A radio sitcom for The BBC. It follows the exploits of cookery writer Damien Trench (Miles Jupp), who writes with a serene eloquence about expensive food. However, his life is in contrast with his serene writings, as Damien is neurotic and anxious.
Damien lives with his partner Anthony (Justin Edwards). They are currently having building work done by their wise Irish builder, Mr. Mullaney, and his assistant Steven.
Damien has a love/hate relationship with his agent Ian, who often calls to make demands of Damien.
The show contains the following tropes:
- Affectionate Parody: Of lifestyle/cookery writers in general, Nigel Slater in particular.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: For all that they bicker, Damien concedes that he is "extremely lucky" to have Anthony.
- British Brevity: Four radio series of six episodes each, plus a TV series of three episodes.
- Comfort Food: Of various types. Anthony in particular has responded to stress or disappointment by ingesting heroic quantities of cheese, chocolate and stir fry.
- Comical Overreacting: Damien suffers from panic attacks which, realistically, barely need anything to set them off.
- Diet Episode: Anthony goes on a diet, and Damien gets so enraged about faddy diets that he makes an enemy of a Gillian McKeith expy.
- Food Porn: A parody of that sort of writing.
- Hideous Hangover Cure: Made by Damien in the first episode after a boisterous New Year's Eve party.
- Motor Mouth: Damien's mother (and Damien himself, to a lesser extent).
- No Bisexuals: When Damien and Anthony run into Anthony's ex-boyfriend Trevor and learn that he's married to a woman, it's incredibly awkward and immediately assumed that (1) the wife must be unaware that her husband has dated men, and (2) that their relationship must be some sort of cover for Trevor's repressed sexuality.
- Opposites Attract: Damien is the creative, Anthony is the more practical, science-orientated one. However, they both share the same snobby tastes.
- Real Men Cook: Both Damien and Anthony are good at cooking.
- Sound-to-Screen Adaptation: A three-part TV series was broadcast in 2015.
- They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!: Damien addresses his builder as Mr. Mullaney long after a less formal person would have switched to First-Name Basis – they regularly socialize, and even go on vacation together. Eventually Anthony switches to calling Mr. Mullaney by his first name (it's Sam) but Damien persists.
- Wacky Cravings: Damien's friend Marion experiences these in a big way when pregnant, including spaghetti carbonara with brown sauce and jam, and tea with a spoonful of Marmite in it.
