BBC order HAPPY ENDINGS anthology from PSYCHOVILLE duo

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, one half of The League of Gentlemen troupe, have had two shows commissioned by the BBC, following a mutual decision to end Psychoville after its second series. As part of their new two-series deal, first up next year will be Happy Endings (working title); an anthology of six "funny and terrifying" stories.

PSYCHOVILLE "axed"

I'm a few days late getting around to this, but Reece Shearsmith recently broke the news on his Twitter feed that there won't be a third series of BBC2's Psychoville.

Other news - there really will be no more "Psychoville". But Steve P and I have "something else" for you. Only in our minds at the moment...

He didn't give a reason, but poor ratings are most likely why. Series 1 averaged a decnet 1.4m viewers back in 2009, but Series 2 averaged a mere 829,000.

I think there were many factors to this shortfall: the ridiculous two-year gap between series; the lack of a Series 1 repeat to refresh memories or create new fans, meaning Series 2 was mostly impenetrable to newcomers; the lack of promotion by the BBC; the silly decision to air it in the summer (although that's when Series 1 was broadcast); maybe the fact it wasn't that funny in the earlier episodes, so curious newcomers dropped out quickly; and perhaps a widespread feeling the concept didn't justify a second series. Maybe it's all of the above, to varying degrees?

Update, 15/09/11. Reece Shearsmith has now clarified the situation via Twitter:

Re "Psychoville" and "axed"; not quite what happened tbh. WE decided to leave it at two, and NOT be an axed show if they DIDN'T want it.

Anyway, the story came to a fairly solid conclusion. It's probably for the best that they can now come up with something brand new together. Or, in an ideal world, reunite The League Of Gentlemen and do something as a foursome again. This is actually happening, kind of, with the news Shearsmith and Pemberton will appear alongside Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson in kid's comedy Horrible Histories.

What do you think? Are you glad Psychoville's dead and buried, or did it deserve another run?

PSYCHOVILLE, 2.6: cold Lazarus

In a baffling move, BBC2 aired the finale of Psychoville three days early, to make room for Mock The Week, which probably means it slipped the notice of many people. I know we live in the age of digital catch-up services, but it's still frustrating when broadcast dates are changed for seemingly arbitrary reasons, catching loyal audiences on the hop. Regardless of that, series 2's finale was the best installment of this steadily improving half-dozen episodes, and one that made some of my earlier frustrations with the show fade into relative insignificance. I'm still of the opinion that series 1 had better momentum, a clearer story, and more laughs, but series 2 was a pleasing follow-up when taken as a whole...

In the finale, Mr Jelly (Reece Shearsmith) and geriatric sidekick Mrs Ladybird-face (Vilma Hollingbery) arrived in London with the frozen head of Nurse Kenchington's Nazi father, delivering it to Grace Andrews (Imelda Staunton) so she can reanimate it using a scientific formula etched on the chain Kenchington's infamous locket hangs on—likewise delivered into her possession at "Andrews Nanotech" by prissy Nazi toy merchant Peter Bishop (Jason Watkins). Elsewhere, David (Steve Pemberton) grew closer to gawky Emily (Sarah Solemani) after the death of his battleaxe mother; Detective Finney (Mark Bonnar) was sent to kill David to tie up a loose-end, unaware that another loose-end, catatonic Jennifer (Stacy Liu), has alerted David to his presence; and Jeremy (Shearsmith) fell ino a deeper state of psychosis when The Silent Singer visitation returned in force.

The element of surprise was a key part of this finale's success. It was a fun twist to reveal Kenchington's locket as worthless, with the links of its chain the real treasure Grace has been chasing all along. It was likewise unexpected that two characters we'd forgotten about had such important roles to play—from Jennifer helping David catch Finney, to dwarf Kerry's (Lisa Hammond) late arrival to put an end to the monstrosity of the vivified, talking Nazi head. Psychoville's always been about cartoonish oddballs, but it was a great touch to have two of the finale's heroes played by two of its most obviously disabled characters. The fact they were fighting against the return of a Nazi, who had already started preaching intolerance of minority groups, was an added delight. It was the first moment of series 2 where the characters' abnormalities felt like something to be proud of and actually advantageous. Mr Jelly's plastic hand even stopped a lethal injection from Kelvin (Daniel Ings) in a tense storeroom struggle.

Visually, this was a really strong episode, too. Director Matt Lipsey did a tremendous job with the composition of several scenes, and the special effects for the Nazi head were absolutely superb. The glassy plastics of the chamber he was being held in, clamped inside what resembled a giant iPod-style wardrobe, were also impressive from a production design standpoint. The way the resurrection of a frozen head was intercut with a fiery cremation also had a nice duality to it—and although having a priest read from passages relating to Lazarus was a very obvious device, it still worked remarkably well. The fact Finney was actually inside the coffin instead of Maureen, being burned alive to the strains of Black Lace's "Superman" (Maureen's favourite song, reprised from series 1) was also a wonderfully black comic moment.

Indeed, the laughs felt more regular this episode, perhaps because the cast has been gradually trimmed to focus on its two best characters (David, Jelly) and the additions of Bishop and Mrs Ladybird-face in recent weeks have been very beneficial. The latter's random presence and obliviousness arguably stole the show on several occasions.

Imelda Staunton finally got a chance to shine as pepperpot Grace, too, having spent far too long stuck in her office playing variations of the same scene. It was also a nice moment when her obsession with technology, but ineptness using it, came back to bite her—as she exposed her own crimes by accidentally showing a room of investors a viewscreen of people she's had killed over the weeks. Her disdain for the fascist ramblings of the head she's just restored to life was also very amusing.

So where does Psychoville go from here? I was glad the show didn't repeat the mistake of series 1's finale and hurriedly introduce something to enable another run, as I'm not sure there's much more to say about Ravenhill Psychiatric Hospital and its former patients. Series 1 and 2 worked as companions (each dealing with the unexpected return of boogiemen from the past), but surely a potential third series would have to focus on a fresh story of some kind. The door's clearly open for more—as Jelly and David are still alive, and the latter's mother is being kept on ice in a bathtub (awaiting vivification?), and I wouldn't be against seeing those three characters again. If only because they'll undoubtedly be joined by a plethora of new faces because nearly everyone else has been killed of.

Overall, this was a great ending to what's ultimately been a good series, once the plot tightened and momentum was restored after a fortnight's post-premiere lull. Some of my complaints weren't so bad in retrospect and I was probably in the minority for finding a few subplots confusing, at times, although I still think series 2 was treading water for awhile and ultimately lacked the focus and surprise of series 1. Some of that was to be expected, of course, as every sequel faces an uphill struggle trying to justify itself, but I was relieved Psychoville came together surprisingly well in its latter-half

Asides

• You can still watch this finale on Thursday, at the later time of 11.20pm, or catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
• I'd just like to praise Being Human's Jason Watkins' performance as the homosexual Nazi Peter Bishop, who was absolutely brilliant. Sarah Solemani was also terrific as Emily because she utterly transformed herself into an introverted geek. When you remember this is the actress who played extroverted, sexy Becky in BBC3's Him & Her, it's a remarkable transformation in look and body language.

written by Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 6 June 2011 / BBC Two

PSYCHOVILLE, 2.5: say oops frozen head

This penultimate episode of Psychoville retained the momentum of last week and increased the revelations, which made for a very satisfying half-hour. I'm still not finding series 2 as funny as series 1, but I'm glad the story has taken shape recently (after a frustrating post-premiere slump), and looks poised to end on a high next week...

"Did you masturbate into my tea?" -- Edwina Kenchington

This week, David (Steve Pemberton) took his terminally ill mother Maureen (Reece Shearsmith) "zorbing", having misremembered one of her life's ambitions, before an oddly touching scene with Maureen dying with her devoted son by her bedside. It was a moment played straighter than expected, which worked well, lightened by the bizarre sight of David gesticulating his mother's dead body on the bedroom carpet to the sit-down choreography of The Gap Band's "Oops Upside Your Head." As two of the show's most developed characters, it was surprisingly sad to see Maureen pass away, although given some plot developments elsewhere I wouldn't be surprised if she's magically resurrected next week...

