With Wimbledon taking over the country, it’s the perfect time for Prime Video to launch its new 6-part tennis drama ‘Fifteen-Love’ starring Aidan Turner (‘Poldark’) and Ella Lily Hyland (‘Invader’). Promising a lot of twists and turns, the series ‘Fifteen-Love’ will only attract people to Turner.
The career of promising tennis star Justin (Hyland) is suddenly ended by an injury. Five years later, Justine is unexpectedly reunited with her former tennis coach, Glenn (Turner). That meeting provokes Justine, prompting Glenn to report her to the police, claiming that the two had an inappropriate relationship when they were coaches. With Glenn finding out that he never had sex with Justin and Justin sticking to his accusations, the two ex-partners find themselves in the middle of a messy legal battle.
Anyone who saw Turner on ITV’s ‘The Suspect’ last year will feel that ‘Fifteen-Love’ is covering very similar issues. In that series, viewers were asked to try to figure out whether Turner’s character, Dr. Joe O’Loughlin, was guilty of atrocious behavior. As Glenn, Turner turns in a very similar performance. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it can’t be classified as a stretch for an actor who can do so much. Newcomer Hyland gets better as she delves into Justine’s short-lived psychosis and its devastating consequences.
Perhaps ‘Fifteen-Love’ misses an opportunity by not fully exploring the abuse of power in tennis and the sports industry in general. That part of the story is surprisingly low-key throughout the series, with the show leaning more towards soapy melodrama than actually exploring the issue. That’s a shame because I expected more from actors like Turner and Hyland.
In two episodes, the show begins to reveal its hand and there are not many surprises along the way. For a long time, the viewer does not doubt who is telling the truth and who is lying, which is honestly a shame in such a series. Part of the fun, especially when the show goes down the soap route, is the viewer trying to piece the clues together but ‘Fifteen-Love’ gives the answer easily.
‘Fifteen-Love’ is pure fun and with only six episodes to feed, it’s not a huge commitment. As the series never breaks new ground, it fails to reach its potential. If you’re stuck for a light summer time, ‘Fifteen-Love’ definitely fits the bill and Turner and Hyland’s stellar performances are worth checking out. If you want to see something real and interesting, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Friday 21st “Fifteen-Love” premieres on Prime VideoSt July 2023
