Grandma's House

Simon Amstell's family sitcom divided critics when it first bowed in 2010, but we've always had a sneaking affection for Grandma's House. True, Amstell himself is not the greatest actor, but his dry wit and nervous energy remain appealing. In the Series 2 premiere, things become even more meta as Simon - having lost his presenting career and London flat - is set to star in a low-key TV sitcom... sound familiar?

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The comic actress Rebecca Front is one of our most underrated stars, as this selection of her best television roles shows.

Grace Dent's TV OD: Grandma's House preview

Simon Amstell's sitcom, Grandma's House, is back for a second series - and our confused reactions to it say a lot about the state of British comedy.

Simon Amstell on his first screen kiss

When What's On TV joined Simon Amstell and his Grandma's House co-stars, he explained what new fun is in store in the second series of his hit comedy...

5 minutes with Chris Gernon - director, Grandma's House

We had a chance recently to sit down with Chris Gernon, the director of Grandma's House. Chris may not be a name that you know, but you definitely know her brilliant work.

Radio Times review

The most unfairly criticised comedy of the year, with sages queuing up to make the shattering observation that Simon Amstell can't act. Why would he need to? He was playing himself in a sitcom about a comedian who, despite considerable success, is paralysed by neuroses and has no communication skills, especially when stuck with his brash, unstarry relatives. Mumbling and nearly corpsing worked for Jerry Seinfeld and were what was required here.

Amstell's merciless dissection of his own personality gave Grandma's House its real-com edge, but more importantly, it had a fabulous cast (Rebecca Front, Samantha Spiro, James Smith) enjoying a script full of spiky but affectionate family ding-dongs, in a Royles/Gavin & Stacey vein. When the later episodes introduced classic sitcom plotting - intricate, chaotic, accelerating - Grandma's House got even better.

Simon Amstell's angst is just not funny

Simon Amstell seems to be having a crisis and is attempting to flog it for laughs.

Looking back on Grandma's House

The promise of 'trust me, it gets better' is the fragile last defence of any series apologist, but if you're willing to take on a whole six episode commitment, you may find your investment rewarded with a sensitive and honest comedy that occupies a niche no-one knew needed filling.

It's the last episode of Simon Amstell's carefully crafted sitcom in which he stars as himself. The series has seen some superb performances from its sparkly cast, most notably Rebecca Front as Amstell's onscreen mother Tanya. Tonight, Tanya and Clive's (James Smith) plans to get married are disrupted when Grandpa (Geoffrey Hutchings) becomes ill.