In an exclusive clip from IFC’s Year of the Rabbit, Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows) makes a brief conversation with an assassin over the telephone in something far funnier than it should be. The British import has been airing on the cable channel since late February, becoming one of the more unique shows on television at the moment, with its blend of dark comedy, police procedurals, and Victorian setting. The result is further confirmation of Berry’s comedic presence and fun change of pace for anyone looking to find an absurdist laugh.
Every so often a cop show can lend itself to becoming a great comedy, and Year of the Rabbit, created by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley, makes hay with its seemingly incongruous elements to create an unlikely and hilarious sitcom. It also doesn’t hurt that the series has funnyman Berry as its lead, the inept Detective Inspector Eli Rabbit. ing him are Freddie Fox as Detective Sergeant Wilbur Strauss, Susan Wokoma as Sergeant Mabel Wisbech, and Alun Armstrong as Chief Inspector Hugh Wisbech. The series also features Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard) as Lydia, the leader of a clandestine organization for women.
Needless to say, Year of the Rabbit has a lot going on. It’s a police procedural with a darkly comedic edge, one that relies on Berry’s unique brand of comedy to make things work. That’s readily apparent in the exclusive clip, which pits Det. Rabbit against a wily assassin who calls himself Trigger Tom. As it turns out, Tom has the Crown Prince and is seemingly eager to kick off a world war, so long as Rabbit doesn’t interfere with his plans. Check out the clip from Year of the Rabbit below:
Berry excels at playing oblivious characters with an elevated sense of importance, who are nonetheless in positions of power. From The IT Crowd to Toast of London to the aforementioned What We Do in the Shadows, he’s able to make insufferable blowhards into truly memorable characters. So far, it seems he’s done it again with his latest series, which has already been renewed for a second season.
It’s not too late to get caught up on season 1 of Year of the Rabbit. The series premiered in the U.S. in late February and still has a way to go before the season finale. You can check out full episodes of the series for free on IFC.com, but you’ll have to hurry as the earlier episodes will be leaving soon.
Year of the Rabbit airs this Wednesday @10:30pm on IFC.