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In the Long Run
Family ties… Idris Elba in In the Long Run
Family ties… Idris Elba in In the Long Run

In the Long Run: Idris Elba's joyful portrait of community in 1980s Hackney

This article is more than 6 years old

With its subtle racial politics, this semi-autobiographical Brit comedy from the star of Luther and The Wire makes high art out of council-estate life

“Good evening, sir!” shouts Valentine (Jimmy Akingbola) at a passing stranger on arrival at his new home on a London estate. “Fuck off,” comes the reply. The year is 1985, race riots are on the news, and, in this small corner of Hackney, the penny has yet to drop among some white residents that Africa is not a country.

A labour of love for its creator and star, Idris Elba, In the Long Run tells the tale of an immigrant family making its way in Britain and is based on Elba’s own childhood. While viewers might be surprised to find the words “sitcom” and “the former Stringer Bell” in such close proximity, more remarkable is that it features a majority black cast. Not since Desmond’s and The Crouches have we seen so many black characters at the centre of a British comedy rather than residing ignominiously on the fringes as best friends and neighbours. That, in 2018, this is deemed unusual should see all senior TV commissioners forced to wear hair shirts as a public act of penance – I’m thinking a week for every series commissioned with all-white leading characters.

Elba plays factory worker Walter, who we first find reading a letter from back home in Sierra Leone. Walter’s mother is concerned about his younger brother. “[Valentine] has become unruly,” she complains. “I am too old to be chasing him around with my shoe.” And so he is dispatched to live in London with Walter, his wife Agnes and their son Kobna. A professional footballer turned DJ, Valentine isn’t keen on hard work – “People work nine to five here,” says Walter. “That’s a very long time,” replies Valentine in alarm. Instead, he likes to party hard. As well as igniting a carnival atmosphere in local pubs, he sends delighted ripples through the uteruses of all women within a three-mile radius. No wonder Walter’s friend Bagpipes (Bill Bailey), already punching above his weight with his young wife Kirsty, is looking worried.

In the Long Run is stylishly shot; bathed in oranges and ochres, it basks in the fabrics and furnishings of the era. The show also manages to make high art out of estate living, dwelling on the light reflected in the puddles on the walkways and on the tower blocks that glow with activity at night. Even the pub looks like an excellent place to be, with its swirly carpet, flock wallpaper and the abandoned sofa by the front door where kids wait for their parents to stagger out at closing time.

Matters of racial politics are deliberately kept on the down-low here, though the ingrained prejudice on the estate is clear. When an elderly neighbour complains to Agnes about the proliferation of “coloureds” in the community, she hastily adds, “No offence, love. I know you’re not like that.”

In the Long Run is less likely to prompt belly laughs than instil a warm glow, and has the unmistakable feel of a comedy still finding its feet. At its heart, however, it’s a joyful portrait of community and camaraderie, of home and belonging, of dreams and joie de vivre. “I’m going to make my mark here,” Valentine tells his nephew. He’s already on his way.

Thursday 29 March, 10pm, Sky1

More on this story

More on this story

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  • Yardie review – Idris Elba's directorial debut is an uneven disappointment

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  • My So-Called Life to Utopia: are these the most foolish TV cancellations ever?

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