Staged

I don't know whether it's because the isolation of shutdown/quarantine is so relatable, but I haven't laughed this hard in ages. David & Michael/Michael & David (IYKYK) were superb at nailing the experience. So much nuance & detail - I'm watching again to catch it all. I've always liked Tennant, but wasn't that familiar with Sheen - now huge fans of both.

Highly, highly recommend.

I was very dubious about series three and how they'd make it work post lockdown. I needn't have worried! From the start, you are taken down a roller coaster of fast paced humour with banter between the two leads heading in various directions. Have loved the development of all the characters over time. I watched open mouthed as I got to grips with twists and turns of the story, the pure humour and angst of what was reality and what wasn't. I have to admit I love not knowing who will pop up in the screen at any given time. Very, very clever writing and brilliant performances. The final episode was pure genius. Thank you!

How do you do it? With thousands dead, the country slowly going stir crazy and thinking toilet rolls are worth more than gold. How do you pull it off? Get great, funny as hell actors, a brilliant director and write a very clever script, that's how. Surprise cameo's by some proper A-Listers adds to the fun.

Dave and Mike just bounce off each other, the chemistry from Good Omens is still there, they're obviously friends that love some banter. A lot of it seems add libbed but with a definite comedic goal in mind. The Director, Simon, is happy to portray himself as a bit of a knob, double kudos as he concieved and co wrote this with Phin Glynn (that name alone has comedy value).

The premise is simple, use zoom to rehearse a play so that when lockdown ends they can grab a West End theatre and hit the ground running. As I said, simple. What we're served up is a comedy of errors, actors being over sensitive about the small stuff (there's an inspired joke about the credits, so study the actors names carefully for a couple of ep's). A director that has probably contemplated suicide, the pitfalls of Zoom and a bad internet connection or just not knowing who can hear you. Plus some language that is probably the reason Michael Sheen's hair is so curly.

And it's all served up in 15 minute bite sized chunks. Perfect. My only minus is David Tennant's kitchen/diner, when something is that trendy it's quickly out of style, just saying, Dave. (Yes, obviously I'm jealous).

I can pretty much guarantee that if you watch this you'll be happier because of it. If not then all I can say is you're probably cachu hwch.

Series 2 Update; I thought this show couldn't be bettered, yet it was. Dave and Mike get side lined and do their best to sabotage the US version to get their leading roles back. Simon, even more of a dick than in series 1, gets screwed by Hollywood. A ton of A listers jump into the fray, some brilliantly. We get to witness Dave's self absorbed breakdown and Mike being a two faced dick who's happy to throw his mate under the bus. The joke about Phoebe Waller-Bridge hating Dave is hilarious when it transpires why. The way things are going and knowing how badly this whole crisis is being handled I'm certain there's going to be a third series. I hope so, this is one of the few things making lockdown bearable, again.

Both David and Michael are phenomenal in Staged. Guests were wonderful surprise. Intelligent and brilliant show. I enjoyed all six episodes and really hope for some more episodes.

I just finished binge watching "Staged". No great feat; they're only 15 minute episodes--and that's part of its charm. David Tennant and Michael Sheen are two more reasons to watch this series. It's not fair to say that they play themselves. Rather, they're playing caricatures of themselves.

This series watches their interactions as they struggle with cabin fever during lockdown. If you've ever wondered what celebrities are like when they're at home, this is a whimsical glimpse behind the curtain. While the boys are acting like petulant children, the women, all women in this series, are strong, understanding, and intelligent, which grounds the story emotionally. In one scene, David walks in and sits down next to his wife (played by his real-life wife Georgia), smiles, and simply says, "Thank you." She lovingly returns a knowing smile.

The writing is witty but not pretentious. It assumes that the audience is paying attention. There are several plot threads that run the length of the series. If you're not paying attention, or if you don't watch the episodes in quick succession, you're in danger of missing much of the humour and even losing the plot. A lot is left for the audience to connect the dots, so pay attention to everything, including the credits (a running gag throughout). With 15 minute episodes, it's easy to fly through the series in one sitting.

Great acting, great writing, timely storylines, witty, but short and sweet. What more can I say, except: if you like quality, smart, enjoyable television, this one's a winner.

One warning, though. If you're offended by profanity, you'd best give this one a miss.