Home from Home

I watched the pilot and thought that this is like those unfunny comedy shows that used to be on ITV. But I watched the first episode of the series because Emilia Fox was in it. The writing seems to be better and the gorgeous Niky Wardley is always worth watching. I would have given the pilot a so-so average 5 but now I give it a 7.

Home from Home rather started out like One Foot in the Grave. Johnny Vegas plays Neil Hackett and he is stuck on the motorway traffic and goes on to a school coach to give an errant boy a piece of his mind. Very Victor Meldrew-ish.

Hackett is a working man of modest means. He might embarrass his wife Fiona and two children every now and then but he has saved enough money to buy a compact holiday chalet in the Lake District. The kids seem less impressed, no television means no sports and also there is no wifi.

They meet their upwardly mobile neighbours in the holiday park. Robert and Penny Dillon are well to do, well travelled and used to the high life. Penny seems aloof, you get the impression that she does not want to be there. Robert seems more down to earth, sexier, charismatic and also practical. He mends the Hackett's television reception that Neil was having trouble with.

You now sense then that this is going to be more like the 1980s sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles. Neil being jealous of the more posher neighbours who have seen and done better things.

This was a pilot episode but I suspect if it was a series we can guess Vegas will be having regular rants on the state of the world and then feeling insecure about his life and wife who might have her head turned by Robert's infallible charm.

I absolutely love Emilia Fox in this series where she is a world apart from her character in Silent Witness. Here she hilariously plays the spoilt upper crust neighbour showing she's the best character in this show. Adam James as her husband Robert is terrific also.

In the pilot Joanna Page from Gavin and Stacey played Fiona Hackett and to be honest I felt she was a better fit than Niky Wardley in later episodes. Niky and Johnny Vegas didn't gel as a couple. Weird casting there.

I do agree with the reviewer here called Rossgary, (who is either Oscar Kennedy himself or a relative and leaves glowing reviews all over this app for Oscar) that Oscar is great as Garth Hackett showing a great sense of comedic timing. However sadly, as seems to happen to child actors, they seem to fade or lose that spark when older. It was disappointing to witness this in the recent series Missing You. Maybe Oscar is better with comedy, I can't be sure.

Home from Home has a good supporting cast and is a favourite that I have watched over and over. My favourite episode is Johnny and Emilia's characters lost on the mountain.

Absolutely love home from home it's a good old fashioned English comedy with warm characters who you love. You find yourself rooting for Neil but laughing at his failures also. Love it

Oscar Kennedy was his usual brilliant self, the greatest natural i've seen in years, even if its not my kinda picture i'll watch it cause Oscar's in it & if the film isn't great its Oscar who gives it life.