I love British comedy. Not all British comedy – I just cannot bring myself to turn on Mrs Brown’s Boys – but a lot of it. Sometimes, someone in the US also likes a British sitcom and then everyone starts to worry; at least if the person liking it is a producer. Episodes is a British/US collaboration on just this and it is marvellous.
Sean (Stephen Mangan) and Beverly (Tamsin Grieg) are a successful British writing team who have just won a BAFTA for their comedy Lyman’s Boys. Seduced by an American producer, they head to Hollywood to create an American version, and it is a disaster at every step – starting by replacing the main actor, Julian Bullard (played by the recently very sadly deceased Richard Griffiths) with youthful American star Matt Le Blanc (playing a wonderful fictionalised version of himself.
I loved it. It’s clever and witty and very hilarious. The cast is fabulous, not least the brilliant Daisy Haggard doing the most amusing faces as the head of comedy. I think the show is watching just for her reactions. Brilliant.
ireckonthat 