The Cambridge Geek

Jack & Millie

A pilot I missed last year, this is being repeated ahead of the new full series starting next week.

Similar to the recent Conversations from a Long Marriage, this is a show based around a (relatively) elderly couple, Jack & Millie, played by sibling team Rebecca and Jeremy Front. (Jeremy writes, as he often does, though at this point I'd be very surprised if Rebecca didn't have a significant input. Possibly in an angry voice.)

The Fronts have been working together for a very long time, and it shows. Incredible Women is up to six seasons and I've enjoyed all of them, so it's not really a surprise I find this fun as well. The central core of that show is the usually antagonistic relationship between the interviewer and interviewee, and that transfers across to a long-suffering romance very well indeed. There's a widening of the scope to include various children and friends, but I think you'll keep coming back to this one for the delights of Rebecca and Jeremy shrieking at each other.

What is definitely novel however, is how much of this draws on the Fronts' heritage. Their Jewish background isn't usually focused on in a lot of shows they do (given the range of Incredible Women, that's not a surprise), but here it's front and centre. As a lapsed Anglican, I can't judge to the reality of the portrayal, but it certainly felt like more of an insight into their personal lives than we've had previously.

The supporting cast are a little variable, in that while Millie's book club is worryingly accurate in regards to some I've attended over the years, that's not necessarily a good thing, as these people are just as annoying on the radio as in real life. Let's say it's very believable, but not automatically fun. Definitely some excellent comedy in other areas however, such as Delphine's wrapping obsession and the painful conversation about wine. Bit familiar, that one. That familiarity is definitely one of Jeremy's strong suits, getting the nitty gritty of daily life into the things he writes.

All in all, a nice pilot, and a series that I don't think I'll even need to ponder whether to listen to. These two have been putting out good stuff long enough that they get an automatic listen.

Score:
Score 4

Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Sitcom Family/Relationships