My suspicions were confirmed regarding librarian Jeremy Goode (Shearsmith), who was taken in for questioning by Detective Finney (Mark Bonnar) and indeed revealed to be a former patient of Ravenhill Psychiatric Hospital--originally admitted for mild exhaustion but recruited by Nurse Kenchington (Eileen Atkins) to help her crack "the secret of life" after she noticed his genius-level IQ, in shades of Good Will Hunting. In fact, Jeremy became so obsessed with his work that he faked seeing "The Silent Singer" hallucination in order to stay on at the hospital and complete his research, only for the fanged phantom to become a real issue a few years later--the psychological embodiment of all Jeremy's frustration.

Elsewhere, Peter Bishop (Jason Watkins) and Tealeaf (Daniel Kaluuya) formed an unlikely double-act, tracking down idiot actress Debbie (Daisy Haggard) at a book-signing because they know she owns Kenchington's locket, only to discover she's given it to her makeup artist friend Hattie (Pemberton). Hattie's storyline appeared to reach an end this week, with her drugged "husband" Shahrouz (Elyes Gabel) forced to pose for wedding photos, before being rescued from this ordeal by returning boyfriend Chris (Tom Andrews). I've actually rather enjoyed Hatti's story, as the fact she's only marginally connected to the main mystery meant she offered moments of respite, and her story has actually progressed noticeably every week. And it goes without saying that Pemberton's terrific playing grotesque, weirdly sympathetic women--going back to the days of Pauline the Restart Officer in League Of Gentlemen.

Mr Jelly's (Shearsmith) story was also very revealing and fun, as he disguised himself as dead rival Mr Jolly to gain access to a company dealing with frozen body parts--discovering that Jolly kept his missing hand on ice, together with a decapitated head belonging to Kenchington's Nazi father. I enjoyed seeing Jelly team-up with the old lady from the nursing home, codenamed "Mrs Ladybird Face", as it gave him someone to bounce off and she was very funny in her own right. Jelly's one of the most isolated characters on the show, after Jeremy, and the writing of Psychoville always improves whenever it involves duos--like Oscar/Tealeaf and the Sowerbutts.

In a change to the formula, Finney didn't actually manage to kill anyone this week--as Maureen's death was of natural causes and, in a surprise twist, Peter revealed himself to be a Nazi determined to resurrect Kenchington's dead father, and shot Tealeaf dead after he'd helped him acquire the numinous locket. We seem to be headed towards a finale where the locket's contents (the elixir of life?) will be used to bring Kenchington's father back to life, but obviously Peter's unaware the contents were tipped down the sink by Hattie. Has that ruined his plan? Will Jeremy come to the rescue in some way, or is he on Kenchington's side? Will Peter need Jeremy's help to bring that frozen head back to life? And I'm still unclear about why Grace Andrews (Imelda Staunton) wants the locket, and why she's having Finney kill Ravenhill patients who clearly have no knowledge of it anyway. Hopefully the series finale will explain all, but I'm disappointed Staunton's been tucked away in a few small scenes every week, replaying the same joke that she's easily distracted by gadgets and technology.

Overall, I enjoyed episode 5 because every subplot pushed things forwards, there were some juicy explanations of events via Jeremy's back-story, and finally a clearer idea what the stakes are--as the surviving characters have to stop Kenchington's Nazi father coming back to life. I wish some of this information had been delivered earlier, as some of the earlier episodes just felt disconnected--with no clear sense of what series 2 was doing. Series 1 had a much simpler direction you could immediately invest in (we meet a group of oddballs, each received mysterious letters from a "blackmailer", and they gradually come together as their connection is revealed), but series 2's lacked a story of similar elegance and sense of classic tradition. Only in the last few weeks have we received enough clues to get a sense of what the aim is this year, which has built some much-needed excitement about matters, rather than amused bewilderment.

Asides

• A few familiar faces guest-starred in this episode: Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) as the manager of the frozen body parts company; and character actor David Cann as Maureen's doctor, who notably played a truly unnerving doctor in Chris Morris' disturbing comedy Jam.
• It's the last episode next week, so do you think it'll end the show or leave a door open for a third series? I'd like to see more from this show, but hopefully the Ravenhill storyline will be concluded. I'd love to see the show come back with brand new characters and a fresh story to tell. The deaths of so many of the characters should make that more likely, although it's not impossible the magical locket will somehow bring everyone back to life next week. What do you think?

written by Reece Shearsmith & Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 2 June 2011 / BBC Two

PSYCHOVILLE, 2.4: the Nazi and the nursing home

I've been frustrated with Psychoville because recent episodes haven't develop the backbone of the storyline much, they just brought a few of the characters' lives to grisly ends. A few new characters were introduced with no clear connection to the show's big concerns, and the central mysteries showed no signs of being explained after three weeks. It's indeed a problem with episodic reviews that you're effectively appraising "a chapter of a book" every week, so hopefully my overall opinion will change when all six episodes have aired. And fortunately, episode 4 remedied many of my previous complaints and could be the catalyst for a more focused, illuminating half.

Following the "suicide" of frugal Oscar Lomax, home help Tealeaf (Daniel Kaluuya) was summoned to the Hoyti Toyti toy shop by fey retailer Peter Bishop (a brilliant Jason Watkins), who's noticed that ex-patients of Ravenhill Psychiatric Hospital are dying in unusual circumstances. Even stranger, Peter reveals that Hoyti Toyti's is a front for his real passion--trading in Third Reich memorabilia he keeps in his basement--and that a notorious Nazi war criminal founded Ravenhill after emigrating to Britain with his daughter Edwina Kenchington as part of "Operation Paperclip."

It's a promising step forward that adds another layer to the show's creepy asylum back-story, but we'll have to see where it goes from here. What kind of crazy Nazi experiments were being performed on the patients? Do they explain why dwarf Robert had psychokinesis? Is Grace Andrews (Imelda Staunton) having Detective Finney (Mark Bonnar) kill people to prevent them remembering something about their treatments? What hold does Grace have over Finney, getting him to kill people?

Kenchington's locket also returned, now in the possession of vapid actress Debbie (Daisy Haggard), whom we caught up with preparing for a TV interview with Richard Bacon. Hattie (Pemberton) was also embraced into the main story, at last, as it was revealed she's Debbie's makeup artist and helped her open Kenchington's locket to find a silver powder inside that smells like "sugar puffs", which was swiftly emptied down a sink. Was that some remains of Kenchington's Nazi father? Has Hattie unwittingly released his spirit from captivity?

Hattie's own story was brief but amusing this week, taking a cue from Misery as her husband-of-convenience Shahrouz (Elyes Gabel) woke to find himself shackled and unable to leave Hattie's house--told there are prying eyes outside who are suspicious about the legitimacy of his sham marriage. I have to mention Gabel's performance, which makes me smile because he plays Shahrouz as a someone who knows Hattie's unhinged but just can't control her. Pemberton plays these monstrous women very well, and it's easy to sympathize with Shahrouz as he's dominated by Hattie's personality. In some ways it's another take on the Herr Lipp/Justin relationship from League Of Gentlemen.

Elsewhere, David Sowerbutts (Steve Pemberton) went to a retirement home to kill the great-aunt of Simon (James Holmes), the man he agreed a Strangers On A Train-esque murder pact with. It didn't go according to plan, naturally, as Detective Finney was also on the scene and killed the old woman before David got a chance--suggesting the great-aunt was a Ravenhill patient on Finney's hit-list? Simon's attempt to kill Maureen suffered a setback, too--as he wound up in dismembered in Maureen's bathtub, having clearly underestimated his elderly target. Great scene with Maureen indifferently asking if David wants to keep Simon's penis as a trophy, too. He agreed, of course. Where will he keep it?

And finally, crazy librarian Jeremy (Shearsmith) became a more serious threat to the family of the woman who hasn't returned "50 Great Walks Of The British Isles Volume 2', goaded by the specter of the Silent Singer to kidnap the family's dog and threaten its life. There's still no sense of a connection to the major plots for Jeremy, but it's feasible he's another Ravenhill patient we weren't made aware of last series--or perhaps he ran the asylum's library and went mad because of the horrors he witnessed? Anyhow, it was great to see Jeremy involved in an actual story, instead of sinister sketches of dwindling impact, and it gave Shearsmith a great opportunity for a subtle Norman Bates-esque performance. As much as I enjoy his angry Mr Jelly and irritable Maureen, it's nice to balance the ghoulish cartoons with a character who's more recognizably human.

