Hebburn: Reaction to the series two opener, ‘Welcome Home’
Comedian Chris Ramsey and Kimberly Nixon – of Fresh Meat fame – returned to Hebburn for a second series on BBC2 last night.
Episode one saw Joe on the road to recovery following his stroke, Sarah and Jack dealing with her pregnancy and Dot inheriting a house from her late friend Betty.
The show, written by comedian Jason Cook, has divided opinion in the North East – but what did the critics think?
South Tyneside’s local paper, the Shields Gazette, showed their support for Hebburn, saying series two is “even better than it was first time round.”
Reviewer Vicki Newman wrote: “[Hebburn] has so much heart that, to me, it was no surprise that it was commissioned for a second series. The show looks sharper, and it just feels bigger and better than the first series. It has a bigger budget, and that shows. Hebburn is heartwarming, uplifting, funny and charming, and as Jason himself describes it, it truly is a love letter to the town.”
The Radio Times also praised the show’s return, writing: “It’s good to be back in the Tyneside town of Hebburn again, with the chaotic, rambling and well-meaning Geordie family nestled in its warm heart. There are some great satellite characters – deluded wannabe popstar Gervaise and brassy care home worker Denise – and though the laughs might not be hearty, you’ll smile a lot.”
As too did Time Out, who enjoyed the “likeable” series two opener: “The BBC currently seems unwilling to countenance comedy with any sharp edges – this returning domestic sitcom is fine as far as it goes, but remains very much in the tradition of gentle family shows like Gavin & Stacey.
“The performances are very likeable and Jason Cook’s writing occasionally hints at some turbulence beneath the surface. But generally, this is affirmative and big-hearted, but also predictable and passive to a fault.”
The Guardian were less forthcoming in their praise, writing: “Not all the inhabitants of South Tyneside were that thrilled when the sitcom Hebburn was broadcast last year, so I doubt they are pleased to see it return for a second series.
“I can’t say that I was initially, either, as I hadn’t found it particularly funny. It’s still not exactly subtle comedy, but the first episode of the new run turned out to have more gags than the whole of the first series combined. If scriptwriter Jason Cook can belatedly find his sense of humour, then so can the people of Hebburn.”
Lead Chris Ramsey came under fire from Metro, who say that Hebburn “misses the salt-of-the-earth family feel it appears to be going for.”
They wrote: “Where you stand on Hebburn rather depends on whether you find comedian Chris Ramsey, who plays lead character Jack, as charming, witty and engaging as he plainly finds himself. For my money, he comes across as a tad too pleased with himself.
“It’s symptomatic of how Hebburn, a sitcom hewn from the age-old generation-clash tradition, misses the salt-of-the-earth family feel it appears to be going for. The character of Dot, the resident nan, is another case in point. She’s a grasping woman whose blood has turned to pure bile and it’s a wonder no one has dumped her in the nearest canal. Yet we’re supposed to chortle at her manipulatively nasty behaviour – I think.”
And The Independent pulled no punches in their assessment of Hebburn, calling the sitcom “a relic from a different era”.
Their reviewer went on to say that “Hebburn has some of the sentiment of The Royle Family and some of the wit of Gavin & Stacey, but it really belongs to that breed of untaxing sitcom in which the gentle laughs are so predictable that you could set your pacemaker by them.
“The evident fondness of writer Jason Cook for the town he grew up in means the humour is good-natured, at least – or it usually is. This week, there was something mean-spirited about making dim Geordie Vicki the butt of all the jokes in a conversation between her and her posher, PhD student sister-in-law. It broke a cardinal comedy rule: always be on the side of the underdog.”
Our verdict:
Hebburn has been compared to the likes of Gavin and Stacey and The Royle Family, but it lacks the punchy, memorable characters of the former and the emotional richness and subtlety of the latter.
In ‘Welcome Home’ Jim Moir and Gina McKee are remarkably underused as Pauline and Joe, blending into the old fashioned décor so seamlessly that you’d almost forget they were there – and Chris Ramsey (Jack) and Kimberley Nixon (Sarah) are perhaps the least believable couple on television.
Pat Dunn (Dot) is once again the star of the show, with a pitch-perfect appearance as the grumpy nan who doesn’t give a shit, and there’s a nice cameo from local hero Tim Healy too.
Creator Jason Cook writes with warmth and good intentions. His love of the North East is there for all to see – but this is a disappointing start to series two.
What did you think of Hebburn’s series two opener, ‘Welcome Home’? Leave a comment below or tweet us @GiggleBeats.
