 Getting comedy right is hard enough, as getting horror right, and the fact that Pegg and Frost, have managed to combine these two genres into one utterly fantastic fun-filled series is a testament to their craft. Dir: Jim Field Smith Written by: Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Nat Saunders, James Serafinowicz Starring: Nick Frost, Malcolm McDowell, Samson Kayo, Susan Wokoma, Emma D'Arcy, Simon Pegg, Julian Barratt  Starring Nick Frost as Gus and Simon Pegg as Dave, Truth Seekers is a horror comedy series about a team of part-time paranormal investigators who team up to uncover and film ghost sightings across the UK, sharing their adventures on an online channel for all to see. However, as they stake out haunted churches, underground bunkers and abandoned hospitals with their array of homemade ghost-detecting gizmos, their supernatural experiences grow more frequent, more terrifying and even deadly, as they begin to uncover a conspiracy that could bring about Armageddon for the entire human race.Set in a mysterious world filled with dread and just-out-of-sight monsters, Truth Seekers mixes the very funny with the very scary in an exciting take on genre storytelling from the minds that gave us Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Sick Note and Paul. When news of a new sitcom from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost hit social media, the internet's ears all pricked up, and the excitement levels hit heights not seen for a long, long time for a TV comedy. This comedy partnership has been responsible for some of the finest moments of comedy gold to grace our screens, well if you ignore World's End and their acting role in Slaughterhouse Rulez, could Truth Seekers reach the giddy heights of their last TV comedy outing (I'm not mentioning it by name I'm determined not to give space to the title in this review, I want to be the only review not to say it)? Let's be clear right from the start, those looking for a clone of the best-known sitcom, are going to be severely disappointed. This is, in no way, a clone of that show. In fact to call it a Pegg/Frost show is a bit of a mislead, yes they are the lea scriptwriters on the show, but sadly their shared onscreen time is limited to short "scene-setting" sections of comedy gold. A perfect example of this is when Gus ( Nick Frost) is introduced to his new partner Elton (Samson Kayo). The chemistry between our two comedy friends is a joy to watch, and this is the sort of thing that you can't just create, the symbiotic way in which they play off each other can only come from decades of friendship and working together. Would we have liked to scene more screentime being shared between them, yes and no, while these moments are great fun, this is a story where one of the underlining themes is the forging of new friendships. Watching the relationship between Gus and Elton take the journey from awkward workmates thrown together, to warriors against the gathering forces of darkness. The camaraderie between the Truth Seekers is one of the highlights of the series. It is not just Gus and Elton who benefit from a sympathetic and heartwarming treatment from the script, Elton's sister Helen (Susan Wokoma) and Gus' father Richard (Malcolm McDowell) have perhaps the most heartwarming of the relationship strands in the series. There is a lovely gentle sense of trepidation between the pair of them as their friendship solidifies. What helps the series is the standout performances of the supporting cast, I don't mean this as a dig at Pegg or Frost, but neither of them stretches their acting chops here if you have watched them in anything else before then you know exactly what you are getting, Frost probably does more with his character as the narrative unfolds. There is a moving scene towards the latter half of the series that shows he is capable of so much more than his usual roles expect of him. Malcolm McDowell is brilliant in this, when you are so used to watching him either as a highly confident man, or some cold as ice villain, it is a revelation to watch him as a slightly awkward, and nervous old man, I'll never look at a pair of white y fronts in the same way ever again. Samson Kayo was an actor who I was unfamiliar with before watching Truth Seekers, and boy what a revelation he was, his comic timing and how he bounced of Frost and Wokoma, in particular, was a pleasure to watch. The brother and sister dynamics of Kayo and Wokoma is one of the genuine highpoints of this series. How Kayo and Wokoma portrayed a bother and sister haunted by a tragedy in their youth and the effects on them in the present day is a sympathetic examination of trauma can have long-lasting effects. Not something you would expect from a supernatural comedy, but you get it here, and it is another reason why Truth Seekers is not just your run of the mill comedy show. As for the story itself, I was going to do an episode by episode breakdown, but in doing so, it would give away far too much of the plot. Despite that it is a show that is built around tropes and plot devices that are on the relatively well-worn side, there are far too many surprises and creative handling of these tropes to do such a thing. But buckle in for a crazy ride that includes ghosts, possessed dolls, haunted world war two radios, "zombie" dogs and a device plot for the show's villain. Not to mention more conspiracy theories than you can shake a roll of bacofoil at. All I will say is ghosts are real, and Gus, the original Truth Seeker of the show has spent a lifetime seeking them out, but the arrival of Elton John, no not that one, brings the reality of ghosts right to Gus's front door, and they must find out the truth before many lives are put at risk. Truth Seekers is first and foremost a comedy, but unlike recent horror-centric comedies like Hubie Halloween, Truth Seekers honours the horror in the story. In far too many cases, the horror or supernatural element of the story is the but of the joke, and horror fans like myself get rather bored of this. It is clear from the very first scene that Frost and Pegg are both genre fans, which of course is evident to anyone who has watched the Cornetto trilogy, or that show which shall not be named, but even so, there was a degree of concern going into this that it would be just another a comedy that doesn't take the genre seriously enough. The gags both visual and spoken are built around making light of the situations that they find themselves in or as a wonderful tongue in cheek nod to some classic horror film references. Even now the stairlift gag which plays a few times during the series still brings out a little chuckle. It's a running gag that could have worn thin, but they manage to find creative and inspired ways to get the most out of it.  And just as the comedy in the show shows reverence to the genre, the horror element does exactly same and considering this is a comedy they don't shy away from the scares either. There are some nail-biting moments and at least one or two moments that brought forth a swear laden shout when this jaded horror reviewer almost wet their pants. Yes, you can argue that there is nothing particularly new on offer here, but don't be fooled into thinking that this means that Truth Seekers is a badly cut and shut dodgy car you would buy from some bloke down the pub. Truth Seekers is a finely crafted show that exemplifies the notion that you can still be highly entertained by something that isn't afraid to wear the genre's past on its sleeves. I loved how, despite obviously being a show that is built around a whole series story arc, the arc was played down somewhat in the early episodes. Having fully self-contained stories with just hints at the bigger story allowed the show to breathe, the characters to gel and the viewer to get super comfy and invested in the main narrative thread running through the show. I don't know at the time of writing this review if all of the episodes are going to be released on the same day if they are I would suggest clearing a four-hour window in your schedule and get plenty of popcorn in because you are going to be glued to your screens watching one of the highlights of this year's television output. Getting comedy right is hard enough, as getting horror right, and the fact that Pegg and Frost, have managed to combine these two genres into one utterly fantastic fun-filled series is a testament to their craft. None of us will be going out Guising this year ( sorry I'm Scottish and Trick 'n Treating is an American term I refuse to use), but if sitting in and watching Truth Seekers is the price that we have to pay it is one that I am more than willing to pay. I just hope I don't have to wait a whole year for the second series of this. Truth Seekers will be available worldwide on Amazon from 30October 2020   |
Archives
April 2023
|
RSS Feed
|
|