BBC iPlayer aficionados have stumbled upon a darkly comedic gem from the early noughties that they claim “wouldn’t be made today”. Nighty Night, first aired in 2004 and stars Julia Davis as the narcissistic sociopath Jill Tyrell.
After her husband Terry, played by Kevin Eldon, is diagnosed with cancer, Jill joins a dating agency, prematurely declaring herself a widow. Her obsession doesn’t stop there; she fixates on her neighbour Don, portrayed by Angus Deayton, with designs on usurping his family home.
This twisted comedy enjoyed two seasons and featured a host of familiar faces, including Ruth Jones of Gavin and Stacey fame, Rebecca Front from The Thick of It, Mark Gatiss of The League of Gentlemen, Felicity Montagu known for Alan Partridge, and Miranda Hart.
Devotees of TV comedies have flocked to to express their rediscovered affection for Nighty Night, urging others to give it a watch.
one fan exclaimed: “I’d love to go off on one about how the first series is the best single comedy drama ever made of anyone is interested..”.
NIGHTY NIGHTPicture shows: Jill (Julia Davis) Nighty Night centres on the character of Jill, a woman obsessed with her neighbour, a handsome doctor who lives with his wheelchair bound wife across the road. Jill claims her hospitalised husband is dying of a terminal illness and so descends on the life of the unfortunate couple. (Image: BBC)
Another chimed in: “Love it, just done a re-watch too! The definitely wouldn’t be able to make this comedy these days.”
A third fan shared: “Nighty Night is literally my favourite TV show ever and I am so jealous of people discovering it for the first time.
“Julia Davis is my hero, and if you like Nighty Night, you must check out her other twisted works, especially Human Remains, Hunderby and Sally4Ever.”
Ruth Jones appeared in Nighty Night before writing Gavin and Stacey (Image: BBC)
One fan raved about the show’s evolution, saying: “The first series is sublime. Second series was definitely a big leap towards the bizarre and ridiculous but still had its moments.”
Nighty Night, known for its dark humour, featured some truly twisted scenes, such as Jill imprisoning her husband in a spare room, a lethal incident with Angel Delight, and her relentless efforts to sabotage a marriage.
Nighty Night, which was first released in 2004, focuses on narcissistic sociopath Jill Tyrell (Image: BBC)
Earlier this year, Nighty Night faced a brief disappearance from iPlayer due to licensing issues, but it has since made a triumphant return to the streaming service.
Nighty Night can be streamed on iPlayer online.