Very British Problems. Copyright: Alaska TV
Very British Problems

Very British Problems

  • TV comedy
  • Channel 4
  • 2015 - 2016
  • 7 episodes (2 series)

Just why is it so hard being British? Because we have Very British Problems. Stars Stephen Mangan, Romesh Ranganathan, Bob Mortimer, Catherine Tate, Danny Dyer and more.

Episode menu

Series 2, Episode 1 - School

The show remembers sex education classes, the horror of mouldy PE kits, and how we became a nation of binge drinkers. While Catherine Tate remembers her first kiss, James Corden recalls his extreme pubic hair anxiety.

Further details

Broadcast details

Date
Monday 9th May 2016
Time
10pm
Channel
Channel 4
Length
60 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Tuesday 10th May 2016 12:00am 4seven
Wednesday 11th May 2016 10:00pm 4seven
Friday 13th May 2016 10:35pm C4
Saturday 14th May 2016 11:00pm 4seven
Sunday 10th July 2016 10:00pm More4
Monday 11th July 2016 2:20am More4
Sunday 4th December 2016 12:35am More4
Sunday 18th March 2018 11:10pm More4
Saturday 9th June 2018 11:10pm More4

Cast & crew

Cast
Stephen Mangan Self
Romesh Ranganathan Self
Bob Mortimer Self
Catherine Tate Self
Danny Dyer Self
Jack Whitehall Self
Rebecca Front Self
Ava Vidal Self
David Tennant Self
Javone Prince Self
Katherine Ryan Self
James Corden Self
Vic Reeves Self
Rich Hall Self
Rob Beckett Self
Grace Dent Self
Francesca Martinez Self
Aisling Bea Self
Susan Calman Self
Alex Brooker Self
Josh Widdicombe Self
Julie Walters Narrator
Writing team
Adam Kay Writer (Additional Material)
Production team
Lorry Powles Director
Suzy Ratner Series Producer
Ruth Wallace Series Producer
Chris Fouracre Executive Producer
Tammy Hoyle Executive Producer
Jim Hillier Editor

Press

The new series of Very British Problems began this week but seems to have lost its purpose. The show began life as a very witty, observant Twitter account which would blurt out panicked and appalled little tweets about the difficulties of being a repressed British person who's trying frantically to avoid embarrassment in a world full of boors and idiots.

The humour lay in not knowing who was sending the tweets and so we could imagine it was an uptight Englishman in a suit and bowler hat, catching the 8.09 to Waterloo, perhaps resembling a stern-faced John Cleese. Or maybe it's a kindly old lady who makes jam for the Women's Institute and crochets bootees for the church jumble sale, and is quietly horrified at the manners of today's young people. We could imagine what we liked, or slot ourselves into the situations described. But transferring the concept from Twitter to TV has ruined that. Our imaginary and oh-so-typical Brit has been replaced by celebrities. James Corden, Catherine Tate and David Tennant now share their awkward moments and social embarrassments, and there is no longer room for us. We've become observers not awkward, agonised participants.

We all love Christmas but wouldn't like it every day - contrary to what the song says. The luxury of all that food, wine and excitement would soon wear off and leave us longing for an uneventful day at work or a quiet potter around the supermarket. We can only take so much wonder and joy - and that must be the reason why Charlie Brooker is relatively rare on TV.

If I was in charge, he'd be on TV constantly. BBC News 24 would be Brooker 24 and watching would be mandatory. But, as with too much turkey and Prosecco, maybe we'd soon start to groan and wilt: no more, please. I'm full! I can't take another joke. I'm woozy with these witty observations. Another gag will make me gag.

Julie McDowall, The National (Scotland), 14th May 2016

This harmless take on the Grumpy Old Men-style talking heads show enters a second series. The thesis of the series is this: comedians and celebrities celebrate the social awkwardness that is held to be representatively British. This opening episode focuses on school: unfathomably enduring nicknames, playground meanness and the difficulties of fitting in. Stand-up comic Romesh Ranganathan nails the latter with his account of attending a comprehensive school - but doing so with a public school accent.

John Robinson, The Guardian, 9th May 2016

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