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Home From Home started life as one of BBC2’s rather poor 2016 pilots, with Johnny Vegas in the lead role as Neil Hackett, father of a family who up sticks and move to the Lake District (so, very reminiscent of Jack Dee’s Bad Move when he and his missus move to he country).
This first episode was just that original pilot reheated on BBC1, and with two years between then and now, from memory, the only thing that’s changed – other than the sprudced-up titles – is the inside of the Hackett’s home.
Since his new neighbours are very well-to-do, that sets the scene for yet another tedious mismatch comedy, with their first tragedy being a stupid wifi mast being put up right outside their abode and blighting the view.
I’m amazed they didn’t double-bill this with Vegas’ similarly-terrible Still Open All Hours on a Sunday night.
There was also some terrible CGI as Vegas got that ‘sinking feeling’ in one scene. I do hope the ratings go the same way. I’ve had funnier times when a night on the booze gave me diarrhoea the next day.
Home From Home. Burn it down!
Home From Home is available to watch on BBC iPlayer for 30 days after broadcast, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD.
Score: 0/10
Director: Paul Murphy
Producer: Rebecca Papworth
Writers: Simon Crowther, Chris Fewtrell
Cast:
Neil Hackett: Johnny Vegas
Penny Dillon: Emilia Fox
Robert Dillon: Adam James
Fiona Hackett: Niky Wardley
Garth Hackett: Oscar Kennedy
Little Neil Hackett: Harvey Chaisty
Petra Dillon: Olive Gray
Thistlethwaite: Pearce Quigley
Lorraine Sykes: Susan Calman
Fieldhouse: Paul Barber
Darren: Adam Booth
Darren’s Wife: Jessica Hall
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.