Big School

Grace Dent on TV: Big School, BBC One

Today's lesson - how to produce a pleasurable comedy that passes the perils-of-primetime test.

We've all been burned too many times to take these things on trust any more. Still, the cast list of Big School (BBC1) couldn't fail to draw the eye, stuffed like a prize summer pudding as it was with juicy comedy names. Catherine Tate. David Walliams (a co-writer of the series). Joanna Scanlan (Terri Coverley in The Thick of It). Frances de la Tour. Frances de la bloody Tour!

All that promise means there's further to fall, right? Yes, usually. But this time it was great. Not perfect. But great.

The setting and the setup - teachers in an urban comprehensive who are lazier and less mature than the kids - is far from original. But Walliams, playing the head of chemistry, Mr Church, who is on the point of resigning until he has a coup de foudre when the new French teacher, Miss Postern (Tate), walks in, has here tapped into his warmer, more vulnerable, altogether funnier side. It's the one that makes him a wonderful children's author, rather than his colder Little Britain side. This performance, and his writing, gives the show good jokes and heart - which unless you are sure you are the next Seinfeld, generally works out best for all concerned.

And Tate's a genius. Her opening scene with Frances de la Tour's headmistress will keep me happy all week. "I love everything French!" she exclaims. "Not just the language. The history, the romance, the bread." I can't reproduce it here with just the paltry resources of the printed word, but it's the way she breathes the greatest passion into "bread" that sets you honking. And that's before De la Tour fixes her with a stare that's seen a thousand teachers come and go, and replies without expression on her face but an infinity of loathing in her voice: "Dirty people. Dirty country."

Look, you had to be there. But make sure you are next week. The second episode was trailed at the end of this one and trust me, you're going to want to see Mr Church dancing out of the dinner hall while raging at Miss Postern: "French is the poor man's Spanish!" Gold star.

Big School, BBC One, review

I don't want to be over-sensitive or a spoilsport or anything, or bang on about, er, misogyny. Let's just put it this way: amusing it was not. Mission aborted.

'Big School' opens to 4.2m on BBC One

New BBC One comedy Big School topped a quiet Friday evening outside of soaps, according to overnight figures.

Big School review: decent new sitcom

I found myself enjoying Big School despite its faults. It's not aiming to change the face of comedy, and is content to simply entertain in the easiest way possible.

I severely wanted to like Big School, if only to celebrate on the BBC's behalf their having launched two successful comedies in a row, the other of course continuing to be the sublime Family Tree. If so, it would have represented an almost unique triumph (yes, yes, but I've consulted my inner pedant and he reluctantly allows this) after a couple of years of embarrassing twock.

But I didn't. Despite a highly promising cast - Philip Glenister, showing he can "do" comedy; Daniel Rigby (the "annoying one" off the BT Broadband ads) showing he can actually "do" real acting, and rather good he is; the wonder that is Frances de la Tour, somehow growing increasingly sexy with age; Joanna Scanlan (the sublime Terri from The Thick of It) - it remained stubbornly written by and starring David Walliams, with all that entails.

Which is to say: too occasional mini-smiles leavening a fast succession of stereotypes, interrupted by a lazy cliche or three, shot through with embarrassing pieces of slapstick, most cringeworthy of which was the ancient teacher Mr Hubble going into an occupied classroom and opening his flies ("the loos used to be here..."). That was the savage low point; the highs were any scene involving De la Tour as the humourless alcoholic headmistress. This cast - and did I mention Catherine Tate? - surely deserves more subtle writing. But Walliams seemingly can't think but in stereotypes - I'm sure you remember even though I'm trying to forget the vile Little Britain, written in and somehow encapsulating the dark, dying days of New Labour.

Walliams has said it's "slightly subtler than Little Britain"; not the biggest of asks. So all the pupils - count them: all - are badly behaved, rude and street-smart. Mr Church, Walliams's character, drives an Austin Allegro, ho ho, and listens to Phil Collins, hoo ha. Alan Partridge it ain't.

I might watch another episode, if only because openers are notoriously ham-fisted, and there's a sparrow-flicker of interest over the Glenister/Tate/Walliams love triangle. But at this rate Walliams is in danger of being remembered only for the 167th fastest crossing of the Channel. Which would be no bad thing.

Big School left me po-faced

I saw the first two episodes and, while I chuckled a few times, I was left despondent about certain aspects of the education system. That's just how uncool I am. I've suffered from severe mirth deprivation since birth. My face has always been po.

School-set sitcom created by David Walliams, featuring a supergroup of supporting players. The action in this opener centres on timid chemistry teacher Mr Church (Walliams), hoping to engineer some chemistry between himself and new French tutor Miss Postern (Catherine Tate). Soon finding himself competing with prickly PE master Mr Gunn (Philip Glenister) for her affections, Church turns to his class for seduction tips. If this debut is anything to go by, this looks a spiritual sibling to long-forgotten 90s class-com Chalk. It's that poor.

From Please Sir! to Jack Whitehall's Bad Education, schools are a magnet for the sitcom gang.

The latest to answer the ringing of the bell is David Walliams, taking half-term break from teasing Simon Cowell to play lovestruck chemistry teacher Keith Church.

The object of the bumbling Keith's affections is la belle Miss Postern (Catherine Tate), the flame-haired new French teacher who doesn't actually know much French.

With Philip Glenister as a randy PE teacher, Frances de la Tour as a mean headteacher, Joanna Scanlan as a lesbian drama teacher and a scandalously under-used Daniel Rigby, the cast is top-notch - even if the jokes are a little old school.

New sitcoms on mainstream channels always stare directly into the jaws of darkness as purse-lipped audiences wait, arms crossed, to be entertained. Big School probably faces an even more hostile reception as it's co-written (with the Dawson Brothers) by David Walliams, who also stars. I bet there are a few people waiting to take him down a peg or two.

So please give Big School a chance. It doesn't ooze sophistication, in fact it's pretty silly. But it has a great cast and I heard myself laughing out loud in a few places. Walliams is secondary school deputy head of science Mr Church, a shy man with a terrible perm who's inexperienced with women and who listens to Phil Collins in his Austin Allegro. But he's transfixed by the new French teacher, comely Miss Postern (Catherine Tate). Big School turns out to be rather sweetly old-fashioned - in a good way.