The Story of Leonard and Hungry Paul Overview: A Calming Show With Narration from Julia Roberts Provides an Ideal Cure to Contemporary Living

In a calm suburb of the Irish capital, a man is standing outside his home, sporting a tank top and voicing his thoughts. “I feel I'm becoming more silent. More invisible,” remarks the protagonist, gazing up at the night sky. “One thing’s led to another and now I believe without a change, I’ll just carry on in this simple, peaceful routine.” Hungry Paul, his closest confidant, reflects on these words. “That's perfectly fine,” he replies, his robe flapping with the wind. “Superior to trying to make a mark and causing harm instead.”

For viewers tired by the chaos and rat-tat-tat of current streaming terrain, the show comes as a warm cover with a hot drink of Ribena.

Similar to its gentle leads, this comedy – a six-episode comedy written by the writing duo, adapted from the novelist’s understated 2019 novel – casts a critical eye on contemporary society; gazing skeptically above its spectacles on everything in the way of unnecessary noise, abrupt changes or – perish the thought – excessive aspiration. This show is, instead, a celebration of shyness; a quiet celebration of those content to pootle around out of the spotlight. However. Leonard (a further uniquely quirky portrayal from Alex Lawther) is unsettled. He feels a growing “urge to throw open the doors and windows of my life … just a bit.” The recent death of his mother has whisked the rug from under his slippers and Leonard, an anonymous author, now feels doubting the paths that directed him to this point (single; sporting facial hair; writing several kids' reference books for a man who ends emails using the words “see you later”).

Therefore Leonard starts himself on a quest to find happiness, with the slightly bolder Hungry Paul (the actor) serving as his close companion, life coach and co-conspirator in a weekly board games evening functioning as both discussion (“Is the water heated from kids relieving themselves, or do children urinate as it's heated?”) and sanctuary.

(Why “Hungry” Paul? It's unclear. The source of the nickname is shrouded in mystery. Maybe the postal worker on one occasion consumed some food unusually quickly, or answered to an awkward situation by hastily opening several snacks using his teeth).

Entering Leonard's quiet life comes a vibrant character (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), a new energetic co-worker who lightheartedly proposes to get rid of his terrible supervisor (the actor) in a workplace safety exercise. The rushing noise you can hear is Leonard’s gentle world undergoing a shake-up.

In other scenes during the opening installment of the comedy focused less on story and centered around what a modern audience might call “vibes”, we are introduced to the older generation (the consistently great Lorcan Cranitch), a battered sofa of a man who privately views, records then replays trivia competitions to dazzle his loving spouse through his fact recall.

Guiding the audience throughout this subtle warmth there is a voiceover that is unmistakably – and truly is – the famous actress. Indeed, Julia Roberts. If you are thinking, “undoubtedly the presence of such a famous actor clashes with the show's modest approach and initially serves only as a diversion?” you would be correct. Still, Roberts does a good job, and dialogue for example “The issue with Leonard is his absence of a look of sudden insight” assist in making sure that early misgivings yield if not quite to appreciation, then certainly understanding.

But that’s enough grumbling at this time. The show's core is in the right place: which is “resting on a bench in the company of gentle comedies, showing its favourite duck.” The program that strolls leisurely in comfortable attire, sometimes gazing upward toward the sky, sometimes downward at its slippers, quietly confident that nothing is in life as heartening as spending time with dear pals.

Unlock the entryways of your life, slightly, and welcome it inside.