Leonard and Hungry Paul Review: A Gentle Series Narrated by the Hollywood Star Provides the Perfect Remedy to Today's World

In a peaceful neighborhood of Dublin, an individual stands outside his home, sporting a tank top and sharing his concerns. “I feel I'm becoming more silent. Less noticeable,” states the main character, looking into the darkness. “Circumstances have evolved and now I believe if I don’t do something, I’ll just carry on in this simple, peaceful routine.” Paul, his closest confidant, reflects on the idea. “There's no harm in that,” he responds, his robe swaying in the breeze. “Superior to trying to make a mark only to wind up defacing it.”

For those weary by the chaos and rat-tat-tat of current streaming landscape, Leonard and Hungry Paul steps in similar to a warm cover with a hot drink of a sweet cordial.

Like its gentle leads, the series – a half-dozen installment comedy written by its authors, adapted from Rónán Hession’s understated book – casts a critical eye toward today's world; peering disapprovingly through its eyewear at anything that involves disturbances, quick actions or – goodness forbid – excessive aspiration. This show on the contrary, a tribute to quiet people; a quiet celebration to people satisfied to amble along out of the spotlight. However. The character (another uniquely quirky turn by the actor) is uneasy. He senses a creeping “desire to unlock the entryways of my life … just a bit.” The loss of his parent has pulled the carpet out from under him and the 32-year-old, a ghost writer, now realizes doubting the paths which led him to where he is (alone; sporting facial hair; working on several children’s encyclopedias for an employer who concludes correspondence using the words “ciao for now”).

And so Leonard begins himself on a quest for emotional fulfilment, alongside his more outgoing friend Paul (the performer) serving as his confidante, guide and ally in a recurring board games evening functioning as both discussion (“Is the water heated from kids relieving themselves, or do kids pee in it since it's warm?”) and sanctuary.

(How did Paul get his nickname? The reason is unknown. The source of the nickname appears lost in mystery. Perhaps the postal worker once ate a snack unusually quickly, or reacted to an awkward situation by hastily opening four scotch eggs by biting into them).

Entering Leonard's quiet life comes Shelley (the performer), a recent energetic associate who cheerily offers to eliminate Leonard’s appalling boss (the character) during the office fire drill. That whooshing sound audible represents Leonard's calm life undergoing a shake-up.

Elsewhere in the initial show of this program driven less by plot and centered around what younger viewers may refer to as “atmosphere”, we meet Paul's father (the consistently great the actor), a battered sofa of a man who privately views, tapes and rewatches television game programs to impress his devoted partner with his general knowledge.

Shepherding the audience through all this subtle warmth is a narrator that is unmistakably – and actually is – the famous actress. Truly, Julia Roberts. If you are thinking, “certainly the use of a major Hollywood star contradicts the show's modest approach and initially serves only as an interruption?” you're right. However, the actress performs admirably, and lines for example “The issue with Leonard is the missing a ‘eureka’ face” assist in making sure that first reservations fade if not full admiration, then at minimum tolerance.

But that’s enough grumbling for now. Leonard and Hungry Paul’s heart has good intentions: the right place being “sitting on a park bench next to the Detectorists, indicating its preferred bird.” This is a show that ambles along wearing its simple clothes, at times staring toward the sky, at other times looking at its slippers, serenely certain that there is nothing on Earth as cheering as spending time with dear pals.

Open the doors and windows within your world, just a bit, and let it in.