Edge Of Heaven

Childhood sweethearts Alfie (Blake Harrison) and Carly are getting married, but when the latter bottles it at the altar, Alfie is flung back into the arms of his B&B-running family. Created by Stella scribe Robert Evans, everything from Alfie's outrageous grandma to Adrian Scarborough's presence as Uncle Gary, is a reminder that this is neither as sharp nor as winning as the very similar Gavin And Stacey, but the performances lift it beyond mediocrity.

There's a faint whiff of Stella-on-Sea about this retro comedy-drama starring Inbetweener Blake Harrison as lovesick puppy Alfie, whose childhood sweetheart dumps him on their wedding day. It's set in the 1980s-themed Margate guest house run by Alfie's mum Judy (Camille Coduri) - but there's a high-camp spin-off series in the making over at Alfie's uncle's flat, where True Blood causes passions to run high in a curious ménage à trois between Marcia Warren, in fine fettle as Alfie's grandma, Adrian Scarborough as Bald Uncle Gary and Robert Evans - the show's writer - as Gary's partner, Camp Gary.

Radio Times review

Here's a sample gag from Edge of Heaven: "I'm like those birds that go around in pairs." "Lesbians?" "No, swans." If you're laughing so hard you've bent double and displaced a vertebra in your back, then this broad, camp comedy drama is for you.

Just think of it as a low-rent Modern Family set in Edge of Heaven, "Margate's finest 80s-themed B&B", run by raucous landlady Judy (Camille Coduri) and her young husband Tandeep (Nitin Kundra), where she plays host to a ragtag band of eclectic relatives. Her gormless son Alfie (The Inbetweeners' Blake Harrison) is about to marry the girl of his dreams.

Edge of Heaven could have been made at any time during the 1970s. There's even a joke about Blue Nun.

It seems that ITV has noted with envy the success of some BBC sitcoms and is now trying to emulate them. First we had sitcom Vicious, about a bickering gay couple, which was quite possibly inspired by the camp Mrs Brown's Boys. Now comes this comedy drama set in an Eighties-themed B&B in Margate, which feels like it's aiming for the ensemble romcom sweetness of another BBC hit, Gavin & Stacey.

Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners) stars as hapless hero Alfie, an asthmatic sofa salesman who is jilted at the altar, acquires an unwise tattoo and is prone to accidents. He's surrounded by a cast of caricatures: his brassy mother, long-suffering stepdad, batty gran, snarling tomboy sister (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Gavin & Stacey's Nessa) and gay uncle (Adrian Scarborough, who actually was in Gavin & Stacey).

The seaside setting and presence of random Welsh accents further fuel suspicions that someone on the production sat down with a Gavin & Stacey boxset and a notepad. Sadly, this isn't quite as warm or subtly written. Still, there are compensations: there are signs of a sweet, slowburning romance between Harrison and his ex's best friend (ex-EastEnders actress Louisa Lytton), Scarborough is waspishly good value and a ballroom dancing sub-plot will amuse Strictly fans. There are plenty of efforts to make the script seem knowingly contemporary - with references to trashy TV, Kettle Chips and vajazzles - but it all feels as dated as the B&B's Eighties decor.

Review: Incredibly forgettable comedy drama

Ultimately, it feels to me that ITV wanted Edge of Heaven to be a comedy in the fashion of something like Modern Family but what we got instead was a programme that would feel more at home in the 1970s.

Edge Of Heaven preview

Edge of Heaven is loud, colourful and brilliantly character driven that means you're bound to find at least one character to fall in love with. And if you happen to be out on a Friday night, it's the perfect show to nurse that Saturday morning hangover too!