T.W.
Wednesday 28th August 2013 7:37pm [Edited]
15,786 posts
I was a little cautious/full of trepidation when I came to watch this. The C4 pilot hadn't exactly thrilled me but, then again, that's what pilots are for - eastablishing the 'sit' and style of 'com', showcasing the talent and hinting at future potential. (There's a reason pilots, traditionally, were not aired in the dim, distant past. They are usually 'work in progress', often hastily assembled. But that's another topic entirely.)
I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.
First of all, Jonny Sweet (as Bert) is the stand-out character and actor, responsible for the majority of (this viewer's, anyway) laughs. Bird and Thomas are strong, however. And the ensemble cast is nice - always good to see Emma Fryer - a genuine talent. Sweet bestrides the first episode as the epicentre of the humour. Destined for great things this chap...
And the humour, though sometimes strained in the writing, is pretty good. The plot is thrown together and very loose - but this kind of sitcom is not about forensic plotting. It's a silly, fun piece and actually creates its cosy, identifiable sitcom bubble with great ease.
I feel (only a little bit, if I'm honest) sorry for Bird & Thomas, being lumbered with 'The Inbetweeners' comparisons in all their other work. They're talented comedy performers and do some very nice things in this. I've actually met Simon Bird & he's a nice, shy, humble guy, who really does care about getting the comedy right. Kudos to him for trying something different.
I hope the premise can sustain at least 6 episodes of laughs. Amongst the silliness and costumes and war reference gags there were a few subtle lines and some original comedy here. I'll be watching the rest of the series with interest.
A pretty decent start then. Potentially a 'grower'.