Leonard & Hungry Paul Overview: A Gentle Series Narrated by the Famous Actress Brings a Great Cure to Contemporary Living

In a calm suburb of the Irish capital, a person can be found in his driveway, dressed in a tank top and voicing his feelings. “It seems like myself getting quieter. Harder to see,” remarks Leonard, staring into the darkness. “Events have unfolded and currently it seems if I don’t do something, I will continue in this quiet, unremarkable life.” His friend Paul, his closest confidant, reflects on the idea. “There's no harm in that,” he replies, his bathrobe moving in the breeze. “Better than trying to make a mark only to wind up defacing it.”

For anyone weary by the noise and constant stimulation of today’s TV terrain, Leonard and Hungry Paul comes as a warm cover with a hot drink of a sweet cordial.

In line with its gentle leads, Leonard and Hungry Paul – a six-episode comedy written by the writing duo, adapted from Rónán Hession’s quiet book – casts a critical eye at modern life; peering skeptically through its eyewear at anything related to disturbances, abrupt changes or – goodness forbid – excessive aspiration. The series is, instead, a tribute to quiet people; a quiet celebration of those happy to amble along away from attention. However. Leonard (another uniquely quirky portrayal by the actor) feels restless. He notices an increasing “urge to throw open the entryways in my existence … slightly.” The recent death of his beloved mother has pulled the carpet from under his slippers and the 32-year-old, a ghost writer, now finds himself reconsidering the choices which led him to his current situation (alone; with a protective mustache; working on several educational volumes for a boss who concludes correspondence saying “see you later”).

And so Leonard begins an exploration for personal satisfaction, alongside his more outgoing Paul (Laurie Kynaston) serving as his close companion, guide and partner during their regular board games evening functioning as both symposium (“Is the water heated because kids pee in it, or do children urinate since it's warm?”) and safe space.

(Why “Hungry” Paul? No idea. The beginning of the nickname appears lost in mystery. Perhaps the postal worker previously devoured a snack unusually quickly, or answered to a socially fraught incident by hastily opening several snacks with his teeth).

Arriving in Leonard's calm existence bursts Shelley (the actress), a recent lively co-worker who cheerily offers to get rid of the awful manager (the actor) in a workplace safety exercise. That whooshing sound audible signals Leonard's peaceful routine undergoing a shake-up.

In other scenes in the initial show of the comedy driven less by plot and centered around what younger viewers could describe as “atmosphere”, viewers encounter Hungry Paul’s dad (the ever-wonderful the actor), a worn-out individual who secretly watches, tapes and rewatches trivia competitions to amaze his adoring wife using his trivia skills.

Shepherding the audience through all this subtle warmth is a narrator that is unmistakably – and actually is – the famous actress. Indeed, Julia Roberts. Should you wonder, “certainly the presence of a big-name celebrity contradicts the program's low-key style and at first acts merely as a distraction?” that's accurate. However, Roberts does a good job, and lines such as “The issue with Leonard is that he lacks a look of sudden insight” contribute to ensuring that early misgivings fade though not complete approval, then at minimum tolerance.

No more criticism currently. The show's core is in the right place: that place is “resting on a bench alongside similar shows, indicating its favourite duck.” It’s a series that strolls leisurely in its sleeveless jumper, at times staring into space, sometimes downward toward the ground, serenely certain that nothing is in life as heartening as spending time with dear pals.

Unlock the entryways in your existence, a little, and let it in.