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In a quiet area of Dublin, a man is standing on the pavement, dressed in a tank top and voicing his feelings. “It seems like my voice is fading. Less noticeable,” remarks Leonard, looking up at the night sky. “Events have unfolded and currently I believe unless I take action, I’ll just carry on in this minor, harmless existence.” His friend Paul, his only and only friend, ponders this statement. “There's no harm in that,” he replies, his robe swaying gently. “Preferable to attempting to leave an impact only to wind up defacing it.”

For viewers exhausted by the chaos and rat-tat-tat of today’s TV offerings, the show arrives as a warm cover and a comforting beverage of a sweet cordial.

Like its gentle leads, this comedy – a six-episode program written by its authors, based on the novelist’s understated 2019 novel – casts a critical eye on contemporary society; looking disapprovingly above its spectacles on everything that involves loud sounds, abrupt changes or – heaven forfend – excessive aspiration. The program is, instead, a celebration of shyness; a gentle tribute for those happy to amble along out of the spotlight. And yet. The character (another sublimely idiosyncratic turn from the star) is unsettled. He notices an increasing “need to open the entryways within my world … slightly.” The loss of his beloved mother has whisked the rug from under his slippers and the 32-year-old, a writer for others, now realizes reconsidering the choices that directed him to his current situation (unattached; with a protective mustache; writing a range of children’s encyclopedias for a man who signs off messages using the words “ciao for now”).

And so Leonard starts an exploration for personal satisfaction, alongside his more outgoing friend Paul (the actor) functioning as his trusted friend, guide and co-conspirator in a weekly gaming session that serves both as debate (“Is the water heated because kids pee in it, or do children urinate since it's warm?”) and safe space.

(How did Paul get his nickname? The reason is unknown. The origin of the nickname is shrouded to the mists of time. Perhaps the postal worker once ate a sandwich in record time, or reacted to a tense moment by hastily opening several snacks using his teeth).

Arriving in Leonard's calm existence comes a new colleague (the performer), a new lively co-worker who cheerily offers to kill Leonard’s appalling boss (Paul Reid) at a fire practice. The rushing noise noticeable is Leonard’s gentle world being turned upside down.

Elsewhere in the first episode of a series not heavily plotted and centered around what younger viewers may refer to as “mood”, we are introduced to Paul's father (the consistently great the performer), a tired character who secretly watches, saves and reviews daytime quiz shows to amaze his adoring wife with his general knowledge.

Leading us throughout this minor-key niceness there is a voiceover that sounds very much like – and actually is – the Hollywood icon. Indeed, the star. Should you wonder, “undoubtedly the inclusion of a big-name celebrity is at odds with the show's modest approach and at first acts merely as a diversion?” you would be correct. Nevertheless, Roberts acquits herself well, and phrases such as “The issue with Leonard is his absence of a ‘eureka’ face” help ensure that early misgivings fade if not full admiration, then at least acceptance.

But that’s enough grumbling currently. The show's core has good intentions: that place is “resting on a bench alongside similar shows, showing the duck it loves.” The program that strolls leisurely in comfortable attire, at times staring toward the sky, occasionally down at its feet, serenely certain that nothing is in life as heartening as being in the company of close companions.

Unlock the entryways within your world, slightly, and welcome it inside.