I've been thinking a lot recently about why the best TV comedy these days is more dramatic, more realistic and with better characterisation (and more empathy for its characters) than the vast majority of TV dramas. And I think it's because we're in an era where most drama is written to titillate - shock twists, graphic violence, preposterous plots and unrealistic scenarios, shallow characterisation that changes as the needs of the plot dictate, constant cliffhangers, and absurd "mysteries" for the viewer to solve; in other words, anything so you'll tune in the following week - whereas the best comedies shine in their simplicity and relatability, often come from a place of pain and deep empathy, and find humour, joy and meaning in the mundane and everyday. This is as true of recent gems like People Just Do Nothing, This Country, Car Share and now Lee and Dean as it is of 90s classics like One Foot In The Grave, Daria and The Royle Family or older favourites like Steptoe and Son, The Liver Birds and The Likely Lads.
Lee and Dean tells the tale of roguish, unscrupulous builder Lee and the three people (two women and a man) competing for his affections: kind girlfriend/fiancee Nikki, wealthy client Mrs Bryce D'Souza (who is separated from her banker husband) and Lee's best friend and colleague Dean, who has known him since childhood and is deeply in love with him. All of these four principle characters are superbly realised and performed. It's the development and little touches that really make the characters come alive and the overall arc truly work, like when we see how frightened Dean is at the end of episode 4, how smart and intuitive (and deeply hurt) Nikki is at the end of episode 5, and finally realise that despite Mrs Bryce D'Souza's brittle manner, she's probably one of the nicest people on the show - in her own way sincere, needy and even vulnerable. The heart of the show is Dean, played superbly by Mark O'Sullivan as a more confused and much less laddish character than he originally was in the 2015 Youtube short that inspired the series. "closeted" is too specific a word to describe Dean, who doesn't understand his own sexuality and emotions well and doesn't perceive himself as gay enough to be actively in denial about it. Lee is in many ways a role model and even father figure to Dean - Lee is the classic "bigger boy" that shy, awkward Dean has looked up to and tagged along with since their early schooldays (I can quite imagine their friendship began when Lee defended Dean from school bullies) - and it's these intermixed currents of affection (fraternal, paternal, platonic, romantic and sexual) that Dean has towards Lee that makes Lee's behaviour at the end of episode 4 so flippant, callous and exploitative (and for Dean, world-shattering).
By the finale, in an enjoyable and brave setpiece ending that mostly works well but comes off as a little unfocused and overscripted, all three characters vying for Lee ultimately realise he's a sexual opportunist who doesn't truly love any of them. The test for series 2 will be to see whether Lee can grow in the same ways that Nikki, Dean and Mrs Bryce D'Souza grew in series 1 (as of now, all three of them have more depth than him). If these friendships can be repaired, it has to be earned - it's up to Lee to fix things, though his relationship with Nikki is likely irreparable and I hope to see her moving on confidently with her life and relationships. (Camille Ucan plays Nikki so naturalistically and effervescently that she could carry her own series.)
If I have one bone to pick, it's that the focus in episode 5 isn't strongly enough on Dean. After what happened at the end of episode 4 (and what apparently didn't happen afterwards), there needs to be follow-up. What to Lee was likely meaningless (the implication being he not only knows about Dean's feelings but drunkenly takes advantage of them without any regard for Dean's wellbeing) is for Dean world-changing - the ecstasy and confusion of having his deepest yearnings fleetingly fulfilled (a huge paradigm shift), only to be followed by the devastation of Lee not even remembering or caring the next morning. This should change Dean's character, and while I enjoyed his anger and assertiveness at the climax of episode 5, we didn't spend enough time on Dean's undoubted maelstrom of feelings during the episode's runtime (which was mostly preoccupied with the stag and hen shenanigans).
Edited together into a two-hour block, the five episodes could easily have been released as the critically acclaimed indie comedy of the summer. But TV is the better medium for countless reasons - not least because the story doesn't end here.
Series 2 update: the second series is a solid continuation of the show, anchored by Mark O'Sullivan's brilliant performance and direction. The central dynamic between Lee and Dean is written and played to perfection. The expanded roles for the supporting cast work well, and Dani is an excellent new character who's a great counterpoint to the ensemble and responsible for some of the series's funniest scenes. Unfortunately, this comes slightly at the expense of Mrs Bryce-D'Souza and especially Nikki - if Mrs Bryce-D'Souza is slightly at a loose end this series, then it feels like the writers didn't know what to do with Nikki's character at all since her split from Lee. Camille Ucan is excellent despite her material being less compelling than in the first series, and the show has to keep contriving reasons for her and Mrs Bryce-D'Souza to be around Lee, Dean and the boys. The finale is an effective inversion of the season 1 finale that sets up a promising third series. There's a limit to how long the show can string out the central will-they-won't-they, and I'd rather see Dean's character continue to develop next series (with him coming out and gaining confidence - I want to see how Lee reacts to him having a boyfriend, or him getting his heart broken) instead of the show continuing to prolong his anguish. While there's a slight overreliance on setpieces and a naivete about what gay relationships are actually like (both most evident in episode 3), Lee And Dean continues to be the warmest, realest and most honest show on television - and just as in series 1, it's at its best in its quietest and most intimate moments.
