David Walliams
- 53 years old
- English
- Actor, writer and author
Press clippings Page 24
Harry Enfield resists the urge to screech "Only me!" as he joins the high-concept sketch show built around a different special guest each week. With such a veteran on board, Walliams mostly cedes the spotlight as the pair romp through some scattershot spoofs, including a skewering of MasterChef that entertainingly reimagines Gregg Wallace as a petulant, fussy eater. The talented Morgana Robinson, meanwhile, does some brilliant work in the margins.
Graeme Virtue, The Guardian, 2nd December 2016I was lukewarm about this sketch show last week, but there's a definite improvement tonight as Walliams's "friend" and comedy partner this evening is Harry Enfield. In a silver wig and a nice pink dress, Harry Enfield plays the Queen who's amazed to learn she's descended from Queen Victoria in Who Does One Think One Is? "Who'd have thought it? Little old one related to royalty?" Walliams awkwardly explains who Victoria was and the Queen enquires, "Was she named after the pub in EastEnders?" No? "Ah. One sees...."
The pair also do a great sketch mocking Torode and Wallace from Masterchef. It makes for a vastly superior show, but maybe also a tiny bit of embarrassment for Walliams as he's totally outclassed by Enfield. If only we could have Harry back every week. However, I've peeked ahead to the third episode and it has someone equally as talented.
Julie McDowall, The National (Scotland), 2nd December 2016Preview - Walliams and Friend
The David Walliams comedy vehicle continues apace this week dragging Harry Enfield along for the ride.
Gareth Hargreaves, On The Box, 2nd December 2016Preview: Walliams & Friend with Harry Enfield, BBC1
After last week's edition in which David Walliams teamed up with youngish turk Jack Whitehall this week he teams up with oldish master Harry Enfield. And not surprisingly, given Enfield's sketch comedy pedigree the result is very good indeed and at some points positively brilliant.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 1st December 2016Walliams & Friend was presumably given a full series off the back of the seasonal goodwill (hic!) shown by viewers towards the pilot last Christmas Eve. Aside from the funnier of their two Sherlock skits there was little to stretch the talents of Walliams or his first friend Jack Whitehall in the opener on Friday night. In fact, some of the sketches were so lame it would be an insult to CBBC if I suggested they would have been turned down by CBBC.
It's a real shame. Walliams is one of the sharpest off-the-cuff comics out there. Sadly, when it comes to scripted sketch shows he's like a bald man on a windy day. Just stick the wig on and hope for the best.
Ian Hyland, The Mirror, 27th November 2016Walliams & Friend review
The problem for most of these sketches are so blandly decontextualised they could have been written any time in the past 40 years, and the punchlines tend to be feeble.
Jasper Rees, The Arts Desk, 26th November 2016David Walliams 'gets most pleasure' from writing
David Walliams has said writing children's books is "definitely the thing that gives me most pleasure".
BBC News, 25th November 2016David Walliams to launch The Nightly Show on ITV
David Walliams has been announced as the first host of The Nightly Show, ITV's ambitious new entertainment series for 2017.
British Comedy Guide, 25th November 2016How David Walliams recruited stars for his show
How David Walliams recruited Sheridan Smith, Jack Whitehall and Harry Enfield for his first sketch show since Little Britain.
Stephen Armstrong, Radio Times, 25th November 2016David Walliams and the rise of comedy infidelity
Gone are the days of inseparable pairs like Eric and Ernie ... by taking multiple partners in his new sketch show, Walliams proves that the future of laughs lies in speed-dating.
Mark Lawson, The Guardian, 25th November 2016