Murder in Successville, BBC Three, review: unholy mess

There were too many puerile jokes in this very unfunny detective comedy, says Michael Hogan.

Murder In Successville review

If you are still convulsed by the kind of irreverent juvenile stupidity that made you giggle till your throat hurt when you were seven years old, give Murder In Successville a look. I'm almost ashamed of how much this made me laugh.

The premise goes something like this: each week a celebrity participates in a sort-of immersive theatre production, based around a murder investigation. Teaming up with detective DI Sleet (Tom Davis), the famous person (in this opener, Made in Chelsea's Jamie Laing) meets warped, Stella Street-style versions of celebrities involved in the case, and from these encounters must work out who the culprit is. Possibly the most high-concept show television comedy has ever seen, it's bewildering but occasionally very funny, in a slightly frenzied way.

What to expect from Murder in Successville

Dermot O'Leary, Greg James and Jamie Laing are among the brave celebrities playing detective in BBC Three's new improvised comedy.

Radio Times review

This is silly. Very silly indeed. Successville is a town populated by celebrities - Gordon Ramsay's the chief of police; Mary Berry runs the strip joint - and policed by maverick DI Sleet. All these people are played by actors (Tom Davis is hilarious as Sleet). But when restaurateur Bruno Tonioli is found dead, Sleet is partnered with a celebrity rookie, Made in Chelsea's Jamie Laing, who's parachuted in to help solve the case.

It's a mixed-up structured reality comedy cop drama impressions show. Yet it boils down to a bunch of comedians saying increasingly ridiculous things to make Laing corpse, which he does a lot. Brilliantly silly.

The new Mighty Boosh or a freshened up Star Stories?

Part surrealist improv, part prancing around in fake moustaches, BBC3's new sitcom marks a return to weird-slash-stupid humour.

Does BBC Three have another hit on its hands?

Jamie Laing was the first famous face to be thrown into the wacky world of Successville to solve a murder in the creepiest, funniest and downright weirdest of ways.

Tom Davis on Murder in Successville

We're very excited, and in the middle of an almighty press campaign, we quickly caught up with the busiest man of the moment, Tom Davis, to find out more.

Murder In Successville review

It's probably too inconsistent to be a must-see, but top marks all round for trying something different.

Jamie Laing's best facial expressions

He may not be a great detective but he does pull some crackers. Here are some of Jamie Laing's best facial expressions...