Sean Lock’s overlooked TV series adapted from his surreal late night radio show

 Becoming a victim to its own offbeat humour, 15 Storeys High is a rare take on comedy, with potential to grace comedic halls of fame, had an audience been present to hear its high notes. Left to linger in the graveyard slot of BBC 3 in early November of 2002, it’s delivery of understated wit and dryness was probably not a winning formula in the eyes of BBC’s commissioning department. Small internet fan bases and pedants have noted this show as one of the most underrated pieces of British television of all time, but does it deserve the due attention never received during its debut?.

The series is set in a suburban tower block outside ofLondon, where Vincent Clark leads a near-hermit lifestyle; a king of an ivory tower of solitude. While reluctantly placing a local advertisement for a flatmate, Vincent draws the short straw with Errol Spears, as a resort to pay the rent. We would feel sympathy for him, if Vince did not wallow in the rut of his own making. He adopts an outlandish view of life, which further isolates him from others.

The setting itself is rather quotidian and stark, whilst the camera work gives the series a “slice of life” feel to it. The series adopts a true to life style of cinematography, attempting to mirror the mundane elements of real life scenarios whilst still using occasional grainy filters and sparse editing techniques to emphasise the rather bleak setting.

Simple editing techniques accentuate and enliven situations that normally would be considered rather dull. This prosaic setting manages to reach the sublime, particularly in a manner of how such a mundane setting somehow manages elude and perplex Vincent quite often. This is particularly because of the insular lifestyle that Vincent adheres to; with a lack of social skills that entraps him in rather awkward situations.

An example of this is the Dead Swan episode where Vince is convicted for killing wildfowl, with an incriminating photograph of Vince holding a dead swan laughing. However, beyond the observed framework, He is actually disposing of an already dead swan he found in the park and is laughing because his ex-girlfriend is trying to fend off another swan. His only method of circumventing a prison sentence is to exploit an overlooked piece of legislation that gives the option of being put in the stocks instead.

While there are plenty of humorous moments, much of its delivery is subtle and while there are quite few moments of unrestrained humour, many of the more intelligent quips and jokes may go unnoticed and require observation and patience to appreciate. This underpins the comedic style of 15 Storeys High and is something that a casual viewer of sitcoms might not be engaged with.

While most sitcoms gain attention by bombarding it’s audience with gags, 15 Storeys High is a series that seems to keep purposely low-key and subtle, yet rewards patient viewers with some very rich and memorable content.

Follow