New Lee Mack sitcom? The Some of the funniest exchanges are between Mack and White, who plays April – Stuart’s girlfriend and perennial gap-yah girl. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss

But this is a promising germ for that holy grail of comedy commissioners everywhere: a mainstream suburban sitcom that doesn’t suck.

Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. Host Annie McGrath (pictured) is joined by Jenny Eclair in episode one, and by comedian couple Nish Kumar & Amy Annette in episode two and guests over the rest of the series include Jayde Adams, Jack Barry, Lloyd Griffith, Sunil Patel and Olaf Falafel.Chortle had 62,739 unique users in the seven days to August 11. try again, the name must be unique {{#sender.isSelf}} The boxset will also be available on BBC …

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The gimmick of Lee Mack’s new sitcom pilot Semi-Detached is that all the action unfolds in real time..

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Each 20-minute episode sees a well-meaning Stuart rushing about trying to put out fires (both literal and metaphorical) while only adding fuel to the flame.

But then her new husband, played with trademark smarm by The Office alumnus Patrick Baladi, comes a cropper too – and patching him up adds a new level of farce.Throw into the mix Stuart’s drug-smoking, promiscuous gay father (Clive Russell, relishing a deliciously outré role), a daughter Madonna (Sarah Hoare) showing signs of teenage rebellion, an errant brother (Neil Fitzmaurice) unexpectedly showing up while on the run from the law and a tipsy if well-meaning neighbour played by Geoff McGivern, and there are plenty of seeds planted for a bounteous harvest of panicky comedy.There may be questions over whether the furious pace can be sustained for the extra 50 per cent running time required for the traditional BBC sitcom half-hour.
Semi-Detached Series 1 Episode 1 of 6 Real-time sitcom following Stuart during the worst half hour of his life as he tries to save his relationship with April. TV Review: Semi-Detached, BBC Two. It gives the show a real sense of urgency, like a domestic Thick Of It, as chaos is heaped upon chaos. The stand-up star is more like Lee Manic here, pinballing from one domestic suburban crisis to another while barely pausing for breath.
For Stuart, it is “one of those days” every day.A homely hybrid of suburban mundanity and absurdist set-ups, the BBC Two series shares overtones with Channel 4’s Writers Oliver Maltman and David Crow have thrown in a “real-time” gimmick for good measure, and surprisingly, it works.

Semi-Detached (BBC Two) begins chaotically: Stuart (Lee Mack) is attempting to cook a welcome-home lunch for his girlfriend April (Ellie White) with … In some respects, its dysfunctional familial dynamics and various midlife crises storylines channel elements of the sadcom – the growing subgenre of television making introspective humour out of pain à la Enter your email to follow new comments on this article.Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate?Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? Mack is brilliant as Stuart, a hapless loser who dyes his beard in an effort to keep up with his much younger girlfriend. There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts The most insightful comments on all subjects All Stuart wants is a quiet life as a wedding DJ but his family seems to have other ideas. Please

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... Semi-Detached launches on BBC Two on Thursday 6 th August, 10pm. Semi-Detached review: Chaotic Lee Mack comedy goes heavy on the immaturity and slapstickEmail already exists. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies Please the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Or indeed whether such maelstroms of mayhem can be conjured up week after week. There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts to your comment. Please Directed by Ben Palmer. Independent Premium. Semi-Detached Real-time sitcom following the hapless Stuart as he struggles through the worst half hour of his life, including a girlfriend in labour, a …

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When she recommends he sees a spiritualist, Stuart answers that “you can’t cure panic attacks with crystals”, to which April replies deadpan: “We’ve been through this… You can.” But their funny, fraught relationship also fosters one of the sitcom’s biggest failures.