Episodes

I have to say I am really enjoying the new BBC sitcom Episodes. Monday was its 4^th episode and whilst it is more of a slow burner then a ‘hit the ground running’ type show, I have found it to be quite enjoyable. Something nice and easy to watch on a Tuesday evening with dinner that can make you chuckle every once in a while.

The premise of the show is about a couple that write a Bafta winning comedy in the UK that gets commissioned for the US. Their comedy ‘Lymons boys’ is about a British boarding school and its master. But the US turn it into a comedy about a school hockey team and its coach with the lead role being handed to Matt Le Blanc (Joey from FRIENDS) Matt plays an extended version of himself although most of the time it just feels like you are watching Joey (but that maybe because most people wind up watching at least one episode of FRIENDS a week thanks to channel 4)

Matt is pretty much the shows ongoing joke, and you have to think he must be a decent guy to take the stick he gets thrown at him in every episode. The show is commissioned by Showtime in America and is shown on the BBC a day after the US which makes you feel like it's half a British show and half America. As it's shown on Showtime, there is no holding back on the language like there would have been if NBC had picked it up, and I have to say as a child of the FRIENDS generation it is really quite bizarre to hear Le Blanc/Joey say the word ‘fuck’ and ‘prick’ every two seconds.

My worry for this show though, is that although Joey is very good in it, it's very British and I worry that our American friends wont really enjoy it as much as we do. The British couple are our main protagonists and as the audience you are meant to be siding with them in their struggle to make the show they want. Unfortunatly I’m pretty sure that where we would find our leading lady's anger at LA and sarcasm amusing, the Yanks are probably thinking ‘god why is she being such a bitch to Joey’

Curb Your Enthusiasm this show is not, by any stretch possible, but then again what is? If Episodes gets another season I will be surprised, so I’m just going to enjoy it whilst it lasts. As a FRIENDS fan I'm going to enjoy having Matt Le Blanc back in my TV life in something that isn’t quite as cringe worthy as Joey, which yes I admit I watched!