This Country
Bbc1/iplayer
It’s no exaggeration to say that This Country has been one of the TV comedy phenomenons (phenomena?) of the last few years. Created by and starring bro-and-sis duo Charlie and Daisy May Cooper – because they were poor, bored and couldn’t think of anything else to do – the mockumentary series follows the mostly uneventful yet somehow spectacularly funny lives of cousins Kurtan and Kerry Mucklowe in a small Cotswolds town. Now the third and, sadly, final series has just begun on Bbc3/iplayer and BBC1, and I reckon the season opener is already one of the best episodes yet – a particularly impressive achievement considering it’s also a tribute to the Coopers’ real-life friend Michael Sleggs, who played the hilariously gormless character Slugs, but tragically died at the age of just 33 last year. The way the Coopers create a storyline revolving round a letter sent by Slugs from beyond the grave is both gloriously funny and a beautifully apt way of saying goodbye to such a key member of the show’s cast, who had never acted before until Daisy and Charlie decided to incorporate their real friends and family into the fabric of the series. Kerry’s storyline, meanwhile, takes her to the local recycling centre, where she’s got a new job. She obviously screws it up almost instantly, but quite how and why makes for deliriously entertaining viewing. And next week’s episode brings the well-meaning local vicar (Paul Chahidi) to the fore, in deeply hilarious and moving scenes taking place almost entirely within his car. This Country may soon be leaving us, but, like Slugs, it will be truly cherished and never forgotten.