Harry Enfield

Ruddy Hell! It's Harry and Paul Review

A bibulous and joyful reunion of witty chums, and more power to its elbow. Mine's another, if you're going to the bar.

However, we shouldn't be too churlish about Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show. The fact that Sky One are now originating a fair amount of original material is something to be celebrated. It is a shame, of course, that with Enfield we're getting more of the same.

Harry Enfield played Norman and a wide circle of candid colleagues. [...] This was Craig Brown's debut and good fun too, if a little out of date. Labour are already shaping up nicely for a show of their own.

The Fast Show has its feet in Dick Emery, its brain in Monty Python, its groin in Benny Hill, and its heart in Viz, and the result is a monster of a show. The performances are excellent (John Thomson and Robin Driscoll are a particular joy), Arch Dyson's direction is superb and, while I ration myself to one use of the word "genius" each alternate blue moon, I believe Paul Whitehouse may be touched by it (and, by a simple process of elimination, we're getting some idea of how much Harry Enfield owes to him).

Calf shone when he first appeared on The Saturday Zoo (admittedly that wasn't hard - even Pickety Witch would have brought the house down on that show) but, unlike Harry Enfield's characters - which are often amusing on their first outing, but seldom evolve - Calf proved that Coogan's creations are alive, and capable of interaction and development.

Among the percussion are sketches of such quiet charm they make you nervous. Miles Chomondley-Warner (Jon Glover), like a llama surprised in its bath, with his flickering forties programme Look At It This Way! and Tim Nice-But-Dim, who has an eerie resemblance to some young royal you can't quite place.