The new Ladies in Black television series, set in 60s Sydney, picks up where Bruce Beresford’s 2018 film (of the same name) left off, and presents a historical recreation that feels broadly right, yet fundamentally unconvincing. While the decor and set details are pretty good, this tepid milk-and-water drama reminds us that if the characters and story don’t feel genuine, everything else will tumble down around them. If you don’t believe the people, you won’t believe the period.
Director Gracie Otto (who recently made a wonderful documentary about her actor father Barry) smooths the edges of history, making a show that feels soft and staid despite being set in a period of profound social change, taking the view that the monochrome nature of society in the 50s evolved into full colour in the 60s.
