The Story of Leonard and Hungry Paul Overview: A Soothing Series Narrated by the Hollywood Star Provides an Ideal Antidote to Today's World

In a peaceful suburb of the Irish capital, a man is standing in his driveway, dressed in a tank top and voicing his concerns. “It seems like my voice is fading. Less noticeable,” remarks Leonard, gazing toward the stars. “One thing’s led to another and at this point I believe unless I take action, my life will proceed in this quiet, unremarkable life.” Paul, his only confidant, considers the idea. “Nothing wrong with that,” he replies, his bathrobe flapping in the breeze. “Preferable to attempting to leave an impact only to wind up defacing it.”

For viewers tired by the chaos and fast pace of modern television landscape, Leonard and Hungry Paul steps in as a foil blanket and warming mug of Ribena.

In line with its quiet characters, Leonard and Hungry Paul – a six-part program written by Richie Conroy and Mark Hodkinson, adapted from the novelist’s understated book – looks disapprovingly at modern life; gazing skeptically through its spectacles at anything that involves unnecessary noise, quick actions or – heaven forfend – excessive aspiration. The program on the contrary, an ode to introversion; a gentle tribute to people satisfied to pootle around below the parapet. And yet. He (another sublimely idiosyncratic performance from the star) is unsettled. He feels a creeping “need to open the entryways within my world … a little.” The loss of his mother has yanked the floor out from under him and this young man, an anonymous author, now feels reconsidering the paths that have brought him to his current situation (alone; with a protective mustache; working on several educational volumes for a man who concludes emails saying “ciao for now”).

Thus Leonard starts an exploration for emotional fulfilment, alongside his more outgoing Paul (the performer) functioning as his confidante, life coach and ally in a weekly game night which acts as debate (“Is the water heated due to children urinating, or is it that kids pee because it’s warm?”) and sanctuary.

(What's the origin of "Hungry" Paul? The reason is unknown. The source of the moniker appears lost in history. Maybe he previously devoured a snack in record time, or reacted to a socially fraught incident by panic-peeling some food items using his teeth).

Arriving in Leonard's calm existence cartwheels Shelley (the actress), a new energetic co-worker who cheerily offers to eliminate the awful manager (Paul Reid) at a fire practice. The rushing noise noticeable signals Leonard's peaceful routine being turned upside down.

Elsewhere during the opening installment of a series not heavily plotted and more on what a modern audience may refer to as “mood”, we are introduced to Paul's father (the consistently great the performer), a battered sofa of a man who privately views, records then replays television game programs to amaze his loving spouse through his fact recall.

Guiding the audience amidst this minor-key niceness we hear a narrator that sounds very much like – and truly is – the famous actress. Yes, the celebrity. If you are thinking, “surely the inclusion of a big-name celebrity clashes with the show's modest approach and initially serves only as a diversion?” you would be correct. However, Roberts does a good job, and phrases for example “Leonard’s problem is his absence of an expression of discovery” assist in making sure that early misgivings fade if not full admiration, then certainly understanding.

Enough complaining currently. Leonard and Hungry Paul’s heart is well-intentioned: the right place being “sitting on a park bench in the company of gentle comedies, showing the duck it loves.” It’s a series that moves gently in its sleeveless jumper, at times staring toward the sky, at other times looking at its slippers, serenely certain that there is nothing in life as cheering as being alongside good friends.

Throw open the portals within your world, just a bit, and welcome it inside.