🔗 Share this article

In a quiet area of the city, a man can be found outside his home, sporting a sleeveless jumper and sharing his concerns. “I feel I'm becoming more silent. Harder to see,” states Leonard, gazing into the darkness. “Circumstances have evolved and now I feel like without a change, I will continue in this simple, peaceful routine.” His friend Paul, Leonard’s best and only friend, reflects on this statement. “There's no harm in that,” he answers, his robe swaying in the breeze. “Preferable to trying to make a mark and causing harm instead.”

For viewers weary by the bluster and constant stimulation of modern television terrain, the show comes similar to a foil blanket and a comforting beverage of blackcurrant juice.

In line with its gentle leads, this comedy – a six-part comedy created by its authors, adapted from the author’s quiet 2019 novel – takes a dim view toward today's world; gazing disapprovingly above its spectacles at anything in the way of disturbances, quick actions or – goodness forbid – excessive aspiration. The program on the contrary, an ode to introversion; a gentle tribute to people satisfied to amble along below the parapet. And yet. The character (another uniquely quirky portrayal by the actor) is unsettled. He notices an increasing “urge to throw open the entryways in my existence … slightly.” The passing of his beloved mother has pulled the carpet from under his slippers and this young man, a ghost writer, now finds himself doubting the choices which led him to where he is (alone; defensively moustached; working on several children’s encyclopedias for an employer who signs off messages using the words “see you later”).

Therefore Leonard begins himself on a quest for personal satisfaction, alongside his more outgoing friend Paul (the actor) functioning as his trusted friend, guide and partner during their regular game night which acts as symposium (“Is the water heated due to children urinating, or do kids pee in it as it's heated?”) and refuge.

(How did Paul get his nickname? The reason is unknown. The beginning of the nickname appears lost in mystery. Maybe Paul once ate a snack unusually quickly, or answered to an awkward situation by nervously peeling several snacks using his teeth).

Entering Leonard's quiet life bursts Shelley (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), a fresh lively associate who lightheartedly proposes to get rid of his terrible supervisor (the character) in a workplace safety exercise. The rushing noise noticeable signals Leonard's peaceful routine undergoing a shake-up.

In another part during the opening installment of the comedy focused less on story and centered around what the under-30s may refer to as “mood”, viewers encounter Paul's father (the ever-wonderful the performer), a tired character who secretly watches, records then replays television game programs to dazzle his loving spouse through his fact recall.

Shepherding us amidst this minor-key niceness is a narrator that sounds very much like – and, indeed, very much is – Julia Roberts. Yes, the celebrity. If you are thinking, “certainly the inclusion of a major Hollywood star clashes with the series’ unshowy MO and initially serves only as an interruption?” that's accurate. However, the actress performs admirably, and dialogue like “The issue with Leonard is his absence of an expression of discovery” help ensure that first reservations yield though not complete approval, then at minimum tolerance.

No more criticism for now. The series' spirit is well-intentioned: which is “sitting on a park bench in the company of gentle comedies, pointing out its favourite duck.” It’s a series that ambles along in its sleeveless jumper, occasionally looking up into space, at other times looking at its slippers, quietly confident that there is nothing in life as cheering as being alongside dear pals.

Unlock the entryways in your existence, a little, and welcome it inside.