Daily Diary

It's official: legal paperwork is funny

Posted 7/05/2008 by The Daily Diary

At last! Finally, the hilarious world of commercial law is set to be honoured with its own sitcom, elevating lawyers to the same cultural plane as dinnerladies, IT support staff and office workers at Slough-based paper distribution companies.

‘Admin’ is the promisingly-titled new pilot COMING SOON!! to BBC Three and follows the zany goings-on at (fictional, we think) Manchester law firm Fox Carter & Co.

However, not unlike law firms, as soon as one TV network has a bright idea, it’s subject to the attentions of innumerable copycat wannabes. The Diary can hereby reveal just some of the legal-themed sit-coms reportedly in the pipeline at rival broadcasters:

• The Fall and Rise of Christopher Perrin – the executive partner of a global law firm loses his job but finds something much more important: the paperclips.

• To The Manges Born – starring Penelope Keith as Mike Francies and Peter Bowles as Marco Compagnoni, can the unlikely duo somehow keep the peace?

• Fawlty Trowers – a madcap hotelier targets the crucial Middle East energy sector, with hilarious consequences.

• Bird & Bird of a Feather – a pair of recently-divorced housewives look to broaden their intellectual property expertise into a cross-sector transactional capability. With hilarious consequences.

• Best Friends – six trendy young independent law firms hang out in a New York coffee house and discuss dating, parenthood and competing in an era of globalised legal services.

• Lovells Thy Neighbour – revival of  controversial 1970s culture-clash comedy about a West Indian family that moves in next door to a top 10 City law firm. What’s going to happen?!

• In Simmons And In Health – a grouchy and actually quite racist pensioner, played by Warren Mitchell, falls foul of new anti-discrimination laws. With hilarious etc.

• Til Death Us Do Partner – not really a comedy as such, just a bunch of associates moaning about how they’ll never get promoted now there’s a downturn.

• Some Mothers Do Avocado Rechtsanwaelte – a bumbling but lovable German independent firm-- (that’s enough law firm sitcoms – Ed.)