John Thomson

Brian Pern - a knowing parody of the rock eulogy

Following the unofficial year of celebrity death that was 2016, another victim has been claimed by the great Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in the sky.

John Thomson discusses impact of depression storyline

Cold Feet star John Thomson has admitted that he didn't realise the impact his male depression storyline would have.

The host welcomes stars of the revived comedy-drama Cold Feet. Robert Bathurst and Hermione Norris are perhaps perceived as too posh for chatshows, so here we get James Nesbitt, Fay Ripley and John Thomson - the latter returning from the wilderness with some great performances. The avowedly un-laddish but also strangely unchallenging comedian Joe Lycett is also a guest, with Phil Collins providing music.

John Thomson: my depression helped me play Pete

The star of ITV's comedy drama explains why he likes the "darker side of things".

Old wives' tales have had a bad press down the years. If you drop a fork it means a man is coming to visit. A loaf, once cut, cannot be turned upside down. Brexit means an end to straight bananas (or, indeed, Brexit means Brexit). But just occasionally, the biddies get it right: Cold Feet, warm heart.

It washed back all over our screens, marred only by the kind of breathless media hype that might have embarrassed Adolf at Nuremberg, and reminded us of some oddly hopeful days back in '97, when Mr Blair had yet to settle on his cabinet and his chosen faces for sad and happy, let alone on his fascinating career path of millionaire war criminal. The theme tune had changed, sadly (few songs speak to our fin de siecle with the redolence of Space's Female of the Species), but the title typeface was still there in all its spiky, pulsing horror. It was as close as the British got to Friends, with gratifyingly less glucose: Manhattan would never have dared to kill off its Rachel.

And it was by far the finest reheating of leftovers in this season of retro-love. Always well written, treading that tightrope between emotion and sentimentality that Manchester somehow seems always to get right, unlike some of its more shouty neighbours, this return also simply reminded us of the quality of the original cast. Witness how many have since carved out singular successes, or in James Nesbitt's case, multiple, having proved himself one of the few actors - Olivia Colman's another, and recently, Tom Hollander - equally adept at smart comedy and at drama that truly punches the kidneys.

The action has obviously moved on to midlife crises, and we can expect much filthy angsting over John Thomson's all-too-believable depression and Robert Bathurst's equally credible lack of capacity for self-examination. There's been a snaring in Singapore by Adam (Nesbitt) of a new wife, who has nothing at all going for her except youth, beauty, wit, money, wisdom, empathy and humour, and who is obviously wrong for him. All Manc life is here, which is to say all life is here, and I am hooked, line and sinker, all over again.

They've apparently moved on in Cornwall too, from tin to copper. Damn your eyes, progress!

Cold Feet, ITV, review

Mike Bullen's drama tackles midlife as if it's never been away.

Cold Feet - revival favoured poignancy over nostalgia

It's been 13 years since Cold Feet's credits last rolled, during which time the thirtysomethings had turned into fiftysomethings. Their cute toddlers were now hormonal teenagers. Could the old magic be recaptured with this heavily hyped comeback? Largely, yes. Cue sighs of relief from fans who feared their memories would be tarnished (for many of us, the BBC's dreadful 10th anniversary of Nineties hit drama This Life still lingers).

Meet the cast of Cold Feet

And find out what persuaded our 50-something friends in the north to return...