Boomers – more whimper less boom

TV Watch with Dave O’Connell

It has a cast of stars with nothing left to prove and a plot that tickles the taste buds – so why is Boomers, the BBC’s new sitcom, such a lake of treacle?

The concept is straightforward – three couples, newly retired baby boomers, now with time on their hands and new dynamics to experience.

The cast includes comedian Russ Abbot, Stephanie Beacham (who has been in everything from Coronation Street to Dynasty), June Whitfield from Ab Fab, and Alison Steadman – Pamela from Gavin and Stacey – as well as a plethora of familiar faces from a lifetime on the box.

Last week’s episode, for example, also starred Young Ones star and Hole in My Shoe singer Nigel ‘Neil’ Planer as Mick, who moved to Spain but is back in town for the funeral of his old wife, Jean, with his new Lithuanian wife, Elena; they’re supposedly living in the lap of luxury only he is actually stony broke and his young wife is about to head for the hills.

But the ongoing dynamic is between our three couples living in Thurnemouth, ‘Norfolk’s only West-facing resort’ – the interactions between the various couples, but also the adjustments they are making as individuals.

Alan (Philip Jackson) and Joyce (Alison Steadman) are coming at retirement from very different directions. Alan wants to slow down, Joyce wants to speed up.

John (Russ Abbot) and Maureen (Stephanie Beacham) live a life of gadgets and adventure – and for them 60 is the new 40 – despite the constant presence of Maureen’s mother Joan (June Whitfield).

Trevor (James Smith) and Carol (Paula Wilcox) have a different adjustment to make, because they have just grown tired of each other to the point that they see little point in even communicating anymore.

Throw in the clichéd difficulties that older people seem to have with new technology – everything from broadband access to parking cars – and you have what is really just standard fare when the cast were capable of so much more.

It’s really just old fogies adjusting to a quieter life, not letting go of their disappearing youth and finding themselves spending more time in their spouses’ company than they ever had to over the first four decades of married life.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.