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In a peaceful neighborhood of the Irish capital, a man stands in his driveway, sporting a sleeveless jumper and sharing his feelings. “I notice my voice is fading. Harder to see,” remarks Leonard, looking toward the stars. “Events have unfolded and now it seems unless I take action, I’ll just carry on in this quiet, unremarkable life.” His friend Paul, his only companion, ponders this statement. “That's perfectly fine,” he answers, his bathrobe moving gently. “Preferable to striving for recognition and causing harm instead.”

For viewers tired by the noise and fast pace of current streaming terrain, Leonard and Hungry Paul comes as a warm cover with a hot drink of Ribena.

In line with its gentle leads, Leonard and Hungry Paul – a six-episode program created by the writing duo, inspired by the author’s understated book – casts a critical eye toward today's world; gazing disapprovingly above its prematurely middle-aged glasses toward anything that involves loud sounds, sudden movements or – heaven forfend – an abundance of ambition. This show rather, an ode to introversion; a subtle homage for those happy to pootle around away from attention. And yet. Leonard (another distinctly original performance by the actor) feels restless. He notices a growing “desire to unlock the entryways of my life … slightly.” The passing of his beloved mother has whisked the rug away from his feet and the 32-year-old, a ghost writer, now realizes doubting the paths that have brought him to where he is (single; with a protective mustache; working on a range of children’s encyclopedias for a boss who concludes correspondence using the words “goodbye for now”).

Thus Leonard begins himself on a quest to find happiness, with the slightly bolder Paul (the actor) acting as his confidante, guide and partner in a weekly board games evening that serves both as symposium (“Is the pool warm due to children urinating, or is it that kids pee since it's warm?”) and sanctuary.

(How did Paul get his nickname? The reason is unknown. The beginning of this name seems forgotten in history. Perhaps he once ate some food very fast, or responded to a socially fraught incident by panic-peeling four scotch eggs using his teeth).

Entering Leonard's quiet life cartwheels a vibrant character (the actress), a recent spring-loaded co-worker who happily suggests to eliminate Leonard’s appalling boss (the actor) in a workplace safety exercise. The swift movement noticeable represents Leonard's calm life being turned upside down.

Elsewhere in the initial show of the comedy focused less on story and centered around what the under-30s could describe as “atmosphere”, we meet Hungry Paul’s dad (the consistently great the performer), a battered sofa of a man who secretly watches, records then replays daytime quiz shows to dazzle his loving spouse through his fact recall.

Shepherding the audience amidst this minor-key niceness we hear a narrator that sounds very much like – and, indeed, very much is – Julia Roberts. Indeed, Julia Roberts. In case you're considering, “certainly the inclusion of such a famous actor clashes with the program's low-key style and initially serves only as a distraction?” that's accurate. However, the actress performs admirably, and phrases such as “Leonard’s problem is the missing a ‘eureka’ face” contribute to ensuring that first reservations yield though not complete approval, then at minimum tolerance.

Enough complaining currently. The series' spirit is in the right place: which is “sitting on a park bench next to the Detectorists, indicating the duck it loves.” It’s a series that ambles along in comfortable attire, at times staring at the stars, sometimes downward at its feet, serenely certain that there is nothing on Earth as heartening as spending time with close companions.

Open the doors and windows within your world, a little, and allow it entry.