Steve Bennett (I)
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 49
What's The Matter With Tony Slattery? review
This story of what happened to Tony Slattery, 35 years after he set screens alight with his dazzling displays of mercurial comedy talent is not always an easy watch, but it is a compelling one.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 20th May 2020Book review: Alternative Comedy, by Oliver Double
This fascinating, well-written and meticulously researched guide to Britain's alternative comedy revolution is probably the most accurate single retrospective of that transformative time that exists. The only problem is, it has been released as an academic title with a price tag that will put this comprehensive history out of the reach of all but the most deep-pocketed of interested fans. It costs - and this is not a misprint - £75. So much for the egalitarianism of the movement.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 19th May 2020Charlie Brooker's Antiviral Wipe review
There's no surer sign that the hairline cracks in the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' all-in-this-together, good-old British pluck response to Covid-19 has fissured into more open derision of government failures than having cynic-in-chief Charlie Brooker return to our screens.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 14th May 2020Review - Where To, Mate?
Much fuss was made earlier this month when it was announced that the BBC was remaking Alan Bennett's Talking Heads monologues with a new cast. Well, with a lot less fanfare, this low-key Radio 4 quarter-hour comedy occupies similar comedy, territory with wry and revealing character-led conversations, all taking place on cab journeys around Manchester.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 13th May 2020Review: Ricky & Ralf's Very Northern Road Trip
It's impossible to top Ralf Little's own review of this new travelogue with his Royle Family dad Ricky Tomlinson as a 'two-bob version of The Trip'.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 11th May 2020Code 404 review
Sky's had a pretty good run with its comedy commissions lately, thanks to the likes of Breeders and Intelligence, and Code 404 - named after the 'page not found' error in internet protocols - is a solid and stupid addition to that decent slate.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 29th April 2020After Life Series 2 review
Given he's known for brutally direct stand-up, it's little surprise that Ricky Gervais doesn't do subtext.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 24th April 2020Peter Kay's Car Share: audio speical
The BBC has sunk millions into its Sounds app for its audio output. Yet when it came to the surprise audio-only special edition of Peter Kay's Car Share that dropped tonight, it was the iPlayer where it landed.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 10th April 2020Red Dwarf: The Promised Land review
Feature-length versions of sitcoms have, at best, a chequered history. But given that Red Dwarf has always had epic ambitions that defy its shoestring budget, scaling up the story to fill 90 minutes - plus adverts - is less of a stretch than most. Even so, the Promised Land story is surprisingly underdeveloped, and scenes intended to supply emotional heft feel forced, as if they have been added out of expectation that's what a film version should do.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 9th April 2020Alma's Not Normal review
For a pilot episode, Alma's Not Normal easily achieves what it's meant to do and introduces a cast of intriguing, sympathetic characters we'd like to hear more from. Most crucially, they are complex, authentic people portrayed in a way we don't usually see on television.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 7th April 2020