After a successful pilot as part of Channel 4's Comedy Showcase season in 2007, a full series of Plus One has now arrived. In a notable change, the main character of Rob Black has been recast, with Daniel Mays (Funland, The Bank Job) replacing Rory Kinnear -- who couldn't reprise his role, owing to theatre commitments.Beyond that, this first episode played like an alternative pilot, as we're reacquainted with the basic situation, and brought up-to-speed: nerdy Rob Black splits with his girlfriend Linsey (Miranda Raison), who immediately finds love on the rebound with minor-celeb "Duncan from Blue" (Duncan James, from Blue.) To rub salt in the wound, Rob is later invited to their wedding, but he aims to upstage his ex's hunky fiancé, by taking a glamorous girl as his "plus one"...
It all boils down to a cross between The Worst Week Of My Life and a small-screen Farrelly Brothers movie, with Rob's efforts to find his ideal "plus one" hitting snags every step of the way – not least the irritating omnipresence of rival Duncan (always accompanied by various arrangements of his hit single "All Rise"), who sweeps in to outdo whatever success Rob has managed to eek out.
In "I Do A Lot Of Work For Charity", Rob traces a sexy school friend he had a crush on called Nicola Dare (Susie Amy) on Facebook, and pretends to be a record producer to grow closer to the singer. His attempts to woo her don't go well, so he pursues a back-up plan to snare Duncan's own ex-girlfriend Jo – unaware she's in a coma. From there, he gets talked into raising money to help her in a fun run charity event, and this charitable work impresses Nicola enough to get Rob's original plan back on-track. But things soon disintegrate around him...
Plus One has a rather limited idea, so it surprised me to find it picked up for a full series. That said, the idea should sustain at least one run, but it's difficult to see how it can extend its life once, inevitably, Linsey and Duncan's wedding day arrives. Until then, we can enjoy a spirited and fast-paced comedy that's generally enjoyable, if slightly uncouth and idiotic. The ways in which Rob's life snowballs out of control aren't always very plausible (particularly a scene where a goodie-two-shoes doesn't believe Rob's story that a tramp has stolen his trainers – despite the fact he's dressed like a runner, and there's a tramp wearing trainers nearby?), and the comic situations can get rather strained in their efforts to shock (Rob rubs his freshly-kicked crotch in front of a little girl, and is mistaken for a paedophile.)
Daniel Mays puts in a likeable performance, helped by an expressive Mr. Bean-like face, but the real challenges for him lie ahead. It's easy to identify with Rob's plight (many people have been dumped by their lovers for a "better-looking model"), but the character is still essentially immature and slightly sinister is his aim to ruin what seems to be a loving relationship between Linsey and Duncan. We'll have to see how the scripts copes with the fact the hero of the piece is little more than a jealous schemer.
The supporting cast are quite peripheral and weak here; existing more as additional thorns in Rob's side. His foulmouthed, 33-year-old gym teacher brother Rich (Nigel Harman) is more handsome and has no problem pulling 18-year-old girls, his best-friend Paul (Steve John Shepherd) is a trendy photographer of scantily-clad women, and I assume his sister Rebecca (Ingrid Oliver) is happy with her lot in life –- although the presence of a permanently breast-feeding baby, but no sign of the father, perhaps hints that she's been similarly unlucky-in-love?
Overall, this was a confident and entertaining start, despite a few slips. Mays gave a winning performances, Duncan James proves he's a good sport by affectionately mocking his cheesy pop-star persona, and you can't argue with the decision to cast Susie Amy (Footballer's Wives) as a fantasy-girl type – although it's a stretch to believe Rob would stand a chance with her, or indeed, with someone who would go on to be engaged to Duncan from Blue.
It got less appealing and amusing as time ticked on, but if future episodes can make Rob's mishaps more creative and plausible, and give the supporting characters something worthwhile to do (they're stuck as Rob's audience or sounding-boards here), then Plus One will be worth making a date for every week.
9 January 2009
Channel 4, 10pm
Writers: Tim Allsop & Stewart Williams
Director: Sarah O'Gorman
Cast: Daniel Mays (Rob Black), Duncan (Duncan James), Miranda Raison (Linsey), Ingrid Oliver (Rebecca Black), Nigel Harman (Rich Black), Steve John Shepherd (Paul), Ruth Bradley (Laura) & Susie Amy (Nicola Dare)
