The Sarah Millican Television Programme. Sarah Millican. Copyright: So Television / Chopsy Productions
The Sarah Millican Television Programme

The Sarah Millican Television Programme

  • TV stand-up
  • BBC Two
  • 2012 - 2013
  • 20 episodes (3 series)

TV series in which Sarah Millican delivers stand-up comedy inspired by what she has seen on television, and interviews her favourite presenters. Stars Sarah Millican.

Press clippings

It's no longer surprising that what comes out of Sarah Millican's mouth can be more than a bit cheeky, but it's unsettling to hear her abandoning the Shields vowels for a low, posh accent. It's all in an evening's work, of course, and in honour of guest Gabriella Ellis, ex of Made in Chelsea. Gabs is both posh and game, but with quickfire slots it's the guests who know their stuff who answer back best.

As part of Sarah's forensic investigation of money-saving telly tips, Martin Lewis is asked whether any of the shampoo in his house is not nicked from a hotel, while Dan Cruickshank must defend the entire scope and nature of his subject, including oral history.

Emma Sturgess, Radio Times, 22nd October 2013

Dr Christian Jessen from Embarrassing Bodies plants his enormous arms on the interviewee's desk and braces himself for Ms Millican's questions. He does OK until he has to refer to a certain part of the male anatomy and crumples. "I can't say that word in front of you!" Why not? He gestures to her floral dress: "Because you're dressed all nice!" "I'm dressed all nice but it all comes up and there's bits underneath," she points out, as their conversation takes the primrose path towards the saucy single-entendres she so loves. There's a funny section on Game of Thrones, too - can three of its stars explain what the series is all about? The answer is: "Boobs and death."

David Butcher, Radio Times, 15th October 2013

Review: The Sarah Millican Television Programme

The show is clearly just a vehicle for showcasing some of Sarah's stand up with a couple of guests bundled on for good measure. It's short and sweet, has no aspirations to change your life but gets the job done.

Scott Barnett, Giggle Beats, 2nd October 2013

This amiable chit-chat is as exciting as a cup of cocoa

Unfortunately, a charming interviewer is no good to anyone. Sergeant Wilson from Dad's Army would make a better job of interrogating a prisoner than Miss Millican.

Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail, 2nd October 2013

Our host sounds understandably delighted as she introduces a gem of a guest: Michael Palin. The great man is mildly thrown by Millican's technique of lobbing risqué one-liners at her interviewees ("Do you think travelling men make better lovers because they're good at finding stuff?") but there are treats for Monty Python fans: Palin sings the Lumberjack Song in German and brandishes a dead parrot at one point - for a moment it's as if the ark of the comedy covenant has been opened a chink. Elsewhere there are good riffs on deleting programmes from your set-top box and In The Night Garden, plus a typically cheeky query to antiques expert Tim Wonnacott: "How often do you polish your tallboy?"

David Butcher, Radio Times, 1st October 2013

The Sarah Millican Television Programme - review

To me The Sarah Millican Television Programme puts me in mind of a show such as Russell Howard's Good News. Yes, they are not as serious as other similar comedies like Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe or Have I Got News for You, but they are jolly and fun. Sometimes that is all you need.

Ian Wolf, On The Box, 25th September 2013

Watching Sarah Millican is like being gently tickled: strangely comforting and likely to produce the odd giggle. Tackling car shows, crime shows and quiz shows gives her the chance to make jokes about having George Michael as her sat nav voice and Countdown being easier now you can pause live TV. Bradley Walsh, Richard Osman and Quentin Willson respond to Millican's playful questions with grace, but the latter does look embarrassed when she talks him through her car's sanitary towel compartment.

Hannah Verdier, The Guardian, 24th September 2013

Sarah Millican's whole deal is being quite a bit ruder than she looks like she's going to be. This works well for a stand-up, but it's a modus operandi that makes her harder to place in a TV setting. This show has the visual trappings of an early evening, shiny-floor affair, but with a mild smut factor more characteristic of the end of the pier.

Perhaps Millican should just go for broke and unleash the full gobshite - she might have to shuffle back to a later spot in the schedules but she'd surely be more comfortable with the situation.

Tonight's third series opener includes some low-level Top Gear baiting, a slightly awkward interview with Bradley Walsh and an encounter with Richard Osman from Pointless ('You filled Anne Robinson's old slot'). Not dislikeable, but still a bit of a muddle.

Phil Harrison, Time Out, 24th September 2013

Behind the scenes on The Sarah Millican TV Programme

Before you see her on the box, Sarah Millican needs some slap and a nap... being funny takes a lot of work.

Sarah Millican, Radio Times, 23rd September 2013

Sarah Millican: 20 things that make me happy on telly

"A lot of these are about me being smug, I've realised that..."

Sarah Millican, Radio Times, 17th September 2013

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