Brian Cox (II)

On BBC Four, there's a new series based on a comedy character who's already had success on radio...

If you've not seen Bob Servant, Independent, it's about a businessman from the Tayside coastal town of Broughty Ferry, who made his name after coming out victorious in the town's "Cheeseburger Wars". The story follows Bob's plans to stand in the local by-election as an independent candidate...

The opening episode started off well, but like Bob's campaign, it seemed to peter out towards the end. The best part of this episode saw Bob (Brian Cox) launch his campaign on local radio. During the interview and phone-in with the resident DJ (played by Greg McHugh), Bob manages to please one or two people with some on-the-spot ideas, but offends hundreds more in the process. His biggest 'controversy' comes with his plan to stop dog fouling in the local park by banning all dogs from it. If a dog does enter the park, he plans to shoot it. Bang.

There were some a few other highlights - like Bob's attempts to appeal to young voters at a primary school, but near the end - when he tries to sort out the mess he's caused - the show just seemed to fade.

Bob Servant Independent, BBC Four, review

You can't fault Brian Cox's performance as Servant. It's the script and supporting cast that are excruciatingly slow to the punch. What a horrible irony that after all those emails Bob's sitcom also turned out to be a dispiriting waste of time.

Brian Cox, interview for Bob Servant

BBC Four's new comedy Bob Servant Independent sees Scots actor Brian Cox return to his roots, says Ben Lawrence.

This crafty political comedy stars Brian Cox - the veteran actor, not the rock'n'roll physicist - who takes on the guise of Dundonian burger king Bob Servant. A bluff, opinionated entrepreneur, Servant is Victor Meldrew meets Malcolm Tucker and, following the sudden death of the MP for Broughty Ferry, he spots the chance to mould the world to suit his own ends by standing as a candidate in the by-election. But alienating Dundee's dog lovers is not the smartest electoral move.

Before you express disbelief at yet another TV vehicle for Brian Cox, this is Brian Cox the one-time Hannibal Lecktor. His character here is almost as antisocial: a burger baron and aspiring MP whose talent for self-promotion is matched only by his foot-in-mouth capabilities.

The first of a three-part series isn't troubled by subtlety, and Cox gives a full-blooded performance as "man of the people" Bob Servant.

Brian Cox plays 'Del Boy's Scottish cousin'

Veteran Hollywood actor Brian Cox has returned to work in his native Dundee for the first time in 50 years. He is playing the lead role in new BBC Four comedy Bob Servant, Independent.

It's always good to see BBC Four beginning one of their occasional forays into comedy: for our money, it doesn't happen often enough. Bob Servant has his origins in a Radio 4 show - this six-parter sees Brian Cox animating the abrasive Scottish cheeseburger magnate as he runs in the Broughty Ferry by-election. Bob's a rich and successful Alan Partridge, a Daily Mail blog commenter let loose in the real world, a man whose only real asset is his sheer shamelessness. In this opener, he launches his campaign with an appearance on a local radio phone-in. It's not an unequivocal success: Bob makes a series of rash promises and manages to alienate the dog owners of Broughty Ferry by appearing to threaten to shoot their pooches. A minor pleasure for now, but something tells us this will be worth persevering with.

Review: Bob Servant Independent, BBC Four

Brian Cox excels as Tayside's dodgy burger king in whimsical comedy.

First encountered on BBC Radio Scotland and then Radio 4, Neil Forsyth's creation, the deluded Bob Servant, graduates to television in a new comedy series. Servant made his name in Broughton Ferry's "cheeseburger wars", and here puts his hat into the ring as the independent candidate in the Scottish town's by-election; his poster campaign being: "You know him, he's OK". Veteran actor Brian Cox takes on the role of Servant - as he did on the radio - but despite his best efforts, the script does him few favours.

The creation of writer Neil Forsyth, Bob Servant is a character who has - through his email exchanges with internet spammers in Africa and Russia (he tells them, perplexingly, about the details of his life in Broughty Ferry, a Dundee suburb) - become a kind of Scottish national treasure, albeit a fictional one. This series, starring Brian Cox, attempts to bring this Pooter/Partridge-style creation to life on screen, and follows Bob as he campaigns to become an MP. Much like support for Bob, actual jokes are very thin on the ground.