David Mitchell (I)

Preview - Upstart Crow

Ben Elton recently complained about critics being too harsh on sitcoms filmed in front of studio audiences. He may well have evidence to back his point, because in January 2017 readers of the British Comedy Guide voted his sitcom Upstart Crow the best new TV sitcom of last year.

The return of Ben Elton's Blackadder-style take on the travails of William Shakespeare with David Mitchell as the man himself. Actually, Blackadder this ain't by a long stretch, but it's likable and often clever in its satire of the bard's times. The cast is also excellent, featuring Mark Heap, Harry Enfield and Liza Tarbuck. Tonight, William invites a Prince Othello to dinner hoping to boost his claim for a coat of arms. Unintended romance ensues.

Back, which began on C4, can be read in a few ways. Back as in, David Mitchell and Robert Webb are back, together, hurrah: the Peep Show guys reunited, and playing quasi simulacra (the sober, moral but sarky one, and the smiley shallow one). Back - as in Stephen's dad, a pub landlord and inveterate foster father, has died, and the mourners suddenly include Andrew (Webb), who was fostered for about 10 minutes back in the lost 80s, and they will replay their memories of those days with wildly differing degrees of enthusiasm and accuracy. Back - as in, you can never really go there.

It's a triumph, in that writer Simon Blackwell looks to be embarking on a grown-up exploration of memory that manages to be in parts explosively funny, too. Mitchell's character (as ever) reveals himself as too clever to pull off real pathos: Webb's (as ever) as too misguided to garner real dislike. Painfully sharp but also oddly touching, if you let it.

David Mitchell: Shakespeare, a classic sitcom character

David Mitchell strikes comedy gold as the put-upon Will Shakespeare in a new series of BBC comedy Upstart Crow.

TV: Upstart Crow, BBC2

Ben Elton's eloquent defence of the mainstream sitcom last month was illuminating, fascinating and persuasive. And in a way maybe it could be seen by some as an incidental pre-emptive strike against critics who might have their hatchets sharpened for the new series of Upstart Crow, Elton's popular sitcom about Shakespeare's early years starring David Mitchell. If that is the case though Elton needn't worry. The only thing he has to live with here is critics trotting out the "not-as-good-as-Blackadder" line.

Who is the worst man on 'Peep Show' - Mark or Jez?

'Who's the worst character in Peep Show?' is a question with the power to divide nations. Unlike 'Who's the worst Friend?' (Ross) or 'Who's the most annoying person in The Big Bang Theory?' (all of them), it's a question with no obvious answer.

Back is laugh-out-loud funny - review

David Mitchell and Robert Webb are literally Back with a new dark comedy on Channel 4.

TV review: Back

David Mitchell and Robert Webb reunite for a new sitcom and, despite the echoes of Peep Show, it looks set to be a pin-sharp comic delight.

Back is a promising imposter comedy

David Mitchell could just stand there and pull a face - you know, that face - and I'd be happy.

David Mitchell interview

We took the actor and comedian aside and talked to him about, among other things, his conspicuous policy of not taking cocaine.