The
lowdown: The two seasons of 'Hardware',
comprising 12 episodes in total, were broadcast on ITV1 between
23
March 2003 and 11 April 2004. It is set in Hamway's Hardware Store, and
stars Martin Freeman as Mike, Ken
Morley
as his boss Rex, and colleagues Steve and Kenny. Other regular cast members
were Mike's girlfriend Anne,
who
works at the nearby Nice Day Cafe with Julie. While the hardware store
was the primary setting for this sitcom,
many
scenes were also in the cafe or the flat where Mike and Anne live. Much
of the humour is centred on the staff
of
the hardware store and their dealings with customers, and their particular
disdain for DIYers.
The episode: 'Celebrity'
was the final episode of the series, and featured Peter Davison guest starring
as himself.
Davison goes into the store
to by some hardware supplies, including masking tape. He then goes to the
cafe, where
Anne and Julie are much
more star-struck and ask him if they can take his photo. Davison happens
to be carrying
around some publicity shots
of himself, and offers to sign one for them. He returns a few days later
to find that the
cafe now has an entire wall
of signed celebrity photos (produced by Anne and Julie themselves) and
the message
Davison wrote on his photo
has been changed to 'Stunning food and sexy staff. All my love, the Doctor.'
He angrily
demands that all of the
photos are removed, but shows his softer side when Julie asks about his
experiences on
'All Creatures Great and
Small.'
The
verdict: 'Hardware' is an entertaining
enough sitcom, although it lacks the spark to make it a cult classic.
However,
there are worse British comedies from recent years, and the acting is generally
good, and it is great to
see
Martin Freeman in another comedy after the success of 'The Office.' Peter
Davison is superb in what is a very
unusual
role - how often do actors get to play themselves in a TV show (aside from
chat shows and the like?).
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