So Stephen Merchant is the outrageously tall comedian/actor/writer who frequently collaborates with Ricky Gervais. You probably know him from things like The Office and Extras. He's basically an innovator in the field of cringe comedy, in which people behave so awkwardly that the viewers are physically uncomfortable watching it. Hello, Ladies is his most recent project, and one that he's worked on independently of Gervais. It's about an Englishman named Stuart who moves to Los Angeles, is desperate to find love, and is really crap at it. You remember that guy from Love Actually who decided to go to the US, because American girls don't care what you look like as long as you have an English accent? It's kind of like that, but in serial form. And it's actually pretty funny. On the surface, it's just this slightly pathetic man who's trying to hit on supermodels, but as the series goes on, Merchant begins to imbue his bumbling character with hints of depth. There is more to Stuart than this tragically awkward character, but I don't think even he knows it yet. I'm intrigued to see where the show will go, when (and if) HBO decides to give it a second season. Status: Unknown
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
