Monday Monday, Monday 9pm, ITV1

Posted by Stewart Turner

 

The foul stench of recession hangs over ITV’s latest piece of comedy-drama. There’s the "struggling supermarket forced to relocate to The North" plotline; the fact it the series was put on ice for a year while the ailing station tinkered with their balance sheets; not to mention a rumour the show’s producers couldn’t use the desired Mamas & Papas song in the opening credits because they failed to scrabble enough pennies together to pay the royalties. Hard times indeed.

The show centres around Sally Newman (Morven Christie), a pretty young PA who’s struggling to come to terms with her fiancé pulling out of the wedding on account of his decision to do the dirty on her with her sister. Her state of mind isn’t exactly helped by working for Christine Frances (Fay Ripley in full-on slapstick mode), a loopy shiraz-swigging scatterbrain who sleeps in her car and requires considerably more attention than the average toddler.

Still, Sally’s employer’s decision to relocate at least offers her the chance of a fresh start, and when she inadvertently ends up stranded in the wrong pub in a dodgy part of town and cops off with a dark, brooding Northern type (well, dreamy Tom Ellis seemed to start off with a Northern accent) things start to look up. At least, they do until she discovers he’s also s***ging the überbitch who’s been brought in to shake things up at head office. Yep, it’s the old love triangle again, folks.

Despite the plotline at times being as predictable as a Tory landslide at the next general election, Monday Monday did at least have its fair share of funnies, most notably the wicked left hook Sally planted on her boss in the middle of a brainstorming session, and a line about “Kajagoogoo cancer” via the gob of Neil ‘Game On’ Stuke, on decent sleazeball form as slimy head of marketing Max Chambers.

Of course, Monday Monday exists in a cosy TV world where good-looking guys and girls all queue up for cappuccinos and accidentally spill drinks down colleagues' dresses or shirts at least three times a day, and I don’t doubt that at least 95% of the cast will be living happily ever after by episode seven. But while it’s undoubtedly a load of old mindless fluff, it does raise a giggle or two, and there are definitely worse ways to spend, yes, a Monday evening.

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Comments

[gypmoo]

i enjoyed it too. easy watching and think it will get better as it develops. i could relate some characters to past & present co-workers!

[Andy Wharton]

I thought it was okay. Felt like it was trying too hard. Trying to be the next office. Would watch the next episode to see how it pans out or just pans!

[donna]

I loved it already on my sky plus

[Dougie]

Made me smile, and for anyone like me who has worked in a similar envrionment, was in places an accurate reflection of real life - but does not deserve the prime 9pm slot.

[tina]

I enjoyed it, was good to escape from reality for an hour and have a laugh, it certainly did nt insult my intelligence.

[David W]

I thought it was a load of rubbish, and switched over a quarter of the way through. The story line was weak and in truth an insult to ones intelligence.

[Phil Fryer]

I thought this was very funny a lot of innuendoes, I thought the best bit was when Sally decked her boss during a presentation, I am sure a few people have felt the same way, I hope it continues at the same level of humour

[Mary]

i enjoyed the comdey it was fun. good to see