Review of Fifteen Storeys High: Series 1

Introduction

I like offbeat comedy, left-field surreal stuff that takes your brain cross-country. Some of the best proponents of this genre are people like Eddie Izzard or Bill Bailey, whose sheer ability to paint with words creates amazing vistas in humour. You would think that such humour would be ill suited for a sit-com. Well, enter Sean Lock and his series, 15 Storeys High. Following the tried and tested route from Radio 4, although detouring via the schedule cul-de-sac of BBC3, 15 Storeys High has recently had its second series broadcast on BBC2. On initial encounter, the idea of two roommates living in a rundown tower block on a nondescript estate somewhere didn`t appeal, and I managed to avoid the series. But then the first series fell through my letterbox and three hours later, here we are.

Vince is a lifeguard who lives on the fifteenth storey of a tower block, and in the first episode he gets a new roommate Errol. The series follows their rather surreal if mundane lives, interspersed with several vignettes around the other apartments. The six episodes from the first series are presented on this Carlton disc and they are as follows.

The Sofa.
Errol moves in to find Vince a little strange. Vince prefers to avoid human contact, so that means the flat`s sofa must go. A quick advert in Loot does the trick, but then Vince realises that his reward card is in the sofa, and it has 17000 points on it.

The Model.
Errol is a compulsive wallpaper peeler, which leads to a necessary redecoration of the bathroom. Unfortunately Vince gets his DIY tips from Razzle`s readers` wives. Coincidentally, he`s teaching a Razzle model how to swim, much to the consternation of her jealous husband.

Blue Rat.
A new East European hypermarket opens up locally, and Vince discovers a new power drink, Blue Rat. Meanwhile Errol gets a job in Billingsgate market, as a "Walk-Wipe".

Pool Kids.
Vince suffers the wrath of a group of ten year olds when he tries to express his authority at the pool. Errol takes Vince`s advice and avoids all the neighbours, which will lead him into unprecedented trouble.

Ice Queen.
Errol is certain he will win a car. Vince is smitten with the unapproachable woman upstairs.

Dead Swan.
Vince is busy with bubble wrap and Errol is lost in his new trainers, until a policeman turns up.

Video

I wish that Carlton would spend a little more care on their discs, as 15 Storeys High just smacks of a rushed release. A 1.78:1 letterbox transfer is merely the first woe, but if you are thinking of watching this on a widescreen set with the subtitles on, you can just forget it. The subtitles are conveniently below the zoomed picture. I noticed exactly one moment of pixellation, and the low resolution meant that I missed one sight gag.

It`s set in a run down tower block, so you can expect dirt and grime, with plenty of greys. The programmes looks like it`s shot on digital video, with a very realistic feel when it comes to the natural lighting and the fly on the wall camera angles. In that respect is very effectively filmed giving the program an almost documentary style, hardly expected in a comedy.

Audio

The sound is a perfectly acceptable DD 2.0 Stereo soundtrack, with the dialogue clear and the music sparse, in keeping with the Spartan style of the programme. Again, let me say that if you are watching on widescreen, you can forget about the subtitles.

Features

Nada. (Do animated menus count?)

Conclusion

TV sitcoms seem to be light on the ground hereabouts. While mainstream BBC give us Eyes Down, The Crouches, and My Hero, ITV have to all intents and purposes thrown in the towel. Channel 4 does have a go on occasion, and they are the main suppliers of US imports on terrestrial TV. But there is another source of comedy material from the BBC, which is a little more cutting edge and subversive, producing shows like The Office, which break the rules and reinvent things anew. 15 Storeys High is another one of those groundbreaking programmes.

I seriously didn`t expect to be amused by a comedy set in a tower block, (I`m no fan of Only Fools And Horses) and the subject matter didn`t exactly threaten to be interesting. It just shows how wrong I was. 15 Storeys High is certainly the most original and refreshing comedies I have seen in recent years, consistently funny and at times downright hilarious. Admittedly it is something of a grower, and takes an episode or two to get going. It`s an acquired taste, but once you click with the sense of humour, you`re caught in a web of mirth. Vince, played by Sean Lock is opinionated, shallow and petty, while Errol, played by Benedict Wong is gormless, gullible but warm-hearted. Most of the situations in this comedy are small and rather trivial, but they are handled with such bizarre plots that they elicit belly laughs at their sheer shock value. To provide balance, the main stories are interspersed with little clips of life from other apartments in the block, filmed with a similar voyeuristic style. They have nothing to do with the main story, but they are hilarious looks at the other personalities that exist in the insular world of the tower block, Swingers, Boy band managers, Phone chatters, Anne Summers Parties all dealt with similar surreal twists.

This review hardly does this comedy justice as it defies definition. Whatever I can say barely begins to scratch the surface. Admittedly the style of comedy may not appeal to all, but if you are looking for something different from the usual 30 minutes of canned laughter and bright colours, then this is heartily recommended.

Carlton may have disappointed with the uncomplimentary transfer, but 15 Storeys High doesn`t disappoint. I`m looking forward to Series 2.