Overall, episode 4 was very satisfying and did a good job handling its many storylines. The only residual complaint is that I'm not finding series 2 as laugh-out-loud funny as series 1, perhaps because the majority of characters have lost their element of surprise. But I chuckled more regularly here: at Hattie demanding a window kiss from Shahrouz, Mr Jelly stumbling on an old lady using a vibrator, the Sowerbutts' bathroom aftermath, and David trying to lie to his mother ("I'm going to Madagascar to see a friend.") I'm optimistic the remaining two episodes can continue in this vein, with less need to fly in a holding pattern...

Asides

• Do you think Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton are fans of Fringe, hence Peter Bishop's name? Or is this just coincidence?
• The show's tendency for real-life celebrity cameo's continued with radio/TV broadcaster Richard Bacon, following Christopher Biggins and John Landis.
• I really like how the Sowerbutts' flat often feels like a sparse theatrical set, with dark corners and backdrops. It sometimes feels like they're performing on a half-empty stage, with the faces of a quiet audience just off-camera watching. This must be intentional, given David's affection for musical theatre, right? The Sowerbutts also starred in series 1's splendid fourth episode, the Rope-inspired experiment that felt very much like a one-act play being performed.

written by Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 26 May 2011 / BBC Two

PSYCHOVILLE, 2.3: Hitchcock's half hour

We've reached the halfway mark and I'm worried Psychoville's proven me right and should have ended after one series. We're still no closer to seeing how the new characters (Jeremy, Hattie) relate to anything (if they even do, as I have doubts), and each of the returning characters are stuck in minor epilogues to series 1--punctuated with their murder (Joy, Robert, now Oscar.) The mysterious locket and covetous Grace Andrews' (Imelda Staunton) mission to find it remain on the back-burner when they should be more central, too. I'm beginning to lose patience because there's no sense of what Psychoville's actually doing this year. Series 1 had multiple storylines to tell and a mystery to reveal, but series 2's just a hodgepodge at the moment.

This week, petulant clown Mr Jelly (Reece Shearsmith) arrived at a fancy mansion to "entertain" the adult guests of a dinner party, only to find himself quickly ushered to a bedroom and told to remove a stout foreigner's kidney with a scalpel and no anesthetic! Weirdly, the donor box was marked with the late Mr Jolly's credentials, hinting that Jelly's nemesis survived the asylum explosion after all? There were some great moments here (Jelly interrupting a dinner party by tooting a childish pirate ditty, and the sheer lunacy of Jelly faking a successful kidney-removal operation with a half-chewed plum), but what the HELL IS GOING ON? Didn't Jelly think it strange to have been summoned to perform an operation? Why was he summoned? I just don't see any logic here. If there are indeed satisfying answers to be revealed later, okay that's fine--but it felt like a random nod to Dirty Pretty Things, and Jelly's blasé reaction was so bizarre it was distancing.

As mentioned, Hattie (Steve Pemberton) and Jeremy's (Shearsmith) storylines have no obvious connection to anything else going on, which is strange and increasingly irritating. I wish I had faith there's a masterplan that's being slowly revealed, but nothing's given me that impression yet. Still, I am quite enjoying Hattie's storyline, as she can't accept she's in a marriage of convenience with her gay friend's lover Shahrouz (Elyes Gabel), and in this episode conspired to sleep with him. The sequence where her "husband" woke up to find Hattie quietly masturbating beside him was exactly the kind of bizarre, distasteful, shocking, hilarious moment Psychoville should be serving us more often.

On the flipside, Jeremy appears to be a one-joke character now: a creepily assiduous librarian who seemingly has to appease horrifying visions of the pigtailed "Silent Singer" by ensuring all overdue books are returned. Lovely idea, but there's not much more to it than that. In this episode, Jeremy broke into a little girl's bedroom and demanded the return of a book (um, that actually belongs to her parents!), as the Silent Singer floated by the window in a nod to 'Salem's Lot. I adore the visual of the fanged Silent Singer twisting around and snarling at Jeremy, but so far we've been given a handful of scenes that follow a very familiar pattern. Is there an actual story to tell with Jeremy, or just a spooky staccato visual to indulge?

If you thought Mr Jelly's storyline was weird this week, Oscar Lomax (Pemberton) trumped it. In a surprisingly quick resolution of clues dropped last week, it was indeed proven true that Lomax fathered a long-lost son who's now trying to get in touch. Even stranger, his connection to British comedy great Tony Hancock is about as bonkers as you can get: Oscar Lomax actually is Hancock, having faked his suicide in Australia! Full marks for an audacious and unpredictable development, but it was so bizarre as to feel oddly forgettable. The fact Oscar became the latest victim of murderous Detective Finny (Mark Bonnar), now confirmed as Grace's hitman, also means that character's reached its end.

Reece Shearsmith is on record as saying he and Steve Pemberton felt they had more stories to tell with Psychoville's characters (which is why series 1 ended with a controversial cliffhanger), but I'm not sure I agree that these are worthwhile stories being told.

More engaging, as usual, were the grotesque Sowerbutts. Maureen (Shearsmith) is now aware she has cancer, and son David (Pemberton) has found himself caught in a Strangers On A Train situation--asked to kill a man's great-aunt for the inheritance, or risk having his previous crimes exposed to the world. Although owing a clear debt to Alfred Hitchcock, at least this is a story with potential and, as I said last week, the fact it means Shearsmith and Pemberton can interact on-screen can't be underestimated. They're a great double-act, so it remains a huge pity Psychoville keeps them apart most of the time. I'm really puzzled by that decision, as there can't be too much of a logistical reason for it.

Overall, episode 3 was the weakest episode of series 2 so far, and one that did little to annul my fear Psychoville should have been a miniseries. Series 2 is almost impenetrable to newcomers, too. Psychoville first aired two years ago, so why didn't the BBC repeat it before this new series began? Each episode has also done a poor job reminding audiences of what happened in series 1, so only committed fans have a hope of understanding what's actually going on.

There are some fun and freaky moments to savour along the way, but I can't deny my general disappointment--speaking as a dedicated fan who's willing Psychoville to succeed. It just doesn't feel like there's a clear, strong idea at the heart of series 2--just some weird plots, disconnected characters, and a frustratingly hazy mystery concerning a locket. I hope the remaining three episodes pull things together quick, before things fizzle out.

written by Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 19 May 2011 / BBC Two

PSYCHOVILLE, 2.2: come die with me

I've rated it the same as last week's premiere, but I enjoyed episode 2 slightly more -- although I still have concerns about Psychoville's general direction and how it's using its characters. Considering there are less episodes this year, I'm a little worried by the fact it's not clear what the story is yet, beyond knowing a woman called Grace Andrews (Imelda Staunton) wants to get her hands on Nurse Kenchington's mystical "K"-initialed locket, and there's a Detective Finny (Mark Bonnar) who appears to be murdering the characters who are least capable of justifying a storyline this series. Still, it's early days, and the show is still great fun to watch, as there's nothing else quite like it on television...

This week, we returned to the story of dwarf actor Robert (Jason Tompkins), held prisoner inside a woodland cottage by deranged co-star Kerry (Lisa Hammond) as she prepared a love potion for him with the help of a witch-like accomplice. This Grimm Fairy Tale-inspired development was a bizarre turn-of-events last year -- wisely given short shrift here, as Robert escaped with Kenchington's locket and delivered it to his true inamorata: beautiful bimbo actress Debbie (Daisy Haggard), currently making a horror movie with exasperated Hollywood director John Landis (appearing as himself in a fun cameo.) Robert's was the least successful of series 1's storylines, so it was again hard to get involved with his situationhere, and only really felt pertinent because he's in possession of that jewelry...

