Reggie Perrin

I was very surprised when I discovered that Reggie Perrin was to be remade, but relieved when I saw that David Nobbs (original author) was co-writing it with Symon Nye (Men Behaving Badly).

Reggie is still having a mid-life crisis and he's still an executive in similar environment (men's grooming products instead of food desserts), and a lot of other characters have been replaced by characters with similar traits and it's all brought up to date with his irritation of the silent commuters, but this time not through the old reasons, but because of omnipresent mobile phones, iPods isolating people and laptops on peoples knees on trains keeping them from interacting with their fellow passengers.

I would like to give this 10 / 10 but because of the original being a perfect 10 in my eyes I am giving it a 9 / 10. Having said this, Martin Clunes is a perfect actor to play Reggie, although a few other character choices seem odd, i.e. Neil Stuke (Game On) as CJ's equivalent character, even though he's not called CJ, but still Reggie's surprisingly 'younger' boss.

This review was written after watching episode 1 (of 6) and expect the remainder of the series to be as good or get even better considering those involved.

Watched the first episode of this today and was quite impressed. There are a number of reviews out there which see even the making of this series as a desecration of the grave of Leonard Rossiter, which tends to colour their opinions of the show itself. Well, I was a fan of David Nobbs original book "The Death Of Reginald Perrin" before the Rossiter series was ever made, and found that the original TV series reduced some key features (the hippo mother-in-law, CJ's "I didn't get where I am today...", Tony's "Great!!"s) to a cartoonish level. What I have seen in one episode of the 2009 version is an attempt to bypass most of the clichés of the original version, and focus on the true and timeless humour of a staid man coming apart. At first sight, it seems to me that Martin Clunes, David Nobbs and Simon Nye have worked long and hard together to produce a piece of work that will stand apart from the so-called classic. Definitely worth checking out, whether or not you have any preconceptions.

It seem to me the biggest issue the negative reviewers have is comparing this series to the original with Leonard Rossiter. That is always a mistake in my opinion because to most people a remake with another actor rarely can match the original. Or in other words, they're not giving this series a chance really. Instead of a constant comparison, why not try to see this as a stand-alone program and judge it on its own merits.

Martin Clunes is a brilliant actor in his own right and is handling the role well. I have to admit that I'm not as impressed with his co-stars, so far they've been a little too cartoon-ish and not enough "real". The writing could stand to improve a bit as well, but on the whole this isn't a bad series and it is entertaining. Rarely do you find a show that is perfect in every way and it seems to me that this one is being judged a bit harshly because it is a remake. I find I enjoy settling in and watching it and that's what it's all about, isn't it?

Reggie Perrin is a remake of the classic BBC sitcom of the 1970s and writer Simon Nye roped in creator David Nobbs to co-write the reboot.

Reggie is still commuting to work and hating it. He works for a grooming company instead of Sunshine desserts, with a still horrible but now younger boss (Neil Stuke.) He fantasizes about his fellow worker Lucy Liemann and the office doctor from the original is now replaced by an equally vapid holistic consultant who is very funny.

We also have Reggie's wife as well his mother, his father in law and some office workers in the set up.

The series did not quiet fly despite the update. I think Reggie's wife was not as well developed, the boss was more weaker here and it lacked the zaniness and some of those characters with catchphrases that the original was loaded with.

A nice attempt but not quiet there but in its own right still better and funnier than a lot of other sitcoms.

Any humor was drowned out by the laugh track being monotonous, too early, too loud and breathless. Edit the laugh track or make a version without laugh track available and it should be 9 stars