Miranda Series 1-3 (2009-2015) - Review

Starring: Miranda Hart, Tom Ellis, Sarah Hadland, Patricia Hodge & Sally Phillips

Written By: Miranda Hart

Directed By: Juliet May & Mandie Fletcher

Certificate: 15

 

I can clearly remember watching my first episode of Miranda – I started watching from the beginning of Series 3, with the first episode going out during the Christmas season of 2012. It was pretty much a perfect comedy treat for the festive celebrations, embodying everything that makes the holidays so fun and enjoyable. But did I enjoy Miranda so much because I was feeling in such a jolly mood, or is there genuinely a lot to like here?

 

Miranda follows the escapades and often failed attempts at romance, of its titular character. In the series, Miranda Hart plays a fictionalized version of herself, a thirty-five year-old woman working in a joke and gift shop, and who still carries a torch for her old university friend, Gary. Constantly under the eye of her “what I call” domineering middle-class mother, as well as several of her old school friends and socialites, Miranda is left wondering if she will ever be able to find love with Gary.

 

If you're familiar with Miranda Hart as a comedic talent, then you may already have decided whether or not this is a series for you. Many people associate Miranda Hart with slapstick laughs and seeing the characters she plays being put in awkward or embarrassing situations. While this show is certainly no exception, and the majority of humour is often slapstick and even child-friendly humour, there's still a surprising range of comedy and comedic talent to be found. There are infrequent moments of adult comedy here, usually coming from Patricia Hodge as Miranda's mother Penny and her saucy off-screen life – Penny is also without doubt, the best and funniest supporting character of the lot. Often with many of the laughs provided, they aren't the funniest things ever seen or heard, but it's highly likely that you'll be smiling at the least.

 

The series is helped and boosted enormously by how entirely likeable and enjoyable its main protagonist is. Many of the situations that this fictionalized version of Miranda finds herself in, while completely outlandish and exaggerated, still feel relatable. For example, we can all relate to things such as having to cope with overbearing relatives, being unintentionally insulted by those close to us, and finding ourselves in deep social embarrassment at public events. Even when away from others and in the comfort of her home, we still see some of Miranda's quirks and eccentricities, such as making her own array of “fruit friends”, and while I can't comment as to how many of us make “fruit friends”, we all have our own oddities like this that set us apart from everyone else.

 

Another great strength of Miranda is simply its huge appeal, to the point where all sorts of people can sit and enjoy it. Don't be fooled by the fifteen certificate (that only really applies to one instance of strong language in one of the early episodes), Miranda can be appreciated and enjoyed by a very wide audience. Owing to its largely innocent main character and the child-like games and hobbies she enjoys with her friends, such as takes on Where's Wally? by playing Where's Miranda?, and games like Biscuit Blizzard, I daresay that Miranda may even be a show the kids can enjoy. The show even appeals to some pretty big celebrities, featuring guest appearances from names like Raymond Blanc, Gary Barlow and Heather Small.

 

One of the nicest things about Miranda is its sheer simplicity and how easily it can be accessed. From a production point of view, I can't imagine that this is a particularly expensive or elaborate show to make, and it mostly makes use of just three regular sets – Miranda's home, the shop and the restaurant next door. I usually find that it's the sign of good writing if a writer can keep the audience entertained with a limited number of characters or settings, and this is something that Miranda certainly accomplishes. In fact, there's one episode towards the end of the second series that takes place entirely in one setting, and with just three characters, and it's honestly one of the highlights of that series. Not only is it simple, but you also don't have to really start watching the series at a given point. I mentioned earlier that the first episode I saw was from the start of Series 3, but even though I started pretty far into the show's run, I didn't feel lost or unsure as to what was happening. The overarching story of Miranda and Gary's romance fluctuates and changes so much that you don't necessarily need to know everything that has happened in the first two series for the rest of their development to make sense. Given that the first episode of Series 3 saw 11.5m viewers tune in, compared to 4.7m at the end of Series 2, it may even be a good idea to start with Series 3 before going back to catch up with the first two series.

 

Despite the fact that Miranda can appeal to a broad range of audiences, I'll be the first to admit that despite its numerous strengths, it's still something of a marmite comedy. This isn't a show for everyone, and while for me, it serves as proof that comedy can still be outlandish and funny without being outrageous or offensive, I'm aware of and have friends who know that this certainly isn't for them. I can't really blame all of this on the show itself, but just looking at other reviews online, particularly on sites such as IMDb, there's a clear divide between those giving it full marks, and those just giving it one or two. I imagine this is largely down to Miranda Hart herself, and while I regard her as a great comedic talent, not everyone shares this view and it really comes down to how much you enjoy her gormless and awkward character here.

 

Overall, Miranda's a show that's a mixture of simplicity and complexity. It's quite simple production-wise and the comedy on offer is just pure, unadulterated fun. At the same time, it's surprisingly complex to write and talk about because there isn't all that much in terms of substance or deep meaning here, though I still end up admiring it as it's a show that knows what it wants to be, and it fully achieves that. Throughout this review, I've resisted the urge to call it TV's answer to Bridget Jones's Diary, but I suppose it's not all that far off. It's certainly not for everyone, but as far as I'm concerned, it's sheer joy, the perfect thing to watch as you sit back at the end of a long and busy day, and as Miranda herself says: “If adults had even the slightest in-the-moment joy of a child, then frankly, the world would be a better place.”

 

 

Miranda



7/10