Mindhorn review

Julian Barratt plays with fanatical gusto a deluded, failed actor given an unlikely chance to redeem his career in this familiarly Partridgean comedy.

As a fan of the odd blend of puppetry and Monty Python-esque humour that series one delivered, I was glad to see Yonderland return for a second series. For those who missed the series the first time round, Yonderland is brought to us by the same team behind Horrible Histories. The first series saw ordinary housewife Debbie Maddox (Martha Howe-Douglas) transported to the eponymous fantasy land of the title as she was heralded as the person charged with bringing down the evil Negatus (Simon Farnaby). The double bill that Sky One aired on Monday night suggested that not much has changed as the tone of the show remains much the same. However the writing team has introduced a new villain in the form of Debbie's mortal enemy Imperatrix who is even more intent on destruction that the slightly campy Negatus. In the style of Monty Python each cast member plays multiple roles, some of which are recurring whilst others only feature in one episode. This to me adds a sketch show element to Yonderland which I quite enjoy and it seems that all the male members of the cast revel in portraying a number of outlandish characters. What the writing team has also nailed is how to deliver a successful family show with sight gags that appeal to the youngsters and more subtle lines that the adults will understand. In order to further entertain younger viewers, each episode ends with a moral message of sorts as Debbie is able to solve one minor problem in Yonderland before returning to her own home. There was also plenty of nice little parodies throughout the double bill, especially in the second episode where Negatus received an Ofsted inspection while Debbie worked with a detective who had a hint of Poirot about him. Although it's not exactly highbrow, Yonderland is a gloriously silly programme that doesn't take itself too seriously but at the same time it's clear that the writing team have worked hard to create a comedy that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Julian Barratt and Simon Farnaby team up for Mindhorn

Details of Julian Barratt and Simon Farnaby's feature film, Mindhorn, have now been made public.

Radio Times review

Lovably spoddish Lance and Andy are struggling to bring anything new to the table - the detectorist club's "Finds Table", that is - bar a couple of old Matchbox cars. But the dream to uncover a Saxon hoard is still alive, now that they've been granted access to some promising farmland.

This week's highlights include a rival gang (led by Horrible Histories' Simon Farnaby), the poignant moment when Lance privately dedicates his song for mandolin to his ex, and the filthy chuckle of Rachael Stirling as Andy's girlfriend Becky.

Detectorists is a breath of fresh air that makes a sunny virtue of its rural settings. It's naturalistic, gently funny and memorably sad.

Simon Farnaby: Mighty Boosh showed me how to make TV

Simon Farnaby, 40, was in The Mighty Boosh and Horrible Histories. He returns as a tortoise-loving neighbour in the new series of E4's Midnight Beast.

It's difficult second series time for Stef, Dru and Ash, collectively known as musical mickey-takers The Midnight Beast.

The mix of spot-on pop caricatures and shambolic sitcom is much the same as first time out with one difference: the boys are starting to feel their age.

Have they got their finger on what's cool and what's not any more? As they set about organising a birthday party as a way of earning some readies, the lads suspect they might be losing their touch.

Hanging out with hopeless neighbour Craig (Simon Farnaby, of Horrible Histories and Yonderland fame) isn't helping any.

E4's The Midnight Beast began a second series last night. The comedy-pop band of the same name first won fans for their YouTube video parodies of artists such as Ke$ha, before making the leap into this self-titled sitcom in 2012.

It features the band members playing versions of themselves, wacky sub-plots and original music numbers, so unfavourable comparisons to Flight of the Conchords and The Mighty Boosh are inevitable. They are also unfair, because while The Midnight Beast isn't as original as those shows, it's not aimed at the same audience either. Judging by this second series commission, the TMB's teen followers are well satisfied with their TV incarnation.

This episode made a self-deprecating reference to the gang's youth appeal. Having been employed to organise a 16th-birthday party, Stefan, Dru and Ashley tried - and failed - to come up with an appealing teen-friendly theme: "A Twilight party? What do you think I am? Fifteen years old, three years ago?"

There were also many more dud gags besides, but a scene in which Stefan visited a frontman support group almost compensated. Any sitcom that includes roles for both Simon Farnaby from Yonderland and Stella Street's Phil Cornwell, can't be all bad.

Not much sign of a sophomore slump for the Horrible Histories team, as they rekindle the endearing daftness of their crossover CBBC hit, only without having to adhere to stuff like, y'know, actual facts.

Exhausted working mum Debbie (Martha Howe-Douglas) discovers an elf in her kitchen cupboard and, with it, a portal into Yonderland and an escape from domestic drudgery. And lo, she enters a fantasy world peopled by dissolute wizards, dull-witted treemen and a bickering council of elders (HH regulars Mat Baynton, Simon Farnaby et al) who, handily, have a few quests that need completing.

Borrowing liberally from Jim Henson in both its tone and heavy use of puppets, Yonderland showcases a crack comic ensemble brimming with confidence. Indeed, the performances are generally stronger and more consistent than the writing, but there's no shortage of chuckles, and it gains momentum over the course of this opening double bill. And ultimately, such gleeful silliness is always to be encouraged.