Bad Move - review: Jack Dee reminds us of the joys of urban life

Jack Dee has forged an impressive career out of unparalleled misery. His own brand of dry sarcasm, his sour delivery of a hateful one-liner, made him a much-needed tonic to other stand-up comics of the Nineties who flailed around the stage begging to be laughed at. It also made him a welcome addition to any panel show, where a mere raise of the eyebrow or a deep sigh was all he needed to bring the house down. The humour, undeniably British, primarily came down to the idea that Dee would rather be anywhere else than on television. Now his performance in ITV’s Bad Move suggests that he’s no longer joking.

Married couple Steve (Dee) and Nicky (Kerry Godliman, trying her very best to make it work) moved to the country in the hope of finding a rural paradise. Naturally, it all goes wrong. The cottage is falling apart, the valley is prone to flooding, they can’t get wi-fi and at the end of series one the chimney collapsed when an insufferable rock star crashed into it with his helicopter.

Now they’re dealing with the aftermath, seeking a construction expert who won’t be frightened away either by the scale of the job or by Steve’s rude demeanour. They’re also battling a moth infestation. Most of these short scenes of struggle culminate in a vaguely negative putdown from Dee, a shrug or a sigh, and a cut. It’s cynical comedy by numbers — and Dee is phoning it in.

Granted, there are a few moments of light humour but it’s primarily criminally dated — it’s 2018 and there is an actual joke about Simon Cowell’s trousers — and that’s particularly evident in the parade of supporting characters who drop in to be mocked.

There’s the local shopkeeper barking orders at her off-camera partner (funny in Little Britain, 2003). The criminal youth — baseball cap and neck tattoo included — on community service. The super-keen couple who drop by unannounced with four baskets of home-grown broad beans and their two severe children. There is vague relief, though, in the couple’s new builder, Honest John, who opposes the clichés of unreliable sitcom workmen but that joke tires quickly and completely.

Those seeking a comedy which at least attempts to break newer ground would be better served with a new offering, Defending The Guilty, set in the world of pupil barristers. Will Packham believes in the justice system, visibly deflating when he realises that he is working with a guilty client. His mood is not helped by the caustic Caroline — she’s supposed to be teaching him about the law but is more focused on sending him out for pastries — or by a rivalry with three other trainees who are all vying for one job. Despite the subject matter — murder cases, police moles — it’s funny, smart and exhibits lively performances from Will Sharpe, Katherine Parkinson and, in particular, Gwyneth Keyworth as a Welsh trainee with a chip on her shoulder.

This pilot episode is a mere teaser — it has been commissioned for a full series set to air next year — but it’s enough to display why it has already been picked up: its dry tone and quippy one-liners make it a decent addition to BBC2’s already stellar comedy archive. It deserves an earlier, more audience-friendly time slot, though.

Bad Move is on ITV, tonight at 8pm