Tom Sutcliffe Review

One wonders how the first instalment of Horne & Corden would have managed without James Corden's belly, a comedy prop so central to the first episode of their new sketch series that it surely deserved a billing of its own.

"We've got our own show!" declares James Corden excitedly at the start of this sketch escapade from him and Gavin & Stacey partner in crime Mat Horne. The pair are a genial if somewhat puerile duo, and could do with extra writing expertise to polish their material. At present, this is like watching two pals indulge in a spirited muck around.

London Paper Review

Their biggest problem appears to be thinking lines are funny because they're saying them. They must have been so pleased with the set-up, they forgot to write any jokes to go with it. "Where are the jokes?" you will find yourself screaming. "WHERE?". Anyone would be funnier than these two.

Gavin & Stacey stars Mathew Horne and James Corden feature in their own six-part sketch show, shot unnecessarily in front of a live audience. It's mostly good, with Horne (very funny) sporting a variety of haircuts and Corden making rather too much of a show of his ample belly. Highlights include the offensive old boarding-school chum (Corden) and a Superman/Spider-Man routine.

Two stars of Gavin and Stacey, Mathew Horne and James Corden, now have a show of their own. Like so many sketch shows, it is a wildly mixed affair. The best of it is the quality and variety of their acting, which is spectacularly accomplished - these guys are very, very good. One sketch in particular, in which Corden plays a seedy, down-at-heel wastrel who embarrasses an old schoolfriend in front of his family, is a masterpiece of loathsome observation. The downside is that much of the material is crude and horribly unfunny. It is no surprise to discover that the series was directed by Kathy Burke, who was never likely to add a lightness of touch. In one sketch, two teachers give a joint lesson to a class on how to draw penises; in another we meet a gay news reporter; elsewhere, Corden pulls up his shirt and rolls his stomach in front of a burger bar as a form of consumer complaint. Nice.

Are Mathew Horne and James Corden the next Morecambe and Wise? On the strength of this, probably not - and the quicker Corden starts writing the next Gavin & Stacey series, the better.

What differentiates this from other sketch shows is that some parts were shot in front of a studio audience and it was directed by Kathy Burke - a comedy god. But it's the usual hit-and-miss affair of sketches that work (superheroes meeting off-duty, a camp war correspondent and a brilliant Ricky Gervais impersonation) and those that don't.

There's a surprising amount of naked flesh as the lads seem to get their kit off at the drop of a hat. The duo's popularity should help them ride this one out but as their awkward stint presenting the Brits showed, being mates is one thing - creating that effortless on-screen chemistry is a lot, lot harder than Ant and Dec make it look.

Corden & Horne, surely? If we're talking comedy double acts, that's got to have a far better ring to it than Horne & Corden, wouldn't you say?

Anyway, no matter - what we have here is another brand new sketch series, this time featuring the pair, aka Matthew and James, who co-hosted The Brits with Kylie last month, and whom the nation knows best for the excellent Gavin & Stacey (which Corden also co-wrote).

This new show of theirs, it's worth noting, is aimed at an audience that's comfortable with a fair bit of crudity, but it has to be said that even the near-the-knuckle material is funny first and rude second, if you get my drift.

And if nothing else, episode one is worth watching just for Corden's brilliant Ricky Gervais impression.

A brand-new sketch show from Gavin and Stacey stars Mathew Horne and James Corden. OK, we admit that on the evidence of their BRIT Awards double-act, there's not a great deal to suggest Gavin & Smithy off Gavin & Stacey's move into sketch show territory is going to be much cop. Even Smithy's joke about bunking up with Kylie was, essentially, the same gag he cracked about Keira Knightley at an awards bash last August. Then again, characters such as a pair of rubbish magicians and a lovely pop at Ricky Gervais inspire some faith in the lads. File under 'promising', then...

A 'fresh, new sketch show' promises the BBC PR. They prove the fresh, newness of the show by trailing it non-stop with an hilarious take off of Ghost, released a fresh, new 19 years ago. Let's not mince words Horne And Corden is absolute s**t. But isn't it fresh, new s**t? Well, if you accept that the word 'new' now means, 'features people who have recently been in the tabloids' and 'fresh' means 'faces that appeal to a spurious target youth demographic', then yes, yes it is. Otherwise you might feel that jokes about women who breast-feed in public, rubbish magicians and the normal side of superheroes are totally stale. By the way, have you ever noticed James Corden is fat? No, really! He is! Could that be any funnier?

Horne & Corden take on the world

Mathew Horne and James Corden have a BBC3 show, star in Lesbian Vampire Killers and will host Teenage Cancer Trust benefit.