With series six finally on Netflix, Robert Poppers terrific sitcom is being revisited and discovered anew.
Friday Night Dinnerknows the truth about families.
Not that they bicker, mock and childishly compete sitcoms known about that sinceSteptoe & Son.
No,Friday Night Dinnerknows that families arent made up of people; theyre made up of odd habits.
(These are universal examples applicable to anyone.)
Feast on my familys Weird Stuff, said Popper.
Its so incredibly specific that you cant help but recognise it.
The same goes for adult sons Adam (Simon Bird) and Jonny (Tom Rosenthal).
As with all great sitcoms, the specificity ofFriday Night Dinners characters is its genius.
Martin Goodman isnt a stereotypical sitcom dad.
Hes far more strange and memorable.
It takes longer for Jackie Goodmans Weird Stuff to emerge, but its there.
Jackie Goodman finds her boys fights and insults funny.
Jackie iswhyAdam and Jonny are horrible to each other.
Its the family sense of humour, and shes the source.
The Goodmans believability as a family isFriday Night Dinners other major achievement.
Pus-Face and Piss-Faces childhood is as irrefutable as Martin and Jackies courtship.
Jim is the strangest round peg ever whacked into the square hole of wacky sitcom neighbour.
Next to Jim, Martin seems normal.
No, they cant remember how it started) are what made the show a hit.
Friday Night Dinner series one to six are available to stream on Channel4.com andNetflixin the UK.
