Joe Tucker (I)

Review: Witless, BBC Three

The third series of comedy thriller Witless has just come out on iPlayer in one big five-episode dollop. And if you think Leanne and Rhona are going to be able to go back to their boring, ordinary lives then you clearly haven't been paying attention. These two have about as much chance of avoiding scrapes as Eamonn Holmes has of winning the World Boxing Championships.

Witless is BBC Three's first brand new comedy since they made the move online. Just like BBC Three's other big comedy Cuckoo, Witless has a surprisingly old-fashioned premise for a show that's supposedly trying to attract the under-thirty crowd. The story sees mismatched flatmates straight-laced Rhona (Zoe Boyle) and the outrageous Leanne (Kerry Howard) forced into witness protection after seeing a gangland shooting first hand. The majority of the comedy is derived from the fact that Rhona was just about to move out from the flat that she and Leanne shared due to her not being able to stand her any more. So now she's forced to spend a lot more time with Leanne, doesn't sit well with Rhona neither does the fact that the flat they're given by the Witness Protection scheme is even more down market than the one they shared before. Whilst the Witness Protection situation couldn't have come at a worse time for Rhona, Leanne sees it as an opportunity to reinvent herself. Going off script almost instantly, she introduces herself with several different pseudonyms throughout the course of the episode and also tries to find romance with the mysterious Patrick (Samuel Anderson). Writers Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf make sure to the audience realise that there is a real threat on the girls' lives by introducing two young gangster characters who have been tasked with wiping them out. The final part of the opening episode sees Leanne save Rhona from being killed in a strip club and in the process the two finally realise that they can rely on each other. In my opinion Witless does have a lot going for it from an intriguing premise to the energy and enthusiasm of the two lead actresses. At the same time it is a little rough around the edges and I found that the two young hoodlums who are on Rhona and Leanne's tails have been written in quite a clichéd manner. On the upside Boyle and especially Howard seem to be having fun with the show and the pair share an awkward chemistry which lends itself well to the relationships their characters have. My personal highlights of the first episode were the Witness Protection self-help videos hosted by John Inverdale as they were perfectly pitched. If BBC Three are smart they'll post extra videos featuring Inverdale on their website as I do feel these may draw people to watch full episodes of Witless. Though it's far from perfect, Witless at least shows promise and even during the script's weaker moments I thought that Boyle and Howard's winning chemistry and enthusiasm was enough to see me through.

Audio: Joe Tucker & Lloyd Woolf interview

Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf are the co-writers and co-creators of Big Bad World on Comedy Central.

If the opening episode of Lloyd Woolf and Joe Tucker's family comedy doesn't exactly sparkle, it shows some promise and boasts a good cast. When Jenny Pope (Sally Phillips) is fired from her high-profile job for fighting with a colleague, the family home is repossessed, so Jenny, husband Nick (Darren Strange) and their two children have to move in with her parents, Len (Tom Conti) and Alma (Susie Blake) in Kettering. However, it seems that Len and Alma, although accommodating, are not so willing to give up their daily routine.

Sky1 has had a good run when it comes to comedy of late - the likes of Trollied, The Cafe and Stella have all been big hits for the channel, and now Parents is hoping to repeat that success. From the minds of writing newcomers Lloyd Woolf and Joe Tucker, the series stars Sally Phillips as a working mum forced to move back in with her parents when she loses her job. Tom Conti also stars in this gentle but amusing sitcom.