Nightingales

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Transmitted:	February 1990 - February 1993
Country of origin:	UK
Genre:	Surreal comedy, British eccentricity
Starring:	Robert Lindsay, David Threlfall, James Ellis
Rating:	5/5
No. of seasons:	2

Criminally underrated sitcom from the early 90's that was - to my knowledge - broadcast once on Channel Four well out of primetime, with no promotion whatsoever, then quietly forgotten.
And that is a great shame.
Word of mouth has turned this show into the stuff of legend, as can be seen by various posts on YouTube and the like, and it is well worthy of such high acclaim.
The setup is thus - three security guards working the nightshift in a city centre office block do all in their power to prevent themselves going utterly insane. And they are only partially successful, filling their time with inane and mind-boggling tasks and activities until the sun rises and they are free to go home to their equally mundane lives.
One of those shows that is difficult to relate, as it is potentially about nothing at all, this is surreal and off the wall, without ever falling into the trap of being 'wacky' (shudder).
There are moments of comic gold, as well as some genuine oddness - the episodes where the cast suddenly launch into Shakespeare style acting and speech, the one where it seems the office is drifting at sea - but never seems forced or contrived.
The cast is first rate too, the acting excellent.
If you missed it when it was first broadcast, get hold of it by hook or by crook. It's well worth the effort.

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