New sitcom set in Barnet follows Jewish newspaper reporter

Barnet’s community is front and centre in The Jewish Enquirer, a new six-episode sitcom that follows a hapless journalist working on a Jewish newspaper.

The first two episodes of the comedy series will be shown at the JW3 on November 20 as part of the UK Jewish Film Festival.

The sitcom, which has drawn comparisons to Curb Your Enthusiasm and Alan Partridge, is centred around Paul Green, played by Tim Downie, a 40-something reporter on a fictional newspaper called the Jewish Enquirer.

“I originally wrote it not as a Jewish newspaper but as the Barnet Enquirer,” the series’ creator Gary Sinyor told JN. “But it was quite clearly a Jewish thing that I had been avoiding, so I just said ‘why don’t I call it the Jewish Enquirer and be done with it.”

Sinyor, who wrote, directed and produced the series, is known for his 1993 feature Leon the Pig Farmer, and this latest series marks his return to Jewish comedy.

The Jewish Enquirer was shot entirely in Finchley, he revealed. “I just went to all the places I go to, and shot in those places so that gives it an element of realism,” Sinyor said.

“People who know Mr. Trimmer in Finchley Central will recognise the barber. People who know Avenue House will recognise Avenue House.”

Sinyor expects some members of the community will recognise themselves in the series, but not all. “One of the interesting things about doing anything that’s Jewish related, and this goes back to Leon the Pig Farmer, is you’ll always have some people who go ‘I completely identify with that characters,'” he said.

“And, as is the way with the community, some people will go ‘but why did one of the characters drive a Honda when I drive a Ford,” he added.

The Jewish Enquirer will premiere at the JW3 on November 20.