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In a peaceful neighborhood of Dublin, an individual stands on the pavement, wearing a tank top and voicing his thoughts. “I notice myself getting quieter. More invisible,” states the protagonist, looking toward the stars. “Circumstances have evolved and at this point it seems without a change, I’ll just carry on in this quiet, unremarkable life.” His friend Paul, his only and only friend, considers this statement. “That's perfectly fine,” he responds, his dressing gown flapping with the wind. “Preferable to striving for recognition and ending up damaging things.”

For viewers tired by the chaos and constant stimulation of current streaming terrain, this series steps in like a warm cover and warming mug of Ribena.

Like its gentle leads, this comedy – a six-episode program written by its authors, inspired by the author’s quiet book – takes a dim view at modern life; looking skeptically above its spectacles toward anything in the way of loud sounds, abrupt changes or – perish the thought – an abundance of ambition. The series on the contrary, a celebration of shyness; a gentle tribute for those happy to wander below the parapet. However. Leonard (another uniquely quirky turn from the star) is unsettled. He notices an increasing “urge to throw open the doors and windows within my world … slightly.” The recent death of his mother has whisked the rug away from his feet and this young man, a ghost writer, now finds himself reconsidering the paths that directed him to this point (single; sporting facial hair; working on multiple educational volumes for a boss who signs off emails using the words “goodbye for now”).

Thus Leonard starts on a journey for personal satisfaction, with the slightly bolder friend Paul (Laurie Kynaston) functioning as his close companion, life coach and ally in a recurring gaming session which acts as discussion (“Does the pool feel warm from kids relieving themselves, or is it that kids pee since it's warm?”) and safe space.

(What's the origin of "Hungry" Paul? It's unclear. The source of this name appears lost to the mists of time. It could be that the postal worker previously devoured a snack very fast, or reacted to a socially fraught incident by nervously peeling several snacks with his teeth).

Into Leonard’s gentle world cartwheels a vibrant character (the performer), a recent energetic colleague who lightheartedly proposes to eliminate Leonard’s appalling boss (the character) in a workplace safety exercise. The rushing noise audible represents Leonard's calm life being turned upside down.

In another part in the first episode of the comedy driven less by plot and centered around what younger viewers could describe as “vibes”, viewers encounter the older generation (the brilliant the performer), a tired character who privately views, records then replays daytime quiz shows to impress his loving spouse through his fact recall.

Leading viewers through all this subtle warmth is a narrator that sounds very much like – and actually is – the Hollywood icon. Indeed, the celebrity. Should you wonder, “undoubtedly the inclusion of a major Hollywood star clashes with the program's low-key style and initially serves only as a diversion?” that's accurate. Nevertheless, Roberts does a good job, and lines such as “The issue with Leonard is that he lacks a ‘eureka’ face” assist in making sure that early misgivings give way if not quite to appreciation, then at minimum tolerance.

Enough complaining at this time. The show's core is well-intentioned: that place is “located on a seat next to the Detectorists, showing its favourite duck.” The program that ambles along wearing its simple clothes, sometimes gazing upward into space, sometimes downward at its feet, serenely certain that nothing is in the world as heartening as spending time in the company of dear pals.

Throw open the portals of your life, just a bit, and let it in.