Lolly Adefope

I'm becoming immensely taken by the performance of Lolly Adefope as the infuriating, virtue-signalling trainee Mimi in this series of Damned, the latest of which was bumped over till next week in order to rush in a Hawking tribute. (I assume the Beeb is holding its Jim Bowen tribute back for a more considered approach.) Mimi has turned the taking of offence into an art form, schooled in all the right phrases yet able to boast zero experience of life, and could so easily have been a stereotype; Adefope manages, against high odds, to imbue her with a smidgen of self-aware humanity. Damned must be damned difficult to write, having to tread hair-trigger lines between so many sensitivities. To carry it off, and to make it funny, is a ridiculous success.

Jo Brand's Damned is back on our screens; a sitcom whose first series I watched but struggle to remember any memorable moments. Brand writes the show alongside co-star Morwenna Banks and The Thick of It's Will Smith whilst also starring as Rose; the hapless social worker who spends most of the episode dealing with a shoe soiled by her family's new puppy. This week's episode was based on a tip-off the team the received which saw Al (Alan Davies) investigate the case of a sex-worker who was seeing clients whilst her two children were in the house. Rose and Al believed her children were truanting although the investigation later revealed that Elena was working to put her kids through private school. This story was an involving one, especially the conclusion which saw Elena's children taken from her despite Al's belief that she was a good mother. However, it didn't fit in with an episode which also saw Rose dealing with dog faeces on her shoe and the newly-promoted Martin (Kevin Eldon) making vegan fudge for his colleagues which was predictably inedible. Unlike her previous caring-focused comedy Getting On, Brand struggles to incorporate the gags in Damned with the darker elements of the plot such as the investigation into Elena and her children. I think this is because the jokes are more obvious in Damned and it's almost as if Brand, Smith and Banks feel that they have to create lowest common denominator humour for the Channel 4 audience. This is a shame as Damned is a sitcom that I want to succeed as I like everyone involved and the subject matter is one that I'm interested in. Damned's best moment are the sequences where we hear the calls that the team at Elm Heath Children Services field on a daily basis. Meanwhile, the introduction of social work student Mimi (Lolly Adefope) provides another authentic subplot as Brand and company are able to demonstrate the disparity between her studies and the reality of children's services. The pursuit of Mimi by the office's oddball Nitin (Himesh Patel) also provides some humorous moments as he attempts to persuade boss Denise (Georgie Glen) then he should be Mimi's mentor, a plea that falls on deaf ears. Overall, the first episode of Damned's second series had its moments but I found that the obvious gags didn't gel with the darker nature of the central storyline. However, I'm going to keep watching as it's a comedy that never outstays its welcome and features likeable characters played by an ensemble cast of actors who I really like.

TV review, Damned, C4

Are sexual abuse and sex trafficking suitable subjects for comedy? My gut instinct would say no but the first episode of the second series of social worker comedy Damned somehow managed to incorporate these subjects and make serious points along with succesful jokes. The writers - Jo Brand, Morwenna Banks and Will Smith - and the cast - deserve full credit for going where few programmes fear to tread. Imagine Ken Loach collaborating with Ricky Gervais.

Damned, Channel 4, review

Jo Brand and Alan Davies create tragi-comedy at its best.

Damned: this gentle comedy is a rare gem

Damned is a rare achievement: noble in his depiction of human weakness, soaringly ambitious while trapped in humdrum surroundings, and deeply empathic in prising laughs from desperate circumstances.

TV review: The Pact, BBC2

This final BBC Two pilot has success written over it. The stars are Him & Her's Sarah Solemani and sexy, brooding Brett Goldstein as two schoolfriends who make a deal aged 15 that if they are single at 35 they will get together. After the teenage opening we flash forward to the present day. Surely getting a decent romcom out of this basic plot should be a doddle. Apparently not.

The Pact preview

There are probably funnier shows in this year's batch of BBC comedy pilots, but few as watchable as this.

Lolly Adefope at Latitude 2017

She'd make a hugely effective diversity trainer herself, should the hilarious, perfectly-observed, offbeat and socially-aware character comedy not work out for her. But judging from the reaction of Latitude, it will.