Pandemonium

I presume this is intended as the pilot episode of Pandemonium.

It was woeful. I guess this will be immediately commissioned into a series.

The first episode gave me the impression that it wants to be a British version of Modern Family. The setting is lockdown Britain. Younger son Ben is recording everything for his media project of what has turned out to be a rubbish year.

Dad Paul Jessop (Jim Howick) is booking his flights for California in January. He turns down an offer for semi flexible tickets for a few quid more. Of course he has no plans to cancel the holiday so declines the offer.

Some months later, Paul has had to close his archery business and trying to get his money back from the airline. I presume he also did not take out travel insurance.

Living off their savings, his wife Rachel (Katherine Parkinson) seems to find money from somewhere. It turns out to payday loans.

Their daughter Amy wants to defer university, grandma Sue keeps turning up uninvited, Paul's brother in law Robin is depressed as his wedding plans has collapsed.

By October the family holiday is a break in Margate. Things are gloomy and icy as the sea they go swimming in.

I thought the whole thing was dank and depressing. When your audience has had a bad year and you need to remind them how bad things have been such as losing income, getting into debt as well as losing loved ones. It really needs to be exceptionally funny.

The mockumentary approach is not going to cut it. There was an expensive looking stunt involving the car but it was too little.

The length of time it took for the BBC to turn this one off Pilot into a series (with believe it or not a worse title) shows that even they weren't certain about it.

They've good reason to. I wish they'd learn that just because people here have been in other good shows it does not mean they'll be able to repeat the trick elsewhere.

Dire.

The Jessops plan a dream holiday to California, when Covid hits, the plans have to change, and a holiday to Margate is the only substitute.

I watched The Here we go series first, then found this pilot episode, not sure I watched it, but I really did enjoy it, it didn't feel different to the main series.

Looking back this summer up 2020 perfectly, clapping on the doorstep, stressed about money and unwanted visitors, I felt they made it relevant and funny.

There were some really funny moments here. The coming out scene was funny.

We have a neighbour who had Sue's attitude towards the pandemic, ignored the restrictions, and carried on doing whatever she wanted, regardless of thoughts, those were the rules in the early days. I did enjoy her scene with Amy.

8/10.