PhoneShop

PhoneShop could still return: "Never say never"

If you were a fan of E4's PhoneShop, the good news is that the show might not be done quite yet. Series creator Phil Bowker described the experience of working on PhoneShop as "fantastic" and refused to rule out a possible return.

This crass - and sometimes inspired - comedy commissioned for E4 is blessed by the presence of Emma Fryer, a gifted comedienne whose promising 2009 sitcom Home Time was cruelly curtailed. Her deluded mobile-phone saleswoman, Janine, is trying to climb the Croydon social ladder. Meanwhile, her equally deluded four male colleagues at the phone shop attempt to launch a series of calamitous sidelines, including an escort agency.

Janine's catastrophic date with a socially awkward busker is a highlight, and Kayvan Novak's deranged return as area manager Razz Prince is terrific.

Emma Fryer interview

The PhoneShop actor Emma Fryer on her retail TV family, growing up in Coventry and the underrated skill of folding clothes.

E4's hilarious comedy set in the world of phone retail continues its third series, as the Sutton branch tries to win the Golden Bowl insurance sales award for the sixth year in a row. Lance (Martin Trenaman) puts all of his effort into getting Gregg Wallace to follow him on Twitter, but will the MasterChef judge care about the perpetually down-on-his-luck salesman who - as his colleagues have reminded him this series - missed his chance to become a millionaire by investing his dosh in phone cards?

Have you been watching ... PhoneShop?

It sounds like it should be another throwaway comedy, but the third series of E4's PhoneShop gets a ringing endorsement.

You didn't have to be under the influence of any class B subtance to enjoy the return of fitfully engaging comedy PhoneShop (E4) but it probably would have helped.

Because essentially it involved the entire cast doing a drama workshop spin on 'what it's like when you're under the influence of weed'. That's taken over from acting drunk at drama school. Some pulled it off rather more convincingly than others.

Topping the paranoia stakes was Tom Bennett as Chris, who dropped his trousers and turned into an urban junkie the moment one of manager Lance's special cakes popped into his mouth.

Chris's wayward behaviour was in line with PhoneShop itself, the (rather neat) episode title "Baking Bad" unleashing a riot of loose ends spun around the concept of the White Man Reggae Club. Somewhat off-puttingly, it found itself hilariously funny. Kind of like the way you do when... well you can probably guess where that sentence is going.

The third series of this offbeat observational comedy set in a mobile phone store gets under way in surreal fashion. Lance (Martin Trenaman) has finally been accepted into a special club, but his celebratory "reggae cakes" threaten to turn his fellow employees into zombies. Ashley, Jerwayne and Janine become disconnected from reality, and the normally shy Christopher has turned into a crazed contract-phone bandit on a rampage through Sutton. This riotous opening episode has been worth the near two-year wait.

The third series of the wilfully wacky comedy set - in case you hadn't guessed - in an emporium for the purveyance of mobile communications technology gets off to a high old start when boss Lance (Martin Trenaman) brings some ganja-filled reggae cakes in for a tea-time nibble. In the blink of a spliff, the joint is tripping big time, with the laid-back Chris (Tom Bennett) stealing the show as a crazed junkie with trouser issues and delusions of Gil Scott-Heron. Don't do drugs, kids.

He'd been saving it 'for when UB40 got back together'. But Lance has found a use for the bag of 'double skunk' hidden in his shed. He's finally been granted membership to the WMRC (White Man's Reggae Club) and he's baked some special muffins for his initiation ceremony. Sadly, Lance has left the muffins out at work. What could possibly go wrong?

As usual with PhoneShop, plenty is made of a fairly skinny storyline. This is mainly thanks to the superb, intuitive and very funny cast. Kudos in particular to Tom Bennett, whose weed meltdown sees him dominating the cowering Jerwayne and Ashley like some sort of avenging home counties angel. PhoneShop didn't seem like an obvious stayer when it started. But, as we begin the third series, it's proved to be a minor but surprisingly enduring pleasure.

PhoneShop - TV review

Who ate all the skunk muffins? The PhoneShop gang - and they're hilarious.