The critically acclaimed sitcom Boy Meets Girl is back for a second series on BBC2, radiating warmth like a hot water bottle. The show, which features transgender lead character Judy played by transgender actor Rebecca Root, is groundbreaking in its casting but housed within a format described as relentlessly traditional. Critics note that while the series has been compared to Gavin and Stacey, it lacks the real problems that made the latter compelling.
In the first episode of the new series, the plot seemed to spool out and then wind back in, with challenges from the first series largely evaporated. Leo got a job in London, but Judy couldn't go because her mother was ill, so Leo decided not to go, and it turned out Judy's mother wasn't ill after all. The episode ended with Leo proposing to Judy, a development that was predictable from the start.
The narrative sidelined Leo and Judy somewhat, with a rat infestation at a beauty salon receiving more attention. A subplot involving Jim and Angie's encounter was left to the viewer's imagination. The show also featured a brief turn from journalist Paris Lees as a transgender group moderator, one genuinely touching scene, and a few bright comic moments that highlighted missed opportunities elsewhere.
Critics note that the show is hard not to like, being gentle and well-meaning, full of hugs and wry smiles. However, the measure of a sitcom is not just the wealth of good gags but the dearth of bad ones, and one joke about mice breeding like rabbits was singled out as a misstep. Overall, the series places transgender issues in a framework engineered for a mass audience, with the value of that approach acknowledged even if the comedy itself is uneven.
