The Story of Leonard and Hungry Paul Overview: A Soothing Comedy Featuring the Voice of the Hollywood Star Brings the Perfect Antidote to Contemporary Living

In a peaceful suburb of the Irish capital, a person is standing outside his home, dressed in a vest and sharing his feelings. “I feel my voice is fading. More invisible,” remarks the protagonist, looking into the darkness. “One thing’s led to another and at this point I believe if I don’t do something, I’ll just carry on in this simple, peaceful routine.” Hungry Paul, his only and only friend, ponders this statement. “There's no harm in that,” he replies, his bathrobe swaying in the breeze. “Superior to attempting to leave an impact and causing harm instead.”

For those tired by the bluster and constant stimulation of today’s TV offerings, Leonard and Hungry Paul arrives as a warm cover and warming mug of Ribena.

Like its quiet characters, this comedy – a half-dozen installment show created by its authors, inspired by the author’s quiet book – looks disapprovingly on contemporary society; peering skeptically through its prematurely middle-aged glasses on everything related to unnecessary noise, abrupt changes or – goodness forbid – an abundance of ambition. The program rather, a tribute to quiet people; a quiet celebration for those content to pootle around away from attention. And yet. He (another uniquely quirky performance by the actor) is uneasy. He senses an increasing “need to open the entryways in my existence … slightly.” The loss of his beloved mother has whisked the rug away from his feet and Leonard, a writer for others, now finds himself questioning the choices that have brought him to his current situation (single; defensively moustached; creating several kids' reference books for a man who signs off emails with the phrase “see you later”).

Therefore Leonard launches an exploration for emotional fulfilment, accompanied by the somewhat braver friend Paul (Laurie Kynaston) functioning as his confidante, life coach and ally during their regular board games evening functioning as both debate (“Is the pool warm due to children urinating, or do children urinate because it’s warm?”) and sanctuary.

(Why “Hungry” Paul? No idea. The beginning of the nickname is shrouded in history. Maybe he previously devoured a snack very fast, or reacted to a socially fraught incident by hastily opening four scotch eggs using his teeth).

Arriving in Leonard's calm existence comes a new colleague (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), a new lively co-worker who lightheartedly proposes to get rid of the awful manager (Paul Reid) at a fire practice. The swift movement you can hear represents Leonard's calm life being turned upside down.

Elsewhere during the opening installment of a series focused less on story and more by what a modern audience could describe as “atmosphere”, we are introduced to Paul's father (the consistently great Lorcan Cranitch), a tired character who covertly observes, records then replays daytime quiz shows to impress his loving spouse with his general knowledge.

Shepherding the audience through all this subtle warmth is a narrator that is unmistakably – and truly is – the Hollywood icon. Yes, the celebrity. In case you're considering, “surely the presence of a major Hollywood star is at odds with the show's modest approach and at first acts merely as an interruption?” you're right. However, the actress performs admirably, and phrases such as “Leonard's challenge is his absence of a look of sudden insight” help ensure that early misgivings yield if not quite to appreciation, then certainly understanding.

No more criticism at this time. The show's core is well-intentioned: the right place being “located on a seat next to the Detectorists, indicating the duck it loves.” The program that ambles along in its sleeveless jumper, sometimes gazing upward at the stars, sometimes downward at its slippers, quietly confident that no experience is on Earth as cheering as passing time with dear pals.

Open the doors and windows in your existence, a little, and allow it entry.