First impressions are important \u2013 and regrettably, Dreamland<\/a> doesn\u2019t make a great one. In just the first five minutes, the show hits us with an inflatable penis, a stifled orgasm and a lame joke about s**tting out your initials.<\/p>\n Not to be prudish, but it did evoke a traumatised flashback to last year\u2019s Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything<\/a>; a fellow Sky comedy that seemed to pride itself on saying or doing the most vulgar thing at any given time.<\/p>\n But where that misjudged offering swiftly capsized, sinking to ever greater depths, Dreamland weathers its stormy start to sail smoothly into a highly compelling second half.<\/p>\n The seaside sitcom stars pop icon Lily Allen as Mel O\u2019Sullivan, who heads back to her hometown of Margate after a glamorous job in Paris goes awry. There she reunites with her mother, grandmother and three sisters, although eldest Trish (Freema Agyeman) is less than thrilled by the sudden reappearance.<\/p>\n Having relied on each other completely in the absence of any male parental figure, there is a profound bond between the women in this family that has been tested before by Mel\u2019s stunts \u2013 and is put at risk once again by a shocking secret that she brings home.<\/p>\n Though Trish blasts her younger sister with the comment that \u201cbeing a hot mess is very 2019\u201d, Dreamland wisely isn\u2019t attempting to impersonate Fleabag.<\/p>\n Allen excels in her television debut with an arguably more grounded performance, strengthening her case for more acting work following a successful run on the West End\u2019s 2:22 A Ghost Story (which might have been undermined by the production\u2019s later tendency to stunt cast).<\/p>\n The agonising scenario that Mel finds herself in is a key source of tension throughout the series, but it isn\u2019t the only compelling thread to watch out for. Trish and husband Spence (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) are expecting a baby, but the trauma of three miscarriages weighs heavily on their relationship.<\/p>\n Dreamland also doesn\u2019t shy away from discussing race, including the inferior healthcare often suffered by Black women and the psychological impact of being raised in a predominantly white town.<\/p>\n Agyeman is another victim of the wobbly series premiere, which sees her character stage an entirely pink party with the goal of \u201cmanifesting\u201d a female baby. But from that heightened introduction emerges a well-rounded and believable character, whose marriage becomes a focal point of the series.<\/p>\n For Smith-Bynoe, this is an opportunity to flex more dramatic muscles than we see on his BBC sitcom Ghosts<\/a>, and he rises to the occasion \u2013 only getting stronger as the season progresses.<\/p>\n![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/04\/dreamland-cast-ffe007b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
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