User Reviews

Just watched the first episode and I found it very interesting can't wait to watch the 2nd one. It's a refreshing series that needs to be aired I think. Just give it a watch and make your own mind up xx

Such a shame that the scriptwriters couldn't resist flooding this, otherwise rather good, drama with such boring and unrealistic over-dramatic "Family Drama" memes! Mum: stressed but very well meaning if obsessive, will die for kids:TICK; Father: casually unfaithful man-child unable to even bother caring about the actual emotions of almost anyone around him:TICK; Big Sister: Super-hero activist but randomly ignored so DRAMA could happen:TICK; Authorities...ludicrously and super rapidly interventionist "Faceless bureacrats" (I wish I had their budget!) or rather heartless (even the actual Gender clinic lot were super down on the idea!?) "Frigid Spinster" types:TICK! Kid playing the "Butterfly" was quite good but sidelined for much of the DRAMA stuff so Friel could be made to earn her ticket I guess?

This is a subject that needs to be understood. It's been written brilliantly, and the acting is class.

Thank you for making this. It reflects some of the struggles of trans children and the prejudice they face. It was honest and sensitively handled and it's helping people to understand.

I liked the show but as a transgender person I found it extremely unrealistic. The process is longer, families aren't as supportive and it's genuinely a watered down, happy, entertaining, feel good story that doesn't in shine any kind of light on what it's like to be trans

Brilliant drama covering a difficult topic extremely well. Realistic and thought provoking.

Look, I understand that everyone WANTS to give this show praise because of it's message. And that's just it. I don't dislike the show because of it's message. I dislike the show because ITV thought 'Hey, the masses will LOVE this'. About the MESSAGE. They also thought 'Let's use the MESSAGE and just write the show and concept around THAT'. Writing 101: everything in your story needs to start from one base concept or idea for it to work. Imagine that a story is a building. With a building you would build it's supports and structure before, say, the walls or windows. The concept IS the supports. Everything else, specific dialouge, characters, MESSAGES and overall storytelling and pacing come AFTER that concept is set in your mind. What ITV did is try to balence some bricks and glass to make walls and windows BEFORE installing the structure. So, in theory, the building could, if there was a blue moon on Friday the 13th and all the planets aligned, survive. However it would most likely crumble and fall. ITV did something even worse though. They didn't even build a strong structure. They tried to make it out of glass. They tried to make the message and concept one in the same but glass cut in the shape of a metal beam and painted grey is still glass. The show's writing was weakened by that structure. The characters were mostly an extreme of either side of the argument or just plain unlikeable for a multitude of reasons. The story was badly and unevenly paced throughout and characters motivations would change at the flip of a coin. Acting was decent for the abismal script they were given. No disrespect to them, they're probably good actors but the delivery on a lot of lines just seemed off. A lot of over and underacting was also present although with a rushed to television ITV drama that's par for the course. Overall, this show is itself a message. And a bad one at that. It's a message to networks that they can get mass praise and rave reviews if they create the bare minimum as long as it has a good message. And that IS NOT what we need. I don't know why I'm writing all of this as most people will probably look at my rating, call me a transphobe and then do it to the next review below 10 stars. But if you did read this, thank you for taking the time out of your day to see my side of the story. It really means a lot to me and, hey, maybe it'll give you a new perspective.

So pleased ITV are showing this at peak time viewing, there is a lack of understanding how and what children and parents feel and go through. Well done for putting a neutral and balanced programme to aid understanding and awareness to all.

Thought the acting was superb. Pleased that trans issues are getting some actual airtime in a positive manner. Important to educate and inform the public about difficulties trans people face in every day life. Hopefully will eradicate 'fear of the unknown' and stop unnecessary negative press.

The weird thing about this series is the way it manages to make everything overly dramatic whilst also overly simplifying so much.

Various characters are stereotypes, others change their stances randomly and out of nowhere and bountiful highly questionable decisions are made.

The reason this gets so many high scoring reviews is simply for the positive message about people going through these transitions needing to be taken seriously and understood better... it certainly isn't for the realism. The most accurate thing in the entire series is it taking them 5 months to get an appointment through NHS channels.

As a parent to a transgender child i felt Butterfly approached it well and compassionately

Anyone who believes that audiences will become enthralled with a seriously sick 11 year old boy much wiser than Gandalf and Mr. Miyagi put together, a teen age sister as cynical and witty as Tina Fey, a father with the emotional maturity of a mixed up Nickelodeon stoned bro, and a mother with such a guilt complex that she'd rather accept a sex change surgery for her blackmailing suicidal kid than look for serious therapy for the entire family, should be kept away from media creation like the most lethal infection.

