[1] It was created by Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp, and stars Arabella Weir, Alex Norton, Doon Mackichan, Jonathan Watson and Elaine C. Smith as neighbours in a suburban street in Scotland.

[20] Beth is often taken advantage of by her neighbours, in particular Colin and Cathy Whyte two doors down - frequently having to make tea, pour drinks and prepare food, while the remaining characters chat in the living room.

Much of the comedy revolves around the Whytes' game of one-upmanship over the Bairds, with both Colin and Cathy rarely passing any opportunity to boast about their affluent lifestyle to Eric and Beth.

[10] Doon Mackichan and her character Cathy no longer appears; she "has left [Colin] and now lives abroad", with plots for the series centring around the fact he "can't help oversharing personal details" about it.

[56][57] In episodes shot after the COVID-19 pandemic, Elaine C. Smith said that her weight loss during the lockdowns meant that for her role as Christine she now had to wear "a fat suit and a wig with no eyebrows".

[68] Critical reaction to the 2020 special was overwhelmingly positive, with The Telegraph's Anita Singh calling it "one of the unsung gems of the festive season", saying it "takes a well-worn scenario ... and gives it some bite",[69] and The Guardian's Rebecca Nicholson lauding praise on the cast, while noting that "for those of us missing family gatherings this year, this is an accurate re-enactment of some of its most awkward corners".

Benji Wilson from The Telegraph, in a two-star review, claimed "[t]he storylines are so formulaic you're left wondering if this or that plot has already happened in the same episode, let alone in some other sitcom," but opined "[w]hat saves [the show] from the realms of utter dreck is the performances, which are the definition of making the best of a bad situation".

[71] The i's Ed Power awarded four stars, admitting the episode "coasted along on a script that was gently droll rather than madly hilarious" yet "care was taken not to look down on the characters or suggest suburban life was some sort of beige hell,"[72] while, in a three-star review, The Times's Carol Midgley considered it "wasn't the funniest episode [she had] seen, but the writing is always tight and sharp" with "spot-on observations about the banal truths of normal life" and singled out Doon Mackichan and Elaine C. Smith as "consistently the funniest performers".

Benji Wilson, in a two-star review for The Telegraph, saying "Doon Mackichan was the funniest thing in Two Doors Down" and that "without her it lagged horribly", also opining that it would be "fine to remove her for a single episode in which her absence remains the main story, but for the balance of the show – for the jokes, frankly – she needs replacing, fast.

"[76] Gerald Gilbert's three-star review for the i was less critical, and approved of Cathy's removal, stating that the character "regularly dominated a comedy that works better on more understated rhythms".

Gilbert went on to praise the writing, saying a strength of it was that "it touches on the uncomfortable truth that many of us barely tolerate our supposed friends and neighbours", and "the gags are generally well-worked ... and expertly delivered".

[77] Alison Rowat, in The Herald, awarded the episode four stars, commenting that "[w]hen it comes to verbal riffs, writers Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp continue to be the closest thing Scotland has to Victoria Wood", and that a "superb cast take care of the rest", concluding that the show "is going to be just fine without ... what was her name again?