People Just Do Nothing (2014–2018) User Reviews

Best Sitcom I've seen in Years

[matteksands · 9/10 · 5 September 2016]

It's been a very long time since the golden age of British sitcoms, back in the 90s. Since then, we've seen very little in the way of outstanding, memorable stuff. The last truly great one, in my opinion, was Peep Show which finished last year and you'd have to go back to The Office before that (though I'd like to give a shout out to Plebs, which although not in the same league is still very good). Well now, we've finally got another one.

It's very much inspired by The Office and much of the acting (particularly from the two main characters, Beats and Grindah) clearly has Ricky Gervais's imprint all over it. I don't see this as a bad thing though and if you liked The Office you'll love this. As will anyone with a passing knowledge of inner city life in the UK, the DJ / underground music scene or even if you just like laughing at the "chavvy" end of society. Most of us will recognise at least one of these 4 main protagonists or the characters they associate with, in real life and it all rings very true, particularly the dialogue which is expertly done.

What this is doing languishing on BBC 3 is anyone's guess but it certainly deserves a larger audience. I cannot recommend this highly enough, I haven't laughed so much in years!

Boom!! Griiiiiiiindaaaaaarrrrrrrrr

[acmredmond · 9/10 · 20 October 2016]

I am just a bit distraught that this will only be the 4th review on IMDb for this show. 8.6 is great but even after 3 series it still doesn't have the coverage it deserves. If they don't get more recognition they might not make any more. Plus how will Chabuddy ever get his own show?

Or how about Chabuddy G winning an apprentice special.

Think, misfits, spaced, Nathan barley crossed with spinal tap type genius. Mockumentry style with a clever low grade uk/Australian sense of place and time. It's not like it's 1998 is it mate.

I've been kurupted!

The office of urban music

[peterrichboy · 8/10 · 15 May 2017]

If your a fan of the Office or any mockumentry comedy then People just do nothing will be for you. The premise of the show is simple a bunch of no hoppers from Brentford trying to run an illegal urban grind radio station. They are of course completely useless with only themselves and those close to them thinking they are any good. There are obvious comparisons to the Office the playing up to the cameras, the odd embarrassed glance when they realise there being filmed. But like the Office at some point in our life we have meet people like these characters, and as hopeless as they are you can't help but care about them. 8/10

Very English, very funny and brilliantly observed

[cooblimey · 10/10 · 21 July 2014]

At first glance this is another British mockumentary in the same vein as The Office. Pathetic characters in normal situations that are familiar yet far-fetched. We laugh at these people with a 'there but for the grace of god' sigh of relief. And yet there's something very real about the characters we meet in this comedy. Even if you don't live in a council tower block you either know people like this or know that people like this exist. The ambitions and eventual failure in achieving them by these sorry losers is very real. They're decent, (fairly) honest people caught in a trap and you're really cheering for them, but if they came up trumps it wouldn't be funny. The comedy is in their failure.

Like many people of my generation who were aspiring DJs, spending countless nights on the decks with their mates getting stoned, there's so much in this that rings true, and these relatively unknown actors do a superb job in making it all feel so real. We laugh with them, we laugh at them, then we come away feeling really bad for them, and it's this subtle fine-line that makes this new comedy really stand out.

Living the Dream in....Brentford

[c_hookham · 10/10 · 21 September 2015]

Firmly in the tradition of the Office and Phoenix Nights comes this gem following the day to day ups and downs of a group of friends running a pirate radio station in a bedraggled West London neighborhood. We meet best pals, the wonderfully delusional MC Grindah and the loyal, clearly talented but dim DJ Kevin "Beats" Bates who run Brentford's top Garage/DnB,Grime Pirate radio station Kurupt FM. Not very ably assisted by child-like stoner Steves and modest & quiet DJ Decoy; the lads face the day to day struggles of keeping their station going and managing their complicated private lives. The ambitious but severely deluded local 'entrepreneur' Chabuddy G provides the station with much needed help & advice that usually brings chaos to the group, while Grindah's housewife/hair dresser girlfriend provides the vital ego massaging that a 'genius' like Grindah needs. Much of the comedy comes from Grindah's frustration at not being a mega star and with his loyal but dimwitted crew who seemingly frustrate his every move as well as the buffoon- ish but well intentioned Chabuddy's attempts to help his friends. This sort of thing has been done before and a lot of Grindah's mugging to camera is straight from the Ricky Gervais school of comedy but this is clearly a labour of love for the cast, about music they clearly have a passion and talent for. Truly a joy to watch the writing and acting (much of which is ab- libbed) are fantastic. A Bad News Tour or Spinal Tap for modern British urban music.

