This is a TV project born out of the early days of the pandemic. After David Tennant and Michael Sheen reunited to lend their voices to a special lockdown Good Omens short, they apparently decided they weren’t about to let a pandemic stop them from making art and entertainment (safely.) I remember hearing about it when it was first announced, so I’m glad for the chance to see it now on Hulu.
Michael Sheen and David Tennant were meant to be doing a play together, but when COVID-19 hits and the U.K. shuts down, the theatres very rightly shut down with it. However, their enterprising director, Simon, gets the idea of working through casting and rehearsals over Zoom, so they’ll be able to hit the ground running once the theatres open back up. He cajoles David into agreeing, who then takes it upon himself to get Michael on board.
(Note: since everyone here is playing themselves, I’ll be using first names to refer to the “characters” within the story and last names to refer to the actors and their performances.)
The first thing that strikes me about this show, which I suppose was made in the spring (it came out around the start of the summer,) is that it feels a million years ago in COVID time. Nowadays, at least in the U.S., so much of the national attitude is “hey now, let’s not let these critically-overflowing ICUs stop the rest of us from getting on with our lives!”, and every time I go out to pick up groceries, I’m unnerved by how packed the mall parking lot is. But this was the springtime, when everyone was newly quarantined, still getting used to Zoom and home-schooling, worrying over toilet paper, and latching onto any activity they could to pass the time. It feels almost strange to see it.
But relatable, oh so relatable. I love that Tennant, Sheen, and their real-life partners are all playing themselves, just sort of struggling to cope. I love seeing Michael get twitchily paranoid about the birds outside, David confessing that he’s realized his kids are smarter than him, and the two of them comparing their newly-adopted artwork hobbies. I feel for David being constantly underfoot around his wife but at a loss as to what to do at all, feeling reluctant to sign onto Simon’s “Zoom rehearsal” idea even as he’s going out of his mind with boredom. The humor on the show is a little rambling and self-conscious, not laugh-out-loud funny, it does a nice job of really capturing that early-quarantine mindset, and Tennant plays it really well.
Tennant’s interplay with Sheen is as delightful as ever. A very different dynamic than when they were playing Crowley and Aziraphale, of course, but it’s great fun. I enjoy the portrayal of Michael as artier and more pretentious, with David trying to hold his own and not be cowed.
First impressions:
Accent Watch
Scottish, of course – he’s playing himself!
Recommend?
In General – Yes. Fun and relatable, with an extra enjoyment factor for any fans of Tennant, Sheen, and especially Good Omens.
David Tennant – I’d say so. Tennant isn’t afraid to poke fun at himself here, and even though the acting obviously isn’t a stretch, it’s still an entertaining “performance.”
Warnings
Language.
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