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I admit, I was nervous as Miranda returned to our screens six weeks ago. The first series, based off her radio sitcom Miranda Hart’s Joke Shop, was a huge success last year, boosting the titular actress into the comedy limelight (and, consequently, into a world of TV panel shows). It would be all too easy to become complacent, to knock out similar stories and jokes in the hope of relying on Miranda Hart’s unique charm to carry it through. But it was with a heavy heart that I watched the final episode of the second series draw to a close: full of ludicrous Christmas costumes and, of course, plenty of farce, it was a marvellous way to finish a series that rivalled, if not bettered, the first.
Throughout this series, we’ve seen Miranda’s joke shop transform into a joke SLASH gift shop in an attempt to be more sophisticated (although it hasn’t appeared to have increased the customer count - how does she make a profit?!), and met some new eccentric personalities along the way. Miranda’s relationship with Gary, her on-off-maybe boyfriend, has also developed, although this show being what it is, things haven’t run smoothly and there’s still no fairytale ending for the two of them. But ultimately, the humour arises from the irreverent incidents held together by the main plot, my favourite being a game of “Where’s Miranda?,” where Miranda dresses in a stripy hat, scarf and jumper, and stands in a crowded shopping centre, waiting for Stevie to spot her, à la “Where’s Wally?”. It’s these little snippets and flashbacks that show off the creativity and imagination of the writer, and they keep getting better.
However, Miranda Hart’s acting and writing skills really shine through when she’s part of a double act – whether she’s in a scene with her bossy best-friend Stevie, her pushy what-I-call mother Penny, or even uber-posh chum Tilly, the characters bounce off each other wonderfully. Take, for example, the penultimate episode, which focused entirely on the fraught mother-daughter relationship between Miranda and Penny during a therapy session; to fill half an hour of TV with what is essentially a dialogue between the same two characters shows just how strong this partnership is. And if this show has achieved anything, I really hope it’s set a fashion for smashing down the fourth wall in real life, turning your head 45 degrees and staring incredulously into an invisible camera. We could all do it! Then like most new trends, David Cameron would probably try it during PMQs and totally kill it.
Miranda isn’t loved by everyone. In fact, I know people who really do not get this show whatsoever. They don’t understand the appeal of the corny jokes, the exaggerated characters, the saw-it-coming plotlines, and I feel sad that they’re missing out. Admittedly, there were moments in this series where it felt like a push to squeeze out thirty minutes’ worth of material, leaving the scenes to be a tad incohesive, and yes, a willing suspension of disbelief is always essential. But it’s not meant to be taken seriously – Miranda is joyous, unadulterated silliness, and knows it. Plus, Tom Conti plays her dad. You can’t get much better than that!
Now, if you don’t mind, I’m off to sing karaoke with my fruit friends whilst I wait for the next series… such fun!
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