Interview - Tom Rosenthal ('Friday Night Dinner')

New sitcom Friday Night Dinner kicks off this Friday on Channel 4, and judging by the comedy pedigree attached, we're in for a bit of a treat. Springing from the fertile mind of Look Around You creator Robert Popper, the series stars ex-Inbetweener Simon and comedy stalwart Tamsin Greig as members of a rather eccentric family unit. We caught up with stand-up comedian Tom Rosenthal, who plays mischievous son Johnny Goodman, to chat about his television acting debut, working with comic legends and odd family wrestling rituals!

Last year the BBC aired Grandma's House, Simon Amstell's acerbic sitcom about a dysfunctional Jewish family. The very mixed notices it received have clearly not deterred Channel 4, who keep the middle-class Jewish mayhem coming with this new series from writer Robert Popper. Each episode centres on Friday night dinner with the Goodman family. Bickering brothers Adam (Simon Bird, star of The Inbetweeners) and Jonny (newcomer Tom Rosenthal, son of sports broadcaster Jim) are reluctant attendees, while their mother Jackie (Tamsin Greig, fresh from appearing alongside Matt LeBlanc and Stephen Mangan in Episodes) and father Martin (Pulling's Paul Ritter) try to uphold some family values. In tonight's opening episode, Jackie is intent on getting the boys to watch the MasterChef final, while Martin is preoccupied with rescuing old copies of New Scientist from the dump. Things are further complicated by the continual interruptions from weird neighbour Jim (Mark Heap), who claims to have broken his loo. As a comedy, it's not mean-spirited and cynical, but actually rather sweet. Of course, It's too early to say if it'll be a hit - in particular it is unclear whether Bird has acting gears other than his sarcastic, awkward Inbetweeners persona - but there's certainly enough here to keep you watching.

Tom Rosenthal & Ben Target share Leicester Comedy Prize

The Leicester Comedy Festival's main prize, the Comedian of the Year Award, has been shared between two comics for the first time in its history.

Tom Rosenthal: So You Think You're Funny?

Comedian come actor Tom Rosenthal is breaking into the world of TV this month in Channel 4's new family sitcom Friday Night Dinner, so what better time to find out how funny he is?