[UPDATE - 7th January 2019]: Now has a second series, which isn't really a surprise. Still a strong cast, with a mostly emotional core around which the humour is built. Lots of opportunity for drama given the first episode's setting of Grandma Doris' funeral, and Chloe and Ian's baby news. Luckily still very funny.
[ORIGINAL - 9th September 2017]: This is not what I was expecting from Richard Herring. I always have him pictured as a slightly angry man, mid-rant about something a bit silly. In comparison, this is essentially a love letter to family and the ways they interact.
We have every family stereotype in this: the slightly grumpy old grandad, who can't be beaten at games, the nerdy child who always feels out of place, and the highly strung woman who struggles to understand a joke. It's a common assembly of characters.
But possibly because they fit the form so well, the interactions are constantly perfectly on point. This is a show built around family "fights" where there's no real anger but we simply have a family who know each other's foibles and can provide them with a gentle ribbing.
I don't know if this is ever going to get any deeper than that conversational gambit, but it probably doesn't matter. It's such a smooth running programme that you can't slip a knife in between any of the joints. Maybe it's all surface, but it's a beautiful surface.
Highly recommended.
Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Sitcom Family/Relationships