Nigel Havers

Three couples navigate the rocks and rapids of marriage in this new sitcom from Jack Docherty, transplanted from Radio 4. The USP is a fourth-wall smashing conceit, by which the cast directly address the viewer - and it works seamlessly, albeit overlaid on to a rather old-fashioned dated narrative: suspicious wives, henpecked husbands and all. As Nigel Havers frets about his young bride, Docherty confesses to us that he sometimes thinks about other women while having sex with his wife. "But, in my defence, so have you."

Jack Docherty wrote this latest instalment of the Comedy Playhouse and he also stars, alongside Nigel Havers, Kerry Godliman and John Thomson. The story is about three marriages and the various jealousies, insecurities and temptations the couples endure. It's delivered rather like a play with the actors breaking off from their dialogue to speak directly to the audience - or, in this case, the camera.

Docherty plays Rob, a middle-aged man who's preparing an anniversary party with his wife. He ponders how dull married life has become and how his wife has stumpy legs like "little thumbs". Life is as exciting as "eating gravel and talking to puffins" on the Outer Hebrides. Then he realises his new neighbour is a young and gorgeous woman he used to work with and so he invites her to their party. His wife isn't impressed, telling her friend this new neighbour looks like "something that'd come up if you googled 'massive threat in skimpy pants.'" Nigel Havers plays the "massive threat's" nervous husband, constantly worried she's going to leave him for someone younger.

Stop / Start review

Jack Docherty's wedded radio sitcom makes a blissful (ish) leap onto the small screen.

A series that shows self-deprecating Britishness isn't solely the preserve of Grumpy Old Men repeats on Dave. VBP wheels out reliable talking heads (Vic Reeves, Nigel Havers, Stephen Mangan) to anatomise various points of British difficulty, and this week, it's social awkwardness. Air kissing. Hugs. Reflex apologies. All are fraught with difficulty and embarrassment. As for having a nice day, you shouldn't suggest that to Nigel Havers. "I'm having a very nasty day," he says. "But it's nothing to do with you."

Nigel Havers joins BBC One's Stop⁄Start

Nigel Havers has joined the cast of BBC One sitcom pilot Stop/Start.

Radio Times review

A second slice of the joyfully funny Simon Day-fronted spoof rockumentary sees our hero desperate to finally stage his Day of the Triffids rock opera. But will Pern be upstaged by the other members of his erstwhile prog-rock band Thotch (Paul Whitehouse's Pat Quid and Nigel Havers's Tony Pebble, pronounced "Pebblay")? Not likely.

He has a few problems ensuring the confectionery stand stocks vegetarian-only Jelly Babies, however, and a Twitter storm erupts when a stray mic catches him remarking how he "hates Blacks". Pern, of course, is referring to the outdoor clothing specialists. Roger Moore and Paul Young are among the guest stars.

Anybody who saw the faux documentary presented by Brian Pern (Simon Day) on BBC4 knows that the frontman of Genesis-esque prog rock band Thotch is a great comedy creation.

Director Rhys Thomas, who co-wrote the series along with Day, brilliantly portrays the life of an ageing rocker as he tries to keep himself relevant with a modern audience. The stories of Pern refusing to be in a room with his former bandmates (played brilliantly by Paul Whitehouse and Nigel Havers) were perfectly pitched. The creation of a Thotch jukebox musical was an equally enjoyable subplot especially when the show's director Kathy Burke decided to cut all of the overly long Thotch songs from the show.

I personally enjoyed the final few moments of the comedy as Pern was dragged into the police station in a manner that would suggest he was part of a Yewtree-type investigation. But the punchline itself was brilliantly delivered as was the reaction from Pern's manager John Farrow (Michael Kitchen).

Part of the charm of Brian Pern is the fact that everyone is willing to go that extra mile and, in the case of those playing themselves, send up certain elements of their characters. Martin Freeman is a prime example of this as he tries to capture Pern's mannerisms in order to correctly portray him in the musical.

Meanwhile, a cameoing Tim Rice perfectly sums up his feelings about the Jukebox musical and how they've taken away from his type of musical theatre.

Although some of the jokes don't hit the mark, Brian Pern: A Life in Rock is a perfectly constructed mockumentary that owes a massive debt to the work of Christopher Guest. The fact that the sitcom is only three parts means that it won't outstay it's welcome and at the same time will leave the audience craving for more from Day's egotistical prog rocker.

Follow-up to BBC Four's spoof rockumentary, starring Simon Day as Peter Gabriel. Sorry, as Brian Pern, the ex-frontman of progressive rock band Thotch. Brian has been persuaded by his manager (Michael Kitchen) that a bankable way forward for him and his former bandmates is a new "jukebox musical" of Thotch music, in the vein of We Will Rock You. Paul Whitehouse and Nigel Havers are great as Brian's colleagues, but it's surely Gabriel who comes out of this best, for not trying to sue.

It's the eighth series of this bantzier, nearer-the-knuckle alternative to A Question Of Sport, hosted by James Corden. For this opener, he's joined by Kevin Bridges, Jack Whitehall, Jamie Redknapp, Freddie Flintoff, Frank Lampard and Judy Murray ("Who's your favourite son?"). Among the items is a ribald take on footballers-turned-authors, while the chaps are put through their paces at a tennis training court to play John McEnroe, conducted in a suitable atmosphere of mutual mockery. Tim Henman and Nigel Havers also appear.

Radio Times review

This final episode, the weakest of the three, is ostensibly about the death of rock. And, of course, there were a lot of rock stars kicking the bucket during the 70s. "You'd be chatting to someone at a party, pop off to get some cheese and pineapple on a stick; by the time you got back they'd be dead," says Brian's manager.

The real focus, however, is the death of Brian's former band - public-school prog rockers Thotch. And this is a good thing, because it means we get more anecdotes from the band's silky guitarist Pat Quid (Paul Whitehouse) and ribald keyboard player Tony Pebble (Nigel Havers). The star turn, though, comes from Lucy Montgomery as Pepita, the klaxon-mouthed cactus player.