Episodes

Radio Times review

If Matt's money worries weren't bad enough, his dad's heart attack could push him over the edge. Dick LeBlanc (a fabulously grouchy Alex Rocco) is living in a condo that his cash-strapped son needs to sell. But will he survive surgery?

It's a bleaker-than-usual visit to sunny LA, with most of the action focused around Dick's hospital bed where, bizarrely, Beverly and Sean (Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan) have joined the vigil. But the gags are still pretty sharp, especially when it comes to the regular telephone bulletins Beverly gets from the deliciously insecure Carol.

Radio Times review

The Matt LeBlanc comedy has been on form this series, partly because it has been unafraid of pushing the boundaries of taste. And this episode is another deliciously questionable corker that sees Matt agreeing to make a paid celebrity appearance at a war criminal's birthday party in order to allay his growing financial worries. It's either that or leaking a sex tape.

And the vile former network boss Merc Lepidus rears his head in about as literal and unwelcome a fashion as possible. Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig's bewildered Brits Sean and Beverly continue to battle Sean's former writing partner (also known in LA as "that Tim guy") and there is a deft cameo from a surprise guest.

Stephen Mangan: 'I had to learn not to be too gobby'

The actor, 47, on wearing tights, how Green Wing changed his life, and why he wouldn't want to be more famous.

The satire is nicely even-handed, with the Brits as guilty of prissiness as the Americans are of shallowness -- and in both cases without ever seeming despicable, merely somewhere between ambitious and scared.

Add in a uniformly strong ensemble cast and Episodes should in theory be an impossible show for any one person to steal. In practice, Matt LeBlanc manages it effortlessly, playing a particularly unsparing version of himself as an amoral egotist struggling to hang on to his alpha-male status as his post-Friends career slides ever downwards. On Monday, for instance, he decided that if he got back with his ex-wife, he could renew his relationship with his sons -- and, better still, save a lot of money on alimony and child support. And all this, while remaining extremely charming.

Radio Times review

A lot of heads wake up from a lot of pillows in this episode, and they all groan "What have I done?" Carol (Kathleen Rose Perkins) and her boss, the wonderfully monikered Helen Basch (Andrea Savage), face the morning after the night before - as do Matt and his ex-wife. "How much tequila did I have?" wonders the erstwhile Mrs LeBlanc. "Just enough," he replies with a smirk and his usual superb timing.

Meanwhile, Sean and Beverly are having to face the consequences (legal and otherwise) of his former writing partnership in a particularly crisp and sharp episode of David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik's transatlantic caper, which is beautifully structured and uproariously funny.

Stephen Mangan interview

Halfway through our interview I notice that Stephen Mangan has swung his legs over the arm of his hotel armchair. The posture - relaxed, informal, friendly and also perhaps a bit weary -does speak of the man. After all, he's in the middle of run at the National Theatre of the Ayckbourn-esque drama Rules for Living.

Radio Times review

Matt's money worries come to a head and you don't need to be a committed LeBlanc watcher to know that he will probably live to regret his unusual solution. Sean and Beverly face problems of their own when Sean's ex-writing partner comes to town and (in a departure from David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik's usually deft plotting) delivers a somewhat implausible missile that may sink them yet.

But perhaps the biggest bombshell concerns Carol (Kathleen Rose Perkins), who discovers that her rackety love life cannot be blamed on father issues alone. As with previous series, there is mounting mayhem amid the phoniness and frivolity. And it's great fun.

Radio Times review

Matt LeBlanc has money problems and, knowing Matt as we do, he is pretty ruthless when he's in a hole. This episode sees the former Friends star's ghastly alter ego encourage his ex-wife to marry her inappropriate boyfriend (the alimony's a bit steep) and face the dreaded possibility of selling his vineyard. He may even have to let his beach cleaner go. Meanwhile, the entire LA TV industry seems to be after the new script written by Brit exiles Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly (Tamsin Greig), who have somehow found their way back to La La Land.

Much of this is beautifully observed and achingly funny; and it was a good decision by writers Jeffrey Klarik and David Crane to call time on the bedhopping-fuelled rows between the three protagonists and create more moments for the sublimely talented LeBlanc, Mangan and Greig to riff off each other in the same scene. After four series it remains a pleasure, even if the usually excellent writing does strike the odd lazy, duff note.

You know times are hard when you've got to sell your dinosaur egg.

This is what life has come to for poor Matt LeBlanc in this comedy where he plays a ­fictionalised version of himself.

After having half his fortune embezzled by his dodgy business manager, Matt is ­devastated to discover he now has only $31million left.

Better get the violins out. No doubt his wallet's too small for his fifties and his diamond shoes are too tight. (OK, Friends geek Chandler said that first).

In this episode, the actor is told he needs to start reducing his spending and sell some of his assets (mainly property, cars and a dinosaur egg), otherwise he'll be skint by 2019.

"You spent $126,000 on a single bottle of brandy once owned by Al Capone?" asks his amazed accountant.

"Will you sell it?" Um no, he drank it.

And what about the aeroplane or vineyard? Off the table, apparently, though Matt is prepared to evict his father or fire his beach sweeper.

Meanwhile, Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly (Tamsin Greig) agree to let three networks pitch for their new script.

Things don't look promising, with one wanting to cast big names, which didn't exactly work last time, and another wanting to ditch the main concept of the show. But will one be just right?

Elsewhere, Carol (Kathleen Rose Perkins) finally has to confront her new boss Helen, whose husband she once slept with and consequently broke up their marriage.

Totally awkward. Especially when Carol realises halfway through her apology that Helen has no idea what she's talking about.