Despite coming from the collective pens of original Perrin creator David Nobbs and Men Behaving Badly writer Simon Nye, this remake of the 70s classic fails to hit the surrealist highs of its predecessor. Clunes is more than adept at portraying Perrin, a man driven to the brink of a mid-life crisis by the mundanity of his existence, but lacks the manic tendencies of Leonard Rossiter, and too often the show feels like a dramatised version of Grumpy Old Men rather than an insight into the escalating insanity of an “everyday man”. The superb Lucy Liemann, object of Perrin’s office fantasies, tops an illustrious supporting cast – it’s just a shame the limited budget gave them little scope to shine.
Stars: Martin Clunes, Fay Ripley, Neil Stuke, Lucy Liemann, Geoffrey Whitehead, Wendy Craig
Certification: UK 15; £19.99
Extras: Reggie Perrin Rises Again, Studio Tour, Outtakes, Audience Warm Up, Audio Commentaries. Read review on Screenjabber.com
