Within minutes of winning a BAFTA for their comedy, Lyeman’s Boys, the couple are accosted by a slick, enthusiastic LA television executive, Merc Lapidus, who wants to adapt their show for an American audience. Predictably, things begin to go wrong the second they get off the plane. Far from the straight adaptation they were hoping, Sean and Beverly soon discover that their friend and series star, Julian (Richard Griffiths), will have to audition for a role they’d assumed was already his. Little by little, the couple’s work is taken apart and rearranged, as erudite thespian Julian is first humiliated and then replaced by the entirely unsuitable Matt LeBlanc (who plays himself). Unfortunately, many of the situations that Episodes presents are all too predictable, and most of its events can be guessed several scenes before they actually occur. While pleasantly entertaining, there are also surprisingly few genuine laughs. Aside from a brief incident with a polystyrene doric column (a scene that perfectly epitomises the superficiality of Hollywood in general), Episodes sits more comfortably in the genre of drama than comedy. This is further underlined by the apparent brevity of the show’s format. When the closing credits roll after half an hour, it feels as though the story’s barely got into its stride, and this opening instalment may have been better served with an hour long special. Given that Crane and Klarik’s previous work includes Friends and Mad About You, it’s perhaps a little surprising that Episodes isn’t more reliably amusing than it is. All too frequently, the show achieves the awkwardness of, say, Extras or The Office (both of which appear to have influenced it to a minor degree), without their distinctive, comedic bite. But still, we’re only at episode one. Thus, it’s quite likely that, with the Episodes premise now established, the series will provide more laughs as it wears on. And with Matt LeBlanc playing a far more prominent role in future episodes, it’s just possible that his addition to the mix will set off the comedy fireworks the show needs. Episodes airs on Mondays at 10:00pm on BBC2. Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here.
