William Ash

The last in the series of the Sue Johnston-led family comedy. It's the day of Liam's pirate-themed birthday party, and he is terrified of pirates. Everything is going to plan, until Paula (Elizabeth Berrington) picks up a cordless drill and all hell breaks loose. Which is less exciting than it sounds. Eileen's friends arrive to save the day and Ray (William Ash) gets ready for a rare visit from his parents, while Maurice uses the occasion to butter up Eileen. It hasn't been the subtlest of comedies, but the cast were great.

Being Eileen review

The main flaw in this comedy seems to be the characters. William Ash is a good actor but has been given such a tedious, one-dimensional character in Ray that I dread seeing him onscreen.

'She's phoned me from her bag again,' says Paula of her mother Eileen, setting the tongue-in-cheek tone for this spin-off comedy series from 2011 Christmas drama Lapland. Eileen is feeling her age and determined not to go quietly into the night, so she heads to the planetarium to gaze at the stars - has she gone off her head? Sue Johnston shines as the matriarch, orbited by fellow TV stars Elizabeth Berrington, Dean Andrews and William Ash.

A properly funny, likeable comedy from the creators of BBC1's Worst Week Of My Life. It does nothing new at all but gets on with it unpretentiously, lightening your mood rather than widening any horizons.
Lee Boardman, Stephen Walters, William Ash and Craig Parkinson are all warmly believable as a gang of four mates who meet up for a pint or seven every week and are constantly beset by their own incompetence and misadventure. Sit back and let these pathetic man-children amuse you.

You'll never look at a Toblerone the same way after seeing our quartet of Stockport thirtysomethings in the run-up to a pub quiz night. Joining in the endearing comedy chaos is Paul Nicholls as an old mate who takes Glyn off for a spot of waxing at the local spa. And the shadowy presence of Bev (Isy Suttie, Peep Show's Dobby) - so far seen only when Daz visits Col - emerges with a creepy crush on Beggsy (William Ash). Can he resist her cupcakes?

The first lads' night out was a bit hit-and-miss in the pacing department but this comedy drama hits its stride tonight, with the chaps tapping their compassionate side when Daz gets into another spot of bother with girlfriend Colleen. Before you know it, they're all in deep water when their efforts to jolly up their mate turns round and bites them in the proverbial. Lee Boardman, William Ash, Craig Parkinson and Stephen Walters star.

ITV has a great reputation of making drama, but not such a great reputation for comedy. Great Night Out seems to fall somewhere in between; not bad, but not great either.

The series follows four friends from Stockport: self-appointed leader Hodge (Lee Boardman), divorcee Beggsy (William Ash), nervous Glyn (Craig Parkinson), and pessimistic Daz (Stephen Walters). The quartet each spend a big night out, often with their wives, girlfriends and love interest, while getting impractical advice from their local pub landlord Warren (Ricky Tomlinson).

In this opening episode, Hodge has cocked-up his anniversary party, which is being held at a big hotel in Manchester (the entrance into which results in a chorus of boos from the Stockport Four). As Hodge parks his car he thinks he knocks over someone, but it turns out that the person is a drunk wanting to go to London. He, Beggsy and Daz get him on the train, only to find out he is a groom who has ditched his wife at the altar. The two rush to get him off the train, but (perhaps all too predictably), they don't get him off the train in time and they find themselves going to London. Meanwhile, Glyn "stalks" his childhood sweetheart to her salsa class, with help from Warren.

As I mention, some of the plot elements do seem to be somewhat predictable, as are some of the characters. For example, there is the instant dislike of the Australian man now married to Beggsy's ex, who has also taken his daughter down under. However, there are some nice visual gags, such a roadside seller of fridges called "Sellfridges", and other odd moments such as accusations that Fireman Sam might be gay.

These moments are fleeting, however, in a show that will probably not receive the kindest of obituaries...

This new sitcom comes from the same writing team that gave us The Worst Week Of My Life, but despite a cast which includes Ricky Tomlinson as the local pub landlord, Great Night Out offers more gentle and much more obvious laughs.

Set in Stockport, it's a male bonding comedy about four ­life-long friends and Stockport County supporters played by William Ash, Lee Boardman, Craig Parkinson and Stephen Walters.

Their not-so-great night out this week finds them in Manchester's posh Midland Hotel attempting to celebrate the fifth wedding ­anniversary of their unofficial leader, Hodge.

The cast, which also includes Susie Blake and Isy Suttie in peripheral roles as well as Jessica Gunning as the Friend From Hell, should provide plenty of material for more misadventures each week. But when the biggest laughs of the episode go not to any of the leads but to a character billed only as Train Attendant, then ­something's gone a bit wrong somewhere.

The predictable parts of Mark Bussell and Justin Sbresni's laddish new comedy drama about four thirtysomething friends from Stockport (football, drinking, women trouble) are buoyed by a lively script with some good one-liners. The gang comprises would-be alpha male Hodge (Lee Boardman), nerdy underdog Glyn (Craig Parkinson), chirpy divorcee Beggsy (William Ash) and pessimistic Daz (Stephen Walters). In tonight's opening episode Hodge narrowly avoids wife Kath's (Rebekah Staton) fury after botching their wedding anniversary plans.