Much better was the bizarre dinner party with the Sowerbutts, as crabby Maureen (Reece Shearsmith) and her retarded son David (Steve Pemberton) hosted a meal for am dram luvvie Robin (David Bamber), who brought along a gormless girl called Emily (Sarah Solemani), unaware the Sowerbutts are planning to kill him by spiking his food with nuts he's allergic to. The Sowerbutts are easily Psychoville's most entertaining creations, partly because they're the only characters that enable Shearsmith and Pemberton to interact together on-screen. One thing I think Psychoville sorely misses, compared to The League Of Gentlemen, are more opportunities for its writers-performers to bounce off each other in scenes. Shearsmith and Pemberton are either not involved (in the case of Robert or Joy's storylines), or partnered with other actors who mostly play straight-men (in the case of Lomax, Mr Jelly and Hattie.) And that's a shame, because the show really comes alive when they're together on-screen.

This Sowerbutts' dining sequence was rather broad (Robin was given flatulence and diarrhea rather than a death sentence), but it was worth it for the deliciously bizarre moment when Maureen did her party piece -- a lilting rendition of "Simply The Best", while dressed as Tina Turner (brown tights pulled over her head, white ping pong balls for eyes, giant wig.) It was a wonderful example of the weird, surprising hilarity Psychoville can deliver.

Series 2's something of a mish-mash so far, though. The old characters haven't proper;y settled into their storylines yet, with Mr Jelly (Shearsmith) just given another incompetent demonstration of his act in a dingy pub, and Lomax (Shearsmith) theorizing about who's sent him some mysterious packages. In some ways it feels like Psychoville's remaking itself (the Sowerbutts have even received another anonymous message that's freaked Maureen out), and it's not yet clear what anyone's direction is. Nobody's even aware of the locket's significance (including the viewers at home), and so it's a little hard to get engaged with scenes featuring the covetous Grace Andrews. That said, Imelda Staunton is fabulous in this role, as a character who appears to care more about the high-tech gadgetry supervillains should have, rather than the task at hand.

All the new characters also seem to exist in their own little bubbles right now. Jeremy Goode (Shearsmith) is a wonderful little character, but this week he's given a brief scene that's just a retooling of last week's (a visitor to the library feels the sharpness of his tongue, before the frightening "Silent Singer" apparition makes another herky-jerky appearance.) There was an amusing scene for Hattie (Pemberton), who's taking a marriage of convenience with a gay friend's lover to heart, and believes she's found true love, but it's again hard to see what anything has to do with the original characters, the locket, Grace Andrews, or the homicidal detective. Not that I truly doubt there's a masterplan at work here, but it might be nice to get a sense of where the story's taking us, seeing as next week's episode marks the halfway point.

Overall, episode 2 was an improvement on the enjoyable opener, but I hope the wider story starts to take shape and the new characters begin to feel better connected. But while I'm still unconvinced Psychoville should have brought back so many of last year's character, I love the "Ten Little Indians" idea that one's going to be killed by Detective Finny as every week's climax. That's actually a better way to give each one a personalized send-off, and puts you on edge knowing some of your favourites' days are numbered. Who could be next?

Asides

• You may not have recognized Emily was played by Sarah Solemani, best-known for co-starring in BBC Three's bedsit comedy Him & Her with Russell Tovey. Quite a transformation! Do you think her character's a love-interest for David, and a way to get in-between Maureen and her son?
• John Landis made an obvious cameo appearance (did he meet Shearsmith on the Burke & Hare set?), but stand-up comedian Andi Osho also appeared as the registrar of Hattie's wedding.
• We knew Debbie was stupid, but since when did she acquire the memory span of a goldfish?

written by Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton / directed by Matt Lipsey / 12 May 2011 / BBC Two

Review: 'PSYCHOVILLE' 2.1

Solemnly march over to Obsessed With Film, where I've reviewed the long-awaited series 2 premiere of BBC2's horror-com PSYCHOVILLE, starring Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton.

After an unreasonable two-year absence, only alleviated by last year's Halloween special, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton's Psychoville finally returns for a second series of black comedy japes and spooky mystery. As a spiritual follow-up to The League Of Gentlemen's small-town horror, Psychoville may lack that show's insidious edge and pervasive atmosphere, but a more ambitious format (fully serialized plotting, wider scope) has helped carve it a complimentary identity. However, it's still less menacing and moody than The League ever was -- being more of a warped carnival of oddballs -- perhaps signifying that Shearsmith and Pemberton are mellowing in middle-age, or that colleagues Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson were the more macabre half of their comedy troupe.

I found series 1's finale of Psychoville unsatisfying, primarily because the story deserved a conclusion, but instead creaked as it tardily introduced a supernatural curveball (a magical locket owned by despotic asylum owner Nurse Kenchington), took telekinetic dwarf Robert into a ridiculous Hansel & Gretel riff, and ended on a big cliffhanger (nearly every character potentially killed in a fiery blast triggered by vengeful clown Mr Jolly's suicide vest.) With everyone's fate uncertain for years now, it's frustrating to realize an opportunity to cull redundant characters wasn't seized upon, as everyone survived Jolly's climactic explosion with only minor injuries -- such as deranged maternity nurse Joy (Dawn French), now sporting a neck brace. Bizarrely, only crazed bomber Mr Jolly was a fatality; his funeral procession opening series 2 on an amusingly absurd note, as brightly-coloured clowns descended on a bleak graveyard to bury one of their kind. A rubber chicken thrown on Jolly's coffin in lieu of a handful of earth... Continue reading...

TV Ratings: 'Psychoville Halloween'

BBC2's hour-long Halloween special of Psychoville attracted an average of 1.5 million viewers on Sunday night, including 45,000 watching on BBC HD. This resulted in a total overnight audience roughly the average of its series 1 ratings, which ranged from 1.08 to 1.7m.

Incidentally, I didn't notice many adverts promoting this special, which may have had a negative impact on the figures. One of my friends, who loves Psychoville, didn't even realize it was on until I reminded him on Saturday night! And, of course, it's likely many people were out partying Halloween night, so this week's consolidated ratings (taking repeats and iPlayer viewings into consideration) will inevitably boost that figure. Not that it's bad, you understand!

Anyway, this proves Psychoville's 15-month absence from TV screens hasn't lost it any fans (is the collective term "Psychos?"), although now they face a further wait for 2011's second series.

'PSYCHOVILLE - HALLOWEEN'

Creep quietly to Obsessed With Film, where I've reviewed last night's PSYCHOVILLE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL, brought to you by the manufacturers of insect-infested chocolates:

"You know your show's a hit if a "special" gets commissioned, and what better way to satiate Psychoville fans than with an intervening Halloween episode before series 2? In the great tradition of anthology horror, this hour-long portmanteau spun four creepy stories in the form of embellished prequels for the main characters, while simultaneously setting the scene for next year's full-blooded return." Continue reading...

Imelda Staunton goes to Psychoville

Actress Imelda Staunton has joined the cast of horror-comedy drama Psychoville for its Halloween special and second series, playing a "sharp-suited, shadowy figure with mysterious motives."

Staunton, on her casting:

"There's nothing I enjoy more than hanging out with weirdoes, freaks and undesirables, so of course I jumped at the chance to work on Psychoville with Steve [Pemberton] and Reece [Shearsmith]."

Shearsmith & Pemberton:

"Imelda completely 'got' the show and we felt really lucky to 'get' her. She was fantastically funny as a slightly frustrated megalomaniac. She looks like a cross between Mary Quant and Louise Brooks in the role. She plays a powerful woman who is a little bit Jane Tennison from Prime Suspect but longs to be James Bonds' M."

Further details have emerged about the new series. The hour-long Halloween special will involve a TV researcher called Phil working on "Dale Winton's Overnight Ghost Hunt" who is scouting locations and visits Ravenhill Hospital for the Completely Insane. The special will take the form of an anthology.

It's also been confirmed that all of the actors from series 1 will appear: Dawn French as Joy, Eileen Atkins as Nurse Kenchington, Daisy Haggard as Debbie, Jason Tompkins as Robert, Lisa Hammond as Kerry, and Christopher Biggins. It's not yet known if they'll all have sizeable roles, or just make brief appearances.

Joining the cast when Psychoville returns are: Jason Watkins (Being Human), Mark Bonnar (Casualty), David Cann (Brass Eye), Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) and Sarah Solemani (Him & Her).

Filming has now finished on the spooky special (which will air around Halloween time) and series 2 (which is scheduled to start in 2011).