How have I only just discovered this!!!!

[andyabs82 · 10/10 · 28 August 2018]

It's so close to being exactly how I grew up it's uncanny! Brilliant! So well written! I love it!

Fantastic, funny and awkward

[mike-pugh1983 · 10/10 · 27 May 2019]

This series is fantastic. I guess if your one of these people ( they do exist ) you may not find it funny. Other wise it is great observational comedy. The characters are endearing and horrific at the same moment. The total delusion of grandeur these people have is so on point. The worrying thing from my point of view is I like the music they play. Well worth a watch.

Literally One of the Best Comedy Shows of the Decade

[Danoxmas · 10/10 · 28 December 2019]

I haven't found myself rewatching a comedy series like this since Trailer Park Boys. There's something about watching v likable people on the fringes of society trying to make something of their lives but constantly getting in their own way. The unspoken bond between these losers is killer chemistry, they all feel so believable and real but executed in such a subtly hilarious way that the best mocumentarys capture. They literally have 2 crew members that are always hanging out in the background with their own lives but are also constantly told to shut up so we're left with these super brief glimpses into what kind of people they really are. This would obnoxious if it wasnt handled so brilliantly and believably, the way this show is shot adds alot to illusion of realism. I love this show and more people need to know about "People Just Do Nothing" because it's literally one of the best comedy shows of the decade and I'm literally just finding out about it.

Surprisingly and uniquely fabulous

[gibbs-18172 · 9/10 · 27 November 2020]

Look it's taken a lockdown and Worldwide pandemic for me to finally stop skipping all the recommendations from BBCi and Netflix but this comedy really hits home.

First I loathe all the music , the MC etc that is part of the greatness of this indy type comedy that looks at times its shot on a 90s video cam. I have met every character in this show , I have wanted to knock out ( yes physically) the Grindah guy for well being Grindah. Michelle so radiated as my sister in law who I had to rescue from a burke like Grindah .

I've had a friend like Chabuddy G , was pestered by an older woman at this age by a woman just like Carol. And all the other mates the Go-for , the partner in crime who is actually a decent person and would be far better off without the influence of the selfish Grindah.

I get angry watching this but funny angry because it's so raw.

I'm only at the back of series 3 so I dont know anything further but the younger in cheek joke with Michelle and Decoy is so well played out that I believe that if this was real that Mich is oblivious to it all. The christening or " Christian " is top notch quality humor.

This may seem that its comedy for the dumb illiterate but it's very much cultivated and those involved have turned this into a erudite classic.

Well done the BBC 3 team 👌

DRY HUMOR GOLD

[camwilliams-54957 · 10/10 · 13 October 2020]

If you like dry humor this show is so funny it's bonkers.... like dry humor so good Larry David should take a pen and notebook out. Watch this show!

Genius

[pauliewalnuts-49356 · 10/10 · 25 October 2020]

This sitcom must go down as one of the most underrated tv programmes of all time. The writing is brilliant the characters are superb,growing up in West London myself,I actually have seen people like this!!😂😂

Gutted when they called it a day but fair play to these guys...surely though...Cha buddy g needs his own show?????

A bit overrated but decent

[chrisrowexxx · 6/10 · 27 August 2021]

I enjoyed the show first time around 9/10 for sure so thought I'd come back and rewatch before the questionable movie is watched to catch up, it was mostly how I remember it but I found after a few series that I was really tired of grinda and chabuddy, just felt rewatching shows is a big thing for comedies but rewatching this just irritates me. Grinda especially I just found to be so ridiculously obnoxious and nasty that I hadn't picked up on that and equally CG was just forcing humour it didn't feel organic this time round, I enjoyed beats family dynamics and Steves is just awesome but I also couldn't understand why decoy is even there or who the other rando was added in S3, but decoy visibly didn't like them wasn't getting paid so it made no sense.

