Yes this is similar I suppose to Curb and Lead Balloon in that it's 'biographical' but surely both David and Dee were much better established than Amstall is? I just think he and the BBC have been premature in coming out with a mainstream channel peaktime biocom, it isn't BBC 3 or 4 it's on. And I'm sure much of the cool response to this show is down to Amstall not having mass appeal, ie. he is an acquired taste.
My opinion of him personally has actually gone up a lot, watching this, but as a writer-performer, comedian, I'm afraid it's gone down (He's much better suited to panel shows and presenting). Simon, that's the risk you take, putting sitcoms out, I know of no other genre of TV which the public is so obsessively fussy about, sitcoms will either get worshipped, ignored, or hated. GH is firmly in the latter bracket for this viewer.