What do you think about all this? As much as the ending of Psychoville annoyed me, I'm glad it's back because Shearsmith and Pemberton's brand of creepy comedy is simply delicious. But I still hope the characters from series 1 won't be back permanently, mainly because I can't see where they can go with the likes of crazed baby-obsessive Joy and telekinetic dwarf Robert. Still, I can already see Imelda Staunton being a fantastic addition to this show.

Psychoville: Halloween special, series 2 delayed till 2011?

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton picked up the "Best New British Television Comedy" award for Psychoville at last night's British Comedy Awards , and they dropped some interesting titbits of information during their after-show interview on ITV2...

Apparently, they're halfway through writing series 2 now -- but, contrary to reports in the media about a Christmas special and 2010 series, their "special" has been bumped to next Halloween, and series 2 won't follow until in 2011. That's quite a wait fans have!

They also revealed that series 2 will open with a funeral for one of the main characters, before explaining who died and survived the explosion that ended series 1. As expected, series 2 will be a mix of old and new characters. They also said they've been considering the idea of touring with a live Psychoville stage show, but the logistics of achieving that with just two performers* might prove too difficult.


* While certainly harder to pull off the fast costume changes as a duo, surely Little Britain Live proved that two performers can put on an effective stage show, just so long as you have some supporting artistes. It seems to me that Psychoville is more amenable to that than League Of Gentlemen ever was, what with the likes of Dawn French having a prominent role...

Psychoville II

The dark comedy Psychoville, the brainchild of League Of Gentlemen members Reese Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, has been recommisioned for a Christmas special and another six-part series next year -- following its success earlier this summer, where it attracted an average of 1.7 million viewers every Thursday. Read more here.

I'm torn about this news, because I thought the way Psychoville "ended" was a big disappointment and felt unearned because we'd been led to believe the show was a self-contained "miniseries". I'm certainly not convinced the existing characters have mileage to last another series, so I'd be more excited if Psychoville had completed its story and we were being promised a new tale with different characters.

Of course, there are strong rumours that Pemberton and Shearsmith only included a divisive cliffhanger to try and provoke the BBC into greenlighting a second series, so they have every intention of wiping the slate clean. Hopefully this means the Christmas special will tie-up the loose-ends from series 1's finale, and we'll get a new assortment of grotesques to follow in 2010.

What do you think? Are you excited for more, whatever happens, or are you hesitant because of how series 1 ended?

PSYCHOVILLE 1.7

[SPOILERS] The finale to this idiosyncratic black-comedy was a mixed bag and possibly Psychoville's unfunniest episode. It tried to pull everything together into a fitting conclusion and didn't totally succeed (it even joked about how its plots haven't gelled correctly), before unwisely leaving us with the setup for another series that, to be frank, didn't feel necessary or earned...

Three of the regular characters are reunited at Ravenhill Hospital, two years after they left the place as patients following the death of sadistic Nurse Kenchington (the frighteningly severe Eileen Atkins), when man-child David (Steve Pemberton) lost his temper -- after being cattle-prodded while fumbling the lyrics to a "Jason & His Technicolour Dreamcoat" show tune -- and accidentally brained her against a desk. David's friends -- Joy (Dawn French), Lomax (Pemberton) and Robert (Jason Tomkins) -- agreed to cover-up the deed by dousing Kenchington's body with alcohol and setting fire to the room, then feigning ignorance...

Now, Lomax is back with his new home-help Jennifer (Stacy Liu) to rescue Michael (Daniel Kaluuya) and finally get his hands on Snappy the beanie toy; Joy mistakes Jennifer for her a magically grown-up "Freddie"; Joy's anemic victim Nicola (Elizabeth Berrington) spends the episode wobbling around being mistaken as an ashen ghoul; David arrives at Ravenhill with a melon in a plastic bag (for no particular reason beyond the fact it gave us a cliffhanger "is it Mr. Jolly's head?" ending last week); Mr. Jelly (Reece Shearsmith) arrives still handcuffed to a batty old lady with diabetes (Vilma Hollingberry); and we catch-up with Jason and Kerry (Lisa Hammond) in a car travelling through some woods, which runs out of fuel and forces them to walk to an old cottage, where Jason is attacked by Kerry's witch grandmother. No, I don't know what was going on with this storyline, either! The entire panto-dwarf subplot reached a conclusion in episode 2, and everything since has been running on fumes.

Of course, the finale's raison d'etre was to reveal the identity of the mysterious blackmailer -- despite the fact only a few characters ever appeared threatened by his letter campaign. Anyway, as predicted in some circles (the choice of suspects was limited, let's be honest), it turned out to be Mr. Jolly (Adrian Scarborough) -- the son of Nurse Kenchington who channeled his grief into tracking down those responsible for killing mum. I have no idea how he knew they killed her. Or even why he's so sure she's dead because she -- surprise, surprise -- isn't! No, after David claws up Kenchington's grave in Ravenhill's grounds, he just finds a frog inside her coffin (more panto imagery), before a scarred Kenchington make her grand return. I guess the Ravenhill staff thought she'd burnt to a literal cinder?

Strangely, it turns out that Kenchington is only really interested in finding the locket she believes one of her "killers" stole from her cataleptic body -- before the final shot reveals her jewellery is hanging around Robert's neck, as he's about to be eaten by Kerry's evil gran. Yes, that'll be the macguffin for series 2, even though Mr. Jolly turns suicide bomber and detonates a waistcoast of explosives nobody could survive.

Sadly, I was disappointed by this final episode. There were undoubtedly some fun moments (David confessing to his murders at a Citizen's Advice Bureau, the blackmailer's long-awaited reveal, Nurse Kenchington's flashbacks, Oscar revealing he has "paradise syndrome" and throwing Snappy off a cliff just so he can track the toy down all over again), but there was no sense of fulfillment and the story felt wrestled into shape. Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith are fantastic performers, write excellent dialogue, know the horror genre inside-out, can think up creepy ideas, and craft memorable characters... but cohesive plotting (as The League Of Gentlemen's third series also proved) just isn't their forte. And that's a big problem for a mystery series that required them to juggle multiple subplots.

Most frustrating was the way this episode didn't provide enough closure, as things were hastily set-up for a second series. I mean, really, how far can you take charaters like unhinged Joy, miserly Lomax, irascible clown Jelly, retarded killer David, and besotted dwarf Robert? Will it be fun seeing them chase a locket around, like an episodic version of It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World? These characters were interesting as mysterious oddballs with shadowy pasts to tease apart, but I'm not convinced they have anything to offer us now their backstories have been revealed. I'd have preferred a proper end to this storyline and for Psychoville's next series to introduce a new group of grotesques...


30 July 2009
BBC2, 10pm

written by: Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton directed by: Matt Lipsey starring: Steve Pemberton (David Sowerbutts/Oscar Lomax), Reece Shearsmith (Mr. Jelly), Dawn French (Joy Aston), Eileen Atkins (Nurse Kenchington), Adrian Scarborough (Mr. Jolly), Vilma Hollingberry (Mrs. Wren), Jason Tomkins (Robert), Lisa Hammond (Kerry), Daniel Kaluuya (Michael Fry), Elizabeth Berrington (Nicola), Stacy Liu (Jennifer), James Holmes (Simon) & Sheila Reid (Old Crone)

PSYCHOVILLE 1.6

[SPOILERS] Everyone's drawn to Ravenhill Hospital in the penultimate Psychoville, an episode that rediscovered the sense of pace and development from the earlier episodes. I have high hopes for next week's big finale after this, so hopefully Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton won't let us down...

Mr. Jelly (Reece Shearsmith) is entertaining the elderly at the Sunnydale Rest Home, but is unnerved when Mr. Jolly (Adrian Scarborough) calls him during his act with a dire warning that his life's in danger -- now that he's figured out who the mysterious, psychotic blackmailer is. Jelly hotfoots it home to discuss the situation with his former-nemesis, unfortunately handcuffed to a senile old lady as part of an escapology trick gone wrong. At home, Jelly and the old dear find Mr. Jolly's suffocated dead body and are forced to hide behind a curtain when the blackmailer returns to saw off Jolly's head with an electric carving knife, in an attempt to frame Jelly for the deed...

