Turn Up Charlie Season 1 Review: Adventures in Babysitting

Looking for a chilled out comedy that is light with just enough drama? Then Turn Up Charlie is for you.

This might be the quickest binge you’ve ever done (if you don’t pause to drool over Idris Elba too often). The episodes fly by, making it an easy-going watch without lacking in story.

That story is one that’s been done before, but it’s also versatile enough that it usually works in most of its forms. Elba plays Charlie Ayo, a one-hit wonder from the 90s who now scrapes by as a local DJ. He becomes the manny of a rich brat, the daughter of a childhood friend. Thus the trope of the person who has no experience/business caring for kids thrust into the role of caregiver to an unwilling charge ensues.

We’ve seen it done in many movies from Kindergarten Cop to Uptown Girls, but that doesn’t make Turn Up Charlie any less fresh. Actually, it somehow manages to be quite refreshing, mostly due to the titular lead. Elba inhabits this role with towering clarity, and it is a joy to watch. 

Not only is Elba one of the most good-looking men alive, in my opinion, but his talent is also astounding. He can go from comedy to drama and everything in between without batting an eye. His turn as Charlie is endearing and has you rooting for him from the get-go as well as understanding him when he makes mistakes. He is instantly likable. 

Not instantly likable is Gabrielle (Frankie Hervey), the preadolescent girl for which he is now responsible. She is not meant to be likable from the start—at least that’s how the show makes it seem. Gabrielle has driven away all her previous nannies by being purposefully awful. 

On the first episode, her current nanny throws in the towel after Gabrielle finds and hides her vibrator. It’s a great visual gag which leads to Ivana quitting and Charlie witnessing just how manipulative the girl can be. 

Gabrielle: I feel I was drawn to the dildo because of my own sexual intrigue.
David: That sounds like a conversation for your mum. How about we go shopping?

She’s got her parents wrapped around her finger, but also they are both too wrapped up in their careers to notice that she’s playing them. So a lot of her behavior is acting out, wanting to get attention from them even if it’s negative. There is a lot of dialogue and many scenes in which this is made clear. 

It’s a bit heavy-handed, though. It is meant to make the audience sympathize with Gabrielle, but it still takes a while to actually get to that point.

On “Episode 3,” Gabrielle has a panic attack, and, at first, it is unclear whether or not she is faking it to get out of trouble with the Dean. She has not been accepting of Charlie up until now and her role as spoiled brat has already been solidified.

This behavior just looks like another stunt, and I can’t tell if it is meant to be deceiving or if it is Hervey’s acting. Either way, it is a surprise to find out that it is genuine. 

That’s when the real bonding between Charlie and Gabrielle begins, and also when it starts to feel like one can finally warm up to the girl. Gabrielle is not without her faults from here on out, though, and, at times, it is easy to fall back into dislike with her, but her actions are, at least, more understandable. She can’t be written off as easily anymore.  

The relationship between Charlie and Gabrielle is enjoyable to watch both when they are getting along and when they’re not. This tells me that the story is coming off as authentic and that Elba is an excellent actor. Sometimes Hervey’s acting can fall flat (it’s childish in a way that is too overtly childish) but Elba picks up the slack and makes it work.

Her parents, played by Piper Perabo and J.J. Feild, also leave a little to be desired. I don’t know if I’ve watched Coyote Ugly too many times, but I see a lot of that cheesiness in Perabo’s portrayal of Sara.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing—there was a reason I watched that mindless movie an embarrassing number of times—it’s just a noticeable facet to her performance. 

Sara is childlike in scenes with her daughter which makes it understandable that Gabrielle doesn’t take her too seriously in the role of disciplinarian, but the maternal love is very apparent. And it’s a bit more than David’s paternal love.

The character of David comes across rather milk-toasty. His most interesting attribute is that he is a successful film star, but we are only told that so we have to take it at face value. He has trouble holding his own in the stage play of A Streetcar Named Desire, but then gets offered a superhero franchise.

It’s, to some extent, cliché and cookie-cutter-esque. He could have a little more substance, especially since he kind of ends up as the bad guy, although I don’t think it’s necessary to make him so. 

The way they play husband and wife makes one wonder why they are still trying to make the marriage work. They don’t seem to be in love or compatible nor is it believable that they once were. But their marital strife becomes one of the many plots.

Charlie is on the outskirts of this and his eventual involvement is realized in a predictable way, however, it is his inclusion that makes it more interesting—because Charlie is the most interesting part of the show. Therefore, the subplots that have little to no Charlie aren’t quite up to par with the rest of the Charlie-centric storylines. 

The other secondary characters bring a lot to the show, too. Auntie Lydia (Jocelyn Jee Esien), Del (Guz Khan), and Astrid (Angela Griffin) add so much in the way of comedy, but also in the drama department. Lydia has enough personality for her own spin-off show and it would be one I would definitely watch.

Del plays the sidekick to Charlie but doesn’t feel watered down as such. And Astrid is the kind of character I’d like to see more of in media—she is headstrong and knows exactly what she wants, never mincing words in her interactions with people be it her boss, her boss’ child, or her lover.  

All three of these characters serve as a voice of reason throughout the season and are vital to the ultimate culmination of things in the end. Lydia and Del talk sense into Charlie who has gone off the deep end and Astrid lays it down when all the conflicts come to a head. 

The marriage renewal (or lack thereof) is great because everything comes out—everyone’s problems with everyone else is revealed one after another. It makes for a dynamic scene utilizing all of the major players. And the solutions to all these problems are anything but simple. 

It sets up the show to be continued in Season 2, if we are to be so lucky, and it enhances the touch of drama that has been threaded throughout the lighthearted episodes.

Idris Elba is the main draw to this show, but there are a plethora of other reasons to enjoy it. The music is one of those things. Sick beats, dancehall jams, and 90s throwback vibes provide a discerning aural backdrop to the story.

Elba’s own musical background probably has a lot to do with it. The music is almost a character itself—a finicky, hard to please mistress entwined in all of their lives, influencing decisions whether they be good or bad. 

Stray Observations:

• Charlie has not one, but two pink hoodies, and I am here for it.
• The Layla Valentine bit is brief, but a nice addition. I like this little hot-mess glimpse into a pop star’s life.
• “Stop spouting your blasphemous proverbs from the internet.”
• I love that Auntie Lydia is a lesbian. LGBTQ WOC representation for the win.
• “This is nothing like Harry Potter.”
• Some of the situations Gabrielle and her bestie, Hunter, get into are slightly horrifying to me as a mother of a nine-year-old. 
• Charlie’s song “L.U.V.” has been released as a single, and I’m gonna need a full soundtrack. But, in the meantime, I’ll keep listening to “Boasty” by Wiley, Stefflon Don, and Sean Paul, featuring Idris Elba on repeat.

What did you think of Turn Up Charlie? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Turn Up Charlie is currently streaming on Netflix.

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