Indian Summers (2015–2016) User Reviews

With solid preproduction and great cast, the team have made sure that they haven't left any corners untouched

[tharun_mohan · 8/10 · 15 February 2015]

Just watched the first episode on Channel 4, the pilot was 1 hr 45 min long but wasn't boring at all though some of it was a bit predictable but it's only the first episode and still got 9 more to go. The first episode was about Ralph Whelan and the rest of the Indian Civil Service begin the annual move to Simla where Cynthia Coffin prepares the exclusive white British Club for the summer season. Overall it was a great experience and especially performance by Jemima West, Julie Walters, Henry Lloyd-Hughes and Nikesh Patel were flawless and true to their character. The sets looks great and hope the audience enjoys it and the producers manage to make the remaining 30 episodes.

Not-so-Indian Summers

[sambipai · 6/10 · 5 March 2015]

When I saw the trailer for Indian Summers, I couldn't wait till the series began. For some reason I was positive that this was going to be a class apart.

The settings are picturesque, reinventing Shimla's green glories. The English men and women are dressed in the most befitted way. The story, although gripping, is a little slow paced for a 10-part series.

I enjoy watching the series, but with a grudge. I strongly feel the authenticity of Indian culture in northern India have been heavily compromised. I could be wrong, I am not a historian or an expert of the past. However, from what I see, the Indian folk shown in the series are no where close to what people of Shimla look and dress like. The dressing and physique of the people is heavily bent towards South India. Even if there were multiple cultures thriving in Shimla at the time, considering it's summer capital status, something doesn't seem to fit in.

Indian Summers - very atmospheric

[annkellowx · 6/10 · 17 February 2015]

Having travelled in India, the scenery and the people were very real to me. The fashion of the time seemed authentic. However the plot was a little confusing and I didn't always know what was going on, even though I was trying to concentrate hard. I was a little disappointed in that, as I usually like anything about India, be it drama or documentary. My husband feels the same but we intend to watch again next episode and hope it will not be so hard going as to not be entertaining and a must see drama. We have read that this drama cost £14 million to make and found that one of the women actors mumbled and whispered, so much so that we had to turn the television up higher than usual, but then the more audible voices were too loud. In this day and age and spending £14 million the sound quality could be better.

Sumptuous production and top-notch acting deliver superb evocation of the Raj's final days

[garboventures-30145 · 10/10 · 12 March 2016]

Some months ago, I binge watched all of S1 over a weekend. Real life was effectively cancelled until the closing credits of the final episode. It was a glorious, immersive experience.

This is a genuine 'Jewel' of a show. Sure, it has some laboured historical anachronisms and the usage of tropical Penang as a filming location means Simla has been woefully miscast. But these misgivings aside, as a filmic experience Indian Summers is magnificent.

Cinematography is exquisite, the vibrant colours simply dance off the screen and the production values are top notch. The setting is lush and evocative. The plot is riveting, inter-laced with the politics of the time, (with dark resonances for us today). This is definitely a post-colonial reading of the last days of the Raj, but there is certainly some balance afforded by the marvellously textured and excellently acted characterisations. For example, Ralph Whelan is a charming sociopath, but there is nuance and intrigue in his character that makes him compelling throughout.

Overall, I can safely say that this is one of the best, original TV productions I have seen for some years. I can't wait for the second series!

Fantastic Television

[Geronimo2900 · 30 April 2015]

I went into Indian Summers out of curiosity but, with the thought that, realistically it wasn't something I'd be too into. The whole kind of 'period drama with a twist' has never worked for me. However, I quickly had a change of opinion - I think this might be the best show I've seen this year.

Everything that you would expect to be good is - the acting is superb from pretty much the whole cast - I can't think of anyone who lets it down. The story is complex, with various characters lives interweaving against the backdrop of crumbling colonial India, with endless contrasts of high society and vicious oppression being beautifully balanced to seem both natural and revealing.

The thing that stood out to me though, and it is certainly something that is harder to pinpoint, was the vibrant nature of the whole show. Despite much of the 'action' coming from character tensions rather than events, the eclectic range of character backgrounds, combined with the fierce political and cultural battles being fought brought the show to life in a way I haven't seen for some time. A beautiful colour palette with some stunning camera work makes this an absolute pleasure to watch.

I don't know how season 2 will live up to this standard, but I owe the whole team my confidence after such a brilliant show.

An extravaganza of stereotypes

[clloyd1000-248-286700 · 7/10 · 14 April 2015]

I am enjoying this series, because of the fabulous scenery and the historical context. It's interesting to see how the resentment is building up amongst the local people, and how racism exists not only amongst the British occupiers but amongst the Indians themselves with their appalling caste system.

