Review of Garrett Millerick's new Radio 4 workplace comedy

Garrick Millerick’s acerbically jaded worldview is evident from the pre-credit scene of Do Gooders, in which his character is being grilled about the lack of enthusiasm for his job in a mid-level charity. 

A team manager but no team player, he’s failed to take part in the enforced fun of office fancy dress day yet again and won’t play rounders as he thinks it’s ‘baseball for fannies’, Millerick surely wouldn’t have used such a pre-watershed word in his emphatic stand-up.

It’s a strong opener, a brisk to-and-fro full off wittily sarcastic responses that sets the tone for a gag-rich script, even if that enviable pace cannot be sustained.

This is a workplace comedy, with the offices of The Alzheimer’s Alliance occupied by the sort of people who’d never otherwise encounter each other. Essentially, Millerick has gathered a selfish archetype of each generation, with his alter-ego, Clive, representing cynical Gen X,

Frank Skinner is the Bovril-guzzling Boomer Ken, a nihilist gloomster simply ‘running down the clock’, unwilling to change and begrudgingly coming to terms with new concepts, such as there being more than one gender.

Ania Magliano’s Lauren is Gen Z, an Instragram addict all about the clicktivism and achingly PC, forever railing against the patriarchy, even in her female-dominated industry. Ahir Shah’s office rookie Achi is similarly self-absorbed When asked how much his Ice Bucket Challenge raised, the answer is  ‘300 likes’. His lack of achievement means he fits right in at this dysfunctional workplace.

Trying to keep all this together is Cold Feet’s Fay Ripley as the boss Harriet, a relatively sensible, neutral character around which the rest of the cast can bicker and clash, especially when it comes to matters of HR.

There’s some conflict about which approach is best for the charity, the online space or Clive doing real-world events, most of which seem to be an excuse for some sort of holiday. There’s also a commentary on what causes are fashionable - ‘diabetes has made a huge comeback!’ Ken pipes up at one point, before raising an eyebrow at the body positivity movement. And yet you can see that raised eyebrow even on the radio.

However, any satire on the charity sector, and how parts of it have become big business, is definitely a distant second to the interactions across the age divides,  mocking each generation’s foibles with affection, but also a bit of grit at hoe ridiculous each worldview looks to all the others. 

The cast are also good at fleshing out the characters beyond crude stereotypes.  Ken is not a complete dinosaur, thought he’s teased about being one. Lauren’s progressiveness isn’t her entire being, though it’s a big part of her of it, and her objections aren’t just a lame parodic idea of ‘wokeness’.

Plus there are some great jokes – one likening the patriarchy to ghosts especially hits home.

Do Gooders is not a show that re-invents the sitcom, but is an effective exemplar of how to do an ensemble comedy with a solidly entertaining gag-forward script.

As the genre shows green shoots of recovery after the dominance of comedy-dramas, this Radio 4 series could be seen as a tryout for a TV transfer too, where you could imagine it as a dependable performer in the mould of Not Going Out which, like Do Gooders is made by production company Avalon. 

• Do Gooders is now available on BBC Sounds.

Review date: 30 Jul 2024
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett