Jim North

This new Radio 4 sitcom is written by and stars Dave Lamb, who is most famous for doing the voice overs for Come Dine With Me, as agoraphobic conspiracy theorist Dave Railings - presumably Lamb did not want to bother having to act someone with a different name.

In this first episode, Dave's younger brother Jim (Jim North - again another person who seems unwilling to playing someone with a different name) makes friends with an Asian Geordie newsagent Hannan (Jess Robinson) and decorates a birthday cake for her son Alan (named after Shearer). However, Dave becomes convinced that the cake is actually a bomb planted by the Americans to kill masses of people to lessen the damage caused be peak oil.

Much of the humour is of the cringing sort. For example, when Jim learns that Hannan's husband is, "no longer with us", Jim exclaims with joy. Dave later asks young Alan is his father, "died with a... kaboooooom?"

The ideas that spring from this show are rather off the wall but nonetheless interesting ones. For example, in next week's episode Dave's post arrives on time, leading him to think his normal postman has been kidnapped by an alien.

However, nothing seems to be hugely laugh-out-loud, as was evidenced by the lack of belly laughs from the studio audience at the recording. Interesting, isn't it, that a sitcom broadcast at 11pm feels the need for a laughter track, whereas the CBBC sketch show Sorry, I've Got No Head which goes out at 5pm doesn't see the need for one (see last week's TV review)?

Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 30th May 2011