Ideal. with Johnny Vegas. by Graham Duff and Tony Burgess (2005).

Never going to be easy to give a complete sense of the man, his works largely been 'miss' but he remains one of the funniest men in the U.K., easily - it's the choices that have been a little off, not his own ability. The guest appearances and small roles stood out more until this appeared.

Has that 'funny drunk' appeal, the forgivably inebriated guy with the ability to make everyone laugh that 'should do comedy professionally' as you might say, but largely you don't know if he will turn up drunk or sober (see him in 'Shooting Stars'), and he might click that night and be simply stunning or might be a little duff. He can also turn his hand to acting (see him in 'The Libertine' with Johnny Depp for example). Far from daft, or stupid in actuality, there's an element of that in his style - largely it's the charm, insight and loveability that dominates.

Worth tracking down then, this first Sitcom of his 'Ideal', in which he plays Moz - a small time, socialy conscious, grubby drug dealer. The action is centered around his relationship with his girlfriend (and her secret lover) and all the customers, all of varying levels of interest to him - some great friends, others he wants out the door as soon as possible; some that won't leave, and others that don't stay long enough. Yes, he is perfectly loveable guy Moz. You won't envy the lifestyle or the situations, but you can love him. The first series is out on DVD here in the U.K, so track it down or request it if you find something in these links of interest. A second series has been ordered, after ratings on its original BBC3 broadcast proved second-highest to Little Britain; I've been watching the repeats on BBC2.

Johnny Vegas Interview on 'Ideal', BBC Press Release from 2004 announcement, Overview and Character information in another BBC Press Release, the 'Ideal' subsite at BBC Three, the BBC Comedy Guide page for the show (includes clip).

'Ideal' Series One (8 Episodes, 2 Discs) at Amazon.co.uk.