Staged - Season 1

It did sometimes drift into self-indulgence and on occasion the self-congratulation did not feel entirely faux. However, it was a good idea, two furloughed celebrated actors becoming increasingly angsty and hairy.

Forty minutes of this would have been excruciating. Even 15 feels too long, but I don't know if that's because lockdown has ruined my attention span or if the show is a bit too thespy for its own good.

It's all a bit meta, but that's the joy of it.

For now... it's a welcome distraction, an eminently watchable portrait of two artists as petulant, egotistical children.

Pure joy -- that is, a pure, pure joy and, quite possibly, heaven -- is the new comedy series, Staged. So funny. So so soooooo funny.

Staged has a writer's credit but you imagine there's some improvisation involved. And the feeling of creeping madness is one we can all share, even if we haven't been acclaimed for our Hamlets like these two.

Staged will no doubt be a hit, its bitesize-chunks formula winningly combined with Tennant and Sheen's easy, witty banter and insights into lockdown life.

It is grand fun, even if slight, although I suspect that the good friends Sheen and Tennant are, no matter how inadvertently, auditioning even in lockdown for the next series of The Trip.

Sheen and Tennant shared a warmth and willingness to take the mickey out of each other that felt entirely unforced.