The Mimic

The melancholic comedy added a more sturdy sense of plot in its second series, with thwarted impressionist Martin (Terry Mynott) embarking on an eventful new relationship. There's still plenty of mimicry, though, for those hoping to fill the space vacated by The Trip To Italy, with Mynott showcasing his Christopher Walken, Woody Allen and David Attenborough.

Terry Mynott's master of celebrity voices Martin has been a real grower this series, and he's going out with a bang in the last episode. It's nearly time for Martin and Harriet's wedding, but as the groom didn't go through with the circumcision demanded by her family, he must foot the bill. Will true love conquer all? Of course it won't, especially as Jean in the role of Martin's concerned best friend is finding it hard to keep her feelings to herself.

Martin's wedding is fast approaching. A bit too fast, really, with Harriet turning into the archetypal bridezilla and costs rapidly mounting. Luckily, his conversion to Judaism should placate his staunch soon-to-be father-in-law, and ease the opening of his wallet for the lavish occasion. But when Martin meets Harriet's brother, a decidedly non-kosher gent, on his stag do, he discovers a few alarming truths about his betrothed and her romantic past.

Martin's got a new job and his 40th birthday is approaching. New girlfriend Harriet starts to rub Jean up the wrong way with the preparations, and it feels like someone is a bit jealous. Particularly as Harriet has set Martin up a meeting with a new agent, too. Soon he's locking horns with the leathery Nigel Lord (a marvellous cameo from John Thomson) the agency's other mimic who's keen to size Martin up. Meanwhile, Neil starts seeing a psychoanalyst about his paranoia.

It may occupy the downbeat end of the spectrum, but when The Mimic flies it really soars and this is a particularly lovely episode.

Inspired by new girlfriend Harriet to push himself out of his rut, under-achieving impressionist Martin Hurdle (Terry Mynott) signs up with a new agent.

Turns out this guy already has another impressionist on his books which results in a mimic-off between Martin and his competition (guest star John Thomson).

As for that new girlfriend, Martin's mate Jean (Jo Hartley) can't hide her jealousy at Harriet muscling in on her best friend, even if she was the one who set them up in the first place.

And Jean's ex-boyfriend Neil (Neil Maskell) is trying to get his life in order by seeing a psychotherapist.

Her prescribed treatment delivers pure comedy gold.

This sitcom sleeper hit still making a good impression

In fact, the best scenes are rarely to do with mimicry. The moment that had me spluttering into my drink last night was a back and forth between Martin and Jean (the wonderful Jo Hartley from This Is England) after Martin, in a brief stint as a caretaker, stumbled upon a homeless man.

Has The Mimic lost its voice?

Maybe we're not supposed to really watch this show expecting real and lasting change, just a chance to savour all the performances and Terry Mynott's vocals.

Life's looking bleak for Martin, with no job, ants living in his broadband router and his son Steven heading off travelling. Still, there's always a trip to the Build-A-Ted workshop with newly-dumped Neil to cheer him up. When Jean sets him up with Harriet from her soulsercise class, Martin's on to a winner even though Neil insists on coming with him on the double date. His Kermit the frog impression is a hit with his new love interest, and there's a nicely freaky bedroom scene to cement their strange night of lust.

Radio Times review

Sending the characters in your downbeat sitcom to rock bottom carries the risk that the whole show will become suffocatingly sad. We're dipping into that rut a couple of times tonight as jobless, hopeless impressionist Martin (Terry Mynott) says goodbye to his grief-stricken son and quarrels with his equally lacklustre soulmate Jean (Jo Hartley). Martin's even doing the same old Wogan and Attenborough routines over and over.

The show just about veers back from the edge. As usual Neil Maskell does the heavy lifting as Neil the paranoid newsagent, who this week fears that oestrogen in soya milk is giving him moobs. When Neil and Martin go double-dating and Martin meets a woman who enjoys celebrity voices, writer Matt Morgan indulges in a comic set piece he must have had up his sleeve from the start. It was worth waiting for.

The first series of The Mimic ended with our copycat hero Martin (Terry Mynott) hiding in the toilet, paralysed by stage fright and unable to face the television cameras that could have propelled him to stardom.

Series two of Channel 4's sweet, gentle and understated comedy finds him back on the bottom rung of showbusiness, busking in the local shopping precinct, facing competition from a violinist and a human statue.

Anyone expecting to guffaw will be disappointed, but The Mimic's combination of the consistently amusing and irresistibly engaging should put a large smile on most faces.

And then, of course, there are Martin's uncanny impersonations. Episode one treated us to Walter and Jesse from Breaking Bad, two variations of Harry Potter's headteacher Dumbledore, Morgan Freeman as the Hobbit and the Imp from Game of Thrones, who, it was pointed out, sounds a bit like Victor Meldrew. An observation I sincerely hope I can forget before the fantasy drama's next series, or it will never be the same.