Miranda has been the surprise comedy gem of the year. I’ve seen Miranda Hart on TV a few times, and I’ve always enjoyed her infectious enthusiasm, so I gave her sitcom a shot – it’s not often I bother with pre-watershed so called ‘family’ comedies in this day and age, they’re usually invariable lame and desperately unfunny. Miranda is the antidote to all that.
Although the storylines are a bit creaky and obvious, the way Miranda throws herself into any situation with gusto, usually ending in a comedy pratfall, and then gives a sly wink to the camera never fails to make me smile. It’s the breaking of the fourth wall and addressing the audience that makes Miranda something special. Most of the jokes come at Miranda’s expense, and involve either he height or her social awkwardness, or the absurdities of real life situations. Nearly every one of the 6 episodes generated a real belly laugh for me – LOL indeed.
The support cast are a bit hit and miss – Sarah Hadland’s Stevie, Miranda’s friend, was a bit weak in places I though, but her recurring joke of donning a Heather Small mask (and voice) to sing/ask Miranda ‘What have you done today to make you feel proud?’ amused me a lot. Tom Ellis’s Gary, Miranda’s unrequited love interest, was possibly the best written of the other cast. The unsuccessful wooing of Gary provided many funny moments, and also a few touching ones, especially in the last episode when Miranda managed to tell Gary, articulately, how she felt about him, to stop him leaving the country, and he confessed to feeling the same. And then it was revealed that this was all in Miranda’s head, and she managed to fluff the real moment she asked him to stay. It made my heart ache for them both!Thankfully the BBC has commissioned a second series of Miranda for next year, and I can’t wait. The past 6 weeks have flown by, marked only by the weekly treat of Miranda every Monday night. I need to find another comedy to fill the gap.
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