Will special agents have the last laugh?
IS IT TOO early to call this year’s best comedy-drama? My early favourite is Ten Percent (Amazon Prime), the English version of the French Netflix hit Call My Agent! From the makers of Twenty Twelve and W1A, writer John Morton has weaved his magic again to tell a subtle, but also belly-laugh funny tale of a highly competitive talent agency where staff get stabbed in the back while they have their first latte.
As it’s Morton, you do hear familiar resonances, even lines we’ve known and loved from W1A. But this matters not because in this age of TV poverty, big budgets buy the best actors – in this case, Jim Broadbent as the patriarch of the agency Nightingale Hart, plus Jack Davenport (Coupling), Maggie Steed (Fisherman’s Friends) and Lydia Leonard (Gentleman Jack) – along with a cameo turn in this first episode from real-life Kelly Mcdonald.
Do we care about an actors’ agency? Of course not, but they’re perfectly situated to be mocked for their preciousness and apparent insincerity.
The best storyline, however, featured Tim Mcinnerny’s alcohol-fuelled actor Simon Gould, who was down on his luck and couldn’t even pour himself a cup of coffee at an audition, though he did manage to land a nice new role thanks to the benevolence of Jim Broadbent’s old-school agent.
Gould was last seen disappearing purposefully into a pub. Your heart sank. One for the road I’m sure...
Then there was Jack Davenport dealing awkwardly and comically with the unannounced arrival at the agency of a young lady who had closer ties with a younger Mr Nightingale than he would like to admit. It wasn’t resolved in the fire escape chat either. Things never are. I expect many scenes will be shot there.
What no doubt makes these performances even better is that actors like nothing better than portraying their own business, “Don’t they, darling; you were wonderful…” And yes, they were.
A new episode of Grace (ITV, Sunday) aired, a year after the first. Titled Looking Good Dead, it was about the less than homely subject of snuff movies. Quite why anyone would wish to have this storyline played out on their living room television is beyond me. The plot involved a commuter to Brighton who picked up a memory stick left behind by a fellow passenger. Of course the sensible thing is to do nothing, especially after the passenger failed to respond to your pleadings.
Not our main character here, who yes, took it home and put it in his computer. He just couldn’t leave it alone, even after he saw something horrific. An idle husband and curiosity, eh? He should have taken up a hobby. Stamps are still highly collectible. But most extraordinary
in this drama was the total absence of interrogations by John Simm’s DSI Roy Grace. Not one. Don’t ask me. At least, it makes it shorter. Plot-wise, things just kept happening to police – car accidents, shootings – until the nasty culprits were nabbed. Too much realism and too little detecting for me, but Simm (Life On Mars) is always highly watchable.
So were Alison Steadman and Jim Howick in Here We Go (BBC1, Friday), the most promising comedy of the year. I
suppose it’s a sitcom. You never can tell, but it wasn’t a “gentle comedy” because there were too many jokes. For most chaotic families the comedy will be a bit too close to reality.
If you like multi-generational comedies like My Family, you will lap up this new series, which also stars Katherine Parkinson, and the talented Tom Basden (After Life) who also wrote and directed.
Funniest thing? Steadman’s neighbour’s cockapoo was called Lord Sugar. Try shouting that in a public park.
Following the success of Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr, which ended this week, we now have The Great Sewing Bee (BBC1, Wednesday), another hit BBC reality show which has returned with promising new presenter Sara Pascoe.
But judge Esme Young is the stand out critic. Commenting on a shorter than expected entry from needleworker Mitch in the “wrap dress round”, her verdict? “You’ll need a nice pair of knickers on!”
Finally, did you enjoy being hectored by Piers Morgan on Monday night?
That was my takeaway from the new Piers Morgan Uncensored (Talktv, Monday – Friday), pictured left. Another “views channel” to digest. The first 10 minutes was an attempt to put the world to rights. That might take another episode for Morgan, but he does know how to pull in a big guest.
The first was little-known former US President, Donald Trump, who hasn’t had much to say recently. Well, not publicly.
The pair had a better sparring match than most prize fights in a highly entertaining spat.
Drop the sermon and keep the big interviews. This show could be a hit.