Robin Bailey plays a sort of urbane prototype of Victor Meldrew, a librarian bored with his TV obsessed wife, who moves to the house of a recently deceased uncle, only to find it occupied for most of the time by typical ITV sitcom characters of the day. They include a comic punk layabout, a comic Indian shopkeeper, a brash, blustering northerner and his slightly dotty, good-natured wife.
At its best this comedy features its share of the dry humour of series Shelley and It Takes A Worried Man, both written by Peter Tilbury, a contributor of scripts to the first series of this. Robin Bailey was ideal for this type of comedy and his timing is superb throughout. Too often though, the shows drift into inanity, with David Hargreaves' loud-mouthed, north country caricature in particular, outstaying its welcome. The characterisation of Nadim Sawalha's well-meaning grocer would no doubt face accusations of casual racism from those whom enjoy complaining about such matters, should the series be repeated today. During the second series it seems that events are moving in ever decreasing circles, to quote the title of a more successful comedy of the Eighties, and by the final two episodes it is clear that the scriptwriter has run out of ideas and inspiration.
At its best this comedy features its share of the dry humour of series Shelley and It Takes A Worried Man, both written by Peter Tilbury, a contributor of scripts to the first series of this. Robin Bailey was ideal for this type of comedy and his timing is superb throughout. Too often though, the shows drift into inanity, with David Hargreaves' loud-mouthed, north country caricature in particular, outstaying its welcome. The characterisation of Nadim Sawalha's well-meaning grocer would no doubt face accusations of casual racism from those whom enjoy complaining about such matters, should the series be repeated today. During the second series it seems that events are moving in ever decreasing circles, to quote the title of a more successful comedy of the Eighties, and by the final two episodes it is clear that the scriptwriter has run out of ideas and inspiration.