Sam Wollaston

Porridge review - send for the sitcom police!

The original Porridge creators return with a weak, watery throwback to the Ronnie Barker classic. This isn't a sequel, it's a forgery ... bang 'em up this instant.

Bad Move (ITV) refers to Steve's (Jack Dee) and Nicky's (Kerry Godliman) move from the city to the country. But it might also mean the move of Dee and Pete Sinclair, who you'll remember also co-wrote Lead Balloon, from BBC2 to ITV. Or perhaps even to them doing this at all.

There's nothing really wrong with it, it's just a safe, predictable sitcom that could have gone out in 1987. Except that most of the gags in this opener are about not being able to get broadband, because they're in a dip. Meh.

I don't think there's been an interesting new sketch show since Cardinal Burns. The genre itself is tired; so that if one is to work, to be original and fresh, it needs something more - sketch plus. CB brought surreality, a glorious bonkersness. What does Famalam have that most others unfortunately don't? Black talent in its cast, that's what, including Tom Moutchi and John Macmillan. And a lot of the subject matter of its sketches is about black Britishness too.

It's hit and miss - of course it is, it's a sketch show. I haven't seen enough Nollywood for pastiche Shola Settles the Score: Part 29 to mean a lot, even though I enjoyed it and it made me want to see more Nigerian cinema.

Sometimes it hits a nerve, like a (laughable) attempt to improve the diversity of Midsomer Murders. And all the black characters getting killed off first in an alien movie. Sometimes it's just hilarious, like Black British History, brought to you by Scribbler P, in a UK garage style. "And this started time ago / when brothers were still in black and white / and places like Jamaica hadn't developed yet / like no Buju, no Sean Paul, no Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killer, no dancehall full stop ... "

Oh, and I love the real Nigerian prince, who really does have $44m worth of gold bullion, which he really does need to transfer. And yet none of the people he emails believe him, oddly. Poor Nigeria, it gets a bit of a kicking.

W1A review - the Way Ahead is behind and it's brilliant

The returning mockumentary send-up of the BBC is very funny at times, if a bit smug. Perhaps it should sharpen its daggers and look at Auntie's pay gap...

Back review

Back doesn't have the most straightforward of premises; it takes a bit of setting up. But that's done well, and it's worth the effort, because once you're on top of things, it's an interesting place to be.

Comedy Playhouse: Tim Vine Travels in Time review

The wordplay wizard teamed with Ore Oduba for a trip to Sherwood Forest and a half-hour barrage from his pun gun. Get ready to groan...

The Trip to Spain review

Two middle-aged men meander through the country having existential crises and doing impressions. It's brilliant, hilarious and with a bit of Cervantes thrown in for good measure.

Decline and Fall review

The ghastly gaggle of toffs are back with Jack Whitehall as the perfect Pennyweather and Eva Longoria bringing the glamour in this excellent companion to Evelyn Waugh's classic novel.

A brilliant episode of Inside No. 9. Not just because it was a creepy, twisting tale of revenge, based on the riddle of the Sphinx. But because it was also based on, and starred, yesterday's Guardian cryptic crossword (which, of course, you will have completed before watching). Steve Pemberton, who writes and stars alongside Reece Shearsmith, also set the crossword. Hence the answer to 12 across: mystery guest! Genius.

Catastrophe starts its third season where the last one ended: with a whiff of unfaithfulness. On Sharon's part, with that little rock star, half her age, but she was so drunk she doesn't remember what exactly happened. Now she's feeling guilty ...

Hey, good news, she didn't cheat! Unless kissing him - OK, and holding his penis, but just holding, nothing more - counts as cheating. "I should have known; I gave my knickers a good sniff the next day, and they just smelled like, you know, normal bad," she tells Rob, reassuringly, at A&E, because their son fell off a chair and cut his head open while they were arguing.

The brilliant thing about Sharon and Rob (Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney) is that they're almost certainly going to be all right. It'll take a while - two or three months he reckons - but he'll learn to forgive her. It's the brilliant thing about Catastrophe too that, under a pile of knickers and all the filth, it is actually very sweet. Romantic, even. That and the fact that it is hilarious; the filth is top notch, glorious filth.

So many choice moments and lines: the browser history snooping, which found nipple hair electrolysis and fat Johnny Depps; the lame attempt to blame the unfaithfulness on Brexit, and Trump. ("Fuck you for a second, OK? Fuck your guilt or whatever"); and "Do I want to break up with you? What are we, 14?" No Rob, but her new boyfriend is (nearly) ...

Actually my favourite moment of all belongs to Ashley Jensen and her character, Fran. Sharon's on the phone to her, seeking advice and comfort from an old pal. "I have to go because my life coach has just arrived," says Fran. She hangs up, reaches for the remote control, and puts on Loose Women, which has Katie Price talking about drinking. Fran lifts a left cheek from the sofa and lets out a little fart, while making an "I'm-farting" face. Lovely.