Paul Whitehouse

"There is nothing very funny about mental illness. Yet that's exactly the central theme in comedian Paul Whitehouse's latest show.

The four-part bittersweet comedy - already a radio success - is all about community psychiatric nurse Liz (played by RADA-trained actress Esther Coles) whom we follow doing her daily rounds.

"Nurse is a project close to my heart," explains Paul, 56, who co-wrote and starred in 90s hit The Fast Show.

"We've all got people who have experienced mental illness, and my mum was a community nurse for a while."

Each episode sees Liz visiting the homes of patients - or 'service users' as they're now called - who are all characters played by Paul.

Among them are an Alzheimer's sufferer and her frustrated son, a desperately lonely woman who only has her cats for company and a morbidly obese man with an unhealthy attachment to this mother.

Rather than mocking the vulnerable members of our community, Paul - who sought expert medical advice during filming - insists the show explores and raises awareness of important topics.

"People with mental health issues are more likely to talk about their problems," he says, "so this was a way of addressing them in a way that was heightened.

"But they're universal fears - loss of love and libido, loneliness, fear - these are things coming to us all.

"We're proud of the show and it would be nice if we got people talking more about mental health."

Paul Whitehouse: If you can't laugh, you're in trouble

Paul Whitehouse gives BBC comedy a shot in the arm with his hilarious new four-part series, Nurse.

Paul Whitehouse jokes Harry Enfield wants him to die

Fast Show star Paul Whitehouse feared heart failure wearing a fat suit for his new comedy - but said sidekick Harry Enfield would have been delighted.

Paul Whitehouse: the psychopath in me

In his new sitcom, Paul Whitehouse plays multiple mental-health patients - from an agoraphobic to an obese mummy's boy. He talks to Maureen Paton Maguire about therapy, heart surgery - and why Johnny Depp can get lost.

Radio Times review

Some people got a bit carried away and said this was even better than Harry Enfield's 1989 masterpiece, Norbert Smith: A Life. Steady on. But it was the best example yet of Enfield and Paul Whitehouse's resurgence as satirists who have the happy air of not caring a jot what anyone thinks, whom they upset or whether every impression quite works. Spoofing the entire half-century output of BBC2 led to many lovingly crafted jewels and included several things you suspect H&P actually like, but ripped the piss out of anyway. Linking the scattered bits was Enfield in a Comedy Award-winning turn as a sweeping, Schamanic presenter. That he was wandering round a deserted TV Centre underlined the sad subtext of golden eras having passed.

Radio Times review

Jonathan Ross is your host as the nation's comics get together and royally rip the mickey. No tears. No compliments. It's their way of saying they love each other.

The nominations list shows 2014 has been an exceptional year - albeit primarily for white men, who are so glaringly dominant, it's a wonder there aren't any blokes up for best comedy actress.

The evening should belong to Matt Berry, whose riotous Toast of London is in line for six awards, the most nods since Gavin & Stacey seven years back. His fellow best actor nominee Mathew Baynton might have a better chance in the restored comedy drama category - if The Wrong Mans can edge out Rev. and the dazzling Inside No 9.

Or will it be a night for codgers? Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse's labour of love Story of the Twos is justly recognised, and there are two noms for a gang of plucky UKTV debutants called Monty Python...

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.