7/10
fun and you can't beat that a young Cumberbatch is in it
24 August 2012
I found this little gem when I was desperately searching Netflix for anything Benedict Cumberbatch had ever done. Lo and behold, Hugh Laurie is the star, though after watching him on House, he sounds dubbed speaking with his real British accent! You have to really appreciate what a wonderful actor he is - for House, he has lowered his voice as well.

Fortysomething is about a family of crazies - Hugh Laurie plays Paul Slippery, a doctor; his pretty wife Estelle, played by Anna Chancellor, is a headhunter; her boss is lesbian Gwendolen Hartley (Sheila Hancock). The Slipperys have three hormonal sons: Rory (Cumberbatch), Daniel (Neil Henry), and Edwin (Joe Van Morland). Daniel has stolen Rory's girlfriend Lucy (Siobhan Hewlett) while Rory was away, and Rory's girlfriend and her sister Laura (Emma Ferguson) seem to be living at the house. Paul's partner (Philip Manikum) is a complete maniac after Estelle, sending her sexy emails which have been erotically answered by son Daniel.

Fortysomething is a bit chaotic, as families are, and very, very funny. When Paul admonishes Daniel for just walking in his parents' bedroom without knocking, saying, "We might have been..." -- Daniel looks at him and laughs as if the idea is absurd. Paul has just as bad a time at work, as does Estelle.

This series streams on Netflix. Unfortunately, it only ran a season in Britain; I understand the time slot was changed or something. Delightful to see these actors.
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