Greg Davies (I)

Radio Times review

There's a chance to meet the man behind Citizen Khan, Adil Ray. And perhaps because Ray's professional life is spent permanently masked by fake facial hair, he selects "beards" as his first pet hate. His case against them is clearly flimsy, but slightly more convincing than his case against something central to our national culture: tomato ketchup. The audience is never on board for that one.

Elsewhere, in "the Great British Bellyache-Off", Greg Davies has a terrific rant about people who give their dogs very specific instructions ("...and the same can be applied, while I'm on the subject, to toddlers") before telling a story about dressing his dog in his dad's underpants.

Radio Times review

Radio Times Top 40 TV Shows of 2015, #30:

Rik Mayall's deranged dad character was one of the joys of Man Down's first series. How would it work without him? He left an unfillable hole, but Greg Davies skirted around it to deliver a second series as absurdly, tastelessly enjoyable as the first. Man-child Dan was if anything more oafish and disaster-prone, his misadventures more far-fetched, but now with the added peril of a mad aunt played by Stephanie Cole. Davies's scripts were never afraid to push daft ideas almost to breaking point, but he and a superb cast cartwheeled through the comic minefield.

The basic conceit of one-off comedy drama A Gert Lush Christmas was Meet the Parents as Howard's Dan introduced his girlfriend Lisa (Hannah Britland) to his oddball Bristolian family. They included his inappropriate mother Sue (Sophie Thompson), his foul-mouthed father Dave (Neil Morrissey), his drug-taking Uncle Tony (Greg Davies) and his excitable sister Julie (played by Russell's real life sister Kerry). The first twenty or so minutes of A Gert Lush Christmas pulled out almost every awkward family cliché including the womenfolk talking about marriage way too fast and later Dan and Lisa listening to his parents have sex. However, primarily due to the quality of the cast, these scenes were quite well presented and I found myself laughing several times. Where the piece fell down for me was the inevitable moment when Dan's family briefly caused he and Lisa's separation when Uncle Tony spiked his nephew's drink which somehow made him kiss one of his ex-girlfriends. The scenes in which Dan tried to win Lisa back were very weak indeed as was their eventual reconciliation which was framed around a child's magic trick. I do feel a lot of the blame for what went wrong aboutA Gert Lush Christmas can be attributed to Russell Howard's one-note performance as well as he and Williams' poorly paced script. It's quite evident that Howard can't act to save his life and throughout the hour I just felt I was watching the host of Good News visiting his eccentric family. Howard never once made Dan sympathetic and as a result I found myself feeling sorry for his rather sweet-natured if off-beat family. Although there were plus points, namely the turns given by Sophie Thompson and Kerry Howard, ultimately A Gert Lush Christmas fell flat for me which was a shame as it was one of this year's festive highlights that I was looking forward to the most.

Once upon a time in the West Country... in this festive one-off, gangly stand-up Russell Howard attempts to cut the acting mustard as put-upon everyguy Dan Colman, escorting his new girlfriend back home for Christmas to meet his wacky Bristolian family. With a stacked supporting cast - including Neil Morrissey as his fitness freak dad and Greg Davies as a party-hearty uncle - it's a carefully calibrated extension of the successful Howard brand, and even features his real-life sibling Kerry as Dan's glam younger sis, Julie.

Now every bit as much of a festive tradition as hangovers, DFS adverts and running out of milk the second all the shops close, Channel 4's holiday stalwart returns. In a year that saw such events as people arguing over The Dress, Taylor Swift biting chunks out of Apple or bewigged omnifarce Donald Trump being consistently terrible, there's certainly plenty to cover, so it's lucky that Rob Brydon, David Mitchell, Greg Davies and Jo Brand are on standby to cock their respective snooks at 2015's most mockable stories.

Radio Times review

If you don't know what the title means, "gert lush" is the highest form of praise a Bristolian can bestow on anything. So clearly expectations are high for Russell Howard's debut comedy drama (co-written with Steve Williams) that also features Neil Morrissey (dressed like "a pervert elf" as his fitness-obsessed dad), Greg Davies (as his party loving uncle), Steve Williams, Sophie Thomson (his inappropriately enthusiastic mum) and Howard's sister Kerry of Him and Her fame.

The premise is simple: Dan (Howard) introduces his girlfriend to his crazy West Country family over Christmas. Kerry has said the script is "just a massive love letter to our mum and dad". Which is a bit worrying.

Greg Davies on playing a Dr Who villain

Every Christmas needs a Grinch and this year, in the Doctor Who Christmas special, that job goes to Man Down and Inbetweeners star Greg Davies, who plays the "deluded, nine foot cyborg" King Hydroflax.

Matt Lucas and Greg Davies are in Dr Who Xmas special

Doctor Who fans will rolling in the halls laughing this Christmas, as two famous comedians join the show's festive episode. Greg Davies and Matt Lucas will join Peter Capaldi's Doctor, as he 'hides' from "Christmas Carols and Comedy Antlers".

Greg Davies takes a trip down memory lane

He only got into comedy at the age of 33, and TV star and stand-up comedian Greg Davies has an appetite to make up for lost time.