Lee and Dean tells the tale of roguish, unscrupulous builder Lee and the three people (two women and a man) competing for his affections: kind girlfriend/fiancee Nikki, wealthy client Mrs Bryce D'Souza (who is separated from her banker husband) and Lee's best friend and colleague Dean, who has known him since childhood and is deeply in love with him. All of these four principle characters are superbly realised and performed. It's the development and little touches that really make the characters come alive and the overall arc truly work, like when we see how frightened Dean is at the end of episode 4, how smart and intuitive (and deeply hurt) Nikki is at the end of episode 5, and finally realise that despite Mrs Bryce D'Souza's brittle manner, she's probably one of the nicest people on the show - in her own way sincere, needy and even vulnerable. The heart of the show is Dean, played superbly by Mark O'Sullivan as a more confused and much less laddish character than he originally was in the 2015 Youtube short that inspired the series. "closeted" is too specific a word to describe Dean, who doesn't understand his own sexuality and emotions well and doesn't perceive himself as gay enough to be actively in denial about it. Lee is in many ways a role model and even father figure to Dean - Lee is the classic "bigger boy" that shy, awkward Dean has looked up to and tagged along with since their early schooldays (I can quite imagine their friendship began when Lee defended Dean from school bullies) - and it's these intermixed currents of affection (fraternal, paternal, platonic, romantic and sexual) that Dean has towards Lee that makes Lee's behaviour at the end of episode 4 so flippant, callous and exploitative (and for Dean, world-shattering).
By the finale, in an enjoyable and brave setpiece ending that mostly works well but comes off as a little unfocused and overscripted, all three characters vying for Lee ultimately realise he's a sexual opportunist who doesn't truly love any of them. The test for series 2 will be to see whether Lee can grow in the same ways that Nikki, Dean and Mrs Bryce D'Souza grew in series 1 (as of now, all three of them have more depth than him). If these friendships can be repaired, it has to be earned - it's up to Lee to fix things, though his relationship with Nikki is likely irreparable and I hope to see her moving on confidently with her life and relationships. (Camille Ucan plays Nikki so naturalistically and effervescently that she could carry her own series.)
If I have one bone to pick, it's that the focus in episode 5 isn't strongly enough on Dean. After what happened at the end of episode 4 (and what apparently didn't happen afterwards), there needs to be follow-up. What to Lee was likely meaningless (the implication being he not only knows about Dean's feelings but drunkenly takes advantage of them without any regard for Dean's wellbeing) is for Dean world-changing - the ecstasy and confusion of having his deepest yearnings fleetingly fulfilled (a huge paradigm shift), only to be followed by the devastation of Lee not even remembering or caring the next morning. This should change Dean's character, and while I enjoyed his anger and assertiveness at the climax of episode 5, we didn't spend enough time on Dean's undoubted maelstrom of feelings during the episode's runtime (which was mostly preoccupied with the stag and hen shenanigans).
Edited together into a two-hour block, the five episodes could easily have been released as the critically acclaimed indie comedy of the summer. But TV is the better medium for countless reasons - not least because the story doesn't end here.
Series 2 update: the second series is a solid continuation of the show, anchored by Mark O'Sullivan's brilliant performance and direction. The central dynamic between Lee and Dean is written and played to perfection. The expanded roles for the supporting cast work well, and Dani is an excellent new character who's a great counterpoint to the ensemble and responsible for some of the series's funniest scenes. Unfortunately, this comes slightly at the expense of Mrs Bryce-D'Souza and especially Nikki - if Mrs Bryce-D'Souza is slightly at a loose end this series, then it feels like the writers didn't know what to do with Nikki's character at all since her split from Lee. Camille Ucan is excellent despite her material being less compelling than in the first series, and the show has to keep contriving reasons for her and Mrs Bryce-D'Souza to be around Lee, Dean and the boys. The finale is an effective inversion of the season 1 finale that sets up a promising third series. There's a limit to how long the show can string out the central will-they-won't-they, and I'd rather see Dean's character continue to develop next series (with him coming out and gaining confidence - I want to see how Lee reacts to him having a boyfriend, or him getting his heart broken) instead of the show continuing to prolong his anguish. While there's a slight overreliance on setpieces and a naivete about what gay relationships are actually like (both most evident in episode 3), Lee And Dean continues to be the warmest, realest and most honest show on television - and just as in series 1, it's at its best in its quietest and most intimate moments.