La La Land

The latest vehicle from cult comedian Marc Wootton, who doesn't so much possess balls of steel as nuts of purest kryptonite. In the guise of three wannabees (including fake psychic Shirley Ghostman) he jets into LA and wastes everybody's time, leaving real-life publicists, producers and acting coaches hollow-eyed, burnt-out wraiths after their encounters. Even Sacha Baron Cohen must draw the line somewhere, but Wootton regularly scampers back and forth across that line like a happy puppy.

Anyone remember BBC3 series High Spirits With Shirley Ghostman? Back in 2005, the fake medium, played by comedian Marc Wootton, raised merry hell on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross with some extremely offensive jokes about cancer patients.

Well, Shirley's back from the dead tonight in this hilarious new comedy series which sees Wootton playing three Brits who are all trying to make their mark in H­ollywood. As well as Shirley, there are wannabe documentary maker Brendan Allen and Gary Garner, an East London taxi driver who reckons he's got what it takes to be the next Jason Statham.

Taking a massive leaf out of Borat's book, all the people Shirley, Gary and Brendan meet in Los Angeles are real and have absolutely no idea they're being set up. It makes for some fantastically cringe-worthy encounters, for instance when we watch Brendan (a cross between Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock) pitching his idea for what he thinks is a brand-new kind of shark documentary to an incredulous and increasingly exasperated producer.

And wideboy Gary somehow befriends veteran actrees Ruta Lee and blags himself studio time with A-list ­snapper Lennon, whose patience quickly wears thinner than a size-zero supermodel. Shirley, meanwhile, has actually talked his way into getting an actual publicist on board to help him escape the scandal he left behind back in the UK.

La La Land is a genius idea, brilliantly executed and we can't wait to see what this talentless trio gets up to next.

La La Land preview

Overall, La La Land won't change the comedy landscape because it's clearly following in the footsteps of superior trailblazers, but it actually tells a better serialised story than the Borat/Bruno movies managed and does land some unexpected punches that'll raise an eyebrow. This is certainly the best project Wootton's been involved with, and it kept me amused and entertained for three episode, so I'll be tuning in for the second half.

A low-rent Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Wooton takes his spoof psychic character Shirley Ghostman - wait! Come back! It's not that bad, honest - to LA along with three others. He plays pranks. And you know how we feel about that. However, the old actress is SUPERB. Worth watching just for her.

Mildly amusing new comedy in which a hapless documentary-maker, a psychic medium and a taxi driver turned wannabe-action star - all played by British character comic Marc Wootton - try to make it big in LA. Featuring the characters' real-life encounters with unwitting members of the public, Sacha Baron Cohen-style, it already counts Ben Stiller and Larry David as fans after its airing in the US.

Monday night's episode of Marc Wootton's hilarious Showtime comedy will make you laugh until you hate yourself.

If you've ever had an urge to push your rock-climbing buddy off the nearest cliff, then this very special murder-themed episode of Showtime's La La Land is just for you. Previewed in exquisite detail here, the second episode of Marc Wootton's stunning Borat-like comedy show is so deliciously evil that you simply cannot miss it, from the moment when an unwitting producer gives aspiring filmmaker Brendan Allen's plan to catch "blood splattering on the lens" a thumbs up to the deeply uncomfortable denouement, in which local park rangers arrive at the scene.

Interview: 'La La Land' star Marc Wootton

In the tradition of such character comics as Sacha Baron Cohen who has made a career out of playing Borat or Ali G, English comedian Marc Wootton brings three of his very unique characters to Los Angeles and films the interactions between the characters and the unknowing public with often hilarious results.

Marc Wootton Travels to Showtime's La La Land

The first thing Marc Wootton mentions when he talks about his new Showtime comedy series La La Land is Sacha Baron Cohen aka Ali G aka Borat aka Bruno.

Guerrilla Comic Invades Los Angeles

FOR someone like Marc Wootton even the simplest query - "How did your new Showtime series come about?" - can be an excuse for theatrical digression.