# Turn Up Charlie (2019)

> A down-and-out DJ takes a job as nanny to his famous best friend's wild eleven-year-old daughter while plotting his music comeback.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/72629

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: comedy, drama
- Created by: Idris Elba, Gary Reich
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Idris Elba, Piper Perabo, JJ Feild, Frankie Hervey, Guz Khan, Angela Griffin, Darren Hart, Sarah Daykin
- TMDB rating: 7.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8304498/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, sardonic, warm, wistful, comedic

## What critics say

Audiences found the British comedy-drama promising and enjoyable, though it was canceled after a single season.

## Synopsis

Turn Up Charlie (2019) is a British dramedy series created by Idris Elba and Gary Reich for Netflix. Idris Elba stars as Charlie, a down-and-out DJ whose plan to rebuild his music career runs through a most unlikely job: working as nanny to the wild eleven-year-old daughter of his famous best friend. Piper Perabo plays Sara, the friend's wife and the household's anchor, while JJ Feild and Frankie Hervey round out the family orbit. Each of the eight episodes of this single-season run follows the same engine: Charlie hustles for studio time, meetings and a comeback while the chaos of raising a precocious child keeps pulling him back into domestic duty. The tone is breezy and sardonic, with sharp comic timing grounded in London nightlife and the awkward intimacy of a household learning to trust a man who is supposed to be the fun uncle. Music runs through the show as both ambition and temptation, giving the comedy a warm, slightly wistful undercurrent. Fans of Episodes, Fleabag and Nanny McPhee will find resonance in its blend of showbiz satire, flawed charm and family friction. The series was canceled after its first season, leaving its story unfinished. Its mixed audience reception centered on the appeal of its premise and cast.

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