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In a peaceful neighborhood of the city, a man is standing on the pavement, sporting a vest and voicing his thoughts. “I notice I'm becoming more silent. Harder to see,” states the main character, gazing toward the stars. “Events have unfolded and currently it seems if I don’t do something, I will continue in this quiet, unremarkable life.” Paul, his closest and only friend, reflects on the idea. “Nothing wrong with that,” he replies, his dressing gown swaying in the breeze. “Preferable to attempting to leave an impact and causing harm instead.”

For anyone weary by the noise and rat-tat-tat of today’s TV landscape, the show comes like a warm cover and a comforting beverage of Ribena.

Like its quiet characters, Leonard and Hungry Paul – a half-dozen installment show written by Richie Conroy and Mark Hodkinson, inspired by Rónán Hession’s quiet book – casts a critical eye on contemporary society; peering skeptically above its eyewear at anything related to loud sounds, quick actions or – goodness forbid – excessive aspiration. This show is, instead, a celebration of shyness; a subtle homage of those satisfied to amble along away from attention. And yet. Leonard (a further uniquely quirky portrayal from the star) is unsettled. He notices a growing “desire to unlock the doors and windows in my existence … just a bit.” The loss of his beloved mother has pulled the carpet out from under him and Leonard, a ghost writer, now feels reconsidering the paths that have brought him to his current situation (alone; defensively moustached; creating several educational volumes for a man who concludes messages with the phrase “goodbye for now”).

Thus Leonard begins on a journey for personal satisfaction, accompanied by the somewhat braver friend Paul (the actor) acting as his trusted friend, mentor and co-conspirator in a weekly board games evening which acts as symposium (“Does the pool feel warm due to children urinating, or is it that kids pee as it's heated?”) and refuge.

(What's the origin of "Hungry" Paul? The reason is unknown. The source of this name seems forgotten in history. It could be that Paul on one occasion consumed some food in record time, or reacted to a tense moment by nervously peeling some food items with his teeth).

Entering Leonard's quiet life cartwheels Shelley (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), a new spring-loaded co-worker who happily suggests to eliminate the awful manager (the character) during the office fire drill. The rushing noise audible signals Leonard's peaceful routine experiencing a revolution.

In other scenes in the first episode of the comedy focused less on story and more by what a modern audience may refer to as “atmosphere”, viewers encounter Hungry Paul’s dad (the brilliant the performer), a tired character who secretly watches, tapes and rewatches television game programs to dazzle his loving spouse through his fact recall.

Shepherding the audience throughout this subtle warmth is a narrator who closely resembles – and actually is – Julia Roberts. Truly, Julia Roberts. If you are thinking, “surely the inclusion of a major Hollywood star is at odds with the show's modest approach and initially serves only as an interruption?” that's accurate. Still, Roberts does a good job, and phrases such as “Leonard’s problem is the missing a look of sudden insight” assist in making sure that initial doubts give way if not quite to appreciation, then certainly understanding.

But that’s enough grumbling currently. Leonard and Hungry Paul’s heart is well-intentioned: which is “located on a seat alongside similar shows, indicating its favourite duck.” The program that strolls leisurely in comfortable attire, sometimes gazing upward toward the sky, at other times looking at its slippers, quietly confident that there is nothing in life as uplifting as spending time with close companions.

Open the doors and windows within your world, just a bit, and let it in.