Should You Try It: One Day

We’re racing toward the weekend and also toward Valentine’s Day. That means we’re getting a lot of romance-related content. But with all the content that’s available in this era of shows, movies, and streaming options, it can be daunting to know what’s worth your time. Don’t worry, this series is here to help. Today, I’m looking at the new Netflix series One Day.

Series: One Day

Where to Find It: All 14 episodes are now streaming on Netflix.

What It’s About: This new Netflix series is ideally timed for the middle of February as we’re heading toward Valentine’s Day. It’s based on the novel of the same name from David Nicholls, which was previously adapted into a film in 2011 starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.

In this new version, we pick up in 1988 on July 15 as Dexter (Lee Woodall) and Emma (Ambika Mod) meet shortly after graduating college. They have a fun night and day together and there are some obvious sparks. But both are heading in different directions, so what will become of this potential budding relationship?

The series features different years in the life of this relationship. In fact, we check in on Dexter and Emma each July 15 to see where they are and if they’ll ever get back together. The 14-episode season runs through the year 2007 as we follow their journey together and apart, one day at a time.

You Should Try It If: You’re a fan of romance, comedy series, or the novel from Nicholls.

One Man’s Opinion of One Day

I remember seeing this movie. It was interesting but felt like a lot to fit into a compact timeframe. From that standpoint, it feels better to see this set as a series. This show features 14 episodes, with the first few taking place on one day in one year. Later, the series combines a few years as it comes in for a landing. The episodes are all around a half an hour, making for a quick binge.

Woodall and Mod do a nice job in the main roles and have sufficient chemistry. The problem in the early going is they aren’t together enough. They hit it off strongly in the pilot episode and I enjoyed the back-and-forth. The second episode, though, sees them largely separated and doing their own thing. While that sort of plot structure works in a book, or condensed in a film, it feels odd early in a series.

If you’re a fan of romance stories, this will likely have some appeal. It’s a decent date series and feels ideally timed for the season. Fans of the book will likely also be happy to see an expanded adaptation of this material.