Here’s our spoiler-free review of new Dave comedy, Porters…

On the back of his high-profile BBC1 outing with Trust Me, writer Dan Sefton has continued to mine his time working as a Doctor within the NHS for the new Dave comedy Porters. It brings with it a hell of a cast, too.

Porters‘ first episode is hewn from a script that has apparently been on paper for the best part of a decade, and survived a couple of aborted attempts to bring it screen. It quickly sets up proceedings, and gets us into what would appear that the show’s schtick – to place the main players in unfortunate situations alongside various guest stars.

Happily, though they could have easily been swamped by the first episode’s extras, the main cast handles itself with aplomb. What’s more, the script doesn’t make the mistake of upstaging them to service the one-and-gone names.

The first episode kicks off with a wonderfully irreverent bit of exposition, indirectly delivered by Susan Wokoma (Crazyhead) as her gloriously laconic, shade-throwing Frankie guides newbie porter Simon (Edward Easton) around the hospital, allowing us to meet the regulars while she makes his life a misery at every turn.

That ultimately leads to Easton getting a great little solo scene in an elevator, but only after we’ve already had a striking introduction for none-other than Mr. Blind Fury himself, Rutger Hauer, as the golf-loving Tillman. Erstwhile Eastender Jo Joyner also gets a moment to shine as the disenchanted Doctor Kelly; and Claudia Jessie’s Nurse, Lucy sets herself up as the object of Simon’s unrequited affection.

The additional foils they have work with begin with Mathew Horne, who turns up early in the episode as an unfortunate patient left in the capable, but ever so slightly, er… crazy… hands of Hauer’s Tillman. Two moments featuring the two of them would undoubtedly be the stand out clips of this first instalment, were it not for the sheer ease with which Wokoma’s super-dry delivery steals the show every time she opens her mouth.

The first of the pair, Tillman’s homespun Clockwork Orange-style therapy – involving Jason Statham videos and “the Boys of The Backstreet” – is a geeky joy. The second, a riff on the classic ’talking down the suicidal’ trope, is a fitting finale to this first half-hour.

Hauer’s bass-timbre Benelux drawl is perfectly suited to the philosophical, well meaning, but ultimately slightly unhinged, Tillman. His presence in this show is a casting gift that keeps giving, and simply makes you wonder why it’s never been done before. That he has the ability to walk the line between a confused benevolence and low-key malevolence at the drop of a hat, is a joy.

Less convincing is relative newcomer Edward Easton; though, admittedly, he is battling with the least instantly likeable character in the show, and his role as creator of much of the toe curling awkward comedy that holds this episode’s second half together. His partner for one excruciating encounter is none-other than Kelsie Grammar, who – along with recent Doctor Who guest star Samantha Spiro – hams it up with aplomb.

Porters holds together well all round. The first few minutes make a joy of meeting the characters, Hauer’s casting is just brilliant and, while he has a harder time selling his slightly drippy middle-class fantasist, Easton throws himself at the task with gusto. It is Wokoma that is the seemingly effortless class act here, however – and would make Porters more than worth watching even without the admirable parade of guests we’re going to get across the run of three episodes Dave has commissioned.

At the end of this first 30 minutes, Tillman comes to the conclusion that the three porters will make a good team, and he may well be proven right.

Porters will premiere on Dave in the UK at 10pm this evening. Alternatively, you could watch it right now on the Dave website.