Friday 25th
BOOMERS, BBC1, 9pm
Boomers is a tremendously gentle comedy, though sometimes it’s too gentle and threatens to tip over into blandness. It has a starry ensemble cast, featuring names such as Alison Steadman, Stephanie Beacham and Russ Abbott, but often there is a feeling that you’re watching it for the reputations of the actors, not for the show itself. With lesser names the sitcom might well be a flop but the cast salvage it.
“Wake up! You’re deflating!” says Joyce (Steadman), the most fretful and pessimistic of the “boomers”. She and her husband have spent the night on inflatable beds inside a tiny tent, enduring this discomfort for the sake of Trevor, a caravanning enthusiast who has insisted they all gather at a campsite for his 60th birthday.
Trevor is delighted to spend a weekend with his friends and his caravan, though his tormented wife secretly admits she “can’t face towing a horsebox with a toilet up and down the M5 for the next 20 years.” Her friends are shocked; didn’t she and Trevor agree to be honest with one another? Yes, she says, “being honest about our physical and emotional needs but not about caravans!”
Whilst the men busy themselves with bikes and tents, the women lounge around the barbecue, flirting with a young Swedish camper who has a fancy for older ladies.
TRAVEL MAN, 48 HOURS IN….C4, 8.30pm
Richard Ayoade is joined by comedian Rob Delaney for 48 hours in Seville, where they’ll try and cram the best of the Andalusian city into a breathless and witty 30-minute travel programme. All the classic elements of southern Spain are celebrated here, such as flamenco dancing and bold architecture, and to gird yourself for a frenzied 48 hours in Spain you’d best dine on a breakfast of deep-fried churros dunked in chocolate.
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