Loaded

Loaded probably won't get a second series

If you were a fan of Channel 4's sitcom Loaded last year, we have some bad news if you were waiting for series two.

Jon Brown's lovable techcom is revealing unexpected reservoirs of tenderness and wisdom every week. Tonight, velociraptor boss Casey is looking to make cutbacks - and even the boys have to justify their positions (Ewan: "I'm like a giant dependable mound of back flesh"). Elsewhere, Josh's gift to his parents of a cultural world tour has had adverse consequences when, on return, mum Linda (Morwenna Banks) announces she's found herself - and wants out of her marriage.

Loaded was a hoot. The premise of four flatsharing computer whizzes is hardly new, but we are spared comparisons with Silicon Valley or the (increasing) schmaltz of The Big Bang Theory by its being very rude, very British, and relying less on lovable underdogs than the ribald arrogance that comes with essentially unearned computer-app millions. It's written and produced by Fresh Meat's Jon Brown, Jim Howick excels as the (only) grounded worrier Josh, and, crucially, it's both near-credible and high good fun.

A question: what would you do if you had a windfall of £14million? If you're young, and in a new show called Loaded (Channel 4, Monday), you would buy a riverboat full of sandals. Not even the Messiah would have a use for all of those. But if you have £14million in your pocket you'd probably walk on water, too.

A great cast, including Jim Howick, show how miserable you can be with a huge fortune. How reassuring. Funny, a tad surreal, and with lots of internet terms that will both boggle you and make you laugh. A hit.

Loaded is a bit like Fresh Meat, but not as funny

Loaded is promising and it could yet warm up to be another Fresh Meat. I'm not sure, though, that the characters are as lovable, or as well-observed. At least half of us can hark back to our student days. Who can say they were a tech millionaire by 35?

Loaded review

Undercutting the japes (and this is one of those sitcoms that does, actually, make you laugh) is the sober point that three hundred million quid for a game called Cat Factory is an absurdity, and the whole world knows it, including the lads.

Down with tech bros! Time for female TV nerd revolution

The IT Crowd, Silicon Valley and now Loaded ... our screens are disappointingly pumped full of man-boys who work in technology. Please tell some new stories.

There is a welcome whiff of Mike Judge's profane tech spoof Silicon Valley to Channel 4's latest sitcom, a sharply written and appealingly performed examination of the fraying friendship between four beta males who become absurdly rich when their hit smartphone game is acquired by a ruthless US firm. The lads have barely bought their first Ferrari when a Social Network-style lawsuit threatens to bring the Cat Factory empire to its furry knees.

Jim Howick on why Loaded isn't the new Entourage

When I first spot Jim Howick, he's hanging around the entrance of London's Soho Hotel bar, eyes scanning the crowd for me.

Preview - Loaded

There are not that many adaptations of Israeli comedy shows in Britain. The only one I can think is the BBC Two panel show The Bubble, which had one series back in 2010, so not a great record.