 The series was welcomed as "the British Thirtysomething" and there was additional publicity generated off the back of Helen Baxendale's appearances in Friends. The first two episodes did not impress critics; The Independent's Nicholas Barber called Episode 1 "the most depressing programme [he 'd] ever seen". Commenting on the ending, he observed that "in comedyland, the police's main duty is to taxi expectant fathers to hospital". Barber concluded his review with positive comments about the rest of the series, singling out Ripley as being "reminiscent of Elaine in Seinfeld". A.A. Gill also criticised that episode's conclusion, comparing it to a Norman Wisdom comedy. On The Late Review, Germaine Greer described Nesbitt's acting as "especially awful" and suggested that the series had been developed by a marketing department.
