I don't have terribly strong memories of the first series of this, but I have this vague sensation of being underwhelmed. Which is odd, as I quite enjoyed the opening episode of this new season.
Andy has been away, back in "that London" for an agonising three weeks, but has popped back to see Uncle Jeff in order to pick up the various odds and ends he'd left there previously. Unfortunately, it would seem that Jeff has lent out his flat to a film crew, currently filming "The Hunt for Hess", a war flick featuring Brad Pitt (who alas couldn't be convinced to cameo in the show).
Being locked out of the flat for the day isn't the only bad thing happening to Andy however, as he seems to have reached a sufficiently low point that he's developed a bit of facial topiary. Jeff tries to cheer him up while killing time, resulting in a visit to the Flamford Museum of Modern Art, a cafe that's run out of water and a chippy.
The format lends it to being a character piece, consisting of a few loosely connected scenes in which our troublesome pair interact with a collection of mad people, with a few surrealist bits thrown in. There's a couple of serious moments, which add a nice emotional spike to the whole affair, but they're balanced well with more WW2 jokes than you usually get nowadays.
We'll see if it turns into anything more elaborate, but this quiet chatty style makes for a pleasant half hour, putting it on my "will listen" list.
Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Sitcom Family/Relationships