Matt Lucas

Matt Lucas and David Walliams attempted to storm the US with this bizarre transatlantic hybrid of their comedy series. It didn't exactly meet with critical acclaim in America, but British viewers will still find their favourite characters, as well as a few new American ones too, such as Bing Gordyn, the eighth astronaut on the moon.

Fans of Little Britain's savage brand of panto humour are in for an extended treat. Matt Lucas and David Walliams have made a six-part series in the US. Vicky Pollard is off to boot camp; Daffyd Thomas goes to university, Sebastian Love becomes prime minister and Lou and Andy are in search of a miracle cure, US-style. In television terms, this is an event of seismic proportions. It is produced by Simon Fuller, the creator of American Idol and the studio sketches will be directed by David Schwimmer from Friends. For millions of viewers, that's Friday night sorted out for the foreseeable future.

An American series of Little Britain could have been its undoing, but it's given some old favourites a freshness they badly needed.

And while it would have been easy for Matt Lucas and David Walliams to use their new series for network HBO just to ridicule Americans, it turns out it's still the Brits who are the butt of the jokes.

FOR five years Little Britain has kept us entertained. Now the comedy duo responsible for the show, David Walliams and Matt Lucas, are taking their unique sense of humour Stateside.

However, when aired in the US the spin-off version of the successful British series was mauled by one critic, who said itwas mostly just crude, revelling in mock condescension towards American stereotypes.

Despite some people not latching on to Lucas and Walliams' creation, there are still plenty who are delighted at the return of Little Britain and characters including Majorie Dawes of Fat Fighters, plus some new faces.