Anna Lowman

If this all has a (rather worrying) air of authenticity, that'd be because the show is written by people who've been there, done that. If you think about it, though, this is actually quite a brave commission by the BBC - they're saying that this is what it's really like... wouldn't they rather have us think the journalists we see on TV actually know what they're talking about?!

In any case, it's a generally a fun show. Filmed on location, it looks wonderful, and Mackichan and Jarvis are hugely watchable. The broad humour brought in through the almost ceaseless bowel movements of one member of the team, though, seems out of kilter with the programme - this isn't as intellectual as it might sound, and in fact a lot of the characters are quite cartoonish, but still, that doesn't quite fit. I'm also not sure why it was decided this should be an hour, but overall, it's a nice idea, well performed, and with some neat one-liners. Worth sticking with, in other words.

TV Review: Comedy Songs - The Pop Years

I love a comedy song - a much maligned genre that in fact takes a hell of lot of talent to get right - but could this documentary really offer enough interesting material to fill a marathon ninety minutes?

TM&WL Series Three Review

I am yet to find a single preview of That Mitchell and Webb Look that does not read something along the lines of 'well, it's no Peep Show, but it's alright I guess...'. People have something against this sketch show and I can't really work out why. Would the opening episode of the third series give my fellow telly critics more to praise - or more to support another 'meh' review?

TV Review: Mumbai Calling

The cleverer lines were all so throwaway you barely noticed them, meaning you were left with the broader, much worse comedy being dominant.

Back To Earth Part 2 Review

Some of you may have even given up, and watched Britain's Got Talent instead of last night's episode - but that would have been a shame. Because there were green shoots, ladies and gentlemen, the green shoots of improvement...

TV Review: The Inbetweeners

While this comedy is crude, and the pursuit of girls is often at the centre of the action, it works because, despite all that, you can sense that its heart is truly in the right place - Coming Of Age it ain't, in fact its closest relative is probably Peep Show.

Horne & Corden Review

I tried, really I did. I like the guys and some of the vitriol that has been flung their way recently has been over the top to say the least. However, the fact is that a lot of the sketches in their BBC Three show are underworked and overlong.

TV Review: Brave Young Men

I really rather liked it. The plot, such as it is, is paper thin - they're trying to stop some beer getting contaminated sometime in the future by a deadly disease... and that's it - but the enjoyment here comes from some delightful writing ("If you can time travel, how can you be late?" "He's starting to sound like my wife!").

TV Review: Genius, BBC Two, Friday 20 March, 10pm

This isn't groundbreaking TV - if anything it felt slightly '90s in its Room 101-ness - and the unnecessarily huge studio gave an strange atmosphere to proceedings at times. But it is a big-hearted, fun celebration of oddness which is no bad thing. And I've a feeling that the bit where they read 'rejected' ideas might become a highlight of each episode. Which reminds me - just what is 'bicurious potholing'...?

TV Scoop Review

This isn't groundbreaking TV - if anything it felt slightly '90s in its Room 101-ness - and the unnecessarily huge studio gave an strange atmosphere to proceedings at times. But it is a big-hearted, fun celebration of oddness which is no bad thing.