Beautifully bleak new series from Jo Brand and Morwenna Banks about the workings of a children's services department. It hits the ground running in this promising opener with Rose (Brand) stumbling across an old flame on a home visit, Al (Alan Davies), having woman trouble, and Nitin (Himesh Patel) meeting with HR. Isy Suttie, meanwhile, is the temp with a "cheeky sideline" selling hair putty. There's warmth in the comic one-liners, woven into realistic and grim situations.

Damned preview

The world, inspired by Brand's mother's lifetime career in social work, seems utterly genuine - thanks largely to that central friendship between Al and Rose, both robust characters with difficult lives and a dry sense of humour, which gives the show a warm heart.

Damned: Jo Brand and Himesh Patel excel

Ultimately I feel that Channel 4 have struck gold with Damned and airing it directly after the equally brilliant National Treasure means that I know which channel I'll be tuning into every Tuesday night.

Damned: could have packed a bigger punch

Damned was originally commissioned as a one-off by Sky Arts, who declined to order a full series, enabling Channel 4 to snatch it. Sky won't be kicking themselves just yet. Damned was warm and well-observed but it should have been scabrously funny. Like most sitcoms, it will surely improve over its six-episode run as characters grow and the script loosens up. Until then, its case notes read "promising but more jokes required".

Damned pulls off feat of being both funny & poignant

Jo Brand's new sitcom Damned stars herself and Alan Davies as overworked employees in a Children's Services department who employ black humour to help them get through each day

TV preview: Damned, C4

Not wall-to-wall laughs but then it isn't meant to be because life isn't like that. But this is definitely a comedy. There are a lot more gags here than I've ever come across working in offices, some excellent performances and a cameo from rising star Aisling Bea. Looks good to me.

Women take the comedy throne at Channel 4

Game of Thrones aside, it is the women who catch the eye in Channel 4's forthcoming comedy line-up.

Rewind: Vic and Bob's "Catterick" revisited

From Big Night Out and sketch shows in the 1990s, to Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) in the 2000s and House of Fools in more recent years - as well as their anarchic quiz show Shooting Stars - Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are one of the UK's most successful comedy double acts. But Catterick has been largely forgotten. As the pair announce more dates for their Poignant Moments tour, celebrating 25 years since they started performing together, we revisit their underrated 2004 comedy-drama...

The cast of Channel 4's sketch show Absolutely are reassembled this week for The Absolutely Radio Show. Morwenna Banks gives us her Little Girl's bracingly candid guide to divorce ("and when your mum saw the pictures on Dad's phone she was very, very cross and did drink a pint of wine even when it was the morning"); Calum Gilhooley calls a company he has recently patronised to ask them to fill in a survey on how he performed as a customer; and a sibling in New Zealand is called with the sad news that Dad has once again taken a turn for the worse. She needs some persuading to book a flight. "Is he going to die this time? What colour is he?"