Dunno second time round it was decent just not as organically funny as I remember.

Very English, very much a waste of my time

[Thraeryn · 1/10 · 26 February 2018]

So, y'know that thing in comedy these days where awful people are so painfully well-written that they're not actually funny characters? Where, instead of being over-the-top, they're just the idiots that live 'round the corner, and all the situations are boring dross that could happen on a Tuesday?

Yeh. It's one of those. The BBC is trying to bolster the economy with them now that The Office has been so long off-air.

The essence of humor is the unexpected, and there's nothing unexpected about a bunch of bell-ends stumbling through a world of mundane cock-ups.

Series 1-3 are the best British comedy of the past 15 years. Series 4-5 are a shark-jump.

[wolfstar_imdb · 9/10 · 19 December 2018]

It's hard for me to review People Just Do Nothing, as in many ways it is two shows. Episodes 1.1 to 4.1 are a solid run of quality, as the show grows in confidence, and the writing and performances become more and more sophisticated - the tapestry gradually expands and each episode builds on the last, making the series feel like an incredibly real world. Characters grow in meaningful ways, the show subverts expectations in intelligent ways, jokes are never overlaboured, scripts are densely written, the cast's chemistry is natural, the improvisation is fantastic, and there's a subtle but powerful political undercurrent. Series 2 and 3 are just superb - series 2 is probably the funniest and is when the show really comes into its own, but series 3 is a tour de force with fantastic arcs and character work. By the end of series 3 the show is firing on every cylinder - it's great to see a sitcom that's so ambitious and such a labour of love, and that takes its characters and their lives so seriously. My average ranking for episodes 1.1 to 4.1 is a stellar 8.8/10.

There's a sharp change in the tone of the show and the quality of the scripts just over halfway through the run, for reasons I'm unsure of. This final 11-episode run (from episode 4.2 to 5.6) isn't entirely bad - episodes 5.1-5.3 are a brief and welcome return to form - but by this point it was clear the show had lost steam and direction and the actors had begun to tire of the characters. Worse, the characters stopped growing and in some cases their development actually went backwards, reducing them to unlikable caricatures (where in earlier series, despite if not because of their flaws, they were all relatable and sympathetic). So it was sad to see a show I was incredibly passionate about jump the shark and peter out, especially when it could have chosen a brave and powerful ending given the way the cards were being stacked in series 3. Series 5 was also a missed opportunity for social commentary on gentrification and social engineering, a main driver of the plot but one that is barely explored.

Despite these misgivings, I believe the show deserves a 9/10 overall as it is and will remain a classic based on the strength of those first 3 series - there's nothing else like them. These characters will find a way into your heart.

A must for the 90's pirate radio generation

[fishy74 · 9/10 · 1 July 2020]

I was involved with pirate radio in Manchester during early 90's so this series plays close to my heart. I'm now mid 40's and pretty much laughed , cried or both throughout the whole show. Never has a tv series hit the reminisce button so hard. You get drawn into the lives of everyone regardless of how much a part they play. You want to be as enthusiastic as Grindah & Beats. You want to give Miche a hug. You want to chill and have a zoot with Decoy & Fantasy. Everyone needs a Steves in their life and I guarantee you will never anywhere else on TV find a character like Chabuddy G. All I can say to the cast and crew is THANK YOU and keep it Kurrupt x

One of my favorite TV shows

[evanfrank-68636 · 9/10 · 13 November 2020]

As an American I sadly was not in London when pirate radio and garage was popping. Nonetheless, the show managed to keep me invested in the story and the characters. While season one was slow, I'm glad I continued watching as the show gets much better. Season 4 was a little bit weak, but that's probably just because I wasn't a fan of Grindah's character in it. But the show managed to end on a high note with a good season 5 and a great ending. Overall the show is well worth a watch, and got me listening to some new music as well.

Idiotic and Chaotic, I loved it

[martimusross · 8/10 · 20 November 2018]

This show is so cleverly written, directed and executed, with a strong ensemble cast delivering some of the best quality comedy on TV today.

So many people just won't get the humour, it's very much in the Ricky Gervais, Marmite style humour. I love it!

The friendship and camaraderie comes across with the situational irony and the constant misfired plans has resonance with "it's always sunny in Philadelphia", another group of "idiots".

