - but it was Lydia (Jill) who shone. Her empathy, good nature, kindness, especially in the end, makes you feel warm about mankind - there's always good people out there.

I'm not a fan of RTD, but I will take my hat off to him for this, truly, heartbreaking series that deserves to sweep the boards at any TV Awards in the coming year (it's up there with Chernobyl for me, a serial everyone should watch) and if it doesn't, then somethings very wrong.

[spoiler]To see how it affected the group of friends - changed their lives forever and Colins demise was the worst. A quiet, seemingly shy chap. His sleazy boss trying it on more than once, then giving him the cold shoulder and effectively firing him when he didn't get his own way - or assumed he had the illness after their trip to New York. It was unexpected and pulled at the heart strings seeing him deteriorate and the two words 'Liverpool Shirt' then made sense as to who .. and when .. The scene of him and his Mother eating a TV dinner together will be hard to shake off. I think his death hit hardest as he wasn't out sleeping with everyone, just one .. but that's all it took. So sad.[/spoiler]

We laughed. We cried.

"They died because of you . . . " clearly a line aimed at politicians of the time, but equally this stands true today with some governments handling of the current pandemic . . seems lessons never learned.