Review: BBC1s REGGIE PERRIN, 1.1

A few things have changed by necessity: Reggie now works at Groomtech making mens razors (next door to the originals Sunshine Desserts office), and there are the expected cultural updates - like train commuters with their heads stuck in laptops or iPods. Yet its all very old-fashioned, really in its format (studio-set, live audience), middle-of-the-road jokes that lack any bite, and supporting players with unfunny, exaggerated personalities (a miserable, monosyllabic secretary; two young, sycophantic employees, etc.)Martin Clunes is definitely the best thing about it; a genuinely likeable and watchable comic performer, who has the hangdog world-weariness of the character down pat, minus Rossiters twitchy volatility.

Consequently, Clunes Reggie is more winsome and predictable, but also more charismatic. Theres also promise in casting Fay Ripley as his wife Nicola, whose own life is full of distractions from her dour husband, and I quite liked Lucy Liemann (Moving Wallpaper) as a sexy co-worker called Jasmine whom Reggies smitten with.Reggie Perrin - Series 1 [DVD] (2009): Amazon.

co. uk: Martin Clunes, Fay Ripley, Lucy Liemann, WendyBuy Reggie Perrin - Series 1 [DVD] (2009) at Amazon UK. Free delivery on eligible orders.

amzn.toThe sitcoms iconic daydreams (where Reggies life suddenly takes a silly turn, before we snap back to tedious reality) also worked nicely - although these moments did become predictable and easy to spot. And Im not sold on Neil Stuke as Reggies boss C.

J (ahem, Chris Jackson), either. Theyve cast someone much younger than the originals John Barron, but Stuke seems to be playing the character as an older man, oddly.Reggie Perrin cant hold a candle to its 197679 predecessor, but it wasnt anywhere near as awful as I was expecting it to be.

Most of this is down to Clunes performance, although Im not sure even hes good enough to keep us watching once the novelty wears off. Still, its much better than David Nobbs 1996 attempt to revive the show, which unwisely based the whole show around the aftermath of Reggies death because Rossiter had died in 1984! However, youd think the presence of Men Behaving Badlys creator would have resulted in something a bit more radical and progressive than this weak imitatorCast & Crewwriter: David Nobbs.

director: Tristram Shapeero.starring: Martin Clunes (Reginald Perrin), Fay Ripley (Nicola Perrin), Neil Stuke (Chris Jackson), Lucy Liemann (Jasmine Strauss), Jim Howick (Anthony), Nick Mohammed (Steve), Kerry Howard (Vicky), Susan Earl (Wellness Person), Laurence Howarth (Colin) & Justin Edwards (Monty).Originally published at on April 25, 2009