HERE WE GO
BBC One, 8.30pm
Tom Basden’s gentle comedy series started life as a pilot (then called Pandemonium) which aired in 2020 and followed the Jessop family’s futile attempt to have a holiday during the pandemic. The excellent Katherine Parkinson stars as Rachel, keeping the family together financially while husband Paul (Jim Howick) is unemployed, still living off past glories as a member of Team GB’S archery squad.
Alison Steadman, who adds value to anything she’s in, is Paul’s mother, Sue, who has her foot permanently in her mouth, while Basden plays Rachel’s sappy brother Robin and Freya Parks is teenage daughter Amy. Son Sam (Jude Collie), meanwhile, constantly tapes on his camcorder.
Basden has said he wanted to capture “some of the warmth and chaos” of family life, and Here We Go certainly does that as the
Jessops navigate life’s challenges – keeping the romance alive within a marriage or adopting a healthier lifestyle, for example – while accidentally kidnapping a dog, destroying a swimming pool and sabotaging a wedding. Everyday stuff for this family. The first episode sets up who’s who and we follow the Jessops as they dash to use a theme-park gift voucher that’s about to expire.