Stath Lets Flats
Channel 4, Mondays, 10pm
Recently, there’s been a wave of TV sitcoms dealing with weighty ideas and issues, from Fleabag to Aisling Bea’s current triumph This Way Up. And while those shows are brilliant and funny, sometimes it’s refreshing to plonk yourself in front of a proudly silly comedy creation like Stath Lets Flats, the second series of which just launched this week. It’s created by and stars Jamie Demetriou, who plays Stath, the world’s least competent lettings agent, alongside his actual sister Natasia, who plays his sibling Sophie. Reactions to series one followed a similar pattern. Viewers would initially say they found it annoying and a bit stupid, then they’d watch more, and soon be won over by its adorably moronic characters.
Each episode begins with a hilarious montage of Stath’s latest property viewings, in which his
stridently inappropriate approach is beautifully showcased, before we see what the rest of his colleagues are up to in the agency owned by his father. The game-changing development in series two is that his dad has retired, so poor Stath has to work under a slick new boss played with swaggering authenticity by Dustin Demri-burns (Gameface). This guy oozes confidence and makes his mark early on by creating a musical video ad for the agency, which turns out to be the greatest fake promo of its kind since David Brent sang If You Don’t Know Me By Now. Then, just when you think the whole show is just giddy silliness, there’s a plot development that threatens to add some poignancy to proceedings. Until it’s undercut right at the end, as Stath’s dad tells him, “Maybe don’t try to do anything again, ever.” For some real rural action, here’s the new series of this farming challenge with famous folk. Stars include Caprice, Arg, actress Tina Malone and ex-footballer Paul Merson. Channel 5, Monday 26 August, 10pm