Episodes

I feel pathetic for thinking how nice it is that Matt LeBlanc has deigned to star in the British sitcom Episodes (BBC Two, Friday). I suppose he's not exactly slumming it, giving that it is a big-budget, joint British and American production, written by David Crane, the co-creator of Friends. And the first series won LeBlanc a Golden Globe. But still.

LeBlanc plays an insensitive, sexually rampant, self-absorbed version of himself, who comes between a British husband and wife (Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig) by sleeping with the wife. It's play-within-a-play stuff, or rather sitcom-within-a-sitcom, a bit like Extras. It also represents something of a mini-genre in which stars play versions of themselves, such as Larry David in the glorious Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The first episode of this second series of Episodes got off to a slightly wobbly start with a gratuitous scene in which LeBlanc was given hand relief by a blind woman in a screening room. Sub-American Pie that, I thought. But it had its moments. I even laughed out loud at one point when LeBlanc began smiling during a telling off from his former mate Mangan. "I miss this," he said... Perhaps you had to be there. My favourite line though was this from a TV executive: "No one cares about TV reviews. They hate most of the crap we've got on the air and people still watch it."

Matt LeBlanc's 'Episodes' returns to BBC Two with 1.2m

Matt LeBlanc's Episodes kicked off its second series with respectable numbers on Friday night, overnight data suggests.

Episodes Series 2 review

Perhaps it's my desire to become a sitcom writer (without any of the talent or vocabulary to do so) that makes Episodes appeal to me. It certainly isn't the humour.

If only the Pucks stopped here

With a cast like this, Episodes should sing. It doesn't.

Episodes combined sadness, comedy and sexual compulsion

Episodes returned with another round of sterling performances from Matt LeBlanc, Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan in an episode that was pleasingly full of shock and upset.

Episodes, BBC One, review

The main trouble with Episodes is that it will be trundling along nicely and then do something embarrassingly bad, such as the awful semen gag in this episode.

Episodes, series 2, BBC Two

Together, they've proved they can make us laugh; now - can they make us care?

TV review: Episodes

Episodes is still irritating, but the second series appears to be getting funnier.

Episode 2.1 review

The problems I had with Episodes last year are still present. It feels soul crushingly mediocre to me; making lazy observations about show business.

The transatlantic sitcom of Brit writers transposed to LA returns. It's four months since Beverley (Tamsin Greig) slept with Matt LeBlanc, and she's now separated from husband and co-writer Sean (Stephen Mangan). Meantime, with their comedy Pucks! about to debut on US TV (sample review from the critics: "Pucks! sucks"), all three have to work together. If the first series was uneven, there's plenty to suggest its successor will be more consistent.