However I am disappointed with the characters. The cast includes a full set of stereotypes of the late British Empire, from the drunken Scot to the frustrated missionary, the arrogant consul to the Anglophile nawab. Thank goodness for Julie Walters, she's the only one who can actually carry off her character and bring her to life. The rest are just wooden.

Excellent and Atmospheric

[superso · 10/10 · 2 March 2015]

The setting is beautiful and the audio and visuals and costumes really bring you into the series. I can almost smell the air of the mountains. There are several themes running through the series and you can see things starting to come together into a more coherent whole by the 3rd episode. I would rate this series as one of the best i've seen - along the lines of Downton Abbey or The Wire. There are also some really great actors and actresses like Jemima West and Henry Lloyd- Hughes. Jemima West really carries the show. Little subtleties add a lot of flavor to this series. Highly recommended and great for unwinding after a long week.

Intriguing plot but pathetic research

[ashutoshpatodia · 7/10 · 25 May 2016]

Well, I must say that the plot is interesting and the acting up-to the mark, especially season one. The 2nd season left a lot to be desired, especially during the end and no wonder they lost ratings and didn't get renewed. **SPOILER ALERT** The climax really is an anticlimax and in a way, quiet disappointing.

Although, the real kicker for me and what frustrated me the most was the depiction of Shimla and the people there. It was utter disgust, to the point of things seeming absolutely ridiculous, the way the screenwriters described the summer capital. It seems they had an Indian origin director, and also said to have made use of expert advise when depicting Shimla. Well, if they have done so, they have been ripped off by some fakes, for what was shown was a bunch of bull. Simla lies at the foothills of Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh - surrounded by hills and apple orchards and pines, where the highest summer temperature here is lower coldest winters in western and south India. People cover themselves with blankets even in summertime. But what was shown here was typical Deccan plains, more common in southern India and rest of south east Asia. They showed us the rice-fields(wow) and tropical forests, the dressing of the people - everything from another part of the country. It was painful to watch this, despite the story-line and the entertainment of the characters.

Would request show creators to do just a little bit of a homework about the place they plan to write about or create a movie or TV series on. It's not really that difficult, unless you just don't give a damn which I feel was how the creators of this series felt :)

Facts aside, if you still want to watch an entertaining drama set in India and the complex relationships between the British and Indians in pre-Indepndence India, this one is a must watch.

Breathtaking!

[mikasparky · 10/10 · 27 March 2015]

Each episode builds on the one before it. It is stunning.

I'm not going to give any spoilers away, but this is the most visually astounding thing I've ever seen come out of UK, and that includes Downton Abbey.

The acting is amazing, there are so many strong performances that it's impossible to pick out just one; the storyline riveting, the costumes are pitch-perfect, and there's more than a little sex, drinking, and romance.

The tension is palpable, and if you know anything about history, you know why.

Don't miss it, watch it twice. It's a feast.

Indian Summers good - but not "Jewel in the Crown"

[kathzinn · 7/10 · 9 November 2015]

I am surely showing my age when I compare this wonderful production to the SUPERB 40 year old BBC production "The Jewel in the Crown". I am clearly a bigger fan of the latter, but that is not a criticism . "Indian" shows a slightly earlier time, giving even a more a sense of the build up to the necessary but horribly violent partition of 1947, so well portrayed in "The Jewel". All the acting in both productions is superb - the tensions between the various Indian populations and the pretty monolithic English population (with just a few English rebels accused of going "Native"). It is crucial history that most Americans are unaware of. I don't know how familiar even the present English generation is with this terrible colonial history. In both productions, the fantasy world the English had created in India, truly believing themselves not only superior to Indians of all classes, but perfectly secure from any native sense of injustice and rage - is incredibly remarkable - and not far removed from our own history of slavery and "Jim Crow-ism" in the US South (AND NOrth!). If you love this series, please also see "The Jewel in the Crown", for as full a picture of this time and place as we Americans are likely to get or understand. PS "Harry Potter's" own Julie Walters shows an appallingly wonderful side in "Indian". And Judy Parfitt, late of "Call the Midwife" was a similar character 40 years ago in "Jewel". - Nothing like a glorious English actress! (How did Maggie Smith escape either production??)

Engaging, but stereotypical

[thsd · 3/10 · 30 May 2015]

I set out to watch this show with great anticipation, as it was set in my hometown of SIMLA ( erstwhile summer capital of India under the British rule). To my great disappointment, it hardly evokes any excitement or nostalgia. The plot is engaging and the makers have taken great care in representing all strands of history ( both British and Indian version), yet from a perspective of an Indian, this show ends up as yet another stereotypical drama about the glorious days of British Raj ! What hurts the most is the setting itself- the producers didn't even bother to look at actual town of Simla. As the stereotype goes, India is a tropical country, so a town situated in foothills of Himalayas appears to be a tropical rain forest ! The native tongues used by the Indian cast predominantly belongs to southern parts of India, rather than the hills in the north. The reason the British made Simla their summer capital was its stark resemblance to the British climate and geography. All in all, watch it for its plot, set against a historical backdrop, but beware as it perpetuates the stereotype of India. I would much rather pick a Merchant Ivory production !

It never should have been cancelled!

[vonna-05624 · 10/10 · 10 January 2018]

Fabulous show. The acting is superb, the characters and the writing top notch, the attention to detail and historical accuracy amazing......Very sad that the show was cancelled. I think that was all about timing, and really not at all to do with the quality of the series. We needed a series like this, but all the way to the end of british rule. This period of history is not one that is well known today.

Needed 3 more seasons

[kdevine-46488 · 7/10 · 3 April 2020]

I found it delightful, suspenseful, and full of drama. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical backdrop Characters were so well defined, I wanted more from the Whelans and Dalals . I so wish it had gone on for 3 more seasons

Shallow and erroneous depiction of life in Simla during the last years of the Raj

[gtweston · 3/10 · 29 September 2015]

Being born and brought up in Simla, only a few years after the British left, I hated it!!! It was so hard to watch. Simla is at 7500 ft above sea level. Tropical foliage where there should have been majestic deodars or Himalayan Cedars. Why did they not film it in Scotland? The vegetation and topography is so much more like the Himalayas. The Raj was as much about Simla and its unique landscape and the way it influenced life and government as anything else.

The whole concept of the Mall and Promenade every evening, the Gaiety Theater and Green Room, Bandstand not to mention A race course created on a small hill using local labor to flatten the ridge to create an oval space, defined Simla. I actually have a map of the houses of the British which enabled social activity without losing ones way.

The producers, directors etc, just did not get it! The Indians consisted of many more levels of society...educated, refined and of illustrious families.....than just household retainers and clerks. The British Civil servants themselves, were generally competent and decent and their lives consisted of a lot more than socializing. A bad show, misinforming the viewers. So disappointed, PBS!

This is NOT the new Downton Abby!

[buckycore · 10/10 · 29 September 2015]

I'm seeing a whole bunch of stupid reviewers claiming this is the new Downton Abby. On the surface, you'd like to think that. It's roughly the same time period (give or take about 10 or less years).It's got exquisite, historically accurate costumes, lush landscapes and very detailed accuracy to manners and speech. But that's where it ends, because this isn't even CLOSE. This is closer to Game Of Thrones, regardless of the time period...and the fact that GoT isn't from the same world as ours. This is about devious, wicked people who smile in your face, but stab you in the back. They play people to be their pawns in a political battle. Innocent people get hurt, while nasty people gain power. Mind you, I only saw the first episode as I write this, but from the mini-spoilers in the "behind the scenes" along side the violence, intensity and sexuality (and I don't just mean sexiness. This hints at raunch, even if it doesn't show it) showed me clear this wasn't your Aunt Violet Grantham's Tea Party.

So turn back now if you want more lofty, sweet nature dramas involving debates whether or not the young cook servant should learn math, or the Irish Chauffeur has the right suit for dinners, or if that dumb ass duke invested his wife's money poorly again. This is closer to R rated stuff.

Don't get me wrong I LOVE Downton Abby, but I think it's awesome that PBS is showing some hard hitting grit. Mind you, it's the BBC's fault (actually I don't know if the BBC made this. It was on Channel 4 in the UK. I can't tell if that's BBC or an independent channel.). But the UK has up'd their game from "awesome" to just "HolyCrapThatJustBlewMyMindGiveMeMoreGiveMeMore" for both BBC America releases and PBS's Masterpiece.

Thank you UK once again *bows*

Like watching paint dry, but not as fun

[eastcoastguyz · 4 October 2015]

We have come to expect more from Masterpiece Theater, but this is so shocking dull I can't believe it was even encouraged. Someone must have done one hell of a sales pitch in a meeting to get this project green-lighted. It moves at a nail's pace and at the end of a 2 hour episode you feel completely drained and realize you just wasted your time. A re-run of Downton Abbey in Season 1 would be a much better investment in your time. So consider this a friendly heads-up, this is not a well put together story. It lacks clear identification of the characters, their purpose and motivation of why they are there and what they expect to accomplish. At best it isn't even an interesting story or premise to hang on to. It was all I could do to stay awake because I was expecting some sense of what I was watching that never came.

Chance to learn the history from the opponent's angle

[nithyamani · 7/10 · 5 April 2018]

Got a reference to this series from a book. It is interesting to understand the history from British's perspective. Actually they claim that the story takes place in Shimla, whereas it doesn't feel like. But as a south Indian, I could easily connect to the characters as most of them are plotted with southern culture. But its also contradictory to the locality of the story line, which makes some odd feelings. It is very clear that there wasn't enough clarity for the maker on the diversity of Indian cultures and territories. It feels good to know that their memories of India are fading away. Anyways I would like to emphasis on the historical events than its making flaws.



It would be more interesting to know the impacts it makes either on current British or Indian viewers. Out of curiosity, looked into the IMDb comments section, but disappointingly most of the comments just touches the making style. Yes of course naturally I expect the British to be ashamed of their ancestors, at the same time I should admit, in over all even I couldn't feel anything to be proud. It is so horrible to watch the way Indians were treated from their point of view itself.

Beautiful & Interesting

[julieparisiart · 10/10 · 1 March 2015]

I really love what I am seeing here. I am an American and we don't learn much (if anything) about the English time ruling India, but I am following this quite fine. The costumes and the scenery are gorgeous, the actors are very skilled and the plot is interesting enough to be patient with the at times slowly developing story line. This is showing a point in time where the Indian people are tired of dealing with their rulers and are starting to push back against them. I can tell there will be a lot of gray areas for many of the characters as personal relationships muddy these waters. I am enjoying my time watching this and do hope it lasts more than a few episodes. This could really turn into something very special.

It's no "Jewel in the Crown"

[qui_j · 6/10 · 7 October 2016]

While it's not to the level of Jewel in the Crown or Passage to India, This little production is entertaining in it's own way. It does evoke some of the absurdities of British rule in India and the last days of the Raj. The seasoned actors do their best with a script that's appalling at times, and at others just plain silly and predictable. The second season really scratches around for plot lines to follow but many of them just become more and more outrageous. As has been pointed out, not a lot of attention was paid to detail. The actress playing Whelan's wife is supposed to be American but her accent is so poorly done, it becomes distracting. Simla was used as a "Hill Station" where the handful of British administrators who governed the whole country would go to escape the summer heat. It would not have tropical foliage like what is shown. Things like that may pass unnoticed by the average viewer but for people who know, it is very distracting and irritating. Overall, it's an entertaining but a very superficial view of a time in history that has been much better portrayed by other authors, script writers and TV series! So watch it just for entertainment value, and don't expect too much!

Enjoyable but made me feel embarrassed to be British

[fiona_r_lamb · 8/10 · 24 November 2015]

Where to start? I've just finished watching the first series on PBS and thoroughly enjoyed it even though it frustrated me no end and made me embarrassed to be British (I'm married to an Indian man so I think that adds to it as well).

I think instead of going through the entire plot and character roster I will just pick out elements that piqued my interest the most. Firstly, the young Scottish man and his friendship with the doomed Indian plantation owner. That really affected me esp. the scenes in the prison and then at the hanging and when he steals what he thinks is his friend's ashes and the Indian community come out to greet him. I just cried and cried. So frustrating to watch this innocent man being strung up without a hope. And the English just stood by and cheered it on. Made me sick. Yet this wonderful Scottish man (who also stood out amongst the white population for simply not being English) vehemently protested his friend's innocence over and over.

The relationship between the white woman and the Indian secretary. Reminded me of my own with my husband. Also, she seemed to be the only white woman who saw the Indians sympathetically. It will be very interesting to see how (in series 2) her very close relationship with her brother will be affected by her romantic liaison with her secret beau.

I was very disappointed to read that it wasn't even filmed in India. Hmmm. Not impressed at all.

The mission school storyline was a high point. Kind people looking out for the children. The pastor's wife desperate for social mobility and respect. I almost felt sorry for her but only almost. I felt the most compassion for her son and husband for having to put up with her whining and self pity.

All the subtle and not so subtle political moves being made by both sides. Can't wait to see how that all plays out.

Mostly I hated how the English behaved - the snobbery, entitlement and arrogance astounded me. Can't wait to see their comeuppance!

Who approved the production?

[a_rohini · 2/10 · 18 July 2020]

This show made me cringe so much , I found it hard to watch past the second episode. Hence, I won't comment on the storyline. The depiction of Simla is so erroneous, the locals , vegetation, landscape , even the language of the locals, one's left wondering whether there was any research done pre production. The whole reason Shimla was the summer capital was because of its similarity to English weather and landscape. Everything feels so out of place that this was hard to watch. Please stop perpetuating stereotypes. Being from Shimla, I feel offended

sparkling Indian summers

[selffamily · 9/10 · 13 March 2016]

I wondered if I would enjoy this series, as of late I've found TV drama to be dire - for example the dialogue in Downton turned me right off, and I've not managed to watch an entire episode. This is different, it's a classier production, obviously there are inaccuracies and mistakes, and that's a shame, but the historical aspects are intriguing and the acting is a cut above anything else on TV today. The characters are well drawn and one gets the atmosphere of the day if not the actual situation and language. I take the points made in other comments. BUT the story is compelling, the characters and their mistakes and their pathways hold one to the screen until the episode ends and a wail goes up - not the end!!! Absolutely fabulous, it's a story, right? Based on facts perhaps, inaccurately portrayed - maybe, but it's a class drama and wonderfully done. I love it, and I didn't expect to do so.

Stereotypical not very interesting

[ssnedunuri · 1/10 · 20 June 2015]

As another reader pointed out, it seems in some way to just perpetuate the stereotypes - the stuffy, inconsiderate, haughty British, and the unpredictable natives - complete with the dark brown skin that is definitely not common in Shimla. So they imported South Indian actors speaking south Indian languages because the locals didn't fit the stereotype. Honestly I expected something more complex and better than this in 2015. Even the scenery is not very Shimla which is in the foothills of the Himalayas, so why make it look like the jungles of Bengal. Oh wait, why lose another opportunity to project yet another stereotype - India the land of jungles, when in fact the country stretches from a latitude of 38N down to about 7N so as you might expect, has a much greater range of scenery - from mountains to deserts to green hills, to scrub, to yes jungles!

Gorgeous scenery, awful character development, ridiculous American accents

[mypoint99 · 6 November 2015]

Indian Summers ain't no Downton Abbey. It barely meets the mark as a show worthy to be on Masterpiece Theater. Only the gorgeous scenery and the historical context make the show worth a tiny bit of time, but I could google photos and read some books and get more out of it than I have gotten from Indian Summers.

I have watched every episode thus far, waiting, hoping that I would finally experience some logical character development. No such luck. Last Sunday's episode turned out to be the new nadir.

Bright spots are easy to discern as there are so few of them:

1) the storyline between McLeod and Sood has a lot of potential, and someone should write an entire series exploring this time period through the relationship between those two men. That would be fascinating.

2) the scenery is gorgeous, and almost makes me want to travel there, except for the fact that reality today falls very short of the fantasy portrayed in the show

That's about it for the bright spots.

I am undecided if I will continue to watch the show. I do have a compulsion to finish what I have started, so I probably will, but I won't be happy as I watch it. I don't care for any of these characters. Only Dalal's father would be good company. The rest give me the creeps.

This is not a family show, either. Keep your remote handy in order to avoid the unnecessary simulated sex scenes. I don't watch HBO for a reason, and don't like Masterpiece Theater programs resembling those other cable shows.

Lastly, can someone please increase the budget for dialect training? Why do the British dialect teachers and the actors themselves keep perceiving Americans as talking with such absurd dialects? This is a common problem in BBC shows for many years. Those actors assigned to play the Americans are evidently told to pronounce every vowel as if their faces were being stretched wide in order to get the most annoying sounds ever. No Americans sound like this. Never did. Perhaps this is on purpose - make the American characters sound as foolish as possible. Could be. In any case, it's annoying and stupid.

My family would love to find another Downton Abbey, but we will wait patiently for it. Poldark has been our most favorite of the recent series. If Indian Summers is renewed, it won't be on our viewing watchlist.

Brilliant

[bethguest · 10/10 · 20 April 2015]

Yes at first I thought it a little slow but boy did it improve. Extremely good character studies and dilemmas with excellent story line.

I have watched several TV series recently due to being - temporarily I hope - bedridden. These include Fortitude which I thought was ridiculous.(prehistoric flesh eating wasps that cause people to pull out each other's intestines)

Indian Summers had a storyline that you couldn't predict, characters that realistically changed/grew and a clever dénouement. Sadly, said dénouement didn't tie up all loose ends. Will Ralph get his come uppance? Does he really love his fiancé? Will Alice be able to live with her man? Altogether, very intelligent writing and excellent acting. Hats off to Julie Walters in particular.

Can't recommend it enough.