loveagoodstory

The programme needs you to agree that harsh swearing at small children and going mental are alright. "It's what we'd all like to do sometimes".

Speaking as part of a pretty big percentage that never did, never wanted to and actually just like their children and children in general, it's a pretty nasty and sometimes vicious watch.

Martin Freeman has said in many interviews that this shows how he behaved with his small kids. The show is looking for "Yeah, but we're all as bad pretty often, ain't we (herrhhh herrhhh snigger)" and Martin clearly like he is. But: no, we're not. And a lot of us don't want to watch you do it, either.

Without that agreement, that complicity, the show is unwatchable. It's a pity as I wanted to like it before I pressed Play.

I get that, for instance, Fawlty Towers showed Basil as someone who went to extremes expressing rage at things many of us would find annoying. It's funny that he gets so excessive. But in doing so, he usually publicly humiliates himself or gets his comeuppance in the long run. He's not shouting and swearing at very small children who can't defend themselves from it.

For 2024, imagine the Sex Pistols going on The One Show to eff and jeff their way through a few TV minutes and, if you were young then, into legend.

It's a well-acted 25 minutes from a solid cast that captures all the major elements you'll need, and many minor ones that colour in the TV world well. It was good to see the broader brush strokes of the story being brought to life. And dear old Bill had his choices and tragically, for his career, decided to say what he said.

(I find it comical that another review here claims to know the inside story but writes it in the sniffy tones of an outraged 70's Mary Whitehouse type. It just forgot to say that they were so offended they kicked in their TV screen then sent ITV the bill...)