BCG Daily Friday 5th September 2014

Radio Times review

It's Joyce's retirement party, but she's not happy, largely because she doesn't want to retire and, besides, she wanted a do at a nice country house hotel where someone else would do the work. All she's getting from her lumpen husband Alan (the splendid Philip Jackson) is cava (no champagne), a patio heater and heavy-duty plastic sheeting.

As the curmudgeons gather for the festivities they are joined by a ghastly new neighbour and her spoiled, home-educated, precious kids. The humour is broad as it is obvious - for instance, gags about cocktail sausages and Norwich, which is supposed to be intrinsically funny- but Boomers and its stalwart cast of top-of-their-game actors sail through it all without even touching the sides.

Radio Times review

Mr Church and Mr Gunn are locked in their ridiculous competition to win the affections of needy, passive-aggressive school siren Miss Postern. It's her birthday but no one cares, apart from the frenzied Church.

As the second series of David Walliams's school-set sitcom hits its stride, there are more daft gags, but Big School manages not to be sent for detention because of the great cast - Philip Glenister, Catherine Tate, Walliams himself - who throw everything into it.

Some of the jokes go on too long, including a laboured bit of business involving a hunky, blind new geography teacher, and the whole thing is often breathtakingly coarse (a running joke about gay sex, for instance). But Frances de la Tour as the lubricious head steals every scene and it's always good to see Steve Speirs doing his mournful Welsh thing, here as the useless caretaker.

Jim Rosenthal commentates on son Tom's comedy Plebs

The sports presenter is joined by Simon Callow, James Fleet and Friday Night Dinners' Paul Ritter on series two of the ITV2 sitcom.

Pictures: Sacha Baron Cohen 'arrested' in Grimsby movie

Joined by co-star Mark Strong, 51, the pair were seen attempting to resist arrest as a group of security members tried to drag them out of the football stadium.

Tim Vine interview

King of the one-liner Tim Vine talks Edinburgh Fringe, playing darts and finding comic inspiration.

Cuckoo - Ken at Work episode review

Cuckoo has finally gotten its groove back. I just hope that next week's finale is just a strong, so that we can go out on a high.