What to watch: British comedy heavyweights bring charm to family sitcom
In Here We Go we meet the Jessop family as they stumble through their mishap strewn, semi-detached suburban life.
Here We Go showing on TVNZ+ is an old school family-based BBC sitcom.
So far, so what you might say, but Here We Go has charm, warmth, likeable characters and moments of laugh out loud hilarity.
Written by cast member Tom Basden (Afterlife) it centres on the Jessop family whose chaotic suburban life is captured by youngest son Sam Jessop for a school film project.
Katherine Parkinson (IT Crowd) and Jim Howick (Peep Show, Ghosts) play Rachel and Paul Jessop.
Katherine is the perma-frazzled mother and career advisor whose career has stalled.
Hapless Paul is a former Team GB archer, struggling to find work in the bow and arrow game post Olympics. He just missed out on bronze.
The cast is rounded out by UK comedy royalty Alison Steadman in scene-stealing mode as Sue Jessop, Paul’s jolly Scouser mother.
Tom Basden plays Katherine’s well-meaning and flaky brother Robin with Tory Allen-Martin as his hard-to-please glamorous girlfriend Cherry.
Freya Parks is daughter Amy, an aimless 20-something, still living at home, who mooches around the house spitting out sarcastic asides while munching on cereals.
This is broad comedy certainly, and follows a well-worn, fly on the wall format, but it’s a cut above the standard British family sitcom fare.
Some British media have already dubbed it a stone-cold comedy classic – I wouldn’t go that far.
It is sharply written and structured with a cast of heavy weights bringing the comedy chops, and if this is your thing, Here We Go will bring a much-needed dash of mid-winter cheer.
Katherine Parkinson and Jim Howick as Rachel and Paul Jessop in Here We Go.
TVNZ+
Don't watch it if … you’re maxed out on Gavin and Stacey style British sit-comedy
If you like Here We Go, what should you watch next?
Never Mind the Buzzcocks This reboot of the legendary UK music quiz, now hosted by Greg Davies, brings plenty of lols.
Colin from Accounts Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer charm in this instant classic from Australia.
Starstruck New Zealand’s Rose Matafeo navigates life, love and having a world famous boyfriend in this London-based romcom.
