Richard Pinto

  • Writer and script editor

Press clippings

Christmas Carole review

Of the many, many, many versions of Charles Dickens's classic tale produced each year, Sky's retelling adds an intriguing twist or two - but can't help but feel like a plodding adaptation.

Steve Bennett, Chortle, 24th December 2022

Christmas Carole review

Suranne Jones is pitch perfect in this instant festive classic.

Lucy Mangan, The Guardian, 24th December 2022

Christmas Carole review

Modern-day Scrooge is as flimsy as a party-hat cracker.

Anita Singh, The Telegraph, 24th December 2022

Suranne Jones to star in Christmas Carole, a festive special for Sky

Suranne Jones is to take the lead role in Christmas Carole, a festival comedy drama special for Sky that is loosely based on the story of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

British Comedy Guide, 17th May 2022

Last in the series of Richard Pinto's amiably silly sitcom about sixtysomethings - and in June Whitfield's case, ninetysomethings - resolutely failing to behave like old folks. Tonight, Joan (Whitfield) appears to have landed herself a 70-year-old toy boy, Roy. Joyce and Maureen are convinced that he's after her money but it turns out to be more complex than that. Good to see Paula Wilcox back on screen, so underused since Man About The House.

David Stubbs, The Guardian, 29th April 2016

Richard Pinto's sixtysomething sitcom continues, with the gang heading to a gastropub for Carol and Trevor's 40th wedding anniversary. Naturally, things don't go smoothly, as Carol considers a big life change. A comedy with some good lines (hangdog Alan reflects on meeting up with the same bunch of people yet again: "These people are friends, we shouldn't have to see them") but which somehow lacks warmth. Worth persevering with, even if this episode doesn't, as Ab Fab did so splendidly, make enough of June Whitfield's comic timing.

Jonathan Wright, The Guardian, 22nd August 2014

Alison Steadman & Philip Jackson shine in this sitcom

After watching the first episode of Boomers, I really feel as if Richard Pinto's sitcom could be a success.

Unreality TV, 16th August 2014

Radio Times review

This sitcom from Richard Pinto (Citizen Khan) will be clasped to the bosom of anyone who loves New Tricks, as Boomers centres on a group of old-timers, friends from years back, who find themselves out of kilter with the modern world.

The humour is broad and painted with the widest brush strokes and there are echoes of Victor Meldrew's curmudgeonly head-butting against the idiocies of political correctness and life in general. The cast includes some solid comedy names, including Russ Abbot as the dourest member of the group and Nigel Planer as the wide boy with the newly acquired young Eastern European wife (feel free to let out a weary groan).

The women (Alison Steadman, Paula Wilcox, Stephanie Beacham) always win out in any given situation as their hopeless blokes go to the pub. In the opening episode, everyone gathers at a funeral.

Alison Graham, Radio Times, 15th August 2014

Boomers, BBC One, review: 'well-observed and authentic'

When the credits rolled at the end of Boomers (BBC One, Friday) - the new sitcom exploring the accelerating dotage of the Sixties generation - my first instinct was to seek out the writer, Richard Pinto, wherever he may be, and buy him a nice cup of tea.

Jake Wallis Simons, The Telegraph, 15th August 2014

To give you the flavour of this new comedy set around an Asian family, at one stage its hero, self-appointed "community leader" Mr Khan, drives to his local mosque and parks in a disabled space. As he gets out of the car passers-by shoot him a look, so he starts limping heavily.

It's not the episode's finest moment but it shows that writers Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto are not proud about where they'll look for laughs. Luckily, Khan himself is a brilliant creation by Adil Ray. Tonight, his daughter is set to get married, but Khan has foolishly failed to book the mosque.

David Butcher, Radio Times, 27th August 2012