I very much enjoyed Ten Percent (Amazon Prime Video), the pleasant English-language remake of the French hit Call My Agent!, but it did seem to be rather pointless. Much of it is a straightforward remake of the French series, so fans will be familiar with storylines about two big-name stars being given the same role, for example, or another finding out she is considered too old for a leading Hollywood movie. It is not so much inspired by the original as it is borrowing its clothes, car and house.
Call My Agent!’s Agence Samuel Kerr talent agency is rebranded as Nightingale Hart, near Goodge Street, an area of London that doesn’t quite have the same visual appeal as the 1st arrondissement. Otherwise, it’s all as expected. There’s a Mathias (Jack Davenport’s Jonathan), an Andrea (Lydia Leonard, as Rebecca), a Gabriel (Prasanna Puwanarajah, now Dan) and an Arlette (an underused Maggie Steed, as Stella). There are the same assistants, the same family members, the same actor types. As well as its conceit and several of its plots, it also shares some of the original’s jaunty spirit and bounce.
