Leonard & Hungry Paul Analysis: A Gentle Show Narrated by the Famous Actress Provides a Great Cure to Modern Life

In a calm neighborhood of Dublin, an individual can be found in his driveway, sporting a sleeveless jumper and sharing his feelings. “I feel I'm becoming more silent. Less noticeable,” says Leonard, looking up at the night sky. “One thing’s led to another and currently I feel like without a change, I will continue in this minor, harmless existence.” Paul, Leonard’s best confidant, ponders these words. “Nothing wrong with that,” he responds, his bathrobe moving in the breeze. “Better than striving for recognition only to wind up defacing it.”

For anyone tired by the noise and rat-tat-tat of modern television terrain, the show comes as a cozy wrap and warming mug of a sweet cordial.

Similar to its gentle leads, this comedy – a half-dozen installment program created by the writing duo, based on the novelist’s understated 2019 novel – looks disapprovingly on contemporary society; peering critically over its prematurely middle-aged glasses at anything that involves loud sounds, abrupt changes or – goodness forbid – an abundance of ambition. The program rather, a celebration of shyness; a quiet celebration to people content to amble along away from attention. But. The character (a further sublimely idiosyncratic turn by the actor) is uneasy. He feels a growing “need to open the entryways in my existence … slightly.” The passing of his parent has yanked the floor from under his slippers and Leonard, a ghost writer, now feels doubting the choices which led him to where he is (alone; defensively moustached; writing multiple educational volumes for a boss who concludes correspondence using the words “ciao for now”).

And so Leonard launches himself on a quest for personal satisfaction, with the slightly bolder friend Paul (the actor) acting as his confidante, guide and co-conspirator during their regular game night functioning as both debate (“Is the pool warm due to children urinating, or do children urinate because it’s warm?”) and safe space.

(Why “Hungry” Paul? No idea. The origin of the moniker seems forgotten to the mists of time. Perhaps he once ate some food very fast, or reacted to a socially fraught incident by panic-peeling some food items with his teeth).

Arriving in Leonard's calm existence cartwheels a new colleague (the actress), a fresh spring-loaded co-worker who happily suggests to kill his terrible supervisor (Paul Reid) during the office fire drill. That whooshing sound audible represents Leonard's calm life being turned upside down.

In other scenes in the initial show of the comedy not heavily plotted and more by what the under-30s could describe as “vibes”, we are introduced to Paul's father (the consistently great the actor), a worn-out individual who covertly observes, records then replays trivia competitions to dazzle his adoring wife through his fact recall.

Leading viewers amidst this subtle warmth there is a voiceover who closely resembles – and truly is – the Hollywood icon. Yes, Julia Roberts. If you are thinking, “undoubtedly the use of such a famous actor clashes with the series’ unshowy MO and starts off as just a diversion?” you're right. Still, Roberts acquits herself well, and dialogue like “Leonard's challenge is that he lacks a look of sudden insight” contribute to ensuring that first reservations fade though not complete approval, then at least acceptance.

No more criticism for now. The series' spirit is well-intentioned: which is “resting on a bench in the company of gentle comedies, pointing out the duck it loves.” It’s a series that moves gently wearing its simple clothes, sometimes gazing upward at the stars, sometimes downward at its slippers, quietly confident that there is nothing in the world as heartening as spending time in the company of good friends.

Unlock the entryways in your existence, just a bit, and welcome it inside.