Free Agents

10 British TV comedies that ended too soon

Some sitcoms come to a natural end after a long run. Others are not so lucky and get cut short in their prime. And then Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps runs for 80 episodes. Here are 10 of the best comedies that ended far too soon...

America: where British sitcoms go to die

It is the holy grail for British writers - having your sitcom remade for America. But can Raised By Wolves succeed where Fawlty Towers flopped?

'Free Agents' cancelled by NBC

NBC has reportedly cancelled the American version of Free Agents.

Free Agents - US or UK?

It's time to settle an age-old question, to put to rest this crucial issue once and for all: Which is better, the US or the UK? And finally we have the mechanism with which to decide. It is not about politics, it is not about teeth, it is of course about the TV show Free Agents.

Hank Azaria joins 'Free Agents' USA pilot

Hank Azaria, probably best known for his voice work on The Simpsons, has reportedly signed up for a role in NBC's pilot of Free Agents.

Free Agents to be remade for US TV

NBC orders pilot of comedy from independent producer Big Talk.

Though it's a comedy, so strong and empathetic are its performances that Free Agents actually feels more like a comedy-drama in the vein of Cold Feet - which is no bad thing. This is a series set in the world of talent agents: a profession which can yield some examples of terrible human vileness (see Anthony Head's agency boss Stephen), but also surprising vulnerability. Green Wing's Stephen Mangan excels as weepy, recently divorced agent Alex. As we join him, he's trying to talk up his one-night stand with co-worker Helen (Sharon Horgan).

It's sad to see this excellently scripted and naturally played sitcom come to an end tonight but it does, at least, end in style. Helen and Alex's testy, will-they-won't-they relationship reaches an interesting and poignant denouement, and Anthony Head's gleefully horrible Stephen is given a great opportunity to go into lasciviousness overdrive with Stephanie Beacham. More please.

Tonight is the series finale of this modern romantic comedy, in which two attractive people (Sharon Horgan and Stephen Mangan) are failing to have an affair. She drinks a lot of red wine and asks herself repeatedly: "When is anything ever going to start being good again?" For his part, he is trying not to walk out on people whenever the going gets tough. The Daily Express got overexcited about the bad language in the show, asking its readers: "Is this the foulest 'comedy' ever?", ignoring the fact that it was essentially a rather sweet love story between two befuddled people. It is true that the boss of the agency (Anthony Head) wallows in the mire like an ecstatic hippo, but I've been reliably informed that his character is based on a real person.

Filthier than Ray Mears' armpits after a week swamp snorkelling, the sailor's vocabulary peppered throughout the fractured romance between Stephen Mangan and Sharon Horgan has kept sappiness at bay. There is some affection in here somewhere, but thankfully it's been buried under a barrage of cynicism and damaged personalities, which is such a change from the usual romantic comedy. And there's certainly nothing usual about Anthony Head's wedding in this series closer, where he's all set to marry a high-class hooker...