Michael Gambon

Review: Dad's Army (PG) - no need to panic

Toby Jones and Michael Gambon silence the doom-mongers with a worthy remake of a TV classic, says Andy Lea.

Dad's Army review: Did they like it up 'em?

Michael Gambon is glorious as Godfrey and Toby Jones charms as the deluded Captain Mainwaring in a "fond, flag-waving and family friendly" film remake.

Adam Buxton and Ross Kemp become Bad Robots

The comedian and the formers EastEnders hardman join Felicity Montagu, Matt Le Tisser and Sir Michael Gambon as the voices of the pesky automatons.

Part one of six of a hidden-camera show about robot rebellion narrated by Sir Michael Gambon. The android antagonisers of fictional TezCorp Industries don't quite hit the evil heights of, say, Terminator's Skynet, however: they include a parking ticket machine with dispensing issues, an inappropriate driving theory test computer and, erm, a disobedient photobooth. Rather than scaring the bejesus out of the public, the aim seems to be more to mildly annoy them. An anodyne take on Fonejacker/Facejacker et al.

Michael Gambon to voice new E4 prank show Bad Robots

Sir Michael Gambon has been confirmed as the voice of the eponymous vengeful robot in E4's brand-new hidden camera show from Objective Productions, Bad Robots.

What we know about the new Dad's Army movie

Other recognisable British thespianss being lined up for parts include Richard Wilson, playing another member of the Home Guard, and roles have also been set aside for Michael Gambon and John Hurt.

Highlights include a mickey take of The Office and a brilliantly-observed version of The Killing that mixes the dark thriller with children's television character Pingu.

Harry and Paul don't shy away from the controversial parts of the BBC's history, with a version of Call My Bluff in which the chosen word is paedophile. And after a picture of a BBC chief called Bert John is flashed up that bears more than a passing resemblance to ex-director general John Birt, fictional head of drama Jonathan Oxford-Cambridge (played by Whitehouse) refers to Bert John as, "a total c..." before he is cut off.

Enfield plays main narrator, the historian Simon Schama, plus Michael Gambon, Stephen Fry and Ian Hislop, while Whitehouse's characters include Paul Merton, Mary Berry and BBC creative director Alan Yentob - who he plays as a mixture of Gollum and Yoda.

Yentob showed he could take the joke though. Most of the show was filmed around the old BBC Television Centre in west London which is being redeveloped. Originally Harry and Paul were denied access but Yentob sorted it out for them. Harry said at a screening of the show: "Yentob made it happen. I think he might live to regret it don't you?"

It is, quite simply, rubbish. I could go on: crass, juvenile, ill-judged, piss-poorly written, annoying. What was Michael Gambon thinking when he agreed to narrate? Matt Lucas does make a valiant, singlehanded attempt to rescue it, with a spirited performance as the evil Chancellor Dongalor. I did quite enjoy him emptying his chamberpot over Sean Maguire. Golden Powers, the title of this episode, turn to golden showers. But poor Matt is up against too much. The best thing about this second episode is that it was only half as long as last week's opener.