Leonard and Hungry Paul Review: A Gentle Comedy With Narration from the Hollywood Star Brings an Ideal Antidote to Modern Life

In a peaceful area of Dublin, a man can be found in his driveway, sporting a vest and voicing his concerns. “I notice my voice is fading. More invisible,” remarks the main character, gazing toward the stars. “One thing’s led to another and currently I feel like unless I take action, I will continue in this simple, peaceful routine.” Hungry Paul, his closest confidant, considers the idea. “That's perfectly fine,” he responds, his dressing gown moving in the breeze. “Superior to attempting to leave an impact and ending up damaging things.”

For anyone exhausted by the noise and fast pace of today’s TV landscape, Leonard and Hungry Paul arrives like a warm cover and a comforting beverage of a sweet cordial.

Similar to its gentle leads, this comedy – a six-episode comedy written by Richie Conroy and Mark Hodkinson, adapted from the author’s understated book – looks disapprovingly at modern life; gazing skeptically through its eyewear on everything in the way of disturbances, abrupt changes or – goodness forbid – too much drive. The program rather, a tribute to quiet people; a quiet celebration of those happy to amble along out of the spotlight. However. He (a further uniquely quirky turn from the star) is uneasy. He feels a growing “urge to throw open the openings of my life … a little.” The passing of his parent has pulled the carpet from under his slippers and this young man, an anonymous author, now finds himself reconsidering the decisions that directed him to his current situation (single; sporting facial hair; working on several children’s encyclopedias for an employer who ends correspondence with the phrase “goodbye for now”).

Thus Leonard starts an exploration for personal satisfaction, accompanied by the somewhat braver Paul (the actor) acting as his confidante, life coach and co-conspirator during their regular board games evening functioning as both symposium (“Is the pool warm from kids relieving themselves, or do kids pee in it as it's heated?”) and refuge.

(What's the origin of "Hungry" Paul? It's unclear. The source of this name is shrouded to the mists of time. Maybe he previously devoured a sandwich very fast, or reacted to a tense moment by panic-peeling several snacks by biting into them).

Arriving in Leonard's calm existence comes Shelley (the performer), a recent lively colleague who lightheartedly proposes to kill Leonard’s appalling boss (Paul Reid) during the office fire drill. The swift movement noticeable signals Leonard's peaceful routine being turned upside down.

Elsewhere during the opening installment of this program not heavily plotted and more by what younger viewers could describe as “vibes”, viewers encounter Hungry Paul’s dad (the brilliant the actor), a battered sofa of a man who secretly watches, tapes and rewatches daytime quiz shows to amaze his adoring wife through his fact recall.

Shepherding us through all this subtle warmth there is a voiceover that sounds very much like – and truly is – the Hollywood icon. Yes, Julia Roberts. Should you wonder, “certainly the use of a big-name celebrity clashes with the program's low-key style and initially serves only as a distraction?” that's accurate. Still, Roberts does a good job, and lines like “The issue with Leonard is his absence of a look of sudden insight” contribute to ensuring that initial doubts fade if not full admiration, then at least acceptance.

No more criticism at this time. The show's core has good intentions: which is “sitting on a park bench next to the Detectorists, showing the duck it loves.” This is a show that ambles along in its sleeveless jumper, at times staring toward the sky, occasionally down at its feet, calmly assured that nothing is on Earth as cheering as passing time with good friends.

Unlock the entryways within your world, a little, and allow it entry.