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.

"What is a blimey?" That was arguably the best gag in series one of this Anglo-American culture-clash sitcom, which has now been sold to 186 countries.

The big attraction must be seeing Matt LeBlanc playing a crasser version of himself, because if you thought series one got off to an unpromising start, series two gets under way with even less verve.

After ending up in bed with LeBlanc, Beverly (Tamsin Greig) is now living apart from her husband and writing partner Sean (Stephen Mangan), but they're forced to remain in LA to work together on Pucks! their hit British sitcom that has been twisted beyond all recognition into a US remake.

But the problems carried over from series one aren't just in the on-screen marriage.

Mangan and Greig are still hog-tied by a script (written by Americans) that doesn't play to their comedy strengths, while all the sex scenes just come off as crude instead of funny.