Ten Percent

We've all heard the phrase “call my agent”, mostly in movies when actors are having a tantrum. Coincidentally, it's also the name of a French comedy on Netflix that was so good, Amazon Prime Video decided to do a British remake called Ten Percent.

Ten Percent refers to the cut a talent agency gets for representing those in the creative arts field, and in this case, it is a London talent agency called Nightingale Hart.

Owned by Richard Nightingale (Jim Broadbent) the agency is seemingly doing well, that is until the sudden death of Richard which leaves his son, Jonathan (Jack Davenport) in charge.

Jonathan then discovers that the finances are a mess, they don't own the building and selling out to an American agency may be the only way to keep the business afloat.

Added to that is the day-to-day running of the agency. This is where the comedy excels in Ten Percent. Each of the eight episodes features a real-life actor playing themselves in a funny situation.

In the first episode, we see Kelly MacDonald trying to decide whether or not to have work done to get a part. The second episode is with Helena Bonham Carter and Olivia Williams who have both been offered the same part in a movie.

We then move on to Dominic West having a crisis of fate in a new West End play before we meet Emma Corrin and Himesh Patel who are holding up production on set because they can't do a love scene.

And aside from the delicate handling of their clients, the agents and staff in Ten Percent also have their own personal lives to deal with.

The biggest storyline comes when Misha Virani (Hiftu Quasem) gets a job at the agency. Turns out she's Jonathan's daughter, but nobody knows and he wants to keep it that way. Misha just wants to keep her job.

So how will they handle it and what will the fallout be when everybody else finds out?

Is Ten Percent Worth Watching?

Ten Percent is such a good show. It has the perfect blend of comedy and drama without overdoing it on either front.

There are genuine laugh out loud moments that quickly switch to more serious events but it is paced so well that neither seems out of place.

The guest stars are brilliant and unlike Ricky Gervais' Extras, they are not really caricatures of themselves, more playing themselves in believable and realistic situations faced by many actors.

I haven't personally watched the French version (Dix Pour Cent) but it does seem to be a fairly faithful adaptation so if you liked this then you will enjoy Ten Percent.

Otherwise, as a standalone dramedy, Ten Percent is well worth watching, if only because there are so many storylines and plots that it never gets boring.

Ten Percent Release Date

The first season of Ten Percent was released on Amazon Prime Video on 28 April 2022.

In the US, it is available on BBC America. There are eight episodes in keeping with the original layout of the french series, Call My Agent! (dix pour cent, in France)

Ten Percent UK Guest Stars

A show about a talent agency managing the fragile egos of its celebrity clients would be nothing without some high profile guest stars.

In that respect, Ten Percent does its job brilliantly. So expect to see the likes of Kelly MacDonald, Helena Bonham Carter, Olivia Williams, Emma Corrin (Lady Chatterley's Lover), David Harewood, Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton), Clémence Poésy, Dominic West and David Oyelowo.

Ten Percent Season Two Release Date

Created by John Morton, Ten Percent season one has just dropped there is no announcement yet about a renewal.

The good news is that there are three seasons in the French version so if it follows the same path then the English language remake should have plenty more storylines to flesh out.

Ten Percent UK Cast

Aside from the guest celebrity clients, Ten Percent has a core cast of brilliantly talented actors who bring the show to life.

They are…

Jack Davenport as Jonathan Nightingale, son of agency founder Richard. He is also the father of Misha.

Lydia Leonard as Rebecca Fox, a passionate agent who is emotionally withdrawn in her personal life.

Maggie Steed (Fisherman's Friends) as Stella Hart, a warm but stern agent who has been around since the start.

Prasanna Puwanarajah (Doctor Foster) as Dan Bala, a bumbling agent who takes on receptionist Zoe as a client after seeing her play.

Hiftu Quasem as Misha Virani, a young Scottish woman who decides to follow her absent father and grandfather's career as a talent agent.

Fola Evans-Akingbola as Zoe Spencer, an aspiring actress and the receptionist of Nightingale Hart, who dates Dan.

Rebecca Humphries as Julia Fincham, Jonathan's assistant who has had a long crush on him.

Harry Trevaldwyn (The Bubble) as Ollie Rogers, Dan's capable and fanatical assistant who develops a quick friendship with Misha.

Eléonore Arnaud as Margaux Martorana, a French journalist and war correspondent who sells the film rights to her book to Rebecca.

Edward Bluemel as Luke Nightingale, Jonathan's son and aspiring screenwriter.

Tim McInnerny as Simon Gould, an old friend of Richard and Stella who has been an unsuccessful actor from the agency's start.