Elizabeth Berrington

Currently in the middle of its second series, Stella is a comedy drama starring and co-written by Ruth Jones. It certainly has a lot of support because a third series has been commissioned already.

Set in the fictional Welsh town of Pontyberry, Jones plays the title character, a woman in her mid-40s who is divorced and with three kids (like in Spy, divorcees appear to be a recurring theme in Sky comedy). Stella's eldest son is in prison, the middle child is a troublesome daughter and the youngest son is bullied for being too clever.

The series follows her life and those of her friends and neighbours, which include Paula (Elizabeth Berrington), an undertaker with a love of booze, and Alan (Steve Speirs) the school lollipop man - and rugby coach - who has loved Stella since school.

Again, another similarity with Spy was the good use of visual humour. There's one scene in which Paula tries to sober up by taking some flowers out of a glass vase and drinking the water that's inside. Then there are the neighbours across the road, who for some reason have a pet donkey.

The characters, however, are more likable than those in Spy. I love Alan's pathetic attempts to win over Stella's affections - like getting her a jar of anchovies. And while the drama can be a bit predictable, I do prefer Stella over Spy. It's more realistic, more likeable, and the created situations are just a lot more fun.

Sue Johnston stars as Eileen, the widowed matriarch of a riotous Birkenhead family in Michael Wynne's new six-part comedy drama. We first encountered the Lewises in Lapland, a 75-minute Christmas special which was screened in 2011, when the newly fatherless clan travelled to the Arctic Circle and Eileen learned to live life to the full. But back home, things aren't so rosy and now Eileen has vanished and her daughter, Paula (Elizabeth Berrington), fearing the worst, organises a family search party.

Ruth Jones's deftly written comedy rarely misses a beat. Tonight comic Paul Kaye makes an appearance as Peschman, a Dutch life coach who uses a unique form of therapy to help Stella (Jones) through her continuing troubles. Elsewhere, Paula (Elizabeth Berrington) thinks about turning her night away from home into a permanent arrangement, while the hapless Alan (Steve Speirs) learns that his big love - the rugby club - is closing down.

That's the trouble with having so many good characters in your multi-stranded ensemble comedy drama: what if part of the show ends up being worthy of its own series? Ruth Jones and her writers will be in that predicament if they keep coming up with such good scenes for Elizabeth Berrington as Paula, the randy, boozy undertaker who this week has to face the fact that her randy, dopey husband Dai is hopeless at the job. At the very least she needs to get someone else to apply make-up to the corpses.

Everything else seems monochrome in comparison, as Luke returns home and Alun's luck worsens still further when his attempt to raise money by flogging old tat ends up making a massive loss.

But there's a lovely subplot in which 13-year-old Ben tries to learn about the ladies, and a surprise in store.

Like another of Sky1's comedies, Starlings, Ruth Jones's series remains adept at observing the humour and hardships of life. As season two continues, Stella (Jones) has confessed to Sean (Kenny Doughty) about her night with her ex (Mark Lewis Jones) and not surprisingly he is planning to leave Pontyberry - but there is a twist in the tale. Her mood isn't improved when she hears that her eldest child, Luke (Craig Gallivan), has been deported from Canada, while undertaker Paula (Elizabeth Berrington) falls out with Dai (Owen Teale) because of his tendency to make-up the dead to "look like Joan Rivers".

Ruth Jones's series about the chaotic life of a divorcee in the Welsh valleys has always had a bit of steel beneath its joyful family dynamics and cosily eccentric characters. On the evidence of the opening episode of series two, there'll be more drama this year in the aftermath of the first run's cliffhanger: Stella (Jones) might not live happily ever after with her new man Sean, since the baby she's expecting might not be his, and her rekindled old flame, Rob, is inconveniently still around.

We're setting up the new storylines tonight but, in between, there are the usual bursts of bawdy comic relief, from Stella's heroically rude aunt, back from Tenerife and insulting everyone in Pontyberry, to dipsomaniac undertaker Paula (Elizabeth Berrington). Her husband Dai is more involved in the business now, but needs a lot of training. "Well, of course, they have to be dead first! It won't work otherwise, will it?"

It's a tribute to the strength of Ruth Jones's writing (and the on-screen class of old hands like Elizabeth Berrington and Owen Teale) that Stella - returning tonight for a second series - works as well as it does. In other hands, this relentlessly gentle comedy-drama would be intolerable. But Jones's obvious affection for her characters is counteracted by the occasional mischievous zinger, tonight mostly provided by Stella's Auntie Brenda in the time-honoured role of 'OAP who can say the unsayable'.

As we rejoin Stella in the Welsh valleys, we find her still confused over the identity of her imminent baby's father, and her extended family about to come home to roost. Elsewhere, Berrington and Teale are the pick of a solid supporting cast as Paula and Dai, their bedroom activities now compromised by Dai's new job at the funeral parlour.

Stella psyches herself up for her date with Sean but is terrified of him seeing her in the buff. Big Alan still thinks he's in with a chance and hopes to woo her at the rugby. Meanwhile, her brother Dai goes to pieces when the benefits office questions his disability payments, and a letter arrives from Canada with life-changing news for Luke. But the plot is mildly diverting background for Ruth Jones's performance and able support from Elizabeth Berrington and Owen Teale. If it was in any doubt, the show has second series written all over it.

You know the recession has really hit when undertakers start struggling. People just "aren't dying like they used to," moans Paula (Elizabeth Berrington), who is just perfect in her role.

Luckily for the alky funeral director, local rugby legend "Dick the Kick" decides to, er, "kick" the bucket and give ­business a boost. This is going to be the funeral of the century - and a good excuse to rehash some classic puns.

The eulogy is read by a familiar face, and as the seemingly sensible person starts with the double entendres, it has a feel of Have I Got News For You? about it (although it has been a while since he's been on the show. Perhaps time to get him back?!)

There are some other celebrity turns, although if you're anything like me and clueless about sport, you'll probably lots. Some get a name-check; most don't. See if you can spot all ten.

A bit of a break from Stella's troubles this week, as we focus more on her best friend, dipso/nympho undertaker Paula (the always brilliant Elizabeth Berrington). Her struggling business gets a lift when it's entrusted with the funeral of a local rugby legend: a touchline conversion gave the old boy the nickname "Dick the Kick". As all of Pontyberry rallies round to help Paula, an increasingly outrageous parade of celeb guests arrive to play themselves, and to join in with a slew of "Dick" puns. You'll never guess who's doing the eulogy.