Like the (relatively) recent Bob Jones, this is another single episode show put together for BBC Wales, that may or may not count as a sneaky pilot.
Whereas that one was set in a hospital, here we see a care home, specifically the one into which Myra (our retiree) is moving. She's chosen it with great care, it being the same one in which her granddaughter Katie works. (Apparently Katie hasn't been around often enough, and this seems a perfectly sensible way of seeing her more often.)
This is something of a surprise to Myra's son John, who was under the impression she was going to be moving into his house. This would have allowed him to look after her, but more importantly would have let him re-tie the apron strings. He's not the most impressive character, and he's set up strongly as the "pathetic" figure.
Alongside the classic family drama, we have a slight heist element in that while Myra is a sprightly 70, the home she's moved into has a minimum age of 80. This sets up an entertaining conflict with Debbie the manager, who would rather play Bop It than actually manage, but is determined to catch out any rulebreakers. That need to avoid being caught is the majority plot driver.
The main draw as a listener is definitely Myra, who takes the raunchy old lady approach and turns it up to eleven, recounting tales of body shots, a misspent youth and a misspent middle-age. (And good luck convincing her to spend her retirement in a demure style either.)
Pretty funny, but did occasionally feel like it was riding the "oh, I'm so old" joke a little heavily. Not sure whether it would go for a series, probably depends on how well they can beat the status quo problem. For a sitcom in this sort of environment, progression is usually going to result in death, so it would rely on coming up with a different long term arc it could run with. The filth Myra comes out with is fun, but might not hold the interest on its own over multiple episodes.
Still, as a single, one to have a listen to.
Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Sitcom Family/Relationships