Human Remains

If you like the mockumentary style (such as Best In Show or This Is Spinal Tap) then you'll love this six part British TV series each of which is a self-contained story.

The writers, Julia Davis and Rob Brydon, star in the show and portray a couple with a completely dysfunctional relationship.

From seemingly ordinary circumstances, the two actors manage to turn their relationship into a complete disaster as they engage in interviews about the short-comings of the other, as well as life in general.

If it comes to a TV station near you then do yourself a favour and sit down for half an hour of adult-humour entertainment.

Rating: 7/10

Wonderfully understated black humour, as only the Brits can do it.

There are a few misses along the way, but for the most this is top notch stuff and highly recommended. The second (?) episode about the couple that run the Bed and Breakfast is pure comic heaven.

It's such a shame that this comic gem has passed under the radar slightly but it's probably for the better as Human Remains holds itself better as a "cult" show.

The writing of Human Remains, all done by Julia Davis and Rob Brydon, is superb and the accuracy of the observation is spot on. Chances are, you will have met at least one of the characters they play sometime in your life. They also manage to hit the mark with their performances which variate so much with each character it is a true showcase of their acting and comic talents.

The comedy is very dark in places and sometimes quite sick, but if that's the kind of humour you like then you will love this. But you would also love this if you appreciate great comedy.

This series is a terrific showcase for the amazing Julia Davis... my favorite comedian on TV these days. Rob Brydon is also a good fit and considerable talent. They play a very different couple in each episode although some same relationship dynamics are threaded throughout the series.

The series defies easy synopsis but I viewed it as a study of couples who somehow manage to make a relationship work, despite profound dysfunction.

As for genre, you might need to invent one! Generally it falls into "cringe comedy"

I would call it: "extreme emotional noir comedy."

(DISCLAIMER: The series is so strange that I might be WAY off in my analysis. I wish someone directly connected to the series would tell me if I'm even close. Also, I missed a couple of the episodes. )

Human Remains is an odd name for a comedy series and thats because its a bleak comedy told in a fly in the wall documentary style and it only lasted one series.

The series stars and was co-written by Rob Brydon and Julia Davis. It was scrip edited by Henry Normal and Steve Coogan was one of the producers.

Each of the six episodes documents a different couple all played by Brydon and Davis and most of the episodes showed that relationships being unhappy and the humour black. Both actors are also heavily and at times bizarrely made up.

Death, violence and depression seem to feature in each of the episodes. For example in the episode 'More than Happy' Brydon plays the optimistic shopkeeper Les while Davis plays his wife Ray, she has suffered the loss of children, business worries, battles with depression and her only solace is to give her husband prolonged anal intercourse through an object she purchased second hand which he finds deeply uncomfortable but she finds immensely pleasurable.