From the opening theme tune (which is not a tune, just a noise), it was obvious that I was going to be fascinated throughout. The program was based in the the Herefordshire village of Weobley (pronounced webly) and featured the following, riveting topics.
- The meals on wheels service (featuring the woman who won bake off)
- Rural Transport
- The Local Economy (feat. Jon Sergeant)
- Then Squeeze played a song (Take Me I'm Yours)
- The show's resident hairdresser (yes it does have one) took us on a pretty directionless journey round the village
- The History of the Village (with Dan Snow)
- Weobley's mythology (Jon Sergeant again)
- Then Squeeze played the show out (with Cradle to Grave)
The whole thing was as unbearable as it sounds. Every feature consisted of the local people being patronised and looking awkward on the tele or doing their turn like a deaf child being allowed to sing on comic relief which no-one wants to hear but they are indulged because they are kids and it's nice for them. The residents of Weobley are not kids and do not need to be condescended to in this way.
Even in the absence of this source of embarrassment the features seemed not to have had much thought or research put into them. The only possible exception being the history feature.
Jon Sergeant always looks as if he's just turned up to collect his cheque and his appearances here were no exception. His reading of a mythological tale was the quintessence of everything that was awful about the show. At the end of every sentence a member of the community would hobble on representing a character from the story, do their piece and drag themselves off again. It was as poorly rehearsed as a nativity play (except for some kids who did some dancing and did it quite well but no person with an IQ above 60 would have actually wanted to watch even them) and I wish to God I'd never seen any of it.
I am a real fan of Squeeze and it was a shame they appeared looking very out of place on this otherwise amateurish debacle.
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