Press clippings

Boat Story review

BBC's pitch-black comedy falls short of its Coen Brothers ambitions.

Nick Hilton, The Independent, 19th November 2023

Bad Education to return for new series and special

Jack Whitehall's school sitcom Bad Education is to return. He will star in a one-off 10th anniversary special before a full new series, following newly qualified teachers and former Class K students Stephen (Layton Williams) and Mitchell (Charlie Wernham).

British Comedy Guide, 11th May 2022

'Murder, They Hope' cast revealed

Sarah Hadland, Shobna Gulati, Lee Mack, Paul Whitehouse and Jason Manford will be amongst the cast joining Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson in the new Gold series Murder, They Hope.

British Comedy Guide, 5th February 2021

Review: After Life season two, Netflix

There is certainly a lot going on in series two. This series overview barely scratches the surface and there are some crucial details we haven't revealed. Does it surpass the first series? I'm not sure. That made such an impact it was always going to be hard to beat. But there is no doubt that this sequel will grab you from the very start and keep you grabbed until the very end.

Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 24th April 2020

After Life, series 2 review

Ricky Gervais's grief-driven comedy is just a rehash of the first series.

Ed Power, The Telegraph, 14th April 2020

Preview: Flat TV, BBC Three

Since BBC Three went online it has had identity problems. A show such as Cuckoo might be good but it doesn't seem to chime with the bold new future of online viewing. On the other hand Flat TV, which originated on the web, feels exactly like the programme you might expect an online channel aimed at a young audience to make. In both a good way and a bad way.

Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 22nd March 2016

The third series of Jack Whitehall's sharp secondary school comedy kicks off with some big surprises for his incompetent educator Alfie Wickers. Abbey Grove's new deputy head is none other than his dad Martin (Harry Enfield), and money worries at the school mean that Alfie's job is on the line. As usual, the pupils are on fine form: as the teachers begin a strike, Stephen's (Layton Williams) ignorance sparks a hatchet job from a local journalist, while Joe (Ethan Lawrence) struggles to adapt to his newfound veganism.

Hannah J. Davies, The Guardian, 16th September 2014

The first episode kicked off with hapless teacher Alfie Wickers trying to get into the good books of the headteacher while gearing up for parents evening, where he has to break the bad news that all his pupils have failed their mock exams.
Jack Whitehall gives a good physical comedy performance throughout - twitching, gurning and blinking his way through foppish stances in a beige cardigan that could easily achieve cult status. However the really funny performances came courtesy of the supporting cast.

Matthew Horne was delightfully cringeworthy as Wickers' colleague Fraser; Jack Binstead as Rem Dogg and Ethan Lawrence as Joe made a double act that it'd be good to see more of in upcoming episodes; and Jack Bence's Grayson gets the medal for the best line of the show: 'You learn to defend yourself when you're the only kid in the playground with a Sadé ring tone'. More of him as well, please.

The attempts at gags came thick and fast - attempts, that is - but often they ended up falling flat. One 'joke' involving a Chinese student called Jing who speaks mostly in her native tongue (a running gag clearly lifted from American Dad), is made to sport an oriental headband in a lesson on Pearl Harbour. You can see the punchlines coming from a mile off.

While the inclusion of social networking was a nice touch (follow Whitehall's Wickers on @Alfie_Wickers - no tweets as yet, though) ridiculous Alfie just irritated.

'Shut up, Downton Abbey' spat the school bully at one point. Can't help but agree.

Sarah Deen, Metro, 15th August 2012

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