Jason Byrnes new sitcom fails to muster any laughs.
(C) BBC/Idil Sukan
BBC1 brings us a new comedy written by and starring comic Jason Byrnes in his first sitcom about an abnormal family who lives in Hertfordshire.
The sitcom is based on house-husband and stay at home Dad, Tom Whyte played Bynes, and his continuing battle to look after the kids, Dylan and Drew, and his annoying best mate Roddy which is played by actor Michael Smiley (Kill List, Black Mirror). Whilst his wife, Elaine Whyte who is played by Karen Taylor (Touch me, I’m Karen Taylor) is always at work and can’t wait to get home and have a glass of wine. He also has to put up with his annoying parents Mary and Pat Whyte (Pauline McLynn and Dermot Crowley) who, like Roddy, always helps themselves into his home as if they live there.
In episode one, Tom tries to make peace with his neighbours due to always causing them trouble by accidents like, putting a tin of baked beans on the barbecue, which leads to them exploding and landing on the neighbours. So as a way to say sorry, he invites them over and tries to cook them a meal which leads to silly and idiotic actions led by Tom and his two younger children.
This must be the worse sitcom that the BBC has ever commissioned! This sort of comedy has been done many times and it gets to a stage where it’s boring. I was almost falling asleep at one point. The canned laughter didn’t help either because they didn’t even say or do anything funny. Father Figure should have stayed on radio and not been broadcast on TV. And it wouldn’t surprise me if the BBC only used this to fill up a slot till a decent and funnier sitcoms comes alive again. This is an insult to the history of BBC sitcoms which has left us with good memories and lots of laughter.
As for Father Figure? Well, that left me disappointed, confused, on the edge of boredom and very sleepy. I honestly hope the BBC will do the right thing and cancel this show when (or even before) this series is over. An Awful bit of television, dismal acting, outdated bad jokes and just plain awful in general. Jason Byrnes should just stick to writing stand up material.
