Zoe Boyle

Review: Witless, BBC Three

The third series of comedy thriller Witless has just come out on iPlayer in one big five-episode dollop. And if you think Leanne and Rhona are going to be able to go back to their boring, ordinary lives then you clearly haven't been paying attention. These two have about as much chance of avoiding scrapes as Eamonn Holmes has of winning the World Boxing Championships.

Kerry Howard and Zoe Boyle interview

Here's what Kerry and Zoe had say about the third and final series...

Meet the farcical female double act from Witless

We speak to Kerry Howard and Zoe Boyle as the second series of their witness protection comedy comes to BBC Three.

I talk to: Kerry Howard & Zoe Boyle

Witless is back for a second series on BBC Three, just nine months after THAT cliffhanger at the end of series one. And the good news is that all five episodes will be available to watch at once.

Why this is a glass-ceiling moment for women in comedy

Kerry Howard and Zoë Boyle reveal why we could be at a turning point for funny women.

Witless is BBC Three's first brand new comedy since they made the move online. Just like BBC Three's other big comedy Cuckoo, Witless has a surprisingly old-fashioned premise for a show that's supposedly trying to attract the under-thirty crowd. The story sees mismatched flatmates straight-laced Rhona (Zoe Boyle) and the outrageous Leanne (Kerry Howard) forced into witness protection after seeing a gangland shooting first hand. The majority of the comedy is derived from the fact that Rhona was just about to move out from the flat that she and Leanne shared due to her not being able to stand her any more. So now she's forced to spend a lot more time with Leanne, doesn't sit well with Rhona neither does the fact that the flat they're given by the Witness Protection scheme is even more down market than the one they shared before. Whilst the Witness Protection situation couldn't have come at a worse time for Rhona, Leanne sees it as an opportunity to reinvent herself. Going off script almost instantly, she introduces herself with several different pseudonyms throughout the course of the episode and also tries to find romance with the mysterious Patrick (Samuel Anderson). Writers Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf make sure to the audience realise that there is a real threat on the girls' lives by introducing two young gangster characters who have been tasked with wiping them out. The final part of the opening episode sees Leanne save Rhona from being killed in a strip club and in the process the two finally realise that they can rely on each other. In my opinion Witless does have a lot going for it from an intriguing premise to the energy and enthusiasm of the two lead actresses. At the same time it is a little rough around the edges and I found that the two young hoodlums who are on Rhona and Leanne's tails have been written in quite a clichéd manner. On the upside Boyle and especially Howard seem to be having fun with the show and the pair share an awkward chemistry which lends itself well to the relationships their characters have. My personal highlights of the first episode were the Witness Protection self-help videos hosted by John Inverdale as they were perfectly pitched. If BBC Three are smart they'll post extra videos featuring Inverdale on their website as I do feel these may draw people to watch full episodes of Witless. Though it's far from perfect, Witless at least shows promise and even during the script's weaker moments I thought that Boyle and Howard's winning chemistry and enthusiasm was enough to see me through.

Zoe Boyle and Kerry Howard interview

We met actresses Zoe Boyle and Kerry Howard who play the unlikely friends in new BBC Three comedy Witless.

Kerry Howard and Zoe Boyle interview

Here's what Kerry and Zoe had to say about Witless...