Pilot season continues as Miles Jupp stars here as a Prime Minister who has just called a general election, lost it by a landslide, been ejected by his party, and now has to build a life outside number ten. Feel free to draw all the parallels you like with Johnson and his undoubted incompetence, but I'm hoping Jupp is a bit more pleasant.
Not entirely surprising that he was let go, particularly with such issues as the dog meat school dinners scandal. But now he's got to put politics behind him, and try and find a new source of the readies that he needs to maintain his extravagant lifestyle.
Around him is his wife (Ingrid Oliver), and an enormous security guard (the perfectly cast Justin Edwards). Also his previous assistant (Emma Sidi) has taken the strange decision to follow him out of the party. She would probably follow him anywhere, in a slightly worrying if amusing manner.
The plan is to get his memoirs published, with the assistance of his new pet-obsessed agent (Kiell Smith-Bynoe). To that end, our power couple have decided to play two literary publishers off against each other, in the hope of pushing the purchase price up. It's a rather charming dynamic, with them working together to achieve their aims. Pleasingly sneaky.
As you might imagine, it has a few pops at people of note, but the comedy here is more in the situation, not the satire, and Jupp's waspish but confused style is perfectly suited for the vague ex-PM. And it generated the biggest laugh I've ever had at a chai latte.
One I hope gets a series.
Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Sitcom News/Political