British Comedy Guide

Yet Another SitCom Quest

Okay, first off let me say thanks for the site - I can see it's going
to cost me a lot in DVD purchases. Living in Aus, it can sometimes be hard
to catch up on exactly what a show is.

And that's where I'm hoping you can come in.

I'm trying to identify a mockumentary-style comedy made sometime between
1995-2003 I believe. I had thought it was part of Series 2 of People Like Us,
but recent research has proven this wrong. The style was perhaps a little dryer
than People Like Us, although not by much.

The show I am looking for was a brief series of examinations of various couples
and their relationships. Only two stand out in my memory:

1) A couple who have left the hurly-burly of the bug city and moved to the
seaside to live a lower-stress life. Between them they run a small sandwich
and gift shop (which is going broke as there is no local trade) - he collects
flotsam and jetsam from the beach each morning, from which she makes small
touristy craft items for sale. He is unbearably optimistic, she is suicidal.
The show ends with them taking a surprise ferry trip, which he has arranged
as a treat for her - "It's better than a trip to Paris". He is completely
oblivious to her depression, constantly singing "If I were the only boy in
the world, and you were the only girl" to her mounting tension.

2) The other episode I can remember clearly involved an upper-class (minor
titled ?) couple in a large family manor. He seems oblivious to his wife's
increasingly more overt attempts to kill him, whilst also trying to ignore
her torrid affair with her physical trainer. One of the most poignant
scenes is in the family cemetery plot, where he stands over the graves of
his family, explaining his wife won't allow them to be buried next to he
and her - the space is reserved for her dog.

I recognise these are fairly thin clues as to the series, but I hope that if anyone can identify it, it will be the collective wisdom? of this group.

Thanks.

Human Remains?

Yes, definitely sounds like Human Remains. I recommend the DVD which is packed with extras and presumably available fairly cheaply on ebay.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Remains

My immense gratitude - Human Remains was indeed the series I was seeking.
However, I am concerned by the note that it was "critically acclaimed" -
in my experience that's often code for "fashionable but not really very good".

Many thanks.

That'll be £5 please, here's my paypal...

Quote: None Given @ October 9, 2007, 11:26 PM

However, I am concerned by the note that it was "critically acclaimed" -
in my experience that's often code for "fashionable but not really very good".

I think that would be a harsh assessment of the show. It isn't a traditional sitcom but it is funny and more innovative than many comedy shows. Great performances by Rob Brydon and Julia Davis as well.

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