After Getting On and Going Forward Damned feels like the third part in a trilogy of gritty state-of-the-nation workplace comedies starring Jo Brand. But in fact this one, set in a childrens social services office, actually predates Going Forward. A one-off pilot went out on Sky Arts in 2014 but for whatever reason it is C4 that has made this six-part series. And I bet it cost them a lot less than The Great British Bake Off.
And lucky old C4. Judging by the first episode the series, written by Brand, Morwenna Banks and Will Smith, has a similar sensibility to those other series, which is a good thing if you like your sitcoms with an air of realism. Brand pays Rose, a voice of reason in an office where everyone is stressed and going slightly mad. The staff also includes Alan Davies as well-meaning colleague Al, Kevin “always reliable” Eldon as eccentric widower Martin and Isy Suttie as Natalie the temp - sorry ‘interim worker’ - “like sex workers without the intercourse” Natalie explains.
The first episode finds staff member and ex-cop Nitin (Himesh Patel, played by Romesh Ranganathan in the pilot) asked to spy on his colleagues by stern boss Denise Donnelly (Georgie Glen) as cuts have to be made. Who will get the chop?
As with Brand’s previously mentioned sitcoms this one also shines a light on the way that even the most well-meaning people are almost broken by the system. Rose desperately tries to juggle her personal life with her work but it is not easy, particularly when your ex turns up in a custard yellow sweater (played by Nick Hancock, long time no see).
The style here is naturalistic, with the camera swaying from side to side, following the cast around and and eavesdropping on dialogue rather than homing in on it. It has become a familiar style since The Office but it works well here, helping to make the viewer feel as if they are present as the staff try to cope with red tape, bureaucracy and being constantly interrupted as if they are running a drop-in centre.
Not wall-to-wall laughs but then it isn’t meant to be because life isn’t like that. But this is definitely a comedy. There are a lot more gags here than I’ve ever come across working in offices, some excellent performances and a cameo from rising star Aisling Bea. Looks good to me.
Tuesdays from September 27, C4, 10pm.