And we haven't even mentioned the evil grandmother who spits lines like "you're not my grandson anymore" (even though old people seem to have a little bit of common sense, don't be fooled by these characters in this imbecility).

Is it really so difficult to deliver respectful stories? Willing to pass plainly stupid and deceitful characters as "flawed but inspiring" it's an insult to human intelligence in every way. And using narratives glorifying how people are literally dying to drown within their passionate self destruction ought to earn the death penalty to the entire cast and crew.

This show is amazing I recommend to watch I can't wait for the further episode Just to let you know you may get emotional because it made me feel like that in the first episode lovin it

The young actor who plays Max/Maxine is terrific. Can't wait for next episode.

The story of this trans girl is so heart breaking. This is not a movie, but a documentary for parenting, having in mind that so many trans people could easily relate to this story and have at some point of their childhood experienced bullying, transphobia and homophobia. I hope this move will be broadcasted by other TV networks, not just ITV.

Acting is good, script not so much, maxine has a narcissitic father that can't cope when it isn't always about him, hey lets try a kinda goodlooking actor, it will pass. Sigh. Anna friel's character has so much going for her but she seems to think her life is a complete failure because her sad excuse of a toxic husband left. Her eldest daughter seems to know adoring men is toxic, but then she gets this moment where the authors make her realize she should get more love, so she flees into her yet another poor excuse of a human being known to her as her granny. Sigh. Then itv makes it all about happy ending, happy family. Just made me think about those massages with a happy ending. Sigh.

In the end visibility to transgender people is necessary and i applaud that.

It's hard for some people to understand how lost u can feel in your own body. Experiments need to help understanding. I think youngsters now will be able to give more insight in about 20 years. For now we can only go with their gut feeling. I just hope society is not weighing in too heavily. Some decisions will be regretted, others applauded, it's still very much about the individual. Me personnally i think that when you're born into a body maybe you should give it a chance, find ways to embrace it. Society feeds us the distinction between male and female as only examples and therefore it scares me to think this brainwashing may have something to do with the not accepting of one's own body. But i am not in their position and i am not being judgemental. I would not reject my body right away, i would see if it could fit me somehow since it is mine. But then again i am not in their position and i am aware i am in no way capable of fully understanding their uncomfort, their dissarray, their profound confusion and yes unhappiness. I wish all transgender people find a way to be, to be happy.

I didn't write about maxine because so many others did, did it well too.

How brilliant to see a quality drama tell this story.

Absolutely loved the 1st episode, great insight to the real world of what goes through the mind of a transgender person and the family's and surroundings had me in tears I must say

It's about time a drama was made that reflects a small but real community. Gender Identity is a mystery and something to be feared by many. This makes this a very important step in fostering acceptance and understanding in our society. Programmes like Butterfly will hopefully help those who are open minded but have no information to see how difficult lives can be for these young people and their families, who are often singled out and vilified mainly through transphobia and fear from others. Anna Friel is a real character actor and does in this what she does so well which is to show depths to a personality that may not always be pretty but are nonetheless real and important. There are some very good performances in this, not least the young actor playing Maxine. Granddad and Grandma are characters that are simultaneously well intended and clueless and reflect the often difficult path the family of a transgender child must navigate, whilst still managing to offer a lightness in reflecting these attitudes. Well done to ITV, bravo! I would say be wary of unsupported low scores as this subject is divisive, which means that a small but insistent group are determined to vote this important drama down in order to reduce its chances of being commissioned for further series. Why do they do this? Because they would rather 'other' and ostracize people with a protected characteristic than deal with their inner fears and ignorance like adults. I wish them well and the courage to be more inclusive.

Beautifully and sensitively written and performed. Loved every moment can't wait for the next episode

Butterfly - a emotional informative drama. It was well written and the acting was superb.

This is a subject that is so misunderstood by so many. Wonderful to see a well-written story that accurately depicts the subject matter.

Such an important topic to tackle. Very well done without the unnecessary sensationalism being reported in the press currently. A true to life representation.

Really good to see a difficult subject on prime time tv. Well done ITV for this touching representation of the battle faced by transgender children & their families. Hopefully it will educate all the bigots in this world!