800 Words: Season 1

Such a feel-good show. I watched all three seasons and already miss all the characters!

As an American, I relate to this show on terms of what I am familiar with. It personally reminds me of an older TV show here in the states called Northern Exposure: a quirky cast of characters, small town, native people. 800 Words was a surprise and a delight. The actor who plays the father does an excellent job. All the actors lend a subtle sense of reality to their characters. But, above and beyond all this is the stories the series tells. They are told with a gentleness that is so refreshing. In the states, there is no gentleness because we view that part of human character as a weakness. Donald Trump is running for the presidency, for goodness sake! No gentleness there.800 Words is gentle, caring and optimistic in its approach to explain the characters to us. It is funny, charming and sometimes sorrowful. But, there's always hope. The theme of the series is a belief in self and hope for the future. Some people may call those qualities sentimental and unrealistic. Well, they are only unrealistic if you never engage these aspects of human nature in your life. I highly recommend this series to anyone that is tired of negative and demeaning depictions of mankind.

This is mostly just a caution issued to save people from my impulsive mistake. I saw most of Season 1, Episode 2 on PBS, enjoyed a bit of whimsy, felt highly optimistic, and ordered all three seasons of expensive DVDs. Bad, bad plan. If you catch a bit and are attracted, have some patience and catch a bit more on PBS. Or watch online, even if you have to watch at the library. Do not spend your big cash impulsively, however rhapsodic the reviews. Be sure you like it.It does not come together. It just piles one absurdity upon another to create some semblance of a plot. The lead character and the son are likable enough, which I took as a major good sign. (The problem, for me, with Doc Martin is that nobody -- especially not the special needs doc -- is really likable.) But more is needed than two decently pleasant characters to carry a series. Absurdity is fine as a style and motif, provided it is undergirded with intelligence and coherence (Northern Exposure). Absurdity because the writers and producers have no talent is a bummer.My plan is to "watch it" without sound just to give a spot of color and life to my den while I am online. One attractive feature is that most Australian and New Zealand women seem to look alike. That's a feature, not a bug, since they look like a young Olivia Newton John. It is, generally, visually appealing with lots of scenic exteriors. Otherwise, it is a dog.

Really have enjoyed this whole series. So many of the actors have been in other Australian and Kiwi productions, and its great fun to see them here in completely different roles. The acting by everyone is the best, the scenery, north of Auckland is beautiful, and the storylines, especially including the Maori sub texts, very interesting, and true to form to the culture.Would recommend this series to anyone wanting a very enjoyable experience.

I binge-watched Season 1 and it was a fluffy, charming little New Zealand series. Like so many others in the genre, it captures the mood of "Northern Exposure" rather well. It was a nice, entertaining retreat until the last episode, when Shay, the daughter in the family the series revolves around, was revealed to be a world-class-selfish, manipulative little witch. Yet this is supposed to be just wonderful as far as everybody is concerned. One can only hope she gets her just desserts.So I'll watch a couple of episodes of Season 2, but if that character continues to be rewarded for her destructive behavior, I'm done.

Well acted, but was a downer to me. I watched all the episodes so I could judge it fairly for myself... I think the father character is well acted but to me they made him a little weaker than I would have liked with regard to his children. The other actors were also good especially the son character. I am not sure I will go for a second season , but I am sure others will, so I hope for their sake it is available to them. .

Thank you, Acorn! Great show! I had written to Amazon customer service and then emailed the feedback thing on Acorn asking for this show please to be listed. It is wildly popular down under and my Aussie friends had raved about it. I loved the pilot and cannot wait to watch the rest of the season. Now, we just need Season 4 of "A Place to Call Home" and we'll be set with the Aussie "fix." The sooner the better. That cliff hanger at the end of Season 3 has me dying to find out what happened to Sarah. --Update: Just watched the first two episodes but where are the rest? Oh no. Acorn, pls add the rest of 800 words to Amazon!

Another brilliant offering from Australian tv! Beautifully written. Beautifully directed. Never goes for cheap or easy laughs. Characters are nuanced and developed. Erik Thomson is masterful and controlled in his role as a recently widowed father, never overplaying but allowing a brief expression in his eyes to take the viewer with him to sad or touching or confusing places. Rick Donald absolutely shines as Woody, the surfer-handyman, in a glorious performance that will leave you laughing and touched to the core. (Just a heads-up: there is a lot of sleeping around, even among the teenagers, a bit much and off-putting in an otherwise brilliant show.)

Having seen some episodes whilst in New Zealand, when I arrived back in Europe, I looked to find the first video of 800 Words.This is a lighthearted series. It's witty, the scenery is outstanding and the acting is excellent.Cannot wait for the second and third series to become available.

Fantastic series loved it.

Great viewing, started watching this in the USA, great for all the family to watch together

I love this series.

Gooood