Camping starts out with a gentle English journey to the countryside, but there's a dark foreboding that fans of Julia Davis will soon pick up on. Each episode becomes darker and more disturbing, but infinitely more funny as the characters develop and their real unpleasantness soon becomes only too clear. The cringe level makes Peep Show look like Jackanory and as the storyline builds to the incredible final episode we're left shaking our heads in disbelief at the unpleasantness of these self-absorbed characters. At the end of the final episode I was laughing so hard that I was almost crying, but most of all I was thinking, What the hell happened to Tom?

This series is a little gem and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it on NowTV. If you judge the series by Episode 1 alone, you're probably missing one of the best comedy series of 2016. The first episode simply introduces the characters and places them into context in the story-line. Keep watching past the first episode and the characters and story-line develop into something deliciously funny and very watchable. Yes, some of the characters and antics are cringe-worthy, but remember this is all part of the comedy. I ended up watching all six episodes back to back, culminating in an absolutely brilliant final episode. If you get the chance to watch it - then do. It's very good.

I decided to watch this as I love Julia Davies (Nighty Night and Gavin and Stacey) I originally watched part of Episode one and like others thought what a load of rubbish. I then read some reviews in The Times and decided to give it another try. Downloaded via Sky catchup. One of the rudest and most cringe worthy Series I have watched in many years. I am an older retired man with plenty of time to watch TV. I thought it was absolutely brilliant.I can understand why some were put off but give it a proper go (I binged it) Once you get into it you will find it Sad, unsettling ,shocking but ultimately bloody funny. Vicky Pepperdine is the ultimate horror in this and Elizabeth Berrington although underused here gives a gem of a performance Well done Julia Davies Looking forward to another series.

Firstly, before I give my opinion, I have to comment on that of others. Saying re: Tom and Fay "the bloke with his new girlfriend is just embarrassing" shows that you've entirely missed the point. Of COURSE its embarrassing. Its supposed to be embarrassing, cringeworthy even. What you've done there is identified what the writer intends the audience to do, then listed it as a bad point. Why? Its like saying you don't like The Office because David Brent isn't a very good manager. Another reviewer mentions that a character "grates." - Yes, again, well done for stating the obvious. That's because the writer wants to convey the awkwardness and closeness of a holiday with other people, particularly in the claustrophobic microcosm of a camping holiday. People do "grate" but you're all in it together for 7 or 14 days - biting your tongue is just as essential as a groundsheet on a camping holiday with "other couples". Now I've run out of room to praise the incredible dialogue "I just went into Topshop and expressed myself. They're skinny carrots." Tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about a 40-something man trying to be 28 again. Julia Davis - promise me you will never stop making your characters say aloud what the rest of us are ashamed for even thinking. I'm off to a covered arcade with my hessian tote...