Elsewhere, Joy (Dawn French) rushes to hospital with the decapitated body of her beloved doll Freddie, causing raised eyebrows in the operating theatre ("... I'll get you a needle and thread"), before exacting her revenge on her husband's fancy woman Nicola (Elizabeth Berrington) by kidnapping her, taking her to Ravenhill Hospital, and performing a sinister blood transfusion with ragdoll Freddie. Brilliantly creepy scenes with the doll's eyes crying blood as its body oozed with the red stuff.

Maureen Sowerbutts (Shearsmith) has developed a frightening passion for killing David's (Pemberton) friends, so goes out to buy an indoor barbecue set so they can eat their final victim as a special "treat". Their intended prey, Lorraine (Natalie Cassidy), is coincidentally the shopgirl selling Maureen her barbecue and, during a brief discussion with her at the checkout, the penny drops for Maureen when she realizes the "bad murder" David spoke of was part of the Murder & Chips murder-mystery performance, so they've been killing innocent people. Rushing home to end their torment by taking an overdose of pills herself and suffocating her son while he sleeps, Maureen's shocked when she realizes David has disappeared and is left to die on her own...

Sadly tainted by some iffy acting, the pantomime storyline with Robert (Jason Tompkins) and Debbie (Daisy Haggard) was more fun this week, too. Robert's diminutive friends are surprised when they hear Robert's got engaged to Debbie, but Kerry (Lisa Hammond) realizes he's tricked amnesiac Debbie into believing a lie. As Kerry's romantic feelings for Robert are so strong, Kerry confronts both of them on-stage after work and reveals that she's the one responsible for Robert's apparent powers of telekinesis (in a scene reminiscent of Carrie) and has just been trying to protect him all these years. With Robert unwilling to convinced Kerry he loves her to spare Debbie's life, Kerry is forced to frame Robert for attacking Debbie with a fire-axe when their friends arrive on the scene. This was decent way to continue this faltering plotline, particularly enjoyable for Daisy Haggard's wonderfully ditzy performance as bimbo Debbie ("I can remember all my lines and phone numbers and stuff. I just don't remember being engaged to Robert...")

The least interesting subplot again belonged to Oscar Lomax (Pemberton), with Michael (Daniel Kaluuya) having ran off with the Crabtree twins for the money the blackmailer gave them for Snappy. It turns out Michael isn't really in league with the sisters, as he soon gives them the slip to steal the cash for himself, only to wind up begging for Lomax's help over the phone after arriving at the Ravenhill Hospital and being locked in a room by Joy. Oscar's such a great character that it's a shame his storyline has been so limp and unfocused, really. Pemberton truly disappears into his roles.

So, the scene is set for a big showdown of sorts in next week's finale. I'm pretty sure the last-minute shot of David carrying something in a plastic bag, on his way to Ravenhill, wasn't Mr. Jolly's decapitated head, as some people think. David doesn't have the blackmailer's stature and isn't anywhere near as clever – but perhaps Psychoville will pull of a Scream-style climax and reveal that there are two blackmailers? If it is only one character, how about David's "dead" father? Or perhaps the supposedly murdered Nurse Kenchington herself, with the aide of a voice-changer? Or Mr. Jolly, having faked his own death?

Overall, my faith was restored by this episode's climax. All the storylines were developed properly, the pace was strong, and I found it a lot funnier than usual. I particularly love how the panto-based storyline appears to pay homage to that style of theatre with signposted groaners, and Shearmsith was particularly hilarious as prissy Scottish actor Brian this week ("I've seen Dora Bryan defecate into a hat-box, and her Dandini was without equal.") There were some unconvincing moments, and I'm a little disappointed in the general sweep of Jason and Oscar's storylines, but this was generally very engaging, funny and enjoyably unsettling. Even the throwaway lines were a treat, like Mr. Jelly's indignant "I'm paying for that" when he spotted the blackmailer (who had just strangled and decapitated a man), using his home phone.


23 July 2009
BBC2, 10pm

written by: Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton directed by: Matt Lipsey starring: Reece Shearsmith (Mr. Jelly/Maureen Sowerbutts/Brian), Steve Pemberton (David Sowerbutts/Oscar Lomax), Dawn French (Joy Aston), Lisa Hammond (Kerry), Big Mick (Grumbly), Maxwell Laird (Snoozy), Jason Tompkins (Robert), Daisy Haggard (Debbie), Damian Asher (Doctor), Daniel Kaluuya (Michael Fry), Debbie Chazen (Kelly-Su Crabtree), Alison Lintott (Chelsea Crabtree), Elizabeth Berrington (Nicola), Al T. Kossy (Old Man), Amie Titterton (Nurse), Vilma Hollingbery (Mrs Wren), Adrian Scarborough (Mr. Jolly), Eileen Atkins (Nurse Kenchington), Natalie Cassidy (Lorraine) & Stacy Liu (Jennifer)

PSYCHOVILLE 1.5

[SPOILERS] After the excellent, experimental homage to Hitchcock last week, we're back to the crux of the matter this week. Sadly, I'm struggling to feel that enthused about Psychoville's overarching mystery (which grows increasingly predictable and clichéd as every layer is peeled away), although I'm hopeful there will be an imaginative twist in the tail...

We learn a few things about what links the characters together in this episode, although the information is delivered in an uninteresting way, with Mr. Jolly (Adrian Scarborough) just telling his rival Mr. Jelly (Reece Shearsmith) about his past as a doctor at the Ravenhill Institute, governed by tyrannical sadist Nurse Edwina Kenchington (Eileen Atkins), whom we see via flashback used to torture the characters now being blackmailed. The fearsome Kenchington is clearly the woman each character had a hand in murdering to end their suffering, so both clowns are now on a quest to find the former Ravenhill patients and see if they've also received letters, suspecting they're from an unhinged patient or an aggrieved member of staff.

The episode's most successful storyline belonged to Joy (Dawn French), whose demonstration doll Freddie appears to be coming to life. There are some creepy scenes of Joy's baby monitor suddenly picking up an eerie "mama", as the Pinocchio-style miracle soon turns into a Chucky-style nightmare, as Joy comes under attack from her plastic tot and is eventually pushed down the stairs. Amusingly, events are revealed to have been an elaborate ruse by Joy's husband George (Steve Pemberton) and his fancy woman Nicola (Elizabeth Berrington), who have concocted a twisted plan to sour Joy's fantasy and kill her so they can be together.

The Sowerbutts had a fun but flimsy story, with David (Pemberton) and Maureen (Shearsmith) luring "Murder & Chips" leader Robin (David Bamber) to a waxwork museum of infamous serial-killers, intending to make him their latest victim. It wasn't too plausible how naïve Robin is, or how he kept wandering off to split up the scenes, but the story was rescued by an comical sequence where the mannequins of murderers sprung to life (animated plastic a key ingredient this week!) and performed a song-and-dance number with David. The idea of John Reginald Christie, Jack the Ripper (Glenn Carter), the Boston Strangler and Ed Gein in a musical ditty was fantastic, it's just a shame the song was resolutely forgettable.

In Dudley, parsimonious Oscar Lomax (Pemberton) and the conjoined Crabtree twins (Debbie Chazen/Alison Lintott) are still trying to persuade the Dalton family's little boy to hand over his Snappy the crocodile beanie toy. There were a few nice gags here, most centred around Lomax and his blindness (like telling a heartfelt Titanic story to the wrong bedroom door), but my patience with the Snappy storyline is growing thin. Thankfully, things develop in the end when Lomax's home-help Michael (Daniel Kaluuya) successfully gets Snappy and runs away with the Crabtree sisters -- even if there didn't appear to be any motivation for him cheating on Lomax. Or has he been in league with the Crabtree twins from the start?

The worst subplot was the continuing story of dwarf actor Robert (Jason Tomkins), who leaves after a panto performance to visit the unconscious leading lady Debbie (Daisy Haggard) in hospital -- reenacting a scene from Sleeping Beauty by awakening her with a kiss, discovering she has amnesia, and embracing the opportunity to convince Debbie he's her boyfriend. That can't last, can it. It's difficult to really engage with this story now, as Debbie's so dislikeable that I just feel frustrated by Robert's blinkered feelings towards her (even after she embarrassed him publicly), and there's still been no attempt to explain or even reference his telekinesis. Tomkins performance was touching to begin with, but it's now slipped into quiet and tedious.

