WHAT’S HOT TO WATCH TODAY
CHANNEL 4 is bringing us a brand new sitcom tonight. And while my usual response to that would be: “Oh, God, really? Must it?”, on this occasion I’m delighted to say it’s good news.
HANG UPS (10pm) stars its co-writer Stephen Mangan as Richard Pitt, a therapist taking his career in a new direction by dealing with his clients over the internet. On face value, it’s a smart move – modern, slick, efficient, or at least that’s the idea – but working from home, as he soon realises, isn’t exactly ideal for Richard, bearing in mind the permanent domestic chaos into which his family life has plunged.
Format-wise, Hang Ups certainly feels different. There’s not really much in the way of a storyline to kick us off with, just a few fuzzy details, such as the state of his relationship with his wife Karen (Katherine Parkinson), but I’m guessing those will gradually come into focus.
And laughs? Well, yes, it’s definitely got those. Admittedly, episode one’s most laugh-outloud moments for me are the two corniest, most old-fashioned gags of the whole half-hour, but there are plenty of decent chuckles for more discerning viewers, particularly when Richard hooks up online with characters played by the likes of Jo Joyner, Karl Theobald, Richard E Grant and, as his grumpy dad, Charles Dance.
THERE’S new comedy starting on Dave tonight as well. JUDGE ROMESH (10pm) finds comedian Romesh Ranganathan donning a big red robe-type thing and presiding over a courtroom in which real people come to resolve various disputes and disagreements.