Clare In The Community

Another year has passed and Clare In The Community returns for its fifth series. When we last met her, Clare - the antithesis to Carol Thatcher when it comes to political correctness - had an extra burden to add to the weight of her disappointment at being a white, middle-class and straight social worker. She was pregnant with her long-term partner Brian's child.

Now the baby has arrived she's determined not to be stereotyped into doing predictable things such as feeding it, bathing it or holding it. Enter an East European live-in au pair who adds a great flavour to the abusive sarcasm in Brian and Clare's home. Sally Phillips has made the starring role her own and passes off self-obsession so cleverly that Clare sounds irresistible rather than cruel.

In a week in which Dawn French began her so far failed attempt to show that her comedic skills can embrace radio as well as TV, Sally Phillips' turn as the social worker who is just not a people person edged ever closer to classic comedy monster status.

Clare in the Community wins Sony award

Clare in the Community, the comedy series on Radio 4, has won a Bronze Sony Radio Academy Award for Comedy.

Radio 4 on Friday: "Current thinking in social work is that one shouldn't tell the child they're bad, one should say the act was bad." No, not a worthy documentary but the wonderful Clare in the Community. Two episodes in, it's clear that, with this adaptation of Harry Venning's Guardian cartoon about a social worker, Radio 4's found a really funny sitcom. Sally Phillips delivers Clare's PC pronouncements perfectly deadpan, making them all the more entertaining. Who'd have thought Clare would sound so cut-glass? She does, and it's now impossible to imagine her any other way. Hurrah - there are four episodes still to come.