Steve Coogan

Co-written by and starring Julian Barratt, Mindhorn sees the former Mighty Boosh star make an effortless bid for big screen stardom with a rich comedy creation that puts a distinctively British spin on the monster that is minor celebrity. The title is the name of the naff British super cop Barratt's fading actor, the wonderfully monikered Richard Longcroft, once played in a hit TV show in the 1980s. Pitched somewhere between The Professionals, The Bionic Man and Bergerac (it was set on the Isle of Man), the show brought Longcroft a degree of fame but no humility - a bad combination that saw him burn all his bridges before heading off to America in a failed bid to break Hollywood. All of which is hilariously sketched out in the opening minutes, something that makes his subsequent fall all the more tragic when we catch up with him as a middle-aged, overweight, hairpiece-sporting actor who can't even hold down a gig advertising orthopedic socks. Though this also makes the character very much of a piece with the likes of Alan Partridge - a connection made more explicit by Steve Coogan's co-starring role as Longcroft's acting nemesis - Mindhorn distinguishes itself with a high-concept, Galaxy Quest-style premise that sees Longcroft returning to the Isle of Man to help the local police draw out a delusional killer who thinks Mindhorn is real. As Longcroft attempts to exploit the PR opportunities of his new role to relaunch his career, the subsequent gag rate is ridiculously high - with an emphasis on ridiculous - but Barratt also knows how to mine pathos from the character without getting all sentimental, which helps debut feature director Sean Foley (and co-writer and co-star Simon Farnaby - cast here as Mindhorn's former stunt double) keep the resulting action sharp and relentlessly funny.

Review: Mindhorn

Julian Barratt gives the finest comedy performance of his career in this hilarious caper.

Film review: Mindhorn

Mindhorn is consistently laugh-out-loud entertaining.

Mindhorn review

A washed-up TV star comes out of retirement in this loose but very funny British comedy starring Julian Barratt of The Mighty Boosh.

There's a melancholy tint to this series; a sense of time running out for the characters and format. A certain testiness has seeped into the Brydon-Coogan relationship, a sense that however much they resist, they're trapped in their roles. It's still redeemingly funny, though. Tonight, Coogan risks a Jimmy Savile impression and Brydon muses on Eddie Redmayne ("The kind of name an upper-middle-class girl would give her pony").

The making of Mindhorn

As we count down to the official release of Mindhorn, the new film written by and starring Julian Barratt and Simon Farnaby, we bring you the inside story of the development and making of the film, as told by the stars, cast and crew.

Pictures: Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly transform

Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly were pictured filming the world's most famous double act Laurel and Hardy for new flick Stan And Ollie on Monday in the West Country.

The week in TV: The Trip to Spain; Catastrophe - review

Coogan and Brydon made magic of middle age on the road in Spain, and Sharon Horgan reached for the loo roll.