Rafe Spall

The titular Pete is a sports writer, which goes some way to explaining this latest, actually pretty funny, attempt to jazz up the sitcom format. Namely: as Pete (the excellent Rafe Spall) manoeuvres amiably, if a little weakly through life, his experiences are commentated on and summarised for the benefit of the viewer. That and the attendant graphics and stats create plenty of laughs, but there are also characters you can imagine bearing repetition. Not least Kirk, Pete's South African flatmate, and his mate Rob's pretentious girlfriend Anna - who is naming tables at their wedding reception after Oxford colleges.

The gimmick of this new comedy series by Harry Enfield writers Bert Tyler-Moore and George Jeffries is that Pete (Rafe Spall), a twentysomething aspiring journalist, has his life described by two commentators - one a mad Geordie, the other rather staid - who provide sports-style analysis and statistics as Pete copes with his dysfunctional group of friends. The opener revolves around Pete's attempts to woo an attractive eco-activist. It's very silly and occasionally crude, and whether it will stay funny as the novelty value wears off remains to be seen, but it's promising none the less.

Impressed with the pilot for last year's Comedy Showcase, Channel 4 commissioned a series for this comedy about a sports journalist called Pete (Rafe Spall). It wasn't an entirely bad move. There are pleasantly awkward moments, sharp lines and clever set-ups. Pete has no tact or emotional intelligence. Watching him bungle his life are two middle-aged sport-type commentators. They pause the action to analyse his decisions and amuse us with his vital stats, like how long he can go at it in the sack. It's a playful trick, which helps distract from the parts that don't quite work.

At the end of last year Channel 4 road tested a few comedy pilots, and this one landed a full series. Rafe Spall plays a struggling sports writer whose life invariably leaves him dazed. So far, so good - expect there's a twist: two Sky Sports-style presenters offer a running commentary on his life, complete with analysis, stats and graphics. Interesting idea, which kind of works.

Rafe Spall interview

In a new C4 sitcom, Rafe Spall plays Pete, a young journalist who always seems to do the wrong thing.