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In a peaceful suburb of Dublin, a person stands in his driveway, dressed in a sleeveless jumper and sharing his concerns. “It seems like myself getting quieter. More invisible,” says Leonard, staring up at the night sky. “Events have unfolded and now I believe unless I take action, I will continue in this minor, harmless existence.” Paul, Leonard’s best and only friend, ponders these words. “That's perfectly fine,” he answers, his dressing gown swaying with the wind. “Preferable to attempting to leave an impact and ending up damaging things.”

For anyone tired by the noise and fast pace of modern television offerings, Leonard and Hungry Paul steps in like a foil blanket and a comforting beverage of blackcurrant juice.

In line with its harmless protagonists, this comedy – a six-episode show created by its authors, adapted from the novelist’s understated book – casts a critical eye at modern life; gazing disapprovingly over its spectacles toward anything that involves disturbances, abrupt changes or – perish the thought – an abundance of ambition. This show rather, a tribute to quiet people; a quiet celebration for those content to wander out of the spotlight. But. He (another uniquely quirky portrayal from Alex Lawther) is unsettled. He feels a growing “urge to throw open the entryways within my world … just a bit.” The passing of his beloved mother has whisked the rug away from his feet and the 32-year-old, a ghost writer, now feels questioning the choices that have brought him to his current situation (single; with a protective mustache; creating several children’s encyclopedias for an employer who signs off emails with the phrase “ciao for now”).

Therefore Leonard launches on a journey to find happiness, alongside his more outgoing Paul (the performer) functioning as his confidante, life coach and co-conspirator in a weekly gaming session functioning as both discussion (“Does the pool feel warm due to children urinating, or is it that kids pee as it's heated?”) and sanctuary.

(How did Paul get his nickname? It's unclear. The source of the nickname seems forgotten in mystery. It could be that Paul previously devoured a sandwich in record time, or answered to an awkward situation by nervously peeling four scotch eggs by biting into them).

Into Leonard’s gentle world cartwheels Shelley (the actress), a recent spring-loaded co-worker who happily suggests to get rid of his terrible supervisor (Paul Reid) at a fire practice. The swift movement audible is Leonard’s gentle world undergoing a shake-up.

In other scenes in the first episode of the comedy not heavily plotted and more by what younger viewers may refer to as “vibes”, we meet the older generation (the consistently great Lorcan Cranitch), a tired character who covertly observes, records then replays trivia competitions to dazzle his adoring wife using his trivia skills.

Guiding viewers through all this subtle warmth is a narrator who closely resembles – and truly is – the Hollywood icon. Truly, the celebrity. If you are thinking, “certainly the use of a major Hollywood star clashes with the show's modest approach and at first acts merely as a diversion?” that's accurate. However, Roberts does a good job, and lines such as “Leonard's challenge is that he lacks a look of sudden insight” contribute to ensuring that initial doubts give way if not quite to appreciation, then certainly understanding.

But that’s enough grumbling currently. The show's core has good intentions: that place is “resting on a bench next to the Detectorists, pointing out its favourite duck.” The program that strolls leisurely wearing its simple clothes, sometimes gazing upward at the stars, at other times looking at its slippers, calmly assured that there is nothing in life as cheering as spending time with dear pals.

Unlock the entryways within your world, slightly, and let it in.