X
- 2022
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 2022
- TV-MA
- Netflix
Summary The prison mockumentary is set in the fictional female prison, HMP Woldsley, where the inmates (at least three played by Catherine Tate) rehearse a musical directed by ex-EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison.
Created By: Catherine Tate
- 2022
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 2022
- TV-MA
- Netflix
Hard Cell
Season 1 Premiere: Apr 12, 2022
38
5.1
Where to Watch
Summary The prison mockumentary is set in the fictional female prison, HMP Woldsley, where the inmates (at least three played by Catherine Tate) rehearse a musical directed by ex-EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison.
Created By: Catherine Tate
Where to Watch
All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 4 Critic Reviews
38
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
75% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
25% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 4 Critic Reviews
38
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
75% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
25% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Tate might be a veteran character comedian but Hard Cell is her first attempt at a sitcom – and thanks to a lacklustre narrative and an abundance of one-dimensional characters, it really shows.
I have to point out here that the series does get better as it goes along - characters are fleshed out, the plot advances and the comedy takes somewhat of a welcome backseat to the drama. But those early episodes are a tough watch, with every joke being heavily signposted and then mined to oblivion for all its worth. At times this become cringe comedy, minus the comedy.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 7 User Ratings
5.1
29% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
43% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
29% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 7 User Ratings
5.1
29% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
43% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
29% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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Hard Cell was a brilliant series full of laugh-out-loud and subtle moments. Catherine Tate plays six hilarious characters who are incredibly entertaining to watch. Not only is the series funny, but it is also emotional and heart-warming at times. No spoilers but you should watch the mockumentary until the very end as it really does only get better and better!
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It feels terribly dated, with endless toilet humour (vomit, clay dildos, fart gags and a deeply tiresome running joke about "number twos") and a mock-doc approach that could only be described as Gervaisian.
Between the tired format and the idea that Tate is playing most of the featured characters, Hard Cell becomes a lot to take, even after the first 30 minutes. We can’t imagine it getting much better during its first season.
This British import was created and stars Catherine Tate, who's a popular comedy star in England (and reminds me of a younger Tracey Ullman). She plays 5 of the main characters, including the head of a women's prison, where the action takes place. It's set up as a mockumentary that includes encounters with numerous inmates, plus lots of scenes with the boss and her surly assistant. The premise is that they're going to stage a musical to help the women improve their attitudes and grow as people. Some of the moments are truly hilarious, while many scenes are just silly or stupid. Other than her boss role, Tate's other character creations are rather obnoxious. There's def a British sensibility in the broadness of the humor, which may appeal to some. I'd suggest giving it one short episode to see how it appeals to your taste. (Six 30-minute episodes)
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"Hard Cell" (S01, 6 eps, 25-min, Netflix) uses Catherine Tate as writer/producer/actress and sorry it's just too much for her. Someone at Netflix is like "hey, I love her as an actress, let's let her have her own show." Well, that backfired. "Hard Cell" is about a UK women's prison where Catherine is the prison "governor" and fancies producing "West Side Story" featuring the prisoners. Uh, no. Just more Covid-era trash they're throwing at us along with "Minx", "From", and "Russian Doll S02", all just total wastes of time and resources.
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Production Company:
- Leopard Pictures
- Netflix
Initial Release Date: Apr 12, 2022
Number of seasons: 1 Season
Rating: TV-MA
Genres: