Footballers' Wives: Overtime
Tacky, over-the-top trash is painful to watch.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this over-the-top British soap opera (a spin-off of the cult hit Footballers' Wives) is about a group of football players (that's soccer to us Yanks), their wives, and their romantic entanglements off the field. It's hard to believe that a group of hard-charging athletes would have enough time to get in this kind of trouble, but they do, carrying on affairs with their teammates' wives and lying and scheming while committing adultery. Definitely not one for the kids.
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What's the Story?
Spun off of guilty-pleasure hit Footballers' Wives, each racy episode of gotta-see-it-to-believe-it soap opera FOOTBALLERS' WIVES: OVERTIME features the guys of the Earl's Park Football Club trying to get their wives to forgive them their indiscretions -- and to convince their mistresses to keep the ruse going. New characters on Overtime include ruthless Anika Beevor (Georgina Mellor), younger sister of Footballers' Wives Tanya Turner; and scrappy Yasmin Salter (Frances De Costa) and her twin brother, Rees (Marc Hendrey). But familiar faces also pop up: Ben Richards plays Bruno Milligan, a veteran player with a sweet shopaholic wife, Lucy (Helen Latham), and a young daughter. He's carrying on an affair with another woman while stringing Lucy along with promises that he'll remain faithful.
Is It Any Good?
Like most soap operas, Footballers' Wives: Overtime doesn't lack for drama. There's a love triangle in which one footballer has impregnated two women; meanwhile, another player searches for a "cure" for homosexuality. It practically goes without saying that almost every episode is rife with partial nudity, excessive drinking, and cursing. Frankly, it makes Desperate Housewives look like The Brady Bunch -- and it's definitely not for kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about life in the spotlight. Is it realistic to expect that anyone in circumstances like these might behave the way the show's characters do? Why do the writers exaggerate the behavior so extremely? Why do we love trashy soap operas? What other guilty pleasures do you have? Families can also talk about loyalty. How can you develop trust in a friend? What's the best way to deal with a friend who's been deceitful?
TV Details
- Premiere date: May 26, 2005
- Cast: Casey Kasem, Frances De Costa, Georgina Mellor, Marc Hendrey
- Network: BBC America
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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No Angels
Nurses' sexy bedside manner is for adults only.
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Footballers' Wives
Wives are beyond desperate in this adult drama.
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