【Sisters Slave】

Welcome toCozy Week,Sisters Slave where we'll curl up by the glow of our screens to celebrate all that's soft in entertainment. Pour yourself a cup of hot cocoa and sit by us as we coo over the cutest games, cry over the tenderest movie moments, and drift off to the most comforting shows. Because it can be a cold world out there, and we need something to keep us warm.

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Two men, visiting various rivers across the UK, making small talk as they wait around to catch fish.

Let's be honest – the synopsis of the BBC factual entertainment show Gone Fishingdoesn't exactly sound like a thrill a minute.

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When I first heard about the series, I didn't fancy it at all. I never go fishing, and the thought of watching others do it didn't interest me in the slightest.

In the end it was only the fact that the fishers in question were Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse – two British comedians whose work I'd enjoyed growing up – that persuaded me to give it a go.

And I'm really, really glad I did.

Gone Fishingis, in a nutshell, one of the most fun and relaxing shows I've seen in recent years. If you're on the lookout for a stress-free watch in uncertain times, you could do a lot worse.

So what's it actually about?

The title sounds simple enough, but the show is about much more than just fishing.

Mainly it's about friendship. Mortimer and Whitehouse haven't just been sandwiched randomly together for a concept someone conjured up at the BBC – they've known each other for years.

They've also had some similar health issues.

"Well, we both found out that we had quite serious heart problems," Whitehouse says at the beginning of the series. "I've had three stents fitted."

"I had a triple heart bypass," Mortimer adds, going on to say that the operation "knocked him for six."

SEE ALSO: 10 things to watch while social distancing that aren’t comforting at all

The loose premise of the show, therefore, is that Whitehouse is helping Mortimer get back out into the world through a series of fishing trips.

Each episode takes place in a different UK location, and revolves around a quest to catch a certain species – from perch and pike to trout and tench.

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Why should you watch it?

Gone Fishingis, quite simply, delightful.

You can tell straight away that when Whitehouse refers to Mortimer as an "old friend" in the intro, he's not exaggerating. The two genuinely enjoy each other's company, and their small talk and easy banter makes for instantly cheering viewing.

The structure of each episode is comfortingly familiar, too: Whitehouse and Mortimer head to a specific part of the UK, with the aim of catching a specific fish. Whitehouse, who knows more about fishing, breaks down their strategy for Mortimer. The latter makes lunch and dinner (all of which is intended to be "heart healthy"), as well as choosing their accommodation for the night (often it's a bit quirky, like a glamping tent or a converted double-decker bus).

And that's pretty much it.

It sounds basic, but that's part of the show's charm. Day-to-day stresses are stripped away, and you're left feeling even more appreciation for the amusing (and often poignant) conversations that lie at the show's heart.

Whitehouse and Mortimer seem like genuinely good friends. Credit: bbc/owl pictures

The charm of small talk

It's difficult to do justice to Gone Fishing's best feature. Not the fishing, or the UK countryside – although the former is fun and the latter is beautiful – but the small talk.

The small talk is what makes the show.

Over the course of two seasons, Mortimer and Whitehouse cover everything from childhood and family to hobbies and health. They discuss serious topics like bereavement and death, but also plenty of silly things, too. In one scene, Mortimer describes in detail how he was "so handsome when he was younger" that he used to walk through town and people would simply "applaud".

In another, Whitehouse reveals that the most famous person in his Contacts list is Steve Buscemi.

"Steve Buscemi?" says Mortimer. "That ain't bad, is it?"

"He's quite famous, isn't he?" responds Whitehouse.

"Do you know Michael Caine?" asks Mortimer.

"Yep, I know Michael Caine," responds Whitehouse.

"He didn't give you his number though, did?" says Mortimer.

"No, he didn't," replies Whitehouse, as they both crack up laughing.

In another moment, as Whitehouse is thigh deep in Scotland's River Tay trying to catch salmon, Mortimer randomly asks him if he has a garden. His response pretty much encapsulates the entire show.

"Are you just gonna bombard me with inane questions?"

The answer, as becomes clear over the course of Gone Fishing's two seasons, is a glorious yes.

Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.