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In a peaceful suburb of the city, an individual can be found on the pavement, sporting a vest and voicing his thoughts. “I feel I'm becoming more silent. Less noticeable,” remarks the protagonist, looking toward the stars. “Circumstances have evolved and currently I feel like if I don’t do something, I’ll just carry on in this quiet, unremarkable life.” Hungry Paul, his closest companion, considers these words. “Nothing wrong with that,” he answers, his dressing gown flapping gently. “Preferable to striving for recognition and ending up damaging things.”

For viewers tired by the chaos and constant stimulation of today’s TV landscape, the show comes like a foil blanket and warming mug of Ribena.

Similar to its harmless protagonists, the series – a half-dozen installment program created by its authors, inspired by the author’s understated book – takes a dim view on contemporary society; gazing skeptically over its eyewear toward anything that involves loud sounds, sudden movements or – goodness forbid – an abundance of ambition. This show rather, a celebration of shyness; a gentle tribute for those happy to pootle around away from attention. And yet. Leonard (another distinctly original performance from Alex Lawther) is unsettled. He feels a creeping “urge to throw open the doors and windows of my life … just a bit.” The recent death of his beloved mother has whisked the rug from under his slippers and the 32-year-old, a writer for others, now finds himself reconsidering the decisions which led him to his current situation (single; with a protective mustache; creating a range of children’s encyclopedias for an employer who concludes emails with the phrase “goodbye for now”).

And so Leonard starts on a journey to find happiness, with the slightly bolder friend Paul (Laurie Kynaston) functioning as his trusted friend, mentor and partner in a weekly gaming session which acts as discussion (“Is the water heated from kids relieving themselves, or do kids pee in it because it’s warm?”) and sanctuary.

(How did Paul get his nickname? The reason is unknown. The beginning of this name seems forgotten to the mists of time. Maybe Paul once ate some food unusually quickly, or responded to an awkward situation by hastily opening four scotch eggs using his teeth).

Into Leonard’s gentle world cartwheels Shelley (the performer), a fresh spring-loaded colleague who cheerily offers to eliminate the awful manager (the character) in a workplace safety exercise. The rushing noise noticeable represents Leonard's calm life undergoing a shake-up.

In other scenes during the opening installment of the comedy not heavily plotted and centered around what younger viewers might call “vibes”, we are introduced to the older generation (the ever-wonderful the performer), a tired character who privately views, records then replays trivia competitions to impress his devoted partner with his general knowledge.

Guiding the audience throughout this subtle warmth we hear a narrator that is unmistakably – and truly is – the Hollywood icon. Indeed, the celebrity. Should you wonder, “certainly the inclusion of a big-name celebrity contradicts the show's modest approach and starts off as just an interruption?” that's accurate. Still, Roberts does a good job, and phrases like “Leonard’s problem is the missing a ‘eureka’ face” help ensure that early misgivings yield if not quite to appreciation, then certainly understanding.

No more criticism currently. The series' spirit has good intentions: which is “located on a seat in the company of gentle comedies, indicating the duck it loves.” It’s a series that ambles along in its sleeveless jumper, sometimes gazing upward toward the sky, sometimes downward at its slippers, calmly assured that nothing is on Earth as uplifting as passing time with close companions.

Unlock the entryways in your existence, slightly, and welcome it inside.