Greg Davies (I)

Previously The Inbetweeners' grouchy headteacher, Greg Davies stars as Dan, a teacher capable of rivalling Jay, Neil et al for immaturity. Listlessly plodding through a life that has left him leeching off his parents and lumbered with dysfunctional friend Jo (Roisin Conaty), Dan spends much of this opener determined to win back his girlfriend by getting a mortgage, or at least a second pair of trousers. A pretty by-the-books start, but if we get more of Dan's eccentric dad (Rik Mayall), it's one to keep an eye on.

The unfeasibly tall Greg Davies, best known for his explosions of exasperation in Cuckoo and The Inbetweeners, reveals his surreal side in this mildly manic sitcom which charts the comic misadventures of Dan.

A teacher who makes Jack Whitehall's Alfie in Bad Education look like an Ofsted box-ticker, Dan delights in indulging his pupils with wild flights of sci-fi fantasy, while outside the classroom his personal life is falling down quicker than his trousers. It's all mildly bonkers.

Greg Davies's latest venture into sitcomland is comedy writ large, from the initial fart joke, to a pair of lost trousers and some slapstick scenes that are so preposterous as to be surreal.

The premise is a tried and tested traditional one - newly dumped, middle-aged teacher (Davies) lives in a flat attached to the house of his mum and dad (Rik Mayall, in a near-perfect piece of casting, if you overlook the fact that Davies and Mayall are roughly the same age), and is surrounded by idiosyncratic/idiotic 'fucking mental' friends who do things such as sing him out of bouts of angst under the disapproving gaze of a battleaxe café proprietor.

It's touches such as these - and Davies's utterly silly but joyous classroom scenes, and lines such as 'He's a good boy. He's normal. He's not into your rubber shorts, your plastic fists, your glory holes,' delivered by the local tailor discussing his work experience schoolboy - that could have you warming to both Davies and the series, particularly if you like puerile, juvenile, violent comedy. Ageing The Young Ones fans will love it.

Greg Davies on writing his new sitcom

The stand-up and Inbetweeners headmaster is readying his new Channel 4 comedy Man Down. But, he says, writing for TV is a lot tougher than getting up on stage.

Greg Davies: how to hire your hero

Routinely described as 'a fat Rik Mayall', comedian-actor Greg Davies explains how he got his doppelgänger-hero into his new show - sitcom Man Down.

Silly is something comedy shies away from now. If it's not a mockumentary, it's sarcastic verging on outright nastiness. Silly is a precious aspect to comedy, one that should be cherished and encouraged. This is certainly one of the silliest comedies for some time and what's even more endearing is that it's a silly sitcom, which is as rare as an open letter not being sent to Miley Cyrus. The extremely tall Greg Davies channels his time as a drama teacher (one in real life, not as Mr Gilbert in The Inbetweeners) to play a useless drama teacher who still hasn't grown up, which leads to generous servings of his bare legs and crotch. In a terrific piece of casting, Rik Mayall - someone Greg is routinely described as being a tall version of - plays his near-sadistic father, who delights in elaborate practical jokes. After the first episode, you'll check your back seat first before you climb into your car...

TV Preview: Man Down

Greg Davies' high velocity lunacy is in full effect. And for that we should give huge, six foot eight inch high thanks.

Man Down, written by and starring 2010 Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Greg Davies, is, I can reveal, laugh-out-loud funny.

Greg Davies - aka Mr Gilbert - poised to star in sequel

Greg Davies, who plays the sociopathic head of sixth form in The Inbetweeners, gives the strongest indication yet that he is to star in the sequel to the smash hit Inbetweeners Movie.

Man Down review

At heart, it's a brilliant example of a mainstream sitcom (just with a bit too much swearing for primetime) but with a twist and heart of its own. Channel 4 - and Greg Davies - deserve to have a monster hit on their hands.