Kukačky

When I’m excited about something, I don’t hide it. And after looking forward to Kukačky every Friday for 13 episodes, you can’t blame me for giving it a five-star rating. It’s just that good. I couldn’t find a single negative thing that would make me dock a star. The creators nailed it—a perfect family drama, top to bottom. What makes it stand out, especially in these often gloomy times, is that despite the heavy subject matter, the show never feels depressing. Instead, I either felt uplifted or blown away by the performances. For such a complex topic, it’s handled with incredible ease. And the acting? Phenomenal across the board. From the young boys to the veteran actors, everyone brought their A-game, and it was a joy to watch. I could name a few standouts, but honestly, everyone deserves praise, and it would be a shame to single anyone out. Once again, Czech Television knocked it out of the park. When they want to deliver, they truly do. I wish more shows from them gave me the same weekly excitement, the kind that leaves you thinking and talking about it long after the credits roll. Kukačky was exactly that—an emotional story told with remarkable grace. (03.04.2021)

Absolutely excellent when it comes to the performances, I really felt comfortable with the characters – which may excuse the slightly excessive length of thirteen episodes (ten would have been enough). I noticed that a few people here have criticized Marek Adamczyk, which probably stems from the fact that his character is clearly the least likeable and sympathetic of the parental foursome, but I think his acting is spot on. The whole cast deserves some kind of joint acting award :) Personally, however, I am slightly annoyed by the folksy goodness that pervades the series, in the sense of to err is human, to forgive divine. The most evil things are – with the exception of the behaviour of the arch-villain Dolansky – always somehow relativised (he meant well or he is stupid, so we have to turn a blind eye to his moral transgressions). This is most annoying at the end of Luboš’s storyline, but various examples of this can be found throughout the characters. The intention may be nice, but it’s naive and detached from reality. (03.04.2021)