Julia McKenzie (II)

Event report: Who will save the sitcom?

Is the sitcom in crisis and, if so, how can we rescue it? That was the question posed at a WGGB panel event on 22 May 2017 at London's Museum of Comedy.

To me Gangsta Granny was no different to Mr Stink, as the plot once again concerned a young protagonist who simply didn't fit in with the rest of their family.

Of all of the programmes that have been on during the festive season, Gangsta Granny is the only one that I can envision the entire family settling down to watch together.

Incredibly funny in places, especially when focusing on Ben's parents, at its heart Gangsta Granny was a simple story about the bond between a boy and his grandmother. The abiding message of Gangsta Granny was that youngsters shouldn't see their grandparents as boring because, just like them, they were also young once.

Gangsta Granny also benefited from a number of great performances, most notably from young Reece Buttery as the incredibly expressive Ben and by Julia McKenzie who was terrific as the pensioner with a massive secret. The costumes added an extra element of comedy to proceedings while Matt Lipsey's direction was superb. By the time Gangsta Granny had come to an end I had laughed, cried and finished up with a big smile on my face and that's all I really ask for from a programme such as this.

David Walliams's 2011 children's book, his fourth, has sold more than 430,000 copies, which means there are at least that many imagined versions out there of Ben's adventures with his surprisingly acquisitive grandmother. The team behind last year's Walliams adaptation, Mr Stink, now turn their attention to Gangsta Granny, with Julia McKenzie as the titular lawbreaker.

Schoolboy Ben (Reece Buttery) is bored rigid by the soup 'n' Scrabble regime at Granny's house until she reveals that she was once an international jewel thief. Like many career criminals, she's haunted by the audacious heist she never pulled off, and together Ben and his grandma - aka the Black Cat - decide to complete it.

A child's-view of adult quirks is part of what makes David Walliams's stories special, and he appears here as Ben's dad, with Miranda Hart as Ben's mum. Obsessed with Strictly Come Dancing, they're the ultimate source of mortification for any 11-year-old.

David Walliams stars in this likeable adaptation of his best-selling kids' book about Ben (Reece Buttery), a neglected, plumbing-mad boy, and his seemingly boring gran (the brilliant Julia McKenzie) who's not what she seems.

Ben's selfish, ballroom-dancing-crazed parents, played as hideous comic creations by Walliams and a glammed-up Miranda Hart, drop Ben off at his gran's every weekend, where he's subjected to cabbage soup, painful silences and endless rounds of scrabble. At breaking point, he discovers valuables in her biscuit tin and forces her to confess her sideline as an international jewel thief. Their shared secret leads to an ambitious heist, but hot on the tail of gran's mobility scooter is nosy neighbour Mr Parker.

Although it takes a while to warm up, there are moments of real humour, especially in the hospital breakout and ballroom scenes. Expect to see more Robbie Williams on our screens too - he holds his own rather well as the faux-Italian Flavio. It's a slight story with a big heart, and it's surprisingly poignant when the Queen (Joanna Lumley - who else?) makes a plea for the young to respect the old.

Al Murray, Tim Key and lots of rum

Producer Julia McKenzie gives us a behind the scenes look at recording Alex Horne Presents The Horne Section: Edinburgh Special - listen to the programme on Sunday at 19.15.