Most rom-coms get their screen couple together for a kiss in the final, closing scene. Free Agents' first scene finds Alex (Stephen Mangan) and Helen (Sharon Horgan) in bed after a drunken one-night stand, which sets the tone for this enjoyably ribald adult comedy. Alex is a divorced father or two, who only sees his kids via webcam most days; Helen is recently bereaved, after her 34-year-old fiancé died of a rare heart defect before their wedding. They both work for CMA, a talent agency headed by foulmouthed boss Stephen (Anthony Head), whose opening line is "good morning, my dear cunts". This ain't no Moonlighting...Originally a pilot for Channel 4's "Comedy Showcase" season (like the recent Plus One), Free Agents is one of those comedies where the laughs are soaked through with vinegar; belly-laughs aren't really on the menu, just side-orders of smirks and chuckles. By far its greatest asset is the pitch-perfect casting: Mangan, still trying to find a post-Green Wing venture that plays to his strengths, is on full neurotic mode as the dispirited divorcee trying to coax Helen into a relationship; while Horgan half-reprises her character from Pulling, albeit a version mired in the grief process and falling into bed with Alex on a self-pitying rebound.
If it all sounds rather depressing.. well, that's because it is. British comedy is renowned for its darker, twisted attitude to feel-good material, and this is the perfect Valentine for a misanthrope – perfectly scheduled to debut on Friday the 13th. Anthony Head is particularly great as CSM's charismatic but sleazy boss – bringing sexual matters to business meetings in graphic detail, or trying to distract Alex's tête-à-tête with a client, by leering up against his office's glass wall, etc.
It remains to be seen if the formula will prove reliable and entertaining as the series progresses, or be considered too bitter for a Friday night audience. There weren't many gags that stuck in the memory (Alex's quest to prove that Sarah Michelle Gellar starred in Scooby Doo 2 is the only one that leaps to mind), but it's all shot through with an absorbing style and intelligent mind-set. Actually, this could very easily have been the first half-hour of an indie film; the tinkling music, fluid direction, sharp dialogue, refreshing location work, and general attitude resembles something you'd commonly see at a hip film festival. Minus all the pretension.
Overall, I'm interested to see where this comedy will go – as the on/off relationship could be difficult to keep momentum with. Hopefully we'll explore Helen and Alex's families (particularly the latter's wife), and the characters at CSM will become more than just bawdy caricatures. Also, great to see Matthew Holness (Garth Marenghi's Darkplace) as a very '70s-attired colleague called Dan – a gifted comic actor who deserves wider recognition.
13 February 2009
Channel 4, 10pm
Writer: Chris Niel
Director: James Griffiths
Cast: Stephen Mangan (Alex), Sharon Horgan (Helen), Anthony Head (Stephen), Matthew Holness (Dan) & Sarah Pascoe (Emma)
