Louisa Lytton

ITV hit us with another new offering in the completely pointless Edge of Heaven. Set in the titular Margate B&B the show focused on the sprawling Taylor family headed up by matriarch Julie (Camille Coduri) the co-owner of the establishment alongside her chef husband Tandeep (Nitin Kundra). Julie's two adult children still live with her and while ex-army recruit Ann-Marie (Laura Checkley) is happy to stand about and make sarcastic comments, Alfie (Blake Harrison) is planning for the future. The future that Alfie envisions involves him settled down with would-be-wife Carly (Justine Cain) but, on the eve of her wedding, she begins to doubt her love for Alfie. It's incredibly clear that Alfie belongs with Carly's friend and colleague Michelle (Louisa Lytton), but at the same time it seems that we're going to have to wait six weeks for them to figure out they like each other. The Taylor clan also includes Julie's brother 'Bald' Gary (Adrian Scarborough) and his partner 'Camp' Gary (Robert Evans) who both love watching True Blood as well as Alfie's Nanny Mo (Marcia Warren) a foul-mouthed X-Box loving pensioner.

I do wonder why Edge of Heaven was created in the first place and who exactly its marketed towards. The extended brood aspect of the show makes me think that ITV wanted this to be their version of Modern Family, but what we get instead is a bunch of clichéd characters going through the motions. It's clear that writer Robert Evans has come from children's TV as all of the Taylor family feel like stereotypes and I just didn't believe in any of them. The B&B setting is equally unnecessary with only a couple of scenes devoted to the establishment's single guest. It's a shame that talented performers such as Coduri, Scarborough and Warren have wasted their time on appearing in this nonsense. Meanwhile Harrison continues to play the same character he did in both Big Bad World and Way to Go. Ultimately, Edge of Heaven will go down as another forgettable ITV drama that I'm sure will be demolished in the ratings once Jonathan Creek returns next week.

The Custard TV, 26th February 2014

It seems that ITV has noted with envy the success of some BBC sitcoms and is now trying to emulate them. First we had sitcom Vicious, about a bickering gay couple, which was quite possibly inspired by the camp Mrs Brown's Boys. Now comes this comedy drama set in an Eighties-themed B&B in Margate, which feels like it's aiming for the ensemble romcom sweetness of another BBC hit, Gavin & Stacey.

Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners) stars as hapless hero Alfie, an asthmatic sofa salesman who is jilted at the altar, acquires an unwise tattoo and is prone to accidents. He's surrounded by a cast of caricatures: his brassy mother, long-suffering stepdad, batty gran, snarling tomboy sister (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Gavin & Stacey's Nessa) and gay uncle (Adrian Scarborough, who actually was in Gavin & Stacey).

The seaside setting and presence of random Welsh accents further fuel suspicions that someone on the production sat down with a Gavin & Stacey boxset and a notepad. Sadly, this isn't quite as warm or subtly written. Still, there are compensations: there are signs of a sweet, slowburning romance between Harrison and his ex's best friend (ex-EastEnders actress Louisa Lytton), Scarborough is waspishly good value and a ballroom dancing sub-plot will amuse Strictly fans. There are plenty of efforts to make the script seem knowingly contemporary - with references to trashy TV, Kettle Chips and vajazzles - but it all feels as dated as the B&B's Eighties decor.

The Telegraph, 21st February 2014