Leonard and Hungry Paul Review: A Soothing Series Featuring the Voice of the Hollywood Star Provides a Great Remedy to Contemporary Living
In a quiet neighborhood of Dublin, a person can be found in his driveway, sporting a vest and sharing his feelings. “I notice myself getting quieter. More invisible,” remarks Leonard, staring into the darkness. “Circumstances have evolved and now it seems if I don’t do something, I’ll just carry on in this simple, peaceful routine.” His friend Paul, Leonard’s best companion, reflects on the idea. “There's no harm in that,” he replies, his dressing gown swaying in the breeze. “Superior to striving for recognition only to wind up defacing it.”
For viewers weary by the noise and rat-tat-tat of today’s TV terrain, this series comes as a warm cover and a comforting beverage of a sweet cordial.
In line with its gentle leads, this comedy – a half-dozen installment program created by the writing duo, adapted from the author’s understated story – takes a dim view at modern life; peering critically through its eyewear on everything related to unnecessary noise, sudden movements or – goodness forbid – too much drive. The program rather, a celebration of shyness; a quiet celebration of those happy to amble along out of the spotlight. However. Leonard (another uniquely quirky performance by the actor) is uneasy. He feels a creeping “urge to throw open the entryways of my life … slightly.” The passing of his beloved mother has yanked the floor from under his slippers and the 32-year-old, an anonymous author, now realizes reconsidering the decisions that have brought him to his current situation (alone; defensively moustached; writing several kids' reference books for an employer who signs off messages using the words “goodbye for now”).
Thus Leonard launches an exploration for personal satisfaction, with the slightly bolder Hungry Paul (the actor) functioning as his close companion, mentor and ally during their regular gaming session which acts as symposium (“Is the water heated due to children urinating, or do children urinate since it's warm?”) and sanctuary.
(How did Paul get his nickname? It's unclear. The beginning of the nickname is shrouded to the mists of time. Perhaps he on one occasion consumed a sandwich unusually quickly, or answered to an awkward situation by panic-peeling several snacks with his teeth).
Into Leonard’s gentle world comes a new colleague (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), a recent energetic colleague who cheerily offers to eliminate the awful manager (the character) in a workplace safety exercise. The rushing noise you can hear represents Leonard's calm life undergoing a shake-up.
Elsewhere during the opening installment of the comedy not heavily plotted and centered around what younger viewers may refer to as “vibes”, we are introduced to Hungry Paul’s dad (the consistently great the performer), a battered sofa of a man who secretly watches, saves and reviews trivia competitions to dazzle his devoted partner through his fact recall.
Leading the audience amidst this gentle kindness there is a voiceover that is unmistakably – and, indeed, very much is – the famous actress. Yes, the celebrity. In case you're considering, “surely the use of a big-name celebrity clashes with the show's modest approach and initially serves only as a distraction?” you're right. Still, the actress performs admirably, and dialogue for example “Leonard’s problem is the missing an expression of discovery” help ensure that first reservations yield if not full admiration, then at minimum tolerance.
No more criticism currently. The show's core is well-intentioned: the right place being “resting on a bench alongside similar shows, pointing out the duck it loves.” The program that moves gently in comfortable attire, at times staring at the stars, at other times looking at its slippers, serenely certain that there is nothing in life as cheering as being with dear pals.
Open the doors and windows within your world, a little, and welcome it inside.