| Product: |
Ideal |
| Date: |
08.05.08 (42 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: An irrevelant slice of modern life set around the flat of a slacker drug dealer.
Disadvantages: none- though some might criticise its casual drug references and themes and might be offended
Ideal is one of those cult, sleeper hits of a show that can easily slip under the radar and be missed. Currently on it's fourth season on BBC3 and due to be repeated later in the year on BBC2, it stars Johhny Vegas as drug dealing slacker, Moz who has a bizarre and wide varying ensemble of customers. He shares his flat with Nikki (played by Nicola Reynolds of TRACY BEAKER and HUMAN TRAFFIC fame) who carries on affairs behind his back with the local Police Bobby (played by comedian, Tom Goodman-Hill )and has a kid with Moz's asian friend who infrequently turns up on the doorstep looking for SkunkWeed.
Amongst Moz's other customers are Jenny;a teenager who really shouldn't be let out of the house unsupervised and spends her time earning money child-minding. Her complete ignorance and total ambivalence of anything that happens around her makes her one of the funniest characters this series has to offer. Next up is Brian; a camp homosexual who turns up every other episode with a new beau in tow with the catchphrase, "in't he scrummy?"
Colin is by far the star of the series; as a reformed criminal, he seems to perpetually be constantly "on probation". A fact he comes out with after every other sentence. Then theres Sangita (played by Sunetra Sarker from NO ANGELS) who suffers from multiple schlerosis and whom Moz always manages to insult, often unintentionally. Finally there is Derrick; a green-fingered former accountant who practically lives on his allotment and whom will talk to you for what seems likes years about his gardening hobby and whom has recently married Yasuko; a friend of Nikki's from a holiday in Thailand.
Moz is also often visited by members of the local criminal fraternity determined to embroil Moz in their nefarious schemes. These are made up by Psycho Paul, Steve (whose twin brother, Craig vanished after visiting Moz's flat), Cartoon Head named for reasons that soon become obvious when you watch the show and Stemroach; the leader of the gang who can only talk with the use of a throat wand, his vocal cords long having been damaged irreparably.
The only other recurring character is Moz's neighbour, Judith, who has a passion for dead bodies and who, in season 3, ended up with a wasp mask superglued to her head!! (don't even ask??!!??)
The series budget has no need to be high as all the action centres around Moz's flat and stairwell with only the occassional foray outside (season two ended with Moz and his neighbour sitting on the roof of the building! Similarily Moz's customers don't all turn up every episode but are spread throughout each series though all have their own roles to play in the bigger story arcs that wrap this show together every season. Personally, I think it is the best thing to turn up on BBC3 since THE SMOKING ROOM, and is one of the few shows I always look out for. Only ever running for about seven or eight weeks keeps this show fresh and funny and, even now beginning its fourth season, shows no sign of getting stale. Vegas is expertly cast (though some would say he hardly needs to act for his role as Moz) and is much better here than he is in the truly dreadful ITV sitcom, BENIDORM which attracts more publicity and bizarrely has just been signed up for a second series. Ultimately I guess, it all comes down to a matter of taste and IDEAL seems to thrive on bad taste and the controversial topic of the dealing of illeagal substances. Still, as Moz points out all-too often, "It's only a bit of weed."
Some might worry that such a show glamourizes the useage of drugs but this really isn't the case. Instead the show points fun at a irrevelant slice of life that will be all too familiar to many of the target audience. How many of us actually know people that resemble some of Moz's customers I wonder. I know I know one or two -lol!!
Catch it on BBC3 now, mondays 22;30 (repeated later during the week), look out for the collected boxsets of the earlier series' or watch it on BBC I-PLAYER, if you have problems accessing digital T.V. Once you start watching, I'm sure you'll be hooked- and no, thats not an intentional drugs pun honest!!!
Summary: One man aims not to change the world but simply to live by the laws of supply and demand
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