Ruby Speaking

I only watched this because one of my favourite actors (Osian Morgan) guest starred in it and even he couldn't make it look funny.

I also used to work in a call centre.

This programme aims to portray call centres as wacky, zany places where everyone likes and respects each other. Call centres are NOT like that, not one bit. I agree with another reviewer who described call centres as 'hellish'. Furthermore, the customers that Ruby and her team interact with are different from the customers that call centres usually face. In real life, customers expect you to wave a magic wand and sort out everything for them, then get nasty with you if you don't have all the answers.

The casting needed to be stronger. Jayde Adams is not a comedienne or a good scriptwriter. I was highly disappointed by the casting of Osian Morgan as 'Harrison, the security guard' in the last episode. He is a fantastic actor, but he just fell flat. I suspect he was told to exaggerate his accent as well as his voice sounded to me to be at odds with how he usually has spoken and acted in other roles. He's best known for playing complex characters in dramas, and it felt to me like the role wasn't the best use of his talents. Also, I wouldn't say I liked many of the other characters. The only character I did like was Katherine Kelly's character Vicky Because it felt to me that she at least attempted to inject some humour into the show.

Other reviewers have also pointed out that the storyline, which implied that they might be a romantic frisson between Ruby and her posh, middle-class supervisor, Mark, was just poorly executed and unrealistic. The whole storyline with the choir could have been more robust as well.

I hope this doesn't get another series. It's not a programme I would stay in on a Friday night to watch. ITV could do much better than this. It's a 1/10 from me!

The first few episodes I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this series. There's a lot of over the top silliness. Ruby's character is the most consistent and real of the cast. A few of her workmates are one note stock sketch comedy characters. But there are still laughs to be had with pretty much all of them. By episode 3, it's clear what the program is at its core. This is a truly heartwarming show, focusing on empathy, humanity, and just old fashioned kindness, connection and contact. I may have even had a tear in my eye during the finale episode, which I never expected. I do hope there's a season two. So glad I watched the first series all the way through!

English comedy has left the chat. This show isn't funny in the slightest.

Poor acting, poor writing and has nothing good going for it. In fact, I'd rather sit and watch paint dry. ITV need to stop making new content and put their money into showing older successful shows.

I don't recommend this to anyone. If you want something lighthearted that you can watch without having any mental input, this is the show for you.

It's another useless waste of money and the cast shows for it. A line up of z-list actors and actresses no one knows and has ever heard of. Don't bother with this show. Periodt.

I'm so pleased I stumbled upon Ruby Speaking. It is warm, very funny, and feels really fresh - the characters are well drawn, often quirky, and with no reliance on lazy stereotypes. I often think we need more punchy comedy with short episodes so also pleased to discover something that delivers within 25 minutes!

Ruby and her team also really make me miss working in an office environment after these years working from home! I loved the idea of exploring the colleague relationship and how people from all walks of life, annoying habits and all, can find camraderie and a bit of belonging in the workplace. You can definitely think of colleagues you have had who are like the people in Ruby's team!

A lovely comedy, very easy to get along with, and I am very much hoping for a second series!

New sitcom for ITVX set in a Bristol call centre and starring Jayde Adams - who was the best thing in it, she has good comic sensibilities.

The situation a bunch of misfits in a job they mostly don't want in a sales led call centre has obvious comic potential but Ruby Speaking didn't really capitalise on it. There were a lot of characters and only a few of them made any impact - Ruby and the big boss Vicky. The pilot story was a bit weak and fizzled out.

For me there's many other comedies that explore the world of sales and get much more comedy out of it, 'Phone Shop' for example. There was very little to laugh at in this, just a few one-liners.

The device whereby you could see who the call operators were talking to on screen was a bit clunky and didn't work.

Overall not the worst comedy of 2023 but not much to recommend it, felt a bit flat.