The Story of Leonard and Hungry Paul Analysis: A Gentle Comedy Featuring the Voice of the Hollywood Star Provides a Great Antidote to Today's World

In a quiet area of Dublin, a man stands outside his home, wearing a tank top and expressing his thoughts. “I feel myself getting quieter. Less noticeable,” remarks Leonard, staring into the darkness. “One thing’s led to another and currently I feel like unless I take action, I will continue in this quiet, unremarkable life.” His friend Paul, his closest companion, reflects on these words. “Nothing wrong with that,” he answers, his dressing gown flapping in the breeze. “Preferable to attempting to leave an impact and causing harm instead.”

For viewers weary by the bluster and rat-tat-tat of current streaming terrain, this series comes like a foil blanket with a hot drink of a sweet cordial.

Similar to its gentle leads, this comedy – a six-part program created by its authors, adapted from Rónán Hession’s understated story – takes a dim view at modern life; peering disapprovingly above its prematurely middle-aged glasses on everything in the way of disturbances, sudden movements or – heaven forfend – excessive aspiration. This show on the contrary, a celebration of shyness; a gentle tribute to people content to wander below the parapet. But. Leonard (a further distinctly original portrayal from the star) is uneasy. He senses a growing “need to open the openings within my world … just a bit.” The loss of his parent has pulled the carpet out from under him and this young man, a writer for others, now realizes doubting the choices that directed him to this point (single; sporting facial hair; working on a range of educational volumes for a man who concludes correspondence using the words “goodbye for now”).

Therefore Leonard begins on a journey for emotional fulfilment, alongside his more outgoing Hungry Paul (the performer) functioning as his trusted friend, life coach and partner in a weekly gaming session that serves both as symposium (“Is the pool warm from kids relieving themselves, or is it that kids pee since it's warm?”) and sanctuary.

(What's the origin of "Hungry" Paul? No idea. The source of this name appears lost in history. Maybe he on one occasion consumed some food in record time, or responded to a tense moment by panic-peeling some food items by biting into them).

Into Leonard’s gentle world cartwheels a vibrant character (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), a new lively associate who happily suggests to kill the awful manager (the character) during the office fire drill. That whooshing sound audible is Leonard’s gentle world undergoing a shake-up.

In another part in the initial show of a series focused less on story and more by what a modern audience could describe as “atmosphere”, we are introduced to Hungry Paul’s dad (the consistently great the performer), a worn-out individual who secretly watches, records then replays television game programs to impress his devoted partner using his trivia skills.

Shepherding the audience throughout this minor-key niceness there is a voiceover that sounds very much like – and, indeed, very much is – Julia Roberts. Truly, the star. If you are thinking, “undoubtedly the use of a major Hollywood star clashes with the show's modest approach and starts off as just a distraction?” that's accurate. Still, the actress performs admirably, and lines for example “Leonard’s problem is that he lacks an expression of discovery” assist in making sure that early misgivings yield if not full admiration, then at least acceptance.

No more criticism at this time. The show's core is in the right place: that place is “located on a seat in the company of gentle comedies, pointing out its preferred bird.” This is a show that ambles along in its sleeveless jumper, sometimes gazing upward into space, sometimes downward at its slippers, quietly confident that nothing is on Earth as cheering as spending time alongside dear pals.

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