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In a peaceful suburb of the city, an individual is standing outside his home, wearing a sleeveless jumper and sharing his feelings. “I feel I'm becoming more silent. Harder to see,” remarks the protagonist, gazing toward the stars. “Events have unfolded and at this point I believe unless I take action, my life will proceed in this simple, peaceful routine.” Hungry Paul, Leonard’s best companion, ponders this statement. “There's no harm in that,” he answers, his dressing gown swaying in the breeze. “Better than trying to make a mark and ending up damaging things.”

For anyone tired by the chaos and rat-tat-tat of current streaming landscape, this series arrives similar to a foil blanket and a comforting beverage of blackcurrant juice.

Like its gentle leads, this comedy – a six-part show written by its authors, based on Rónán Hession’s subtle story – takes a dim view toward today's world; peering critically through its prematurely middle-aged glasses toward anything that involves loud sounds, quick actions or – goodness forbid – too much drive. The series rather, an ode to introversion; a subtle homage to people content to wander out of the spotlight. However. Leonard (one more uniquely quirky performance by the actor) is unsettled. He senses a growing “need to open the openings within my world … a little.” The passing of his beloved mother has yanked the floor from under his slippers and this young man, an anonymous author, now realizes reconsidering the decisions that directed him to this point (single; sporting facial hair; creating several children’s encyclopedias for a boss who concludes emails using the words “goodbye for now”).

And so Leonard launches himself on a quest for emotional fulfilment, alongside his more outgoing friend Paul (the performer) functioning as his confidante, mentor and ally in a recurring gaming session which acts as symposium (“Is the pool warm due to children urinating, or is it that kids pee as it's heated?”) and sanctuary.

(How did Paul get his nickname? The reason is unknown. The origin of the moniker appears lost in history. Maybe the postal worker on one occasion consumed a sandwich in record time, or responded to a tense moment by panic-peeling some food items with his teeth).

Into Leonard’s gentle world cartwheels Shelley (the actress), a fresh lively colleague who cheerily offers to eliminate his terrible supervisor (Paul Reid) in a workplace safety exercise. The swift movement audible is Leonard’s gentle world undergoing a shake-up.

In other scenes in the first episode of the comedy focused less on story and centered around what younger viewers might call “atmosphere”, we meet Hungry Paul’s dad (the consistently great Lorcan Cranitch), a worn-out individual who covertly observes, saves and reviews trivia competitions to dazzle his devoted partner using his trivia skills.

Shepherding us amidst this gentle kindness we hear a narrator who closely resembles – and truly is – Julia Roberts. Truly, Julia Roberts. If you are thinking, “surely the use of a major Hollywood star is at odds with the program's low-key style and starts off as just a distraction?” you're right. However, the actress performs admirably, and lines for example “Leonard’s problem is the missing an expression of discovery” contribute to ensuring that initial doubts give way if not full admiration, then at minimum tolerance.

No more criticism for now. The show's core is in the right place: which is “located on a seat in the company of gentle comedies, showing the duck it loves.” The program that strolls leisurely in its sleeveless jumper, occasionally looking up into space, at other times looking at its feet, serenely certain that no experience is in the world as cheering as being in the company of close companions.

Open the doors and windows of your life, a little, and welcome it inside.