Changing Ends

I absolutely love Alan Carr, so I was hoping for good things with this series - and, I got it!

The young lad who is playing a young Alan, is a very talented actor indeed. The comedic timing is perfect, and reminds me of good ol' classic British comedies.

A young Alan shows how important it is to be your true self... no matter how others may judge or perceive you to be. You were meant to be a star Alan!

Overall, this show is sweet, interesting, nostalgic, and full of known British actors. Binge worthy, and definitely the best series I've watched this year. Can't wait to see more! Do yourself a favour, and watch it! It won't disappoint.

It's not perfect, nothing is. It gets 10 because it's as good as you get from this type of nostalgice wishy washy comedy soap.....

How BORING are the reviews whining about it/ Not sure what they're after or what makes them happy, but for me this is perfect eighties nostalgia fora Britain I didn't even grow up in... But Australia was similar, the bloody eighties was odd af no matter where you were..... Sydney back then was like this..

I loved the Football element and how it was so easily brished aside despite being so important to dad.. I loved the mums support and backing of her son no matter what and the dad who backed him too..

Over all it ticked boxes, thoughtful funny and entertaining... if not ten then what?

Just a very funny, sincere, very well acted comedy. For Brits of a certain age, the 80s references and nostalgia are spot on, much of it too obscure I'm sure for those not there at the time to appreciate fully.

Much of the comedy comes from two ongoing situations: the catty relationship between Alan's mum and the neighbours who live opposite, which mainly consists of a trade in (sharply witty) back-handed insults, and the other situation of course being Alan's campness, oddball unconformity, his path to discovering that he is gay.

A couple of reviews here have given totally unjust 1 ratings, citing that it's just a one trick gag which wears thin, but I didn't find that at all. I was chuckling throughout every episode. The campness of the young Alan is so well done, and the writing so on point, that it remains funny even after 12 episodes.

I'm not sure how non-Brits will receive this comedy, maybe it works fine, but I would highly recommend for Brits anyway.

Writing this having watched two seasons, and glad to hear that a further two seasons are planned.

Changing Ends is something of a nostalgic throwback on every level to a time when comedy was, well funny!

There have been many series set in an 80s childhood, and as I am the same age as Alan Carr I do enjoy this sort of thing. But this is funnier than Young Sheldon, perhaps less poignant but not without such moments.

The boy who plays young Alan steals the show however, he seems to be a genuine talent who might well go on to greater things. The rest of the cast, including Alan as his older self, are really just supporting actors. He hams it up a bit, just like the subject, but some scenes are almost tearful as well.

Of course there is an underlying theme of Alan fighting against, or maybe just shrugging off, prejudice, but mostly it is quite subtle, the script seems to assume intelligent viewers already understand what is going on, rather than having to spell it out to them as so many other series do these days.

Co-writer Simon Carlyle also writes 2 Doors Down, but this is his best yet. There isn't a high bar admittedly, but this is the best British comedy of 2023 so far.

Even if you don't like Alan Carr, it's likely you will like this very funny, on point sitcom with the stand up comedian taking us through semi-autobiographical moments in his life.

We see young Alan on his first day at school, being unexpectedly put on the football team (hilarious) faking sickness to avoid an injection (which leads to awkward but very believable bonding with dad) and all manor of japes that keep the audience hooked.

Carr's relationship with his family and few friends are nicely explored without being heavy handed and the humour is kept at an even pace, carefully balanced with tender / low moments but not too many to descend into melodrama.

Co-written by Carr, this show knows how to keep your attention with ideal casting all round, but Oliver Savell as the young Alan deserves particular praise for his stand out, star making performance. It would have been very easy for him to fall into caricature but somehow Savell manages to blend Carr's friendly campness and mix it with the real fears of a young boy as he tries to navigate the impending, uncharted teen years without going over the top and keeping the comedy this side of believable and engaging.

Well done to everyone involved.

Now, when is the second season coming out?