British Comedy Guide

Sharon Lougher

  • Reviewer and journalist

Press clippings Page 13

Barring an impending film, this is it from The Inbetweeners. And it's a surprising finale. When Will organises a camping trip as a send-off for Simon, whose dad's job means the family moving to Swansea, the tension between the four unlikely friends runs high. But the laughs come thick and fast in the first half and there's a nicely played development in Simon's relationship with Carli. Roll on the big-screen outing, where the four go on a lads' holiday.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 18th October 2010

Paul Whitehouse's Aviva ads don't really float our boat but he's back doing what he does best here with some great character work, be it a near-the-nuckle parody of Silvio Berlusconi or playing the chav with the incessantly barking dog (this time he and baseball-capped partner-in-crime Harry Enfield wind up in church running rings around a children's charity worker). Great class-clash comedy.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 11th October 2010

It's good to see that this chummy chat show is offering a regular slot for new young comedians. This week it's the turn of promising 20-year-old Daniel Sloss, who is sure to come armed with some good gags about the teen years he's just left behind. Seasick Steve provides the music but the main event is Stephen Fry, who is doing the rounds following the release of the latest instalment of his autobiography.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 1st October 2010

He's a versatile man, is Alan Davies. He plays the fool in QI, a magician/detective in Jonathan Creek and has just relived his revolutionary teen years for documentary purposes. For this new sitcom he's in actorly mode again, playing a hotel head chef called Roland White - any relation to Marco Pierre? - who goes against the grain of the highly stressed Gordon Ramsays of this world by being a bit of a slacker.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 28th September 2010

He's a versatile man, is Alan Davies. He plays the fool in QI, a magician/detective in Jonathan Creek and has just relived his revolutionary teen years for documentary purposes. For this new sitcom he's in actorly mode again, playing a hotel head chef called Roland White - any relation to Marco Pierre? - who goes against the grain of the highly stressed Gordon Ramsays of this world by being a bit of a slacker. Also stars Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) and Isy Suttie (Dobby from Peep Show).

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 27th September 2010

Rob Brydon's got his own chat show! What's it like? Well, after a cringeworthy opening intro, not too bad - 'Dame' David Walliams gives good value banter, promising young stand-up Tom Deacon does a entertaining short set, plus Tom Jones joins Brydon to duet on a couple of rock songs. All very chummy.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 17th September 2010

The cult turned mainstream hit is back - and just because our hapless, filthy-mouthed boys are now in the top year of sixth form, it doesn't mean they escape regular humiliation. It all begins again here with a charity fashion show organised by Carli - Jay is jealous that Simon has been asked to model but poor Si ends up showing off far more than he intended on the catwalk.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 13th September 2010

A great comedy comes to an end. It's the day of Tanya's wedding to the annoying Clive, which means Simon has to bite the bullet. But Tanya's nerves suggest all hasn't been well, plus Grandpa has a turn. Will the ceremony go ahead? Will there be a second series? We hope so.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 13th September 2010

Going Postal: Gets our stamp of approval

DVD review: Terry Pratchett's Going Postal - Limited Edition, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 12, £24.99.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 23rd August 2010

Every TV presenting slot that has been vacated by Simon Amstell has been a sorrier place because of it: he made Never Mind The Buzzcocks edgy and exciting, while his shameless mocking of stupid pop singers was the only reason to watch Popworld. So it was great to see him back in TV presenter mode (of sorts) in self-referential sitcom Grandma's House.

It opened with Amstell in the company of his overbearing assembled family - Little Englanders holed up in Essex - announcing that he wanted to quit his TV quiz show because he felt bad about being mean to celebs. 'You're a presenter who takes the p*** out of people - it's not mean, it's cheeky,' implored mum (Rebecca Front). 'It's not very Buddhist, though,' pondered Amstell. 'You could do The Knowledge,' offered Grandad.

And so the conversation gloriously ping-ponged, with Amstell remaining barbed and his daft family hopelessly out of their depth.

This was one of those neatly crafted scripts where every line counted and it reached even giddier heights when we were introduced to Clive, the alpha-male bore dating his mother. He calls Amstell 'Captain'. He once ran over a tramp. And he's 'big in boxes'. 'So... what's your favourite box?' asked Amstell over lunch. Clive missed the mercilessly mocking tone. 'OK, good question... the stack nests.'

It proves what we've always known about Amstell: he's brilliantly funny but we won't be inviting him round for tea.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 10th August 2010

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