Upstart Crow

Upstart Crow: Bard saved Elton from sitcom oblivion

Alack the day! Upstart Crow (BBC Two) has shuffled off its chortle coil. There was something for everyone in Ben Elton's learned Bardcom.

In the last in the series of Ben Elton's bard-based sitcom, the age of exploration promises great riches for London residents brave enough to fling savings at the futures market. Sadly for Shakey, though, family finances are floundering, so if a modest investment of his own is to blossom, the offer of a loan from rival Robert Greene will need to be taken. However, Greene's interest rates turn out to be even more injurious than anything the likes of Wonga could impose.

I returned to Upstart Crow kicking and screaming, forced into watching it by the dearth of good TV this week. Euro 2016 has taken up much of the scheduling space, the games festooned on either side by droning analysis and followed by the news with its camera-phone footage. In this miserable melee, where is the good TV? I couldn't find it, so was compelled to watch the final episode of Upstart Crow, having been left stone-cold and unimpressed by its earlier outings.

Making fun of the money-grabbing investors who put their money into the newly-discovered potatoes, tobacco and "cases of syphilis" from Virginia, Shakespeare (David Mitchell) prefers to put his money into the theatre. Still, high jinks and a court case arise when his cash goes missing. There are some very deliberate reminders of Blackadder II here - but all that does is make you pine for what you're missing.

Review: Upstart Crow, episode 6

I won't go into a lot of detail about tonight's episode except to say that it is one of the best in the series.

Bob from Blackadder 2 makes a surprise return

Gabrielle Glaister reprises her role as the cross-dressing Bob in the sixth episode of the Ben Elton-scripted William Shakespeare comedy.