The only TV reviews that helpfully advise you not just what to watch, but where to watch it
BBC3, a channel that will take a risk with comedy, is currently showing a new sitcom written by Keith Akushie starring Charlotte Ritchie and Tom Stourton. From the Inbetweeners production company Bwark, Siblings focuses on the escapades of Hannah and Dan, a brother and sister in their twenties who live together. That focus is also the problem with the show. The characters have escapades rather than lives. Though they live in a recognisable flat-share situation, their adventures are far-fetched and rely on Dan’s stupidity being quite unbelievable.
Akushie has given a slightly twist to the well-worn friends sharing a flat situation, the brother and sister tweak allowing Stella Gonet’s mother to appear with youth-hating relish. But writing sitcom plots is an under-appreciated contemporary art and to be successful the humour has to flow from the characters. Here each week sees a different outlandish adventure, most of which would be stopped before they got going by anyone with any sense. In one episode Dan agrees to look after a neighbour’s fish whilst he is away. Why though does he think he can wear the neighbour’s clothes, destroy his glasses, drink his alcohol and trash his flat?
Homer Simpson is the standard for sitcom stupidity, but Mr Simpson usually has a believable reason for his doltish behaviour. In Siblings each new wacky decision by Dan is too forced and very only-in-a-sitcom.
We all have different requirements for TV programmes depending on where we watch them. Credit to BBC for commissioning new comedy, but Siblings is a watch-at-the-gym programme. It is not worth buying pizza, making some Gavintinis and inviting your friends round for a back-to-back six episode session.
Verdict: Watch at the gym
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