Truelove viewers praise new Channel 4 drama as 'deeply moving'

Truelove is the new Channel 4 drama sparking conversation amongst viewers about assisted dying as it follows a group of friends who make a pact to help each other when they feel their time has come.

The drama stars Lindsay Duncan Clarke Peters, Peter Egan and Sue Johnston as a group of friends in their seventies who reunite following the death of one of their own, at the funeral they promise to help each other pass on when the time comes but this isn't without its consequences.

Read more: Truelove's Lindsay Duncan admits she thinks 'about death all the time'

Viewers called the show, which debuted on Wednesday 3 January, "deeply moving" and praised the way it explored the concept of euthanasia and its approach to older characters, with some taking to X —formerly known as Twitter— to share their thoughts.

One viewer said of the show: "#truelove on C4 is a great example of the sort of show the channel, at its best, does so well. Moving and witty, with a lot to say, but without feeling worthy or bogged down in its message. Can't wait to see how it develops."

Sending a message to Egan after the actor had promoted the programme, one viewer wrote: "Oh my goodness, Peter, this is extraordinary. Just finished watching the first episode, #Truelove is beautifully written & paced & so sensitively expressed by a wonderful cast. Deeply moving & thought provoking, bravo all, Lindsay Duncan, @clarkepeters et al."

While another person praised the current state of UK TV by also mentioning ITV's Mr Bates and the Post Office and saying of the Channel 4 thriller: "#Truelove from such sobering material an altogether belting cast cut direct & important drama. First week of the year already presents two striking series on National free-to-air telly. This on Channel 4, & #MrBatesvsPostOffice on ITV. Streaming doesn’t have it all."

Reflecting on the show's first episode, one person said: "Watched #truelove last night, very emotive subject [love] the cast"

There was also praise given for the show's approach to characters in their seventies, with a viewer commending Channel 4 for not depicting them as feeble. They wrote: "Catching up on #Truelove and it is terrific. Portraying older people not as avatars for frailty/vulnerability/poverty/dementia or as plot devices, but as fully rounded humans, with emotions, libidos, rich past and rich inner lives."

Another person was particularly impressed by the show's cast, saying of the actors: "What ridiculously good casting. @PeterEgan6 makes it look easy. Loved Sue Johnston since she walked the Close as Sheila Grant."

Some viewers also took a moment to reflect on the show's depiction of assisted dying, with some saying that laws around the matter needed to be changed in the UK.

Truelove continues on Thursday, 4 January at 9pm on Channel 4, with episodes airing every Wednesday and Thursday thereafter.

Watch the trailer for Truelove: