Cuckoo is making the nest his own, much to his new father-in-law’s disgust.
A loving father is not quite willing to lose his little princess to his nemesis but as the family embrace Cuckoo, will he get any choice?
After the success of BBC Three’s Bad Education, Cuckoo is surely hoping for the same popularity and with any luck it should surely win through. A well executed sitcom with a familiar theme. For all of us girls who have fallen for the wrong man, Cuckoo is a cautionary tale for all fathers who think that their perfect daughters won’t make any mistakes along the way.
The first episode sets up the scene for what is sure to be hilarious for us but a nightmare for the Thomas family. Greg Davies plays Ken, a father who clearly loves his daughter Rachel and has high hopes for her future – even making a collage of all her achievements and photos to welcome her home from her gap year in Thailand. With a bright future in medicine in front of her, what could possibly go wrong? Enter aptly named spiritual guru Cuckoo, played by Andy Samberg, who is about to become something of a thorn in the side of the doting father. Rachel and Cuckoo were married in Thailand and have returned to England where they expect to live with their shocked parents indefinitely. Cuckoo, while clearly being every young girls dream with his strong sense of self and confidence is definitely a nightmare for Ken and his wife Lorna (Helen Baxendale). While Lorna seems to genuinely like Cuckoo, being something of a free spirit herself, Ken is incandescent that no one can see what a waster he is and he is determined to get rid of him one way or another.
This sitcom has the perfect recipe for comedy, a host of high calibre actors, over the top performances and the consequences of a middle class family challenged by a lifestyle that is directly opposed to theirs. Greg Davies is perfectly believable in his role as caring father and Helen Baxendale is well pitched as the open-minded mother. Tyger Drew-Honey is sadly underused in the first episode of this show as he came across as one of the more hilarious members of the family.
Overall the episode did a great job of introducing the characters and showcasing the differences between the newcomer and his new family. One of the funniest points in this episode were where Ken attempted to get to know Cuckoo only to be told that his conversation held no interest for him and that the beautiful scenery was nothing compared to what he had seen throughout the world. The final straw for Ken came when Cuckoo refused to get a job, meaning that Rachel may give up her future career to support him and Greg Davies was hilarious in his reactions and dastardly plan.
This show has so much potential and while the first episode didn’t make me laugh out loud, it certainly tickled my funny bone enough to make me want to watch more. Greg Davies is so watchable as an actor and comedian and Andy Samberg is so earnest in his declarations as Cuckoo that he is a positive delight – I can’t wait to see whether Rachel comes to her senses or if she truly will give everything up for the man she claims to love. A great start to a great comedy.