Episode 5 felt like a turning point as we approach the last two episodes of this series, but I'm still not convinced this serialized style fits Shearsmith and Pemberton's writing. A part of me suspects Psychoville would work better as a string of self-contained stories focusing on different characters each week. Or perhaps as a comedy-horror anthology; sort of The League Of Gentlemen meets Ripping Yarns?

To wit, beyond Mr. Jelly, none of the characters seem particularly concerned about the mysterious letters they're receiving (the latest containing a big key), and many of the stories don't justify the time dedicated to them -- particularly Lomax's desire to get his hands on Snappy and Robert's unrequited love for his panto's Snow White. The Sowerbutts' plot is intentionally simplistic fare, but the Shearsmith/Pemberton double-act and their character's juicy dialogue sees it through, while Joy's story is proving itself more robust than I expected with this episode's twist.

Overall, I'm definitely enjoying Psychoville (eating up each installment's handful of excellent moments, while relishing the performances and ear for dialogue), but I'm concerned that the bigger picture isn't all that interesting, and disappointed that the stories aren't as compelling as they should be. While publicizing the show, Pemberton and Shearsmith were keen to make clear their intention to create a show that, like 24, you ache to watch the next episode of immediately after one finishes -- but it hasn't achieved that ambition for me. Right now, I'm interested to see how everything is resolved (fingers crossed for surprises along the way), but I can't help wishing many of these individual plots were stronger and the laughs more regular.


16 July 2009
BBC2, 10pm

written by: Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton directed by: Matt Lipsey starring: Steve Pemberton (George Aston/Oscar Lomax/David Sowerbutts), Reece Shearsmith (Brian/Mr. Jelly/Maureen Sowerbutts/John Reginald Christie), Dawn French (Joy Aston), Eileen Atkins (Nurse Kenchington), Daisy Haggard (Debbie), Adrian Scarborough (Mr. Jolly), Christopher Biggins (Himself), David Bamber (Robin), Jason Tomkins (Robert Greenspan/Blusher), Lisa Hammond (Kerry), Daniel Kaluuya (Michael Fry), Debbie Chazen (Kelly-Su Crabtree), Alison Lintott (Chelsea Crabtree), Elizabeth Berrington (Nicola), Nick Holder (Bob Dalton), Alex Kelly (Karen Dalton), Aaron Smith (Ian Dalton), Daniel Miller (AA Man), Huw Edwards (Himself), Maxwell Laird (Snoozy), Big Mick (Grumbly), Natalie Barrett (Nurse), George Asprey (John George Haigh), Eric Loren (Albert De Salvo), Glenn Carter (Jack the Ripper) & Carol Fletcher (Choreographer)

PSYCHOVILLE 1.4

[SPOILERS] The fourth episode of Psychoville was an unmitigated treat on many levels. Opening with David (Steve Pemberton) and Maureen Sowerbutts (Reece Shearsmith) strangling another member of the "Murder & Chips" murder-mystery troupe (to the score of Psycho), the Hitchcock influence continued with a Rope-style half-hour with no visible camera cuts...

The mother-and-son serial-killers hide the body in a Queen Anne chest, before they're interrupted by the arrival of Chief Inspector Griffin -- played by League Of Gentlemen cohort Mark Gatiss, in a surprise guest appearance that sent a shiver of delight up my spine. With the League united on-screen for the first time since their 2005 movie, episode four proceeded to riff on Hitchcock's Rope in the manner of a dark one-act play.

While definitely a gimmick-y exercise at heart, this was nevertheless enormously entertaining and very funny. There's something incredibly arresting about television when the camera is allowed to float around actors (the set noticeably spaced to allow access around furniture), and the trio put their theatrical skills to great use. The half-hour apparently consisted of two long takes, but I didn't spot the join.

At heart, this was a one-act black-comedy in the style of Hitchcock, with the Sowerbutts forced to pose as Martin and his mother, to answer Griffin's questions about a recent spate of murders in the local area, while trying to hide the body of Martin (at one stage he ends up hung on the back of a door's coat hook), or else add the meddling Griffin to their list of victims. There were some fantastic touches liberally sprinkled about, too: the Sowerbutts dancing to a "cheering-up tape" of Black Lace's "Superman" (itself a gag, because Nietzsche's Übermensch theory was the basis for Rope's murder), to David being interrupted by a chiming clock as he was about to plunge a knife into Griffin's back (resulting in a brief tableaux of the actors.) And the dialogue contained some memorable zingers ("it was a wotsit; a Freudian clit.")

Joyous, clever, witty, intelligent and beautifully-honed black comedy. The acting, writing and staging of the episode was excellent, and the script delighted me with a clever twist halfway through. It wasn't entirely without any real purpose in the context of Psychoville itself, either, as we learned David spent time in the asylum because of his guilt over accidentally killing his father with a sleeping pill overdose -- although, by the end of this episode, David discovers his mother had been poisoning his dad months beforehand. I smell a savage cutting of the apron strings in the weeks to come, don't you?

Overall, this was a real gem. The kind of episode you can't wait to watch again and one that inspires you to get more people watching. As a League Of Gentlemen fanatic, it was wonderful to see Shearsmith, Pemberton and Gatiss together again, and the only downside to their Psychoville reunion was how quickly it passed and left me desperate for more.


9 July 2009
BBC2, 10pm

written by: Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton directed by: Matt Lipsey starring: Reece Shearsmith (Maureen Sowerbutts), Steve Pemberton (Steve Pemberton), Mark Gatiss (Chief Inspector Grifffin) & David Smallbone (Martin)

Box-Eyed: The Week Ahead

Something a little different on Box-Eyed this week, over at Newslite.tv: a look ahead at eight TV highlights this week, from the return of Torchwood and Mock The Week to 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Top Gear, and plenty more inbetween.

"Arriving to prop up the channel's Thursday night comedy triptych, it's the return of satirical panel show Mock The Week with host Dara O'Briain and comedians Frankie Boyle, Russell Howard, Andy Parsons and Hugh Dennis. It's a show that's suffered from near-constant repeats on Dave (a la QI and Top Gear), but it's always nice to hear some fresh, topical gags. I give it two-minutes before Boyle makes a bad-taste Michael Jackson joke. Earlier if Dara's introduction is short and sweet..." Continue reading...

PSYCHOVILLE 1.3

[SPOILERS] After the excellent double-punch start, things ease off with this third installment in terms of big laughs and juicy horror. Most of the storylines circled in orbit, there were only a few amusements, and it felt like the episode wasn't as acutely tuned as last week...

However, we did learn a lot more about Mr. Jelly (Reece Shearsmith) and how he lost his hand. Far from being a gross accident or, the once kindly children's entertainer simply went for an operation to cure RSI and "complications" meant his surgeon (Adrian Scarborough) had to remove his hand. Mr. Jelly consequently slipped into depression and, while learning how to use a prosthetic hand, taught the surgeon his entire act. Unfortunately, the surgeon found his true calling and became Mr. Jolly, the man who took Jelly's hand and his entertaining career. Interestingly, after a "clown fight" in a playhouse full of plastic balls, scramble-nets and slides during the present-day scenes, Mr. Jolly notices that the Mr. Jelly has misread the blackmailer's letters and they're actually addressed to him. So, Mr. Jelly is innocent and a red herring in all this?

Elsewhere, Joy Aston's (Dawn French) creepy plan to transform demonstration doll "Freddie" into a real boy, by feeding him blood-bags stolen from hospital, appears to have started working! Off-screen, her plastic baby threw his food bowl on the floor during an argument with her husband George (Steve Pemberton). We also learnt that the root cause of Joy's fantasy is the loss of their son Paul.

In London, David (Pemberton) and Maureen Sowerbutts (Shearsmith) are becoming effective if unconventional serial-killers; Psychoville's version of Tubbs and Edward from The League Of Gentlemen, really. Maureen still incorrectly believes David's "bad murder" was a real crime, and unwittingly indulging her son's darkest fantasies by helping him kill all the Murder & Chips troupe's "witnesses". This entails dressing up as female beauticians and electrocuting a woman by clipping jump leads to her lips and conducting 250v through her office chair.

