Top 40 TV Shows of 2016: #19 Mum

There was something masterful about this warm yet wry sitcom by Stefan Golaszewski (the force behind the superb Him and Her) about a grieving family.

Bruce Dessau's top TV comedy for 2016

It's been a bad year in all sorts of ways, but not in terms of TV comedy. I sat down today to come up with a top ten of the year and had difficulty narrowing it down to ten. Of course there were disappointments and programmes that didn't quite live up to expectations, such as Sky's Andrew Lawrence documentary, but there was still plenty to laugh at here. And if you are quick some of them are still available on various catch-up services. And in case you are wondering, I decided not to include Black Mirror - it was brilliant but just too painfully real to be funny.

Mum, series 1 review

This comedy is an exploration of a variety of humanity's biggest fears, spanning from bereavement and loneliness to relationships and family values. Humble and sympathetic, Mum presents a narrative that has plenty of scope to flourish within a second series.

Mum deserves an instant recommission. Every single week it has impressed in precisely the way Love, Nina hasn't. The subtlety of Kelly's (Lisa McGrillis) progression, from - yes, OK - gauche moron to a credible three dimensions has delighted all; Dorothy Atkinson steals most scenes; Lesley Manville remains with, sublimely, her best lines still inside her for a new series.

Review: Mum, episode 6, BBC2

Well, we say final episode but as anyone who has been following this brilliant series by Stefan Golaszewski will probably know by now there is going to be a second series. A good decision from the BBC, flying the flag for a quality comedy that may not be laugh a minute but has bags of nuance and excellent performances from its ensemble cast.

Mum had a masterful send-off for a sitcom - review

Bar the odd irresistible pursuit of a gag for the gag's sake, the scripts by Stefan Golaszewski purred as satisfyingly as anything in The Royle Family.