Brilliant and sad. A story of friendship.

[kermitmuppet · 10/10 · 8 October 2020]

This is without doubt the best combination of humour and likeable characters I've ever seen in a tv series. I can relate to the characters and lifestyle .... the close bonds that often grow out of struggling. You will laugh a lot.... and hopefully you will also empathise with the situations they find themselves in. Extremely clever portrait of modern day friendships and life for a lot of young males in the uk. Loved every minute.

Classic comedy

[paul2001sw-1 · 9/10 · 21 January 2018]

It's not an original observation that 'People Just Do Nothing' is like 'Only Fools and Horses' for a new generation, a loser comedy set in unremarkable London. The latter program became comfortable as it became huge, this one still has an edge; but don't let that edge blind you to what is basically classic sitcom territory of incompetenance, misfortune, and lack-of-self-awareneess. There are some brilliant lines here, and a cast of characters whose monstrousness is somehow not sufficient to make you dislike them. The ending (to the fourth series) is surprisiningly downbeat; but there's a lot to like (and laugh at) along the way.

What a hidden gem of a show.

[parkmanjohn · 9/10 · 21 August 2018]

Funny especially if you love Jungle. It is the Urban version of The Office. I hated The Office but couldnt stop watching this. I wish they had more seasons.

One of the best mockumentaries ever made

[Ruskington · 9/10 · 24 May 2020]

One of the best comedies of recent years and some of the most well-observed satire you could ever hope to see. Such a great concept for a show and bought to life perfectly by an amazing cast. The fact that some of these guys have lived this lifestyle (and can actually perform pretty well) helps make the satire even more astute.

Allan Mustafa and Hugo Chegwin are perfectly cringeworthy and they are ably assisted by the genuinely hilarious combo of Steve Stamp and Asim Chaudhry. The underrated Ruth Bratt is also excellent.

There are also a lot of not-so-subtle digs at popular culture and social media usage. Lily Brazier is particularly adept at portraying the trashy young reality-TV wannabe women of the world. The velour tracksuits and 'Live, Love, Laugh' style decor are such a great touch.

There is a drop off in quality towards the end and the show should probably have wrapped things up after season 3. Grindah becomes increasingly horrible which makes some scenes borderline uncomfortable, especially as poor old Mich is actually very likeable. But its hard to be too critical of such an original and hilarious show. One of the best UK comedies since The Office.

Series 4... Never should have got past Episode 1 !!!

[scott-harding · 1/10 · 19 April 2017]

4 series of this bilge is testament to the current Comdey vacuum at the BBC... Characters depicting work-shy council estate scum fails on all comedic levels... How the BBC ever thought this Dregs of Society mockumentary would appeal to anybody other than the great-unwashed is beyond belief.

Amazing !

[andymaranam · 10/10 · 17 July 2020]

This is flipping hilarious! It gets better as it goes along and never gets boring the cast are immaculate & hysterical and gel perfectly. All that & The music takes me back & my old manor so yea it's definitely a10!

The Office meets Ali G

[joeyriles88 · 10/10 · 27 May 2020]

Simply excellent. Flawed characters of questionable intelligence all bounce off one another in a veritable feast of posturing and pretending while, all around, the same boring urban sludge keeps them locked in. Miche is an underrated character who makes you feel so sorry for her one minute and makes you despise her the next. She is so sweet and caring but has ended up in this environment due to a series of mistakes that even she is oblivious to. Beats is a favourite, as is Roche (who acts as our audience surrogate as she's the only one deemed as normal) while Decoy's looks to camera are all-telling. The show wouldn't work if Mustafa, who plays the egomaniac Grindah, was a bad MC. He's excellent, if without any awareness that it's no longer 2001. The fact they all have old phones and use the language of the turn of the Millennium is designed to make us question if this is a period piece. They are the period piece, and they don't even know it. Very clever, very funny and tragicomedy galore in the heart of Brentford. Keep it Kurupt.

Bang lyrical blow to the jaw!!!!!

[jonallen-00131 · 10/10 · 18 June 2021]

Put this on one night with looking for a new series to watch and was instantly hooked....funny from the start but once you get to know the characters it gets hilarious, if you like this country and the office this should be right up your street, British comedy at its best.