Christine Bottomley

The End of the F***ing World: season one review

The End of The F***ing World captures the exact feeling of angst, anger, hurt and confusion of being utterly out of control in your own life.

Funny Cow review - Maxine Peake blazes

Peake is hypnotically belligerent as an ambitious club performer trampling over prejudice and sticky carpets on the 1970s comedy circuit.

Sweet and funny one minute, laboured and creaky the next - we're going to have to get used to Great Night Out's ups and downs. But at least the performances are consistently good, particularly Craig Parkinson as self-doubting Glyn, who this week has a birthday party and would love the beautiful Julie (Christine Bottomley - simultaneously playing a dodgy copper on Silent Witness) to be there.

Some people might simply ask her, but not Glyn. He goes the long route and, because she's a nurse, pretends he's having chest pains. Which, like everything in this series, goes horribly wrong for him, via a fear of clowns and some customised chili con carne.

Meanwhile, Beggsy's ex-wife Mandy (Lucy Gaskell) - the one who left him to go and live with a new man in Australia - is back in town. So obviously
he's playing it verrrry cool.

It takes a certain type of programme to tick all the right boxes when it comes to Sunday evening telly. Escapism is essential, as is plenty of pretty scenery and a good selection of likeable characters, but you also need a central storyline with at least a little substance.

And on early evidence this new comedy-drama, starring Alex Kingston, Sian Reeves, Christine Bottomley and Vinette Robinson, shows promise on pretty much every front.