Horne & Corden

Scorn & Corden

Comedy duo Mat Horne and James Corden's new sketch show has proved a turn-off - losing nearly half its viewers after two episodes.

I did a bad thing during Horne and Corden (BBC3). I'm sorry, and if it's any consolation I'm not pleased with myself. But I laughed. I actually couldn't help it. It was in the first bit, where Corden goes up to a kid in a wheelchair in the audience. And the kid is saying that it's really hard with her old manual chair, especially now her dad has a bad back, and what she'd really like is an electric chair but they cost £5,000. And Corden says that he and Horne have clubbed together for one, and I'm thinking: Oh God they've turned into Noel Edmonds, this is the most horrible, sickening thing I've ever seen. And then Horne comes on with this massive electric chair, the sort you execute people with in America. Old Sparky. And I just couldn't help it, I laughed. Because it was funny, I suppose.

I'm not proud. It didn't happen again in the rest of the show, hasn't happened in either of the previous shows, won't happen again, I promise. They're still a couple of plonkers.

This skitcom has a confidence out of whack with its material, but there are still some sizeable sniggers, including James Corden's neat Ricky Gervais stitch-up and the Team GB gymnasts on the rings. A nice nod to the old guard, too, with Tim Brooke-Taylor guesting at Bananaman's funeral.

The sketch show, RIP? You're joking

The critics have put the boot into Horne & Corden and declared the sketch show finished. Rubbish, says David Baddiel: sketch comedy is what we Brits do best. He and other comics reveal the secrets of their craft.

Corden and Horne: suddenly the joke's on them

They were hailed as the saviours of sitcom, but last week their new TV sketch show and a feature film about lesbian vampires attracted a blitzkrieg of critical derision.

Review from The Stage

Such was the popular enthusiasm and critical acclaim for Gavin & Stacey that someone at the BBC had the bright idea of inviting its male stars, Mathew Horne and James Corden, to write and perform their own sketch show. After all, anyone can churn out a sketch show, can't they? Horne and Corden are clearly accomplished comic actors, but they are just not comedians and introducing themselves as such at the beginning of the show misfired badly.

James Corden: The backlash begins

After a cocky turn at the Baftas and a panning for his latest sketch show, is the tide turning on the bright new star of comedy?

Blog Review

The critics have savaged Horne & Corden, but it's not as awful as other BBC3 efforts with a similar format (The Wall, Blunder). I guess everyone just expects more from this ubiquitous pair, who have yet to equal their Gavin & Stacy breakthrough. The problem with this sketch show is brutally simple: H&C are talented performers, but weak writers.

Considering this comes from a partnership who clearly believe they're the new Morecambe & Wise... it was a disappointment that I hope acts as the slap in the face they so desperately need. Right now, they're the new Hale & Pace.

James Corden has no excuse for this flabby sketch show. One of the sketches in Horne & Corden was based around the idea that a winning 4 X 100m relay team was ruined by the fact that James Corden was running the last leg. "That was disaster," sighed the commentator as Corden wobbled out of contention - a pretty fair summary of the show as it happens.

Several other sketches were based on this brilliant observation: James Corden is fat! (Who knew?!)

Out of the first eight sketches, he took his shirt off and wobbled his belly about in three. He and Horne resorted to flashing their backsides in another.

Corden has turned into one of those comics who think SHOUTING is all you need to be funny. As suggested by the Brit Awards disaster and his demonstrations of the robot on Comic Relief, Corden also seems to be labouring under the idea that he is the only comedian in the world who can dance.

As a fan of Gavin & Stacey it pains me to say it but in the three months since their Christmas special, far from amazing, Corden has just become irritating.

Like many sketch shows, it was hit and miss. It has the quotable factor; we were re-enacting lines the following morning besides the office water cooler. Therefore, this show has potential. However, due to Horne and Corden's egos its creditability could go either way... These two are likable and talented guys but seriously, someone needs to pull them to aside and break it to them that they are not ever going to be comedy legends.