The Cafe

Sky 1's new comedy The Cafe is bittersweet, wistful, and gentle. In fact it's so gentle you feel like you're being clubbed with cotton wool. The only thing it isn't is funny. 

It has a decent pedigree; starring and co-written by Ralf Little and directed by Craig Cash, we have all the Royle Family, Early Doors, comparisons to make and it is a lot more Early Doors than Royle Family. 

The show is set in a seaside cafe, you know the type, the kind that we only see on telly, that is solely frequented by its slightly quirky regulars. There's a lot of repetition, every-time someone comes in, cafe owner Carol says 'Speak of the devil'. Most all of the characters have a catchphrase type line, a la Early Doors and there's lots of inconsequential chit chat, a bit too much on cream teas for my liking. In fact I thought it was building up to someone sinister entering and changing the characters samey lives. Was The Cafe going to turn all Harold Pinter on us? No such luck. Instead, we got another quirky regular spouting something about scones and cream bloody teas again. 

I watched both opening episodes and I don't think I'll bother again. You kind of know where it's going, nothing much happening as slightly down on their luck characters waffle on for another four or so episodes. Think I'll give the rest of this cream tea soaked show a miss.

Over