Hannah J Davies
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 9
Although it was met with allegations of fakery when it first aired last year, the Phillip Schofield-fronted gameshow returns for a second run, with mesmerist Keith Barry once again claiming that he can coerce participants into doing the strangest of things. Indeed, series one saw him convince contestants that they were jockeys, bodybuilders and even X Factor contestants. It might provoke a few giggles but if you find that you're very, very sleepy and your eyelids are growing heavy that's probably boredom rather than hypnosis.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 12th March 2016Caitlin Moran and sister Caz have once again given their unorthodox childhood a millennial makeover for a second series of this wonderfully ridiculous sitcom. This week sees Germaine (AKA Caitlin) and all of her siblings bar Aretha (AKA Caz) packed off to their dad's, so mum Della can present a picture of domestic bliss to their landlady. But while the brood are off learning about Wolverhampton's wildernesses and the evils of fracking, mum and Grampy are soon forced to look for a new home.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 9th March 2016Much like ITV's Doc Martin, this Welsh valleys-based comedy starring Ruth Jones is a reliable source of gentle laughs, U-rated drama and the odd celeb cameo. Indeed, while Martin Clunes and pals were joined by Sigourney Weaver last year, Robert Plant rocked up in the fictional south Wales town of Pontyberry last week. Things are a little less starry tonight, as the winners of forgotten reality contest Last Choir Standing come to Aunty Brenda's aid. Elsewhere, Stella tries to contact on/off flame Rob, and Michael is forced to compromise.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 1st March 2016The second series of Marmite showbiz send-ups continues. The unlikely Big Fat Gypsy Kardashian mash-up lives on, with ex-Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts joining the fold as Caitlyn Jenner. Elsewhere, there are more potentially slanderous sketches featuring "Olly Murs", "Caroline Flack" and "Martin Clunes", and Yvette Fielding parodies her ghost-hunting gig with Probably Not Haunted. Unless you're a fan of Leigh Francis's titular irritant or share his obsession with the likes of Ant & Dec, it's unlikely to appeal.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 11th February 2016Episode two of the sitcom following a group of property guardians. Free-spirited Lulu (played by the show's creator, Phoebe Waller-Bridge) continues to drive a wedge between Anthony and his fiancee. Not content with moving into the old hospital alongside them, she's soon working with Kate, and failing to get the hang of just about everything. Elsewhere, Melody homes in on Crying Colin. Despite a peculiar premise, this latest addition to the millennials-behaving-badly genre is yet to hit any kind of stride.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 18th January 2016Penultimate episode of the sitcom starring self-deprecating comic Josh Widdicombe as a fictive version of himself. Despite a shaky start, it has slowly moved away from sub-Peep Show flatshare gags, and tonight's outing is its funniest yet. Landlord Geoff (Jack Dee) has let out his flat for London fashion week, and packed Josh, Kate and Owen off to Clacton. Unfortunately for the friends, he's tagging along, too, with an awkward nephew and an unlikely proposition for Josh. The Chuckle Brothers and Romesh Ranganathan guest star.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 9th December 2015Michaela Coel's warm, riotous comedy about a sheltered and sexually frustrated 24-year-old from east London reaches episode four. Tracey has fallen for awkward Connor, but their attempts at intimacy soon flounder. Desperate to lose her virginity, she does the logical thing and sets up a threesome. Meanwhile, Bible-bashing sister Cynthia borrows Tracey's computer for the evening, with surprising consequences. A laugh-a-second portrait of life as a black British twentysomething that's both authentic and surreal.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 27th October 2015Second episode of a cute, convention-squashing sitcom, following transgender woman Judy (Rebecca Root) and new boy Leo (Harry Hepple) as they embark on romance. This week, the pair's Sunday lunch is gatecrashed by Judy's loquacious mum and sister, an old friend who hasn't seen Judy since before she transitioned and Leo's family, who are unaware of her past. "It could go seriously Jeremy Kyle!" predicts Judy's sister, Jackie, perhaps underestimating the potential for a foot-in-mouth outbreak.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 10th September 2015A return for the Cornwall-based comedy-drama starring Martin Clunes as the medic with a personal life so chaotic it could figure as a metaphor for the NHS itself. With Louisa still taking time out from their marriage, the curmudgeonly doc is considering therapy with Aunt Ruth (Eileen Atkins). However, his plans for self-improvement are thwarted when a local lifeboat training exercise runs into trouble. Meanwhile, Al struggles to get his B&B ready for its first guests.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 7th September 2015A game-changing new sitcom, mixing a sherbet-sweet, Gavin & Stacey-style plot with not-so-typical leads: transgender woman Judy (Rebecca Root) and her younger suitor Leo (Harry Hepple). In this opening episode, the first hurdle for the new pairing isn't gender-related - rather, it's that Leo's mum is fuming at their 14-year age gap. After E4's LGBT anthology Banana featured a transgender character humiliated by her ex, it's refreshing to see a more positive trans-themed story on TV, and an adorable one at that.
Hannah J Davies, The Guardian, 3rd September 2015