Vic Reeves

Vic & Bob interview

Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer promise 'heavy nudity' and 'acting the giddy aunt' in their new sitcom.

Episode two in the second series of this strangely frictionless sitcom. It's got some really nice performances from Jim Moir (Vic Reeves) and Gina McKee; the script bobs along gently and the story develops in the way you imagine it should. It's just not quite sharp enough, leaving it blowing around in the breeze like a sliver of whimsy that's broken free from Gavin & Stacey. Dorothy moves in with the family. Ramsey builds up to proposing, and Jack's literary dreams may finally be coming true. It's nice.

Though it's occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, the main appeal that Hebburn has is its characters most of whom are likeable and realistic. Jason Cook, who also stars as Ramsey, has written a great script which obviously draws on experiences of his own family life and I feel that the series is incredibly well-observed. In addition, this second series sees the cast become much more comfortable with their characters which just adds to the charm of the piece. Ramsay and Nixon share great chemistry as the lead couple while McKee is brilliant as the warm yet slightly patronising matriarch. Stealing the show though is Dunn, who plays the greedy mother-in-law from hell roll with great aplomb and therefore generates the majority of the show's big laughs. In fact it comes to something when Vic Reeves is the straight man of the series but here, using his real name Jim Moir, is just happy to be a supporting player as his Joe attempts to recuperate. Overall, Hebburn is a charming and well-observed sitcom that feels very old-fashioned but at the same time has plenty of modern sensibilities.

It's good to be back in the Tyneside town of Hebburn again, with the chaotic, rambling and well-meaning Geordie family nestled in its warm heart. Young married couple Jack and Sarah (Chris Ramsey and Kimberley Nixon) are still unwilling lodgers with Jack's parents Pauline and Joe (Gina McKee and Jim 'Vic Reeves' Moir). But Sarah's nesting instinct is overpowering now that she's pregnant, hormonal and desperate for a home of her own.

Jack is editing the hopeless local newspaper ("Dog Burns Down Factory") and Jack's mother, the magnificently passive/aggressive Dot (Pat Dunn) is still hurling barbs at Pauline. There are some great satellite characters - deluded wannabe popstar Gervaise and brassy care home worker Denise - and though the laughs might not be hearty, you'll smile a lot.

Vic and Bob: an appreciation

With their sitcom House Of Fools recently announced, we celebrate the enduring comedy brilliance of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer...

Vic Reeves previews his new art show

Comic Vic Reeves previewed his own art show this week, with this sketch based on EastEnders' Branning brothers causing the most chin-stroking.

No question is too ridiculous, surreal or weird for Vic Reeves and his team of extraordinary researchers to answer. So the Ministry is the place to go if you want to know if dinosaurs will ever return, whether you can dance in space, or which is the coolest dog on telly. Today, Vic applies his humour to questions involving teeth, diamonds and curious competitions.