Series 1. 17 Jul 06. BBC 2, 10:00 pm
WRITERS: Steve Coogan & Neil Maclennon DIRECTOR: Matt Lipsey
CAST: Steve Coogan (Tommy Saxondale), Ruth Jones (Magz), Rasmus Hardiker (Raymond), Morwenna Banks (Vicky), James Bachman (Therapist), Sarah Hadland (Tina) & Vicky Pepperdine (Homeowner).
The settling in period is officially over. Saxondale's fifth episode remains frustratingly unable to pull itself the show together into a cohesive whole, but at least we get the reprisal of a theme from Episode 1 (Raymond's home life with Tommy and Magz).
When Saxondale began I thought Tommy and Raymond's father/son undercurrent was going to be integral. A sort of latter-day Del Boy and Rodney, with a pest control can instead of a Reliant Robin. That's clearly an aspect writers Coogan and Maclennon chose not to focus on, making Saxondale a one-man comedy vehicle.
Again, the story is fractured and slightly messy: Tommy and Raymond help an animal lover rid her attic of a squirrel, Raymond hits the town with secretary Vicky and her friend Tanya, and Tommy joins a gym after realizing he's not as fit as he used to be (after being unable to pull himself up into an attic.)
There are some amusing moments in all these subplots, as we've come to expect. Tommy accidentally crippling his neck with some gym equipment is particularly funny, especially when said injury causes him to be a hazard on the road in his Mustang. Saxondale could do with some broader comedy to balance things out, and this moment hits the funny bone.
Elsewhere, the verbal dexterity is on good form -– perfectly encapsulated by poisonous Vicky (we even get the first hint at why her relationship with Tommy is so frosty). After five weeks it's a little depressing to find that 90% of the humour in Saxondale comes from the mannerisms and repartee of its central character; the supporting cast tend to merely feed him lines, or act as the straight men to his posturing, while there are very little visual "jokes" (just mannerisms). It's sad, because when Saxondale does spread its wings it almost takes to the air (the towel catch, the injured driving, the salad dressing drink, etc.)
Coogan and Maclennon should be congratulated for crafting an enjoyably daft and strangely likeable character with Tommy, but this is essentially a one-man show without much range to its comedy. There are only so many pithy one-liners you can smile at wryly before you start aching for a belly-laugh. But one rarely comes.
Saxondale is too tentative and obsessed with slowly manipulating Tommy into a mix of situations without much thought for anything else. Above all else it's clear just how weak Coogan and Maclennon's storytelling abilities are -–interesting moments flash by (Raymond's girlfriend) while other potentially classic moments don't reach their full potential (Tommy's gym session).
This is the dictionary definition of a curate's egg, but personally I still find it survives on Coogan's exemplary performance and its witty dialogue. The maddening thing is that with broader laughs, stronger plots and more emphasis on its fine supporting cast, Saxondale would be nudging classic status, and becoming a genuine rival to Coogan's Alan Partridge. But, as it stands, Coogan seems content to sit in the shadow of Partridge...
