Every HBO Comedy Ranked From Worst To Best
39. Hello Ladies
While Ricky Gervais has hogged the headlines since splitting from writing partner Stephen Merchant, the lanky Bristolian has easily racked up the finer credits. His 2013 sitcom Hello Ladies is no masterpiece, but Merchant’s ability to balance heart and humour without lurching clumsily between the two elevates this beyond his former colleague’s solo work.
Merchant plays a version of himself, here called Stuart, as he navigates the Los Angeles nightlife in a search for love. He’s never afraid to make himself the butt of the comedy, and unlike Gervais is more than happy to defer to his castmates, giving the likes of Christine Woods and Nate Torrence plenty of funny material.
The premise is hardly original, and admittedly Merchant doesn’t do much new with his unoriginal premise, but the jokes are certainly there and the plots, while never groundbreaking, are made easy to invest in by likeable characters.
Hello Ladies lasted only one season, but could quite easily have sustained more. It’s a comforting hang out sitcom that’s easy to watch and even invest in.