The least interesting subplot belonged to panto dwarf Robert (Jason Tomkins), who gets revenge on the cruel prank played on him by Debbie (Daisy Haggard) by using his telekinesis to knock her out inside a glass coffin during a matinee performance. When the climactic moment comes for the Prince (Christopher Biggins) to kiss and awaken Snow White from her sleep, Debbie fails to stir and the pantomime ends on an embarrassing note.

Finally, miserly Oscar Lomax (Pemberton) and his arch-enemies, conjoined twins Chealsea (Alison Lintott) and Kelly-Su Crabtree (Debbie Chazen), all arrive at the home of the family that own the rare Snappy beanie toy they all covet. Each has brought a suitcase of money to hand over to the owners, unaware that Snappy has gone missing and the owners are planning to trick blind Oscar by giving him a stuffed sock instead.

To be honest, beyond the Mr. Jelly storyline with its explanatory flashback, this week's stories weren't very absorbing or particularly funny. Joy and Oscar's were especially lackluster, while Robert's was reduced to one limp scene. Was it really a great revenge to have Debbie essentially miss her cue in front of an audience of cub scouts, anyway? I expected something a lot more twisted from the minds of Shearsmith and Pemberton. The Sowerbutts were also less interesting here, although their disgusting mealtime habits did provide the episode's standout moment, with Maureen chewing up a sausage for her grotesque son to eat! Bleuch.

Still, at least we got notable progression with Psychoville's overarching storyline, after the mysterious man in black sent his "victims" a video parcel: taped footage of David singing a tune from Joseph & His Technicolour Dreamcoat with a group of mental patients. Interestingly, Oscar was providing the music on a piano, while Joy and the ratty surgeon/Mr. Jolly looked on. There was no sign of diminutive Robert, however -- unless I missed him. It seems that all (or most) of the characters are connected through shared time at an asylum, and all had a hand in killing a woman there? Or covered up someone's death, at any rate.

Overall, I'm hopeful this was just a blip and the quality will be restored next week. Episode 3 was just a bit forgettable, with many storylines feeling like they were treading water, or appearing to hit creative dead-ends. Psychoville needs to start developing each storyline into more interesting territory, now that we're au fait with each character's quirks and set-up.


2 July 2009
BBC2, 10pm

written by: Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton directed by: Matt Lipsey starring: Reece Shearsmith (Mr. Jelly/Maureen Sowerbutts/Brian), Steve Pemberton (Judge Pennywise/David Sowerbutts/Oscar Lomax/George Aston), Dawn French (Joy Aston), Janet McTeer (Cheryl), Daisy Haggard (Debbie), Adrian Scarborough (Mr. Jolly/Surgeon), Jason Tomkins (Robert), Liza Hammond (Kerry), Christopher Biggins (Himself), Daniel Kaluuya (Michael Fry), Alison Lintott (Chelsea Crabtree), Debbie Chazen (Kelly-Su Crabtree), Elizabeth Berrington (Nicola), Robert Portal (Prosecutor), Tom Godwin (Mime Artist), Margaret Cabourn-Smith (Kate), Dominic Colman (Colin), Aaron Smith (Ian Dalton), Nick Holder (Bob Dalton), Alex Kelly (Karen Dalton), Emma Nansonr (Mum), Will Ashcroft (GP), Steve Morphew (Stage Manager), Big Mick (Grumbly) & Maxwell Laird (Snoozy)

PSYCHOVILLE 1.1 & 1.2

It's been an incredible seven years since The League Of Gentlemen were last on our TV screens and, while this isn't technically their next project, it does come from two of the award-winning foursome (Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton). Psychoville appears to exist in the same world as the League's infamous town of Royston Vasey; although it wisely cuts back on the quantity of characters that populated that earlier series, widens the scope to encompass the whole country, and injects a serialized structure...

A variety of disparate characters are sent parchments with five simple words inked inside ("I KNOW WHAT YOU DID") from a masked "blackmailer". These include Mr. Jelly (Shearsmith), a scruffy clown with a hook for a hand who scares kids and has a vendetta against his competitor Mr. Jolly; Joy Aston (Dawn French), an ante-natal nurse convinced a prop baby called Freddie is real, to her husband's discomfort; Robert (Jason Tompkins), a dwarf with latent telekinesis who fancies the Snow White of the panto he's appearing in, while hiding a history as a midget porn star; Oscar Lomax (Pemberton), a blind recluse with an unusual collection; and David Sowerbutts (Pemberton), an ugly man-child with an unhealthy obsession with serial-killers, still living at home with his mum Maureeen (Shearsmith) while working as a "murder-mystery dinner" actor...

Let's cut to the chase: this was wonderful. It took awhile to acclimatize to its style and dark temperament (and it wasn't anywhere near as funny at The League Of Gentlemen was in its first two years), but it was certainly an improvement on that show in other areas. For one thing, it helped to see some characters played by other actors; Dawn French was particularly good as the unbalanced nurse, stretching her Murder Most Horrid muscles and creating a genuinely unsettling but sympathetic character very quickly. Jason Tompkins was also very good as the likeable diminutive actor, besotted with actress Debbie (Daisy Haggard), but finding himself routinely embarrassed once his ignoble pornstar past becomes common knowledge. Of all the storylines in the opening two episodes, his was by far the most human and recognizable.

Another big plus was the format, jumping to different locales to spend some time with each character, with the audience knowing they're all in some way connected. The central mystery should sustain the series very well, immediately improving on tLOG's often fractured structure. The derided third series of that show had a similar ambition to create cohesion between its episodes (with each one climaxing with a different perspective on a car accident), but Psychoville already feels twice as interesting by keeping its cards close to its chest. Who is the mysterious blackmailer? Were these people all participants in one big crime, or do they each have a different skeleton in the closet? It helps that you have faith you'll be rewarded with a decent resolution, too, as Shearsmith and Pemberton are writers with a clear understanding and appreciation of what black comedy is all about.

A few of the characters weren't immediately compelling for various reasons; Mr. Jelly was a fairly obvious "bad clown" caricature (a hybrid of tLOG's Papa Lazarou with Geofff Tibbs' voice, too), but still good fun when he was accidentally spraying kids with WD40 and scaring them with his arm stump. Oscar Lomax also started weakly as the blind hermit being tended to by teenage volunteer carer Michael (Daniel Kaluuya), although my interest in him perked up during episode 2 when his "holiest of holies" was revealed and fed into a fun Ebay skit. I was also a little disappointed by the masked blackmailer, if only because he wasn't anywhere near as threatening as he perhaps should have been, resembling an incompetent Phantom Flan Flinger.

Most engaging was the Shearmith/Pemberton double-act of the Sowerbutts, a couple of family grotesques given some of the episode's most sinister moments; Maureen scratching dead skin off her son's back while quizzing him on Jack The Ripper trivia, before tucking his shirt in and both getting a brief thrill when her hand goes down his trousers. Shudder.

Overall, Psychoville isn't the kind of comedy you laugh heartily at, but I enjoyed squirming and appreciated the care and attention that went into it. The actors were fantastic to apiece, Matt Lipsey's direction was confident and assured, the DoP work by Francis de Groote was excellent (loved those inky-black screenwipes, too), Joby Talbot's music was very atmospheric, and the writing from Shearsmith and Pemberton was as meticulous, witty and disturbing as ever. I feared Psychoville would feel like a half-empty League Of Gentlemen offcut, but it's possibly improved the formula and cast the net even further.


18 June 2009
BBC2, 10pm / BBCi, 10.30pm

written by: Reece Shearsmith & Steve Pemberton directed by: Matt Lipsey starring: Reece Shearsmith (Mr Jelly/Maureen Sowerbutts/Brian), Steve Pemberton (George Aston/Oscar Lomax/David Sowerbutts), Dawn French (Joy Aston), Jason Tompkins (Robert/Blusher), Janet McTeer (Cheryl), Nicholas Le Prevost (Graham), David Bamber (Robin), Daisy Haggard (Debbie), Natalie Cassidy (Lorraine) Adrian Scarborough (Mr. Jolly), Daniel Kaluuya (Michael Fry), Dominic Coleman (Colin), Margaret Cabourn-Smith (Kate), Amanda Abbington (Caroline), Lisa Hammond (Kerry), Big Mick (Grumbly), Maxwell Laird (Snoozy), Sally Sanders (Old Lady), Holly Shearsmith (Lorna) & David Smallbone (Martin)