Paul Whitehouse

The really wild show

Relatively speaking, the current series of The Fast Show (BBC2) is even speedier than the first, with more cuts than the average TV commercial and enough deep, dark, sexually perverse humour to shock even the most priapic tortoise. Its creator, Paul Whitehouse, has recently compalined that nobody except John Peel wrote positively about the first run of shows, but he's wrong, because I regularly sang its praises from the rooftops (much to the annoyance of my neighbours, who threatened to call the police).

Victor Lewis-Smith, Evening Standard, 26th February 1996

The Fast Show has its feet in Dick Emery, its brain in Monty Python, its groin in Benny Hill, and its heart in Viz, and the result is a monster of a show. The performances are excellent (John Thomson and Robin Driscoll are a particular joy), Arch Dyson's direction is superb and, while I ration myself to one use of the word "genius" each alternate blue moon, I believe Paul Whitehouse may be touched by it (and, by a simple process of elimination, we're getting some idea of how much Harry Enfield owes to him).

Victor Lewis-Smith, Evening Standard, 26th October 1994