Nitin Kundra

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

Radio Times review

Here's a sample gag from Edge of Heaven: "I'm like those birds that go around in pairs." "Lesbians?" "No, swans." If you're laughing so hard you've bent double and displaced a vertebra in your back, then this broad, camp comedy drama is for you.

Just think of it as a low-rent Modern Family set in Edge of Heaven, "Margate's finest 80s-themed B&B", run by raucous landlady Judy (Camille Coduri) and her young husband Tandeep (Nitin Kundra), where she plays host to a ragtag band of eclectic relatives. Her gormless son Alfie (The Inbetweeners' Blake Harrison) is about to marry the girl of his dreams.

Edge of Heaven could have been made at any time during the 1970s. There's even a joke about Blue Nun.

Alison Graham, Radio Times, 21st February 2014

Jesting About: Search on for new comedy talent

A diverse bunch - from comedians Gavin Webster and John Scott to newcomers like Nitin Kundra and Will and Owen Cooper - were all supported. The resultant scripts were recorded in front of a live studio audience and hard-boiled down into a half hour of radio magic.

BBC, 17th November 2011