Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Admirable film.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

Just binge watched this show up to the current episode and I have to say, I love it. While certainly this isn't jolly laughs, it's very in depth and very realistic. This show is very much comedy, however it's done in such a way that, it replicates real life in many ways, it leaves in many depressing and unfunny moments which is really atmospheric and really makes you sympathise with the characters. One other thing this show does well is it's ability to know when to end things. There are many overarching plot lines but with each episode there are definitive ends and good developement towards characters and setting. It also cuts out many times where I have not wanted to continue, i.e. Awkward situations, for which I am thankful for.

This comedy was marketed as 'bittersweet', which should be a warning it's not light-hearted nor full of belly-laughs. The style of the show will be instantly familiar to anyone who has watched "Going On" (also co-written by Jo Brand). The philosophy is very much "if you didn't laugh, you'd cry".The show is about a team of social workers, working in child services. So obviously they encounter a range of disturbing situations, involving children - i.e. neglected or abandoned children, accusations of child abuse, drug use, and so on. So you can see why the comedy is dark and offbeat. The show seems fairly realistic about the challenges faced by public services these days - pressure of public expectations, autocratic management, budget cuts, etc. Having said that, the comedy often comes from the slightly less realistic / exaggerated behaviour of some characters (and their significant others) plus the dire state of the office kitchen. The characters are a mixture of experienced / weary social workers (primarily Jo Brand and Alan Davies, with Kevin Eldon), a new social worker out of his depth (Himesh Patel), their stern manager (Georgie Glen) and the not-very-bright temp assistant (Isy Suttie). Overall it works very well, providing a sympathetic view of an under-appreciated workforce, with a comedic twist, in fact several parts are very funny (the team meeting scenes especially).

I really wanted to like this. Alan is such a character on Q.I. and I haven't really seen him outside of it. The setting is something that could have the potential of being something like The Office, but I got a serious headache out of it and only half way through the first episode I had to stop watching. It wasn't funny at all and I generally love all the comedy that is produced on Britich television. It was such a mess with phones ringing all the time and very short and seemingly unimportant encounters that you just wanted it to end. Everything seems to have been filmed by a 6-year old too because it's very shaky and badly filmed. I hope it does become better after half the first episode, but even if it does, it has to be so much better that I actually think it will be impossible.:(

As a man who grew up on tough council estates I always felt a bit damned as a child. Run with the pack or get run down by them - literally if Ada...(censored for legal reasons)...ey had stolen a car again. Just about every flat had a harassed looking man or woman knocking on the door armed with a file and a weak smile. These were the earnest souls from Social Services, looking to fill in the disastrous chasms with a metaphorical tube of polyfilla.Now Channel 4 pays tribute to these national band-aids with a dark comedy about their exploits. Familiar faces Alan Davies, Kevin Eldon, Jo Brand and Georgie Glen portray staff in an office that always looks on the verge of breakdown. There's Alistair (Davies) constantly fending off his former client Anne Marie's stalking - physical and cyber. Then there's Rose (Brand) who's received so many kicks in life that she's developed a healthy dose of cynicism. However, that heart just won't stop coming to surface when faced with suffering. Sneaky Nitin (Himesh Patel) is the sort of ambitious p***k who makes all workplaces miserable. Various other characters knit together the whole Hellhole perfectly.Right... I can safely say this is brilliant observed satire with just enough balance to stay perfectly amusing without being spiteful, poignant without being sentimental and well crafted without being plagiaristic.A pat on the back for everyone involved. I consider myself quite hard to please but this had me enthralled from start to finish. Maybe too early to call this the new Derek (Ricky Gervais' wonderful series set in a care home) but here's hoping. Damn fine creation!