Me and Billie are big comedy fans. If the BBC or Channel 4 releases a new comedy series, we’ll probably watch it. We’re willing to give anything a try at least once, and our rule for whether or not we continue past the first episode is pretty simple. Does it make us laugh and are we having a good time? I’m pleased to say Things You Should Have Done is a series that we not only watched through, we’ll likely come back and rewatch multiple times in the future.
The series was written by and stars Lucia Keskin, whom many people will know from YouTube as ‘Chi with a C’. She has been popping up on TV quite often recently, with roles in Big Boys and Live At The Moth Club, but this is her first time creating and leading a show. The premise of the show is quite dour. She plays a character fully dependent on her parents, largely because of her laziness and lack of awareness. When her parents suddenly pass away, and she is left to fend for herself.
Lucia receives her parents house, on the condition that she completes a list of actions. These are all basic life skills, such as learning how to tell the time and various other things. Her only family left is her aunty and her partner and his son, whom are unhappy at Lucia getting the house. This sets up the structure for the series, but it is quite loose – it leaves room for lots of comedic japes.
In the first episode for instance, one of Lucia’s actions is to learn to drive. Not having any real world experience, she simply wonders around the town asking people if they know any driving instructors. She spots a learner driver on a lesson, and walks up to the car, getting in the back seat. She just sits there having a chat talking about heart radio and Amanda Holden before inviting herself back to her driving instructors house. She invites her cousin to this house and they hang out there for dinner. It’s delightfully awkward, yet the main characters complete lack of self awareness or any sense of being embarrassed just make it really funny and ridiculous.
Throughout the series, Lucia still sees her parents, as either ghosts or delusions, the series isn’t too specific. This adds a slight dramatic tinge to proceedings, which play out more towards the end of the series. This isn’t a dramedy by any means, it is firmly a comedy, but there is more under the hood so to speak that could be explored in a future series if that is the direction Keskin chooses to take.
I don’t want to talk too much about the various comedic set pieces of the show as it could ruin it, but safe to say there’s lots of surreal hilarity to be found. It’s just really funny, in a safe kind of way that won’t exclude any groups. It’s exactly my kind of comedy, and I loved it.
Final rating: 9/10
Screen Waffle 