Doon Mackichan

Plebs is a bit like the spawn of The Inbetweeners and Up Pompeii, but set in ancient Rome to a soundtrack of ska classics, presumably for added anachronism. Friday Night Dinner's Tom Rosenthal is neurotic, uptight Marcus, Trollied's Joel Fry plays dufus Stylax, and Ryan Sampson is their dull-witted Manc slave Grumio, while Doon Mackichan adds class as the boys' ruthless boss Flavia. The first instalment finds them trading their grocery budget for orgy tickets, while Danny Dyer, of all people, turns up as gladiator Cassius in episode two.

More Horrible Histories than Up Pompeii!, this tunic-and-sandals sitcom pitches 21st-century sensibilities into the streets of Ancient Rome for a forum full of fun with ordinary blokes Marcus and Stylax, a pair serviced by grumbling slave Grumio. In the double-episode opener, Tom Rosenthal's Marcus - think The Inbetweeners' Will - is throwing himself at glamorous new neighbour Cynthia (Sophie Colquhoun), while Ryan Sampson's Grumio (Baldrick, by any other name) is in a grump over dog poo. Add in Doon Mackichan as whip-cracking boss Flavia, whose idea of disciplining her workforce is inviting herself along to an orgy, and it's a saucy dollop of fun.

Although this sitcom has never quite managed to be as good as the sum of its parts, it's been easy enough to watch.

And in the last episode tonight, it's a mini Smack The Pony reunion as we finally meet Tom's ex-wife, who is played by one of Sarah Alexander's former cast mates, Doon Mackichan.

Not only does the former Mrs Tom Marshall have an ability to get up people's noses (a bit like her annoying daughter), she also turns out to have the skills of a cat burglar as she manages to enter a house without actually being let in.

But before all that, Gemma (Alexander) has to cope with another unwelcome house guest - ex-husband Jason (Neil Morrissey), who has been kipping on her sofa since splitting up with Inca.

While assisting Jason with his love life, Gemma herself is still emotionally torn between soppy Tom (Nathaniel Parker) and toyboy Billy (Robert Sheehan) and as this is the final episode of the series, we should finally find out who she's going to choose.

Will she follow her head or her heart? Go for the yurt or the Scotch egg? Don't worry, that last sentence will make sense.

20 Questions with ... Doon Mackichan

Doon Mackichan stars alongside Tamsin Greig in April De Angelis' midlife crisis comedy Jumpy, which opens at the West End's Duke of York's Theatre tonight (28 August 2012, previews from 16 August).

Doon Mackichan interview

Doon Mackichan tells Nick Curtis about the painful years that have left her fearless and funnier than ever.

Doon Mackichan joins Tamsin Greig in 'Jumpy' play

Doon Mackichan will join Tamsin Greig in cast of April de Angelis' Jumpy which opens at the Royal Court on 19 October (previews from 13 October) and runs until 19 November 2011.

Carpool is a distinctly low-frills, ingeniously penny-pinching chat show, with its cut-price opening credits and host Robert Llewellyn picking up guests in his car and interviewing as he drives them around. This week, it's the turn of Tim Vine, king of the twitter gag, whose puns Llewellyn finds amusing to an alarming degree, and comedian Doon Mackichan, whose latest show draws for its entertainment on the subject matter of recent family events including her father's death, her divorce, and the grave illness of her young son.

My Edinburgh, Doon MacKichan, actress

In 1984, I slept on the floor of the ladies toilet in venue 333 with my university theatre group.

I have seen several episodes of Taking the Flak, the BBC's satire upon their own foreign correspondents, and it has yet to become embedded in my affections.

The characters are in a world in which grieving relatives and photogenic orphans are at a premium, shots to camera must be accompanied by just the right amount of hand wringing and two minutes on Newsnight fully justifies any and every act of misconduct during filming.

The BBC had enough faith in Taking the Flak to bankroll location shooting in Kenya, and they have been rewarded with a self-assured, amusing and original comedy with more than a whiff of authenticity about it. Plus any show with Doon Mackichan among the cast is, by definition, a very good thing.

However, the characters simply fail to engage, or even surprise. Perhaps we have seen too many television comedies recently about the wacky world of television, populated by jaundiced and manipulative self-serving cynics, to care any more.