Love, Lies and Records

Ashley Jensen as Kate.

The aptly-titled Love, Lies and Records revolves around Kate Dickinson, whose family life is almost as exciting as her day job at the Registry Office in Leeds. Kate (Ashley Jensen) has accepted a promotion to supervisor, a move applauded by all her colleagues except one. Acting supervisor Judy is devastated when she doesn't get the job. In spite, she threatens to reveal something Kate thought was a secret: her Christmas party tryst in the records vault with co-worker Rick. Judy notes it is a "sackable offense" and was captured on closed circuit television.

At home, Kate--feeling guilty about her affair--informs Rob, her live-in boyfriend of 14 years, that she'd like to get married. Rob loves the idea. There's just one catch: he never got divorced from his wife. Meanwhile, Kate's "stepson" decides to move in with the family and Kate discovers cryptic messages from "racerboy" on her teenage daughter's mobile phone. And to top it all off, James, another co-worker, asks to stay with Kate and Rob after being kicked out by his wife after revealing his desire to become a woman.

Mark Stanley as James/Jamie.

There's a lot going on in Love, Lies and Records, perhaps too much for a one-hour TV series. Fortunately, the show's star is the incredibly appealing Ashley Jensen, who first caught our attention in last year's lighthearted mystery series Agatha Raisin. Jensen's appeal is essential in Love, Lies and Records because Kate is, well, quite the liar. In addition to hiding an affair, she has allowed co-workers to think she is married. She even fudges the birth certificate of a newborn to please the baby's terminally-ill mother. It's not that Kate tells outright lies, but she achieves the same effect by selectively deciding when to tell the truth.

The first episodes center more on Kate's work activities than her domestic life. Subplots include the cancer-ridden mother who chose to die rather than lose her baby and an apparent scam involving immigrants marrying just to stay in the country. The latter may have a connection with a murder investigation being conducted by Rob, who works as a detective sergeant with the Leeds police. While sporadically interesting, the ongoings at the Registry Office aren't as engrossing as, say, the better-written subplots in shows like Call the Midwife and William and Mary.

Jensen and Rebecca Front as Judy.

The standouts in the supporting cast are Rebecca Front as Judy and Mark Stanley as James/Jamie. American viewers may recognize Stanley from his run as Grenn in Game of Thrones. And fans of the popular Inspector Lewis series will remember Front as Lewis' boss Chief Superintendent Jean Innocent.

Still, the best reason to watch Love, Lies and Records is Ashley Jensen. She makes Kate a flawed, but certainly interesting character and viewers will want to discover how long she can keep her secrets hidden--and whether there are any others we just haven't learned about yet.