(Untitled)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/h/help_999050224.shtml

I have just finished the first series of Help, another winner Britcom that puts one-note American shows to shame. Excellent to see the broad Paul Whitehouse playing off against Chris Langham’s subtle, quiet humour; these are two of my favourite comedians, but I would never have guessed that their styles would mesh so well. Truly fantastic stuff.

The BBC approached Chris Langham with an idea for a show in which he would play a psychiatrist whose clients were all celebrities. Langham – no fan of the cult of celebrity – declined, but the BBC persisted. Langham suggested such a show might work if all of the clients were played by one actor ( la Alec Guinness’s portrayal of the entire D’Ascoyne family in the Ealing comedy Kind Hearts And Coronets) and when Paul Whitehouse became involved the idea was made manifest. The result was a masterpiece. It’s said that all great ideas are the simplest; it’s also said that the archetypal sitcom is two people stuck in a room (think Steptoe And Son and Porridge) – Help was ready confirmation of both.

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