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In a quiet area of Dublin, a person is standing on the pavement, wearing a vest and voicing his thoughts. “It seems like myself getting quieter. Less noticeable,” says Leonard, gazing toward the stars. “One thing’s led to another and now I feel like if I don’t do something, I will continue in this simple, peaceful routine.” Paul, Leonard’s best companion, reflects on the idea. “There's no harm in that,” he replies, his bathrobe swaying in the breeze. “Preferable to attempting to leave an impact and causing harm instead.”

For those weary by the chaos and rat-tat-tat of current streaming landscape, the show comes like a warm cover and a comforting beverage of blackcurrant juice.

In line with its quiet characters, Leonard and Hungry Paul – a six-part comedy developed by its authors, inspired by the novelist’s quiet story – looks disapprovingly at modern life; peering critically over its spectacles at anything related to disturbances, quick actions or – goodness forbid – excessive aspiration. The program is, instead, a celebration of shyness; a subtle homage for those content to pootle around out of the spotlight. But. The character (a further distinctly original performance from the star) feels restless. He feels an increasing “desire to unlock the openings of my life … a little.” The passing of his beloved mother has pulled the carpet away from his feet and the 32-year-old, a ghost writer, now realizes reconsidering the choices which led him to his current situation (unattached; with a protective mustache; creating several children’s encyclopedias for a man who concludes messages using the words “ciao for now”).

And so Leonard begins on a journey to find happiness, alongside his more outgoing Paul (the actor) functioning as his confidante, mentor and partner during their regular game night functioning as both discussion (“Does the pool feel warm due to children urinating, or do kids pee in it as it's heated?”) and refuge.

(How did Paul get his nickname? It's unclear. The beginning of this name is shrouded in mystery. It could be that Paul once ate a sandwich very fast, or answered to an awkward situation by panic-peeling some food items using his teeth).

Arriving in Leonard's calm existence cartwheels Shelley (the actress), a fresh energetic co-worker who happily suggests to kill the awful manager (the actor) during the office fire drill. The rushing noise noticeable signals Leonard's peaceful routine undergoing a shake-up.

Elsewhere in the first episode of a series not heavily plotted and more on what a modern audience may refer to as “mood”, we meet the older generation (the ever-wonderful the performer), a battered sofa of a man who covertly observes, records then replays trivia competitions to amaze his devoted partner with his general knowledge.

Guiding us through all this gentle kindness is a narrator who closely resembles – and truly is – Julia Roberts. Truly, the celebrity. If you are thinking, “surely the inclusion of a big-name celebrity clashes with the program's low-key style and at first acts merely as a distraction?” you're right. However, Roberts acquits herself well, and dialogue for example “Leonard's challenge is his absence of an expression of discovery” assist in making sure that first reservations fade if not quite to appreciation, then certainly understanding.

But that’s enough grumbling currently. The series' spirit is well-intentioned: the right place being “located on a seat in the company of gentle comedies, showing the duck it loves.” This is a show that moves gently in comfortable attire, occasionally looking up into space, occasionally down at its feet, calmly assured that nothing is on Earth as cheering as spending time alongside good friends.

Unlock the entryways within your world, just a bit, and let it in.