The new season of Friday Night Dinner is funny, but not quite on the same level as previous seasons.
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Nationally beloved sitcom Friday Night Dinner has aired its sixth, and potentially final season on Channel 4. The latest instalments showed us even more hilarious mishaps in the Goodman home, from Martin’s passion for his creepy new caravan to the demise of Horrible Grandma. Even after a few disappointments this season, Friday Night Dinner still stands as one of the greats among British comedy; a show that you can rewatch time and time again without it losing its charm.
The finest moment of the sixth season was without a doubt ‘The Plastic Bag’, in which Martin is consumed by his obsession with a plastic bag which has blown into a tree outside the house – and he’ll stop at nothing to get it out. Martin has always been a stand-out on Friday Night Dinner, and this episode is one of his funniest adventures. He also steals the show in ‘Dad’s Birthday’, when he laments that he will never go to Mars. He’s a surreal character, and yet at the same time one that you can recognise from your own life. However, it must be said that this was not his finest season, and the Martin didn’t triumph in every episode like normal.
It’s the crazy collection of characters that make Friday Night Dinner so great, particularly Adam and Johnny (who are, in fact, the only valid sibling representation on TV; change my mind). Jim, of course, is Jim – every bit as bizarre as he always is. In this season, he’s joined by a new dog which he thoughtfully named ‘Milson’, after the tragic death of Wilson in season 5.
It’s hard to say at this point if Friday Night Dinner will return to our screens for season 7. Simon Bird, who plays Adam Goodman, has said in interviews that he’s ready to say goodbye to the character and implies that season 6 was the last time that we’ll see the hilarious family. However, showrunner Robert Popper has stated that he has no intention of ending the show. The finale certainly felt like a full stop at the end of a six-season sentence – when the family dance around the living room to the show’s theme song, it definitely feels like the end – only time will tell. The final credits also paid tribute to Frances Cuka, the fantastic actress who portrayed Jackie’s mother on the show, who passed away earlier this year.
Although the latest season didn’t quite live up to the usual comedy standard, Friday Night Dinner is still uncontested in its legendary status among British sitcoms. Whether it continues or not, it will always be one of the best in the game.
The sixth season of Friday Night Dinner is available on All 4.
