SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

DonnieDarkoAU This is one of the best comedy shows I have seen in recent times. Although the story starts a little slow, the episodes get better and better, winding up to the grand finale. Daniel Mays plays an excellent role as the unwilling star in series of unfortunate circumstances of his own doing. The humour is well constructed and organised with events rolling from one laugh to another. The language is a bit strong so it wont suit the smaller kids but it's one of the freshest comedies on the recent market. The American market might find it hard to get into as it's not geared to the US style of slapstick / deadpan that is associated with many American made productions.Looking forward to the next season.

Electricwolf Plus One is one of the best UK comedies of recent years. The show plays like a more earthy 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall', mixed with 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'-style comedy-of-errors. The basic idea – an ordinary guy gets dumped for a famous pop star – isn't completely original, but the show runs with it and takes the idea off into increasingly bizarre and hilarious territory.The contrivances – so necessary for this kind of comedy to work – are always just the right side of unbelievable, and very often take you off in an unexpected but highly amusing direction. Who knew that Duncan From Blue's first love would be in a coma? Or that Rob Black's dancing abilities would lead to the best comedy dance scene since Ricky Gervais in 'The Office'? Other recent Britcoms would have gone for the obvious – but not this show.The script is highly quotable – if a little over-sweary at times – and is not afraid to poke fun at 'hot button' topics, but only ever to highlight how racism, sexism, and assorted other social no-no's are, indeed, unacceptable – and to be wrongly accused of such evils would be – and is, for Rob Black – the ultimate embarrassment.The show has a strong cast full of actors not known for their comedy work – but who all display admirable skills. Daniel Mays makes the lead character Rob Black seem lovable no matter what strange plan he's involved in, while Nigel Harman and Steve Shepherd are both perversely hilarious. The female cast are all continually impressive – sympathetic women among the idiotic men around them. Ruth Bradley goes from strong support in some shows to the lead in others with ease, and Ingrid Oliver is always brilliantly acidic. The guest stars are also solid – the celebrities playing themselves all do so with style – especially the game 'villain of the piece' Duncan James. The repetition of calling him 'Duncan From Blue' and his hit song 'One Love' playing every time he's on screen only serve to make the gag stronger.Finally, I will say that if you enjoy the new school of Seth Rogen/Paul Rudd/Judd Apatow comedy from the US, then this is a fine UK attempt at that kind of humour. The show is abrasive at times – but it's got a warm heart, hits the mark a lot more times than it misses, and is consistently laugh-out-loud funny.

Jj_Michaels72 One of the best new comedy series I have seen in a while, very much in the Judd Apatow school of male modern neurosis. Think Forgetting Sarah Marshall but with a slightly ruder script. Oh and a bit of Scrubs/Family Guys style fantasy elements. Great looking cast, some genuine laugh out loud moments and while the odd gag does fall a little flat it more than makes up for it when one of it's big set piece jokes pays off. Mays is a joy to watch as Rob and Dunacan James is unexpectedly excellent - sending himself up to perfection. The supporting cast are all pulling their weight as well, Nigel Harman shows a gift for comedy we've not seen before, Ingrid Oliver as his sister has a wonderful acerbic wit and Ruth Bradley charms as his long suffering work colleague. Steve John Shepherd's character Paul however takes the prize for best of the bunch playing a character just about on the right side of bizarre. A really great performance.With a will they/won't they sub plot running throughout between Mays and Bradley, there's an unexpected tenderness in some of the scenes which may seem at odds with some of the more gross out elements of the script, yet instead enable us to care a lot more about the characters. A brilliantly funny comedy and a treat to watch.

Screen_Talent Just when you think British 'comedy' TV can't get any worse and has hit rock bottom, you find there's a whole new bottom that you didn't know existed below where you thought the bottom was. And this is it. Where do you start? Perhaps with the monumentally unfunny, cliché-laden script. Then, there's a particularly hideous and deeply unlikeable cast. Of all the great actors unemployed at any one time, is this the best that the producers can come up with? The whole mixture is directed with negligible skill, and it's impossible to think that anyone over the age of 13 will find this even faintly amusing. Jokes about penises and wanking abound. Oh, great. Watching the show is a miserable and thankless task. And an utter waste of time for all concerned. 0 out of 10.