Hugh Bonneville

Radio Times review

The trailer for the new film about Paddington, the duffel-coat-wearing bear from darkest Peru with a love of marmalade sandwiches, has already irked purists who fear Michael Bond's much-loved children's book character has been "Harry Pottered".

But the film's starry cast have no such worries, and three of them - Nicole Kidman, Julie Walters and Hugh Bonneville - cosy up on Graham Norton's sofa tonight to explain why they were keen to take part and how they believe "the spirit of the books has been preserved, while embracing some of the issues of the present day". Quite how a villainous Cruella de Vil-style taxidermist who wants the bear to be stuffed and mounted fits into that description remains to be seen. There's also music from Take That, who've slimmed down to a three-piece.

Some may have been put off by what could be perceived as media in-jokes, but the follow-up to Olympic committee mockumentary Twenty Twelve was as sharply satirical as its predecessor, resurrecting the grotesque PR Siobhan (Jessica Hynes) and baffled "head of values" Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville) and transplanting them to the BBC. In poking fun at ridiculous bureaucratic tangles, W1A found a quietly subversive voice. Plus, it made it impossible to take a folding bike seriously ever again.

Radio Times review

It's barely begun, and it's all over. Four measly episodes! Well, four quietly brilliant episodes, full of flim-flam and farce and staccato dialogue, but really, it's not enough.

The tone sails closer to comedy drama as some real feeling creeps in, both for dozy intern Will ("Yeah, cool, yeah, no worries..."), who may be my favourite character, and executive punchbag Ian (Hugh Bonneville). The latter's salary scandal is all over the papers, though another minor controversy, involving a Newsnight presenter in a short skirt, provides distraction on Twitter (#kneesnight).

Luckily, as we keep hearing, "Tony's pretty perky about this", but can Ian make it up to his one-time admirer Sally, last seen in Twenty Twelve? A cameo from Olivia Colman brings the answer.

Traditional as its set-up may seem, in practice, Rev. manages to maintain a light level of satire alongside its gentle comedy. Tonight, with St Saviour's under financial scrutiny, Adam is forced to attend a course with the self-important Roland (Hugh Bonneville) about how to rescue his parish. As if he needed the extra drama, he also seems to have agreed to perform a gay marriage, more or less, for his friends Rob and Jeremy. The lightly delivered sermon being: you can't always do what people expect of you.

Radio Times review

An approach from Archdeacon Robert is like being addressed by an urbane python, but the black-gloved cleric has a sensitive side. Yes, he delivers another dire warning to vicar Adam Smallbone about St Saviour's lack of funds. (Hugh Bonneville is back briefly as Roland Wise, the Dale Carnegie-like motivational cleric.) But when rumour spreads that Adam has conducted a gay wedding, maybe the Archdeacon (Simon McBurney) will exercise a little understanding.

With same-sex weddings now legal it's a timely story handled with humour (of course), compassion and without preachiness. Adam (Tom Hollander) is torn when two friends want a [forbidden] church ceremony. He agrees to say prayers for their union as long as there are no rings, confetti or any walking down the aisle...

There's a ripped-from-the-headlines quality about tonight's episode. Same-sex marriages became legal in England and Wales on Saturday, but the Church of England has stipulated that it won't be carrying them out, although it will stretch to prayers for newlywed couples.

And tonight, we see the dilemma that could typically pose for vicars when two gay friends of Adam's announce that they're getting married and want him to do the honours ("No confetti!"). St Saviours has never seen such a turnout, but Archdeacon Robert (the fabulous Simon McBurney) doesn't reckon this is any cause to celebrate. He does, however, have some good advice for Adam who wants to take his wife Alex (Olivia Colman) on a mini-break. He says, mystifyingly: "You can always tell a good pub hotel by whether the bedrooms have got logs in them."

And you can always tell a good non-wedding by the hangovers the next day. A drunken Alex, who is working her way through the Smallbones' drinks cabinet, is a real highlight.

And so is Hugh Bonneville, who pops in again as Roland, the media-friendly cleric who's now running training courses to save churches all over the world.

The teaming of Fletcher and Sharpe was one of Twenty Twelve's greatest assets due to the fact that they are incredibly mismatched. Although W1A doesn't have quite the spark that Twenty Twelve possessed it still rings true due to its fantastically accurate script. Once again Hugh Bonneville's Fletcher is our baffled guide to a world of shared working space and company jargon that he struggles to understand.

I believe that Siobhan Sharpe is one of the greatest comedy creations of the last decade, partly due to the delightfully zany performance from Jessica Hynes. Some of my new favourite characters in W1A include Monica Dolan's Welsh Communications Officer Tracey Prichard and Hugh Skinner's befuddled intern Will.

The fact W1A has already had some quite big names in cameo roles means that it's definitely a sitcom that BBC is passionate about promoting. I just hope it finds an audience as, judging by the first two episodes, this is a genuinely funny series that shows that the BBC does have a sense of humour about itself.

Tonight Jessica Hynes plays glorious havoc with the future of the BBC as PR consultant Siobhan snares head of values Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville) on a fast train to Manchester.

He's on a damage-limitation exercise but Siobhan is on a cyber trip to hashtag mash-up city in a bid to launch 'Brand Fletcher' to the tweeting masses.

Back in London, events have set the lovely Carol Vorderman on a collision course with the lovely Clare Balding. Could get messy.

If you were disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Jessica Hynes's character [Siobhan Sharpe in last week's opening episode, tonight's blisteringly farcical instalment more than makes up for it.

The BBC's new Head Of Values, Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville), and Tracey "I'm-not-being-funny-or-anything," Pritchard (Monica Dolan), are on the train to Salford where Ian is going to be interviewed by Jenni Murray on Woman's Hour about the BBC's alleged "institutional anti-West-Country bias".

It's a golden opportunity for him to change the subject by announcing that Carol Vorderman will be joining Alan Titchmarsh to co-present a new series called Britain's Tastiest Village.

Until, that is, Siobhan starts tweeting incessantly on Ian's behalf.

Meanwhile, Clare Balding is on her way to New Broadcasting House because she thinks that SHE is presenting Britain's Tastiest Village.

A perfect storm of a PR disaster is brewing and Siobhan Sharpe is the lunatic steering the boat straight into the middle of it.

Radio Times review

The cha-cha-cha theme music from Animal Magic they use over the opening titles of W1A will hang around in your head for days if you're not careful, and so will some of its cruelly funny scenes.

Last time, buzzword bunny Siobhan "Totally" Sharpe (Jessica Hynes) barely got a look in. Here she's centre stage as she muscles in on Ian's trip to appear on Woman's Hour in Salford. "Let's ride this train, let's nail this puppy to the floor!" she drones, while launching a Twitter campaign that races out of control ("We've just been re-tweeted by Enrique Iglesias!")

Ian (Hugh Bonneville) is trying to scotch the idea that the BBC has an institutional bias against the West Country (and that it's institutionally sexist and ageist), but his encounter with Jenni Murray slides steadily into farce.

Meanwhile, back in London, there's a crisis meeting over the double-booking of Carol Vorderman and Clare Balding to present Britain's Tastiest Village. Step forward dim intern Will ("Yah, cool") to save the day.