Radio Times review

The first series of Tony Bagley's Political Animals (a cleverly apt title) saw life through the eyes of Downing Street's cats. Now we take four dog's-eye views of White House intrigues. Tonight we hear from Bo, President Obama's Portuguese water dog, a breed of whom few previously had heard. (It doesn't shed its coat: important, because Obama's daughter Malia is allergic).

Bo, voiced by Chris Pavlo, surprisingly with a Mexican accent, holds forth on everything from "crossbreed" Obama to his rival Mitt Romney's unwise decision to take a long car journey with his own dog on the roof rack. Bagley's humour is an odd mix of biting satire and crude jokes (America's fourth TV channel is "the channel for foxes") but it hits the mark more often than not.

Clive Coleman's generation gap sitcom stars Kris Marshall (you know, the stepdad from the BT ads) as Harry, a forty-something who's somewhat alarmed by his father's spending habits, his father Brian (Kenneth Cranham), being rich and unencumbered by school fees, mortgage, etc. And there's prosperous brother Richard (Chris Pavlo) to reckon with too, the one who buys Dad expensive golf clubs. The brothers take Dad out while the womenfolk set up his surprise 65th birthday party. Back in the kitchen, control freak wars erupt.