SOUP presents THE BOWL

It isn't often at all that you see a new sitcom appear, especially not pitched in such a way as this. It's a hugely difficult task getting a project off the ground, so to see The Bowl get to such a stage as being aired at the Norwich Arts Centre is instantly commendable. 

 
‘The Bowl is about everything and nothing—the time in between when things happen. The little moments that separate the big events but somehow become events themselves. The tiny adventures that unfold when you’re surrounded by a cast of weirdos and freaks you call your best pals.’

 
Episode 1, titled ‘Socks on Trial’, was aired exclusively at the Norwich Arts Centre on Sunday night. It came at the culmination of a cabaret and drag performance night from popular performers, presented by the local promotional team at SOUP.

 
The production value of the episode is surprisingly high, and the attention to detail becomes clear almost immediately and stays consistent throughout the entire episode. 

 
At times, the editing style almost mimics a golden era CBBC-esque TV programme, such as the likes of Millie Inbetween. The cast and crew said during a Q&A segment that a massive inspiration for this show was the humour present in Hannah Montana and even SpongeBob, and that they wanted the show to be a kind of ‘living animation’.

 
The subject matter, however, is clearly aimed at the college student age range, similar to the actors that make up its cast. This leaves the entire production in a little bit of a limbo in terms of where the primary audience is, with the overly cartoony expressions and harder subject matter often completely conflicting, rather than complimenting each other.

 
Throughout the pilot, I thought to myself that this series would be the perfect fit for Channel 4. It's a special kind of alternative comedy present in shows like This Country and Derry Girls, and packaged in a format similar to sitcoms of old, such as The Young Ones. There are clear beams of inspiration here, and it's a pleasure to see age-old formulas revitalized with fresh and clear life.

 
Some jokes received a welcome reception from the audience, and there were clearly plenty of laughs to be had. Some moments were met with a more tepid, or ‘polite’ response. Not every joke landed, but with a show where there's a laugh in every scene, that's clearly going to be the case.

A large part of the story revolved around seeing how the same string of events happened through different peoples perspectives - leading to drastically different retellings of how the previous night went down. This is a promising idea for a finale, but when all of the different stories are that similar, it feels repetitive. I know it’s integral to the story, but a lot of ground is retread very quickly, and it feels like watching the same little story over and over for much of the pilot. 

 
The sitcom didn't strike as big a chord with me as I expected personally, but the response from the screening shows that there is a future for The Bowl. Effort, a sense of clear direction and a high production value are all evident.

The highlight of the night for me was actually detached from the pilot itself and came from the Q&A segment that I mentioned earlier. The cast and crew were all present, save for one, and being able to hear the raw passion and pride the cast and crew all felt was utterly heartwarming.

 
Phrases such as ‘beautiful piece of art’ and ‘overflowing with ideas’ were commonplace when the cast were speaking about The Bowl, but the deeper meaning was found in the way that the cast members spoke about each other. 

 
“We were looked after.”

“This cast is a creative collective.”

“It's great when friends' characters write themselves.” 

“We all bounced off each other.”

This was only mirrored by some of the audience members I spoke to afterwards that called it an ‘amazing, unique experience’.

Jamie and Amelia, the creative minds behind The Bowl, also spoke about the four year history that brought The Bowl to this screening. 

 
“The Bowl has no meaning, but means everything,” Amelia said.

 
“Everything was loosely written, and some of the scenes were improvised.”

 
“We let characters take control and sometimes said ‘go with it and see what sticks.’”

 
The team also stressed how important it is to have creative control over a passion project such as this, especially if the show is ever picked up for mainstream platforms.

 
Jamie stressed that it's important to have trust in the people that you work with.

 
“The best things happen when you're having fun.”

 
There were reportedly no arguments on set, with the filming process labelled ‘a breeze'.

 
I know I've said it before, but it can't be understated how rare it is to see a brave new fledgling sitcom appear - never mind locally! 

I have to mention that the soundtrack to the episode was entirely original, which is unbelievably impressive for a project such as this.

 
The leaflet I was given prior to the screening said that the pilot promised to be ‘bold, vibrant and entertaining’ - and that's absolutely what it is. That sums it up pretty well. There's a lot to be proud of here.

I can't wait to say ‘I knew them when' years down the line.

 Five more episodes are currently being written, and spin-off projects targeting websites such as TikTok are also being considered.