Will Sharpe
- Actor, director, producer and writer
Press clippings Page 2
Defending the Guilty review
Legal shows tend to be either unbearably earnest or wretchedly cynical, but this sitcom embraces the silliness of a serious world - and really steps up to the bar.
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian, 18th September 2019Defending the Guilty, review
Tired jokes and one-dimensional characters don't help this legal comedy win its case.
Adam Sweeting, i Newspaper, 18th September 2019TV review: Defending The Guilty
Given the Supreme Court deliberations are dominating the news today, this is either the best or worst day to launch a comedy about lawyers.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 17th September 2019Defending the Guilty: overstuffed with stereotypes
A new adaptation of Alex McBride's memoir is not quite as funny as it thinks it is.
Alistair McKay, Evening Standard, 17th September 2019Defending the Guilty review
New legal comedy struggles to get off the ground.
Adam Sweeting, The Arts Desk, 17th September 2019Since Peter Moffat's Silk ended five years ago, homegrown legal shows have been thin on the ground - making this new series something of a novelty. Best known for penning the Channel 4 dark comedy Flowers, Will Sharpe leads this courtroom comedy, playing a young barrister mentored by Katherine Parkinson's more hardened attorney. His character - also named Will - is an ingenue who, like many a grad before him, quickly becomes rather disillusioned with the world of work.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 31st August 2019London's most influential people 2018 - Comedy
Including Katherine Ryan, Rachel Parris and Will Sharpe.
Evening Standard, 10th October 2018Defending the Guilty review
My initial impression was that I really liked it. It was not perfect and certainly was not a laugh a minute, however there definitely were more things to like about it than to dislike.
Andy Lloyd, Telly Binge, 24th September 2018What a delight to find, over on BBC Two, Will Sharpe, last seen popularly as Shun in the bizarre, brilliant Flowers, heading up his own six-parter, Defending the Guilty. From the team behind such hits as Rev and Mum, it is, as one might expect, sharp and bittersweet, yet more mainstream than either, featuring Will as a faux-naif trainee barrister. Who tends to come out with phrases such as "Wow. He is... very guilty."
There are achingly accurate slivers of class war as rival young barristers compete for the attention of chambers, in the shadows of gangster wars, brutal slayings, unconscionable paedophiles, vicious wine bar put-downs. This series almost dares to ask "what is justice?", but eventually pulls its punches, opting for lines such as "why do we work for murderers rather than working with... nice people with Cath Kidston tea towels and children mostly called Alfie?", and even when delivered by Katherine Parkinson this disappoints. Could have done with being harsher, but it's still sharp and stands head and shoulders above every legal "comedy".
Euan Ferguson, The Guardian, 23rd September 2018Lawyers split over new BBC barrister comedy
Series follows the exploits of four tenancy-hungry pupils.
Aishah Hussain, Legal Cheek, 20th September 2018