Nighty Night DVD Review:

It was a bittersweet drama, a delectable showbiz fable to pass on to future generations - sardonic news critic becomes the subject of cocaine fuelled hooker sessions. And so the tone is set, as televisions ‘Mr Sex’ finds a dark place to roost in Nighty Night, the Beebs delightfully dark new comedy.

Wrapped up in the guise of a sitcom Nighty Night centres on salon owner Jill: aged in her ‘mid twenties’ she has decided to start dating again. The matter of her cancer-inflicted husband is a matter she handles with relative ease when addressing neighbours and friends – she tells them he has passed away, typicality it appears, is definitely thrown out the window.

Played like a wiser, prettier - and most definitely, eviler – Vicky Pollard, writer/producer Julia Davis has created the dark matter only ever hinted at in her previous efforts. Emerging from the likes of Jam and Human Remains Davis has struck gold with this taboo ridden production and nicer still; she’s brought along all her friends.

Teamed up with the cream of British comedy each episode of Nighty Night is as twisted as the next. You’ll cringe as the ‘bereaved’ Jill sets her sights on newlywed neighbours Don (Angus Deayton) and his Multiple Sclerosis suffering wife Cathy (Rebecca Front). Along with typicality, taste also takes a backseat as Jill’s droll, acid tongue berates the wheelchair bound Cathy in her attempts to ensnare the repressed Don. Complimented by a cast of her former piers - notably Big Trains Kevin Eldon and even buddy, Steve Coogan steps in as an exec producer – the show strengthens with every episode, and with its conclusion, a new comic legend is born in the repellent narcissism of Davis’ mini skirt clad, alter ego.

With enough shaded mirth to anger the calmest of Daily Mail reader, Nighty Night is a breath of fresh air in a format reeking of staleness. Taking the bull firmly by the horns this is a sitcom unafraid to tread the fine line of taste. By deliberately taking the melodramatic tragedies inherent in dramatic television and applying them to comedy, Nighty Night stands as an exciting entry to the BBC’s ever increasing ship of comic talent.

Verdict:
Darkness prevails as the BBC comes up trumps with this awkwardly hilarious comedy, three cheers for Julia Davis.

Extras:
None



Shaun Davis