I like Sue Perkins. She's charming, witty, and a good actress. I wanted to like this show and stuck with it as long as I could - but four minutes into the third episode I had to give up.
Tonally the show is all over the shop. What lets it down more than anything is the direction. Sue Perkins has set the tone of the show as single camera comedy (i.e. more realistic - think 'The Office') and her performance reflects this. Yet several other members of the cast (namely Joanna Scanlan) seem to think they're appearing in an episode of 'Miranda'. These vastly different styles of performance within one show undermine the reality of the situation. If it doesn't gel together, you cannot suspend disbelief. Good sitcoms are like well-oiled machines. This one feels like a series of parts from vastly different gadgets have been flung together without any lubrication.
Tonally the show is all over the shop. What lets it down more than anything is the direction. Sue Perkins has set the tone of the show as single camera comedy (i.e. more realistic - think 'The Office') and her performance reflects this. Yet several other members of the cast (namely Joanna Scanlan) seem to think they're appearing in an episode of 'Miranda'. These vastly different styles of performance within one show undermine the reality of the situation. If it doesn't gel together, you cannot suspend disbelief. Good sitcoms are like well-oiled machines. This one feels like a series of parts from vastly different gadgets have been flung together without any lubrication.