"This is going to be funny when it's done," this 30-year-old comic promised.
Not surprisingly, depicting childhood experiences (six contributors) is the most common move, with two stories featuring adults exacting funny promises from kids: "never buy a German car" (Foer) and "If anyone ever invites you to Belgium, please promise me you won't go" (Vida).
"You're really doing it, you crazy motherfucker, ha!" "We made a funny promise... to be together on her 60th birthday".
Vibrant and needlingly funny, she promises to be a terrific foil to whoever gets the title role.
And yet, despite some decent gags and a plot line that spiralled nicely out of control, W1A was never quite as funny as it promised to be.
"It's a very funny episode," Rannells promised.
"It'll be both funny and sad," he promised.
Sure, Griffin is a successful, funny-enough comedian, and promised to take no prisoners in her role as host, yet zingers that once felt authentically Joan now feel like a constant attempt to mimic her.
"No funny business," he promises.
Similarly, the overlap between Van Gaal's fierce – and at times very funny – intellectual snobbery promises to be a gripping subplot.
