[UPDATE - 13th February 2019]: Have a very brief but unexpected update. The original show was a standalone half hour back in 2017, that I seem to have suspected was a sneaky pilot. A year and a half later, and apparently I was right.
The new first episode is partly a retread, partly a rewrite of that original pilot, so you can start listening here without having to hunt that down. There's also been a bit of a tweak to the cast, with Steve Speirs coming in as his usual bluff self to play the relocation officer.
Feels like there's been a slight expansion of Helen Monks' role as Sarah, and she's easily my favourite character in this now, with a happy-go-lucky yet mischievous approach to life. Makes it fun. If you missed the previous, try this.
[ORIGINAL - 3rd September 2017]: Ever happened to witness a murder, testified against the murderer, have him swear to cause your death, and have to move from London to Hirwaun in the depths of Wales? No? Then you're doing better than John and Sarah (now Brian and Helen).
They've got an unhelpful witness support officer, who is chronically incompetent, and a suspiciously interested new neighbour, who runs the neighbourhood watch. (I swear, that organisation has been more use in getting laughs than it's ever been stopping crime.)
It's pretty heavy on the laughs, but feels a little over-excitable. Having both the cop and the neighbour being the "wacky" one, rather overshadows the central conceit. Two straight to one silly is a fairly consistent ratio, and I think this shows why. There's some very neat moments of relationship comedy though. It seems much more together when the show is "comfortable". There's a well done family dynamic, and those bits are where the show shines.
Worth a listen, and there's probably enough here for a full series. It just needs to relax a little, and let things happen a bit slower sometimes.
One for fans of people mispronouncing Welsh placenames.
Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Sitcom Crime and punishment