There was an interesting Facebook exchange about Mum recently. Some were saying that the only ‘real’ character in it was Lesley Manville’s long-suffering widow Cathy. Some were saying that others... more
Reviews
Henning Wehn has made a bit of a name for himself as a wry, deadpan observer of British behaviour in his live shows so it made sense for him to present this light-hearted look at his adopted country... more
It’s always good to see Steve Coogan slip back into the Alan Partridge saddle. The character is so well-formed he works in anything from long-form movies to quick-hit online shorts. This time round... more
What do you want from a comedy play? a) a good laugh or b) the meaning of life? The Joke has had mixed reviews, but having just caught up with it this feels that it is because it falls down on b... more
I’m not enough of a Shakespeare scholar to vouch for the accuracy of Ben Elton’s historical sitcom, but as a comedy geek I can at least confirm that it is funnier than his last effort, The Wright Way... more
Yes, it's a bit of a conveyor belt of comedy. Yes, it feels like a stand-up sausage machine at times. But there is no denying that Channel 4's annual Comedy Gala at the O2 Arena does pull together a... more
It’s part three and we’ve reached May in this acutely tragi-funny look at a year in the life of widow Cathy (Lesley Manville). The weather is warming up and so is the romantic heat between Cathy and... more
There was a bit of chat on Twitter recently about how Upstart Crow is a refreshing real sitcom, contrasting it with the trend for non-sidesplitting studio comedies, which I guess means things like... more
I know the second episode went out a few days ago but I just wanted to flag up this new BBC2 sitcom again. It is so subtle and unassuming it risks getting lost between loads of other noisier, more... more
I watched the first episode of Maria Bamford’s new sitcom Lady Dynamite over the weekend when I was bedridden with flu. I assumed I was delirious. In the space of around 30 minutes I watched... more
