"Lead Balloon" Nuts (2008)

Director:

Alex Hardcastle

Writers:

Jack Dee (writer)
Pete Sinclair (writer)

TV Series:

"Lead Balloon" (2006)

Original Air Date:

23 December 2008 (Season 3, Episode 7)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Christmas

Cast

Jack Dee	...	Rick Spleen
Raquel Cassidy	...	Mel
Anna Crilly	...	Magda
Sean Power	...	Marty
Antonia Campbell-Hughes	...	Sam (as Antonia Campbell Hughes)
Tony Gardner	...	Michael
Rasmus Hardiker	...	Ben
William Poulter	...	Sweet Throwing Boy
John Biggins	...	Clive Gray
Alex Lowe	...	Radio DJ

Season 3: Yes, it is more of the same formula but it consistently draws laughs and chuckles from the good writing

The ongoing trials of the daily life of moderately successful comedian Rick Spleen. This time Rick has to content with his cleaner Magda temporarily moving in with them, his daughter and her boyfriend starting a band in the attic, a near death experience, career missteps and one indiscretion after another. So life goes on.

Although I am still a little surprised that it has made it to three seasons I must admit hat I do quite enjoy Lead Balloon. Would I proclaim its brilliance or encourage people to watch it as I do with The Wire? Well, no, because to be honest Lead Balloon is a simple affair that can be relied upon for some good laughs, a still awkwardness and simple situations that will always manage to make Rick look foolish – either by accident or by his own hand. And so it is with the third season which delivers more or less the same formula as the previous two seasons. I have read people complaining about this but I suppose it depends on your point of view because if you like it then the only question is whether it keeps a certain standard with the formula or if it lets it drop a little. In my opinion season 3 manages to hold the standard as the previous two, which is not the strongest praise I can give it but it does mean that I still enjoy it for what it is.

It improves on season 2 by having better stories for each of the episodes. They flow better and they have a bit more going on within them whereas with 2 I did think that at times each one was a bit simpler and thus was distracting by how obvious the path was. Season 3 is still obviously going in the same way (disaster and embarrassment) in each story but they are engaging and varied enough to stop you thinking too much about it. This was the missing piece in the last season and when it is repaired here it does make for a better whole season. The asides are still in place and there is lots of awkwardness around that is funny but in a rather pained way – I wasn't always laughing out loud but it was always amusing. I can understand why some dismiss it as a UK version of Curb in some ways but to me it is better for how folded in and ordinary it is, the action rarely moves outside of Rick's house, far less his world and he isn't getting into massive misunderstandings in how they are delivered – even things that get him in the paper are only seen affecting him in his house. Likewise some are tired of how much awkward comedy there is around and just see this as one too many but for me though it is a consistent performer and worth watching.

The cast are a bit part of that working. Dee is very good as he delivers his deadpan. I prefer him here than in his stand-up because he is better when worn down rather than angry. He plays the awkward thing really well – OK not a great range but he does it consistently well. Magda continue to be my favourite character as she is handed great lines that are written to come from her broken English but at the same time her misuse of words is very sharp and funny, but not at her expense but in the way that she often does not have the word power to sugar coat things, thus being very blunt and correct in what she says. Crilly plays her really well, providing this constant base of awkwardness in the Spleen home. Cassidy is a side character but always important in the plots, plus she has this warm sexual presence that does make her fascinating. Campbell-Hughes and Hardiker do their same stuff as before but again they help fill out each episode and add range to the material. Power is solid but Gardner is more of a delight as he has a better character.

I'm not sure how many more seasons it can sustain but if it can keep the standard set in season 3, I cannot see a reason why it wouldn't be back for a 4th (apart from a line from Rick about his "All Abut Eddie" sitcom where he says he will drop out after three seasons to avoid getting stuck). Oh, and the Christmas special was probably the best of the bunch, particularly with some classic Magda moments in there. It won't win over people who have previously made their minds up, but I did really like season 3.