Over at MSN TV today: I've reviewed the double-bill premiere of ITV2's new historical sitcom PLEBS, about three young men trying to climb the social ladder in Ancient Rome...
While the idea of an ITV2 sitcom set in Ancient Rome triggers a negative gut reaction in many people, Plebs wasn't the unmitigated disaster some may have been expecting. Much of this was down to its surprisingly good production values, which capture the feeling of sun-kissed Rome circa 27 A.D very effectively. A few props and backgrounds looked cartoonish, but this added to the show's quasi-theatrical vibe, and for the most part, Plebs looked wonderful. Things have clearly moved on from the days of Frankie Howerd's Up Pompeii!, even for a non-mainstream channel like ITV2. The decision to score the sitcom with 20th century ska tracks was also a crackpot idea that somehow worked very well.
Continue reading at MSN TV...
