Tate might be a veteran character comedian but Hard Cell is her first attempt at a sitcom – and thanks to a lacklustre narrative and an abundance of one-dimensional characters, it really shows.

I have to point out here that the series does get better as it goes along - characters are fleshed out, the plot advances and the comedy takes somewhat of a welcome backseat to the drama. But those early episodes are a tough watch, with every joke being heavily signposted and then mined to oblivion for all its worth. At times this become cringe comedy, minus the comedy.

It feels terribly dated, with endless toilet humour (vomit, clay dildos, fart gags and a deeply tiresome running joke about "number twos") and a mock-doc approach that could only be described as Gervaisian.

Between the tired format and the idea that Tate is playing most of the featured characters, Hard Cell becomes a lot to take, even after the first 30 minutes. We can’t imagine it getting much better during its first season.