Review: Lay Windermere's Fan

It is fun, for all the melodramatic seriousness of the tale, and Wilde's banked-down fury at the hypocrisy of his time.

Lady Windermere's Fan review

Jennifer Saunders looks at times as though she is taking part in a Comic Relief sketch and some people may think that there are traits in her portrayal - the goggling deadpans; the lines that leak through scarcely parted lips - that are too trademark for comfort. But I was delighted to find it's mostly true to the role.

Review: Lady Windermere's Fan

Jennifer Saunders stars in Kathy Burke's production of the comedy classic.

Lady Windermere's Fan review

Jennifer Saunders gets laughs, but Kathy Burke's lamentable production misses the point.

Porridge revival is as thin as cold greul

Kevin Bishop does a good job as Nigel Fletcher, grandson of the original Fletch, immortalised by Ronnie Barker. He makes the Fletch trademarks -- the eye-roll, the sideways grimace -- look like family traits. But the whole production feels as fake as a glass diamond. One look tells you this isn't the real thing.

Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais have opted to replicate the gentle humour of their original comedy rather than update it, but they're sailing perilously close to the fluffy and cliched here. Tonight's story involves the switching of cakes, one belonging to Fletch (Kevin Bishop), the other - baked with magic mushrooms - to the jail's cartoon heavy. When an officious new staff member helps herself to the latter, zero hilarity ensues. Viewing through rose-tinted glasses may be wise.

TV review: Porridge, Episode 2, The Cake, BBC1

You know what? I still think it's an odd decision to reboot this classic, but this second episode isn't too bad at all.

Porridge, revived, is sadly thin gruel. Oh, it's fine enough, and a good cast, and Kevin Bishop is great as Norman Stanley Fletcher's cheeky-chappie grandson Nigel. But sainted writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais are eightysomething, surely, and it shows. As soon as Cyrano de Bergerac was mentioned (by Mark Bonnar, nicely channelling Fulton Mackay), I could just hear something like "doesn't he play for Spurs?" Sure enough... "Didn't he used to play for Watford?" Cue orgasmic studio audience laughter, and the non-joys of being 15 all over again.

Porridge review - send for the sitcom police!

The original Porridge creators return with a weak, watery throwback to the Ronnie Barker classic. This isn't a sequel, it's a forgery ... bang 'em up this instant.

Porridge reboot has none of the original's flavour

I barely broke into a titter through the whole thirty minutes.