This second episode started off quite well, with Danny (Jonathan Bailey), Shane (Danny Morgan), Scarlet (Joanna Cassidy) and Fred (James Buckley) moving out of their recently-condemned flat and into a more comfortable pad across campus. Their unseen noisy flatmate had bafflingly managed to beat them there (blaring out his drum n' bass at 1,000 decibels), Shane showed domesticity but a lack of common sense (washing cutlery in toilet detergent), and saturnine Fred regaled everyone with a miserable song he'd written called "What's The Point?"
After a decent start, the plot started to lose what little grip it had when Danny and Shane visited the cafeteria and the episode's main story was introduced. After Shane's dreadful chat-up attempt ("there's a party in my pants, and you're invited") failed to work its magic on a foreign student, the friends met sexy Maya (Danielle Isaie), who took a shine Danny and asked him out on a date to a Rn'B-themed party.
It was here that Off The Hook lost some credibility, as the comedy started to rely on the notion that Danny would be utterly clueless about the world of Rn'B (offering the malapropism "Notorious B.F.G", having no idea that "ho" and "bitch" can be terms of endearment.) It didn't work, because Danny doesn't strike you as being someone who's led such a sheltered life. There are teenagers who have absolutely no clue when it comes to street language and culture, but not someone like Danny -- who seems like a normal guy who just lacks confidence, not entire swathes of pop-culture knowledge.
Anyway, Shane dresses Danny up like an early-'90s parody of a rapper and accompanies him to Maya's hip hop party, before getting him embroiled in an 8 Mile-style "rap battle" with a cocky student (Andre Squire). It ends in the expected social embarrassment of Danny trying his best to improve a rhyme in front of everyone, before accidentally disrespecting Maya by calling her a "ho" in the wrong context.
There was potential in this story, but it didn't really convince. At times, it feels like 35-year-old writer Dean Craig is stuck in university life circa 1992. Maybe Off The Hook would work better if it was set in the '90s, for a bit of nostalgia value? Certainly, there are moments and a vibe to the show that crosses generational barriers, but I've yet to get a sense this show is speaking to the contemporary student body in the same way The Inbetweeners is. It feels like childhood memory filtered through clichés right now, admittedly raised a level by the performances.
Overall, like I said, Off The Hook has charm and the alacrity of the actors pulls it through the duff patches. Plus there's been at least four giggles in each episode so far, which is a decent enough hit-rate. I'm particularly enjoying the running joke that morose Fred always comes out on top -- last week he effortlessly pulled a gorgeous girl at a party, this week he's seen courting a record deal for his monotonous "What's The Point?" ditty.
17 September 2009
BBC Three, 8pm / BBC HD, 10pm
written by: Dean Craig directed by: Vadim Jean starring: Jonathan Bailey (Danny), Danny Morgan (Shane), Joanna Cassidy (Scarlet), James Buckley (Fred), Orlando Seale (Keith), Olivia Thomas (Foreign Girl), Danielle Isaie (Maya), Andre Squire (Gangster) & Akala (Hip Hop MC)
