Zapped

Greatest Underrated Comedy of the Previous Decade #1

Sometimes you feel a comedy series deserved more recognition, and in the last decade we had quite a few series that never quite reached their full potential, or, through no fault of their own went under the radar.

In a cod-medieval realm where magic is real, a stranded office temp, Brian (James Buckley), signs up for the Munty city guard reserves, unaware that a diabolical threat is coalescing in a nearby forest. The third season finale of the fantasy-spoofing sitcom starts with bumbling and bickering, but builds to a surprisingly epic climax.

The fantasy sitcom starring James Buckley as an office drone cast into a magical parallel world returns for a third series in which Howell and Brian have swapped realms. Mild amusement ensues, but a decent cast that includes Steve Coogan and a manic Paul Kaye is not well served by the workmanlike writing.

James Buckley: Steve Coogan is my hero

Acting alongside his hero Steve Coogan in the new series of fantasy-comedy Zapped was a dream come true for Inbetweeners star James Buckley.

Paul Kaye interview

We chatted to actor Paul Kaye about playing wizards, the musical Matilda, and his move from celebrity satire to serious drama...

All the jokes in Zapped, this formulaic farce have been done decades ago and much better by the late Sir Terry Pratchett in his Discworld novels.

Mind you, Sir Terry's imagination was so fecund that he didn't leave much space for his successors.

James Buckley plays an inept office worker who ends up in a world of swords and sorcery, under the drunken protection of a useless wizard (Paul Kaye).

Beset by fake soothsayers, devious politicians and thuggish city guards, he's dismayed to discover that even the magic doesn't work properly.

Fantasy sitcom has been done brilliantly by the live- action puppet series Yonderland, over on Sky. Zapped simply feels derivative.

On the other hand, it does feature doltish coppers with dainty wings called Fairies and wizards with Jethro Tull beards.

That's got to be worth a titter. Just don't expect too many laughs and you won't be disappointed.

Preview - Zapped: Series 2

Following a short run last year, Dave has brought back it's sitcom about a temp trapped in a fantasy world.

Following 2016's miniseries that saw office drone Brian (James Buckley) transported to an eccentric alternate universe, a full series following the misfit's misfortunes in bizarre backwater Munty. It begins with Brian accidentally triggering a war and standing trial as a war criminal. Luckily for the embattled pan-dimensional prisoner, a mentally malleable judge means that even the most imperfect of legal minds could ensure his early release.