Spy

I just viewed the first episode of this series on WLIW-21/Channel 21 in New York City. I decided to record it on my DVR based on the synopsis provided by Time Warner Cable and also because it followed another program that I love, The Cafe.

I tend to love British TV but did not know what to expect from Spy, and was truly amazed at the solid character development, brilliant acting and the witty storyline. I literally had just finished viewing a limited HBO series, Doll & Em, which starred Dolly Wells and Emily Mortimer, and decided to look at Spy. I did not know Ms. Wells was a part of the Spy cast.

I am so glad that I recorded this episode of Spy. I laughed repeatedly and was riveted to all of the characters. Darren Boyd and Jude Wright are excellent as father and son, and their supporting cast is superb as well.

This program will be on my list of must-see shows to watch on PBS and I look forward to recommending it to my other friends who enjoy smart, fantastic and entertaining television from the United Kingdom.

Spy is insanely funny. Whereas another fantastic spy farce, Archer, is prototypically American (what with the over-the-top gadgetry, lewdness and macho stuff), Spy is equally British (compact, driven by small inflections and absurdities, and politely biting). Spy is rife with the comedic mechanism of interruptive dialogue where characters finish each others sentences or over-speak creating confusion and misdirection -- some intended, some not. It takes careful listening to stay with the dialogue and it's in the subtlety of the delivery that the funniest lines are spoken.

Jude Wright is brilliant as the über-intelligent and resentful son of the main character, Tim. Tim, portrayed with superb comedic timing by Darren Boyd, is an affably charming man of small wit and large misfortune. And for us, the scenes with Robert Lindsay's zany character, MI-5's examiner, are the gems of the show.

For comedic value, Spy is a 10 to us. Flaws abound in any program, but a rare show like Spy makes one not care. As far as we know Spy is not running for any particular comedic championship. It's just an easy going ride through hilarity.

If you love Quirky, British, Family Dramadey..... You will LOVE this UK show SPY. Get through the Pilot and you will be wanting more. Just like typical British flare at first glance it comes off as pompous and insincere, stick with it and by Episode 2 you care about about the family and it's wacky friends. Also they play off a lot of American current events and sayings so the writers "cross the pond" so to speak. I was sad when I ran through all of the episode, it defiantly left me wanting more. The only child Marcus Elliot played by Jude Wright is for lack of a better word BRILLIANT. The funniest show I have seen so far.....

Spy is so insanely underrated as a show that it's not even funny (at least in the United States). Thankfully, that's the only thing that isn't funny because the show itself is absolutely hilarious. The first series introduces the hapless but well-meaning Tim, his scheming best friend, his idiosyncratic MI5 coworkers, his ex and her besotted boyfriend, and his precocious son Marcus. The second series deepens and broadens the characters and turns some early misconceptions on their heads.

One of the most entertaining things about Spy is that it manages to be both an excellent spy spoof, in the manner of the also-underrated "Chuck," and an unexpectedly touching domestic sitcom. As with other British shows in a similar vein, it's obvious that Spy's stars are not phoning in their performances at all. In particular, Darren Boyd gives a performance absolutely deserving of his Bafta win, and Jude Wright strikes exactly the right tone as his genius son.

Spy is witty, intelligent, funny, and consistently engaging. No show is perfect, but there's so much to love that it might as well be.

I love this show. The characters are great and it makes me laugh out loud. I only wish they'd made more of it.