What started as a jokey relationship between two people in a struggling publishing company slowly and effectively turned into a wide-ranging and thoughtful exploration of the lives and the problems and situations thereof of a wide range of individuals. The characters are gradually expanded and we gradually learn much more about them and their lives.
The initial conceit -of a young IT temp and a management consultant (both new brooms in an established and struggling publishing form) challenge each other to to things that are against social norms and outside of their comfort zones. This, cleverly, turns into something more serious and signifcant and as the challenges unfold they allow the two, and the people around them, to find out more about themselves, come to terms with their pasts, their families and their current relationships. this broadening of the initial idea is very well done, convincing and dramatically satisfying at the same time.
It reminded me, strongly and in a very good way, of the French series Call My Agent with a cast of well-drawn individuals coping with issues in and outside of work - and the tone of both was similar. But this tone was not a monotone as there was a wide emotional range that was dealt with. And, as with that series, by the end , we came to be really involved and care about the people as they were much deeper and more interesting than they initially seemed at the start.
I really hope there is a second series - the ending was left very open-ended although, to a degree, there was some completion, certainly of the emotional journeys that most of the characters took during the course of the series - and the 30 minutes plus of each episode was very welcome and it meant that the writing was taut and involving but never superficial. I hope it gets a very high number of views as it seems that that will decide if there might be another series. So watch it people!