Fabulous

It takes a lot to make up for the pain of losing Ed [Reardon's Week], but Fabulous, which began a second series on Tuesday (Radio 4, 11pm), looks like doing more than its bit. It's completely different - it's written by a woman (Lucy Clarke), for one thing, and it's maonly about women, but there are parallels between Faye, the lead character, and Ed. Both are endlessly positive, in a grim, Blitz spirit kind of way, about the future even as the present falls apart about them. And each is played by an actor blessed with a voice perfectly matched to their character. In Faye's case it's Daisy Haggard, who manages to sound both husky and squeaky at the same time and is thus both sexy and mildly disconcerting, as though Fenella Fielding had within her the demon alter ego of Violet Elizabeth Bott.

There's no point in talking about the plot - we're deep in Bridget Jones country here - and the unending stream of punchlines and one-liners don't translate that well to the printed page (I know, because I wrote them down and, it seems, context is all), but Clarke is like Evans, Douglas and Nickolds in that she appears have had a whale of a time writing it all, laughing at her typewriter as she lets her imagination run riot. What larks, Pip.

Radio Review: Fabulous

In its third series, Radio 4's comedy Fabulous is growing into something quirky and rather fun, says Elisabeth Mahoney.

Listening Again: Fabulous (Series 2)

My initial response to the first episode in the second series of Radio 4's Fabulous was not altogether favourable. Well, I thought the second episode was an absolute hoot.

First Listen: Fabulous (Series 2)

It's totally daft and I wish I could say it was very funny, but somehow it doesn't quite come together. The overall feel of the show is not quite right. It's quirky, but it lacks the charm to make it totally lovable, which it could easily be. It's nearly there, but not quite.

Life was conducted at a similarly high voltage in Lucy Clark's Fabulous. In fact, Daisy Haggard's Faye sounded as if she was in the throes of some kind of electric shock therapy, as she went into convulsions at the prospect of going to work, speaking to her mother or having sex with her boyfriend.

She was clearly meant to be a loveable, dippy character with her Bridget Jones ability to air her big knickers at the most inopportune moment. As this was in the 11pm slot, and the only meal that would be spoilt was that assembled by late night fridge raiders, we were treated to a scatological account of her toilet troubles, complete with sound effects. The voluble Faye - like other characters much given to an irritating deadpan drawl - was suffering from constipation, but not, alas, of the mouth.