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In a peaceful area of the Irish capital, a man can be found on the pavement, sporting a tank top and expressing his concerns. “I notice my voice is fading. Harder to see,” remarks the protagonist, gazing toward the stars. “Circumstances have evolved and at this point it seems unless I take action, I’ll just carry on in this simple, peaceful routine.” His friend Paul, his only and only friend, reflects on this statement. “Nothing wrong with that,” he replies, his robe moving with the wind. “Superior to attempting to leave an impact and causing harm instead.”

For anyone weary by the bluster and fast pace of modern television terrain, the show arrives as a foil blanket and a comforting beverage of Ribena.

In line with its quiet characters, the series – a half-dozen installment show written by its authors, based on the author’s understated story – looks disapprovingly on contemporary society; gazing skeptically above its prematurely middle-aged glasses toward anything in the way of disturbances, abrupt changes or – perish the thought – excessive aspiration. The series on the contrary, a celebration of shyness; a subtle homage to people content to wander below the parapet. However. The character (a further distinctly original portrayal from Alex Lawther) is unsettled. He senses a creeping “desire to unlock the openings of my life … slightly.” The passing of his parent has yanked the floor away from his feet and the 32-year-old, a ghost writer, now finds himself doubting the choices which led him to his current situation (single; with a protective mustache; creating several educational volumes for a boss who concludes messages with the phrase “goodbye for now”).

Therefore Leonard begins on a journey to find happiness, alongside his more outgoing friend Paul (the performer) acting as his confidante, guide and partner in a recurring board games evening that serves both as debate (“Is the water heated from kids relieving themselves, or do children urinate as it's heated?”) and sanctuary.

(How did Paul get his nickname? It's unclear. The beginning of the moniker is shrouded in mystery. Maybe Paul previously devoured a sandwich in record time, or reacted to an awkward situation by nervously peeling several snacks using his teeth).

Arriving in Leonard's calm existence bursts a vibrant character (the performer), a new spring-loaded colleague who happily suggests to get rid of the awful manager (Paul Reid) at a fire practice. The swift movement audible is Leonard’s gentle world undergoing a shake-up.

In other scenes in the first episode of a series driven less by plot and more on what a modern audience might call “atmosphere”, viewers encounter Hungry Paul’s dad (the ever-wonderful the performer), a worn-out individual who secretly watches, records then replays trivia competitions to impress his loving spouse through his fact recall.

Leading us throughout this gentle kindness is a narrator that is unmistakably – and actually is – the famous actress. Truly, Julia Roberts. In case you're considering, “certainly the presence of a major Hollywood star clashes with the show's modest approach and at first acts merely as an interruption?” that's accurate. Still, the actress performs admirably, and dialogue for example “The issue with Leonard is that he lacks an expression of discovery” contribute to ensuring that first reservations give way if not quite to appreciation, then certainly understanding.

No more criticism currently. The series' spirit is in the right place: the right place being “resting on a bench in the company of gentle comedies, showing its favourite duck.” The program that ambles along in comfortable attire, sometimes gazing upward at the stars, at other times looking toward the ground, calmly assured that nothing is in life as uplifting as passing time in the company of dear pals.

Throw open the portals of your life, a little, and allow it entry.