Staged: What the Must Watch reviewers think

Wednesday 17 June 2020, 16:07

Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.

This week, Hayley Campbell and Scott Bryan share their thoughts on Staged.

David Tennant and Michael Sheen’s lockdown comedy sees the pair play exaggerated versions of themselves in their own homes. After their play is cancelled due to coronavirus, the actors take to rehearsing online. The show also stars their real-life partners Georgia Tennant and Anna Lundberg. Plus, Dame Judi Dench and Samuel L Jackson make guest appearances.

Have you watched it? What did you think? Leave your comments below...

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Photo: BBC/GCB Films/Infinity Hill

Scott says: “So much heart has gone into this”

“When David Tennant and Michael Sheen are together it’s like Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in The Trip - where you just relish in them being friends, having a go at each other, trying to undermine each other’s confidence and talking about the theatre world. What I love about it is all of the jokes that manage to make fun of all the lockdown pitfalls. There’s this ongoing storyline about how they’re trying to put out their recycling outside their neighbours' houses, instead of their own, so that the council don't end up thinking that they’re alcoholics.

“It’s really well put together by series creator Simon Evans and you know that so much heart has gone into this because of course everybody absolutely didn’t need to.

“The problem I have is the moments when Tennant and Sheen are not together. It gets overly-complicated with the introduction of all the other characters and sort of loses its way a little bit. I love this scaled-down type of show which would have never been on TV months ago but I just wish we had more of them by themselves.”

Photo: BBC/GCB Films/Infinity Hill

Hayley says: “It rewards a binge viewing”

"The best bit about Good Omens was these two - they have such amazing chemistry. It was only a matter of time before somebody put them together like this and I think it’s fun that it's happened when everyone is apart.

"The gag count is so high and it rewards a binge viewing because there are so many call backs and little running jokes. I love the fact they have a combination of very subtle and very silly gags. One moment they can be talking about Hamlet, and then Michael Sheen will be shouting at birds or David Tennant will be coming back from the fridge with a quarter of Easter egg and carrots and asking what he can make for dinner with them.

"It’s just pure joy and very well done. I don’t know what people will make of it five years from now because it’s such a perfect little time capsule of how we’re all trying to work and live. I love that it exists."