Candy Cabs, Episode 1

Tuesday 5th April 2011
22:00, BBC ONE

For anyone unfamiliar with the premise of this programme, it begins with a group of female friends mourning the sudden death of another close friend, but nevertheless continuing with their business plan of an all-female taxi firm. Throw in 6 pink cars, an inheritance hungry father and a couple of dodgy relationships, and you have  'Candy Cabs'.

Truth be told, I wasn't sure what to expect of this programme, but a funeral in the opening scene was certainly not it. And it was no normal funeral, with 'Sex Bomb' playing in the background. Disappointingly, I cannot honestly say it got much better.

The main let down of this programme was the lack of characterisation, leaving the audience caring little about whether the new taxi cab business was a success or not. This is a shame as there were some (semi) well known faces in the cast- Claire Sweeney, Jo Joyner (Tanya from Eastenders).

It's easy to see how the Beeb had hoped this show would become a success-it is a brilliant idea, and could have worked, had the women running the business been presented as intelligent, well respected women. II'm no feminist , I cannot help but feel they were presented as airheads, which I think will have put many female viewers off.


The programme did, however, manage to raise a few laughs, and was certainly a way to pass an hour of my life.
Despite the incessant splashes of pink, this programme was still a little bit bland. Let's hope next week's episode is an improvement