Martha Howe-Douglas

It's not just Christmas Eve, but also the night before Thanktival in the superbly entertaining world of Yonderland. In a twist that could well give children nightmares, the festive joy is threatened by a present-eating monster called Chompus. Can mum Debbie (Martha Howe-Douglas) come to the rescue? Perfect family viewing for a cosy Christmas Eve, with added monsters and enough subtlety to keep both parents as happy as their kids.

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An unfortunate portal mishap makes for an especially interesting open house in this instalment of the always giggle-inducing Yonderland, as Debbie discovers she's inadvertently swapped bodies with Elf.

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After a promising first series and a confident second, Yonderland has returned for a third and begins by posing the question, 'do you need a Chosen One after the evil has gone?'

As a fan of the odd blend of puppetry and Monty Python-esque humour that series one delivered, I was glad to see Yonderland return for a second series. For those who missed the series the first time round, Yonderland is brought to us by the same team behind Horrible Histories. The first series saw ordinary housewife Debbie Maddox (Martha Howe-Douglas) transported to the eponymous fantasy land of the title as she was heralded as the person charged with bringing down the evil Negatus (Simon Farnaby). The double bill that Sky One aired on Monday night suggested that not much has changed as the tone of the show remains much the same. However the writing team has introduced a new villain in the form of Debbie's mortal enemy Imperatrix who is even more intent on destruction that the slightly campy Negatus. In the style of Monty Python each cast member plays multiple roles, some of which are recurring whilst others only feature in one episode. This to me adds a sketch show element to Yonderland which I quite enjoy and it seems that all the male members of the cast revel in portraying a number of outlandish characters. What the writing team has also nailed is how to deliver a successful family show with sight gags that appeal to the youngsters and more subtle lines that the adults will understand. In order to further entertain younger viewers, each episode ends with a moral message of sorts as Debbie is able to solve one minor problem in Yonderland before returning to her own home. There was also plenty of nice little parodies throughout the double bill, especially in the second episode where Negatus received an Ofsted inspection while Debbie worked with a detective who had a hint of Poirot about him. Although it's not exactly highbrow, Yonderland is a gloriously silly programme that doesn't take itself too seriously but at the same time it's clear that the writing team have worked hard to create a comedy that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

A second series of what amounts to a vast dressing-up box for the former stars of Horrible Histories. Patient, practical Debbie (Martha Howe-Douglas) continues to straddle two lives: mundane housewifery in Birmingham and troubleshooting in the magical realm she accesses through a portal in her cupboard. The one-shot spoofs and sly pop culture references are underpinned by scripts with classic comedy chops, performed by a cast who have the talent to fill this canvas with colour.

Radio Times review

There's pure joy in a well-pitched family comedy, and Yonderland was a particularly good one. Set in a magic realm where puppets mix with eccentric humanoids, it was Labyrinth meets Life of Brian: the cast of Horrible Histories playing hundreds of fabulous, usually incompetent figures posing puzzles for Debbie (Martha Howe-Douglas), a housewife who's stepped through a portal in the pantry. Characters tended to appear once when they could each have had their own series; this gang have so many ideas and such skill in executing them that, in the long term, Python comparisons might not be out of place.

Radio Times review

One of the many strengths of this show is the guarantee that there'll be an entirely new, entirely brilliant comic character to enjoy in every episode, in addition to the magic kingdom's regulars. The other week the team even had the nerve to create tremendous womaniser Philip of Woolworth, then kill him off after only one hilarious scene.

Tonight there's another lothario, who lasts a bit longer as he attempts to woo Debbie (Martha Howe-Douglas): King Bernard (Jim Howick) joins her on her latest quest, but he's more interested in his planned statue of himself. The blowsy love ballad Bernard sings to try to make Debbie his queen is terrific, as is Laurence Rickard's episode-stealing turn as Chamberlain, Bernard's disgusted manservant who has long since resorted to burning sarcasm.

Yonderland does preening, benign fools as well as any comedy. But now Debbie also, finally, meets the realm's less benign fool: Negatus.

Radio Times review

Gentler gags this week - albeit with a couple that are more adult than usual - so time perhaps to enjoy Martha Howe-Douglas's superb performance as Debbie, the increasingly reluctant hero whose status as The Chosen One is making her spend too much time in her magic cupboard and not enough with her family.

Howe-Douglas largely has to stand there and react as puppets and men in wigs make jokes around and about her, which in less charismatic hands could be a monotonous straight role. That it isn't is what holds the show together, especially this week as Debbie decides to leave Yonderland, and Elf the elf sends her on one last quest.