Size Isn't Everything...

As 'thetvreviewguy' has written in posts passim, Ricky Gervais has become a hugely divisive figure. While some are more than happy to worship at the Gervais altar and believe he can do no wrong, others see a money-grabbing, one-trick pony enjoying his 15 minutes of fame for far too long. Gervais's conceit of comedy as self-awareness and smart-alecry can work extremely well (see most of 'The Office') or not (trying to 'reclaim' the word 'mong', for instance), yet he is a phenomenon (or, related to that, a muppet, in the eyes of many). 'Life's too Short' (BBC2) follows the travails of down on his luck dwarf actor Warwick Davis as he looks to make a buck in a cruel showbiz world ('LTS' has been described by Gervais himself as part -Office, part-Extras). In fairness, it's not a bad comedy at all. Gervais and Stephen Merchant avoid a lot of obvious height gags (but do have a lot thrown in as well) and have written a character-driven vehicle that allows Davis to show off his comedy bones. Merchant and Gervais appear in the background from time-to-time and there's already been a scene-stealing performance from Johnny Depp (yes, Gervais has a contact book and new friends list that 'thetvreviewguy' frankly doesn't). While Warwick Davis is the undoubted star, this has bloody Gervais written all over, the ubiquitous, annoying, comedy polymath that he is. You know what to expect from the writers and while this doesn't re-invent the wheel by any means, it is a funny show.

Faith in the City

When you have a soggy-liberal, agnostic, Church of England Vicar (the excellent Tom Hollander), in an inner-city London parish who's named after the first man, Adam, and shares many of his faults, a supportive and normal-ish wife (Olivia Colman), a waspish Arch-Deacon (Simon McBurney) and a sometimes profound, always intoxicated wino (hilariously played by Steve Evets), you come up with 'Rev' (BBC2), a comic gem shining out among the comedy trash. The humour of the show lies in never being cruel but always being sharp; it's like an eagerly anticipated favourite meal. Hollander never fails to give a brilliant 'pained' look on cue. The other recurring cast members, Miles Jupp as Adam's somewhat superior right-hand man Nigel and Adoha Anyeka as Ellen Thomas, Adam's overly familiar parishioner, perfectly compliment the tight ensemble.  'Rev' is a delight...charming, witty, and perfect fodder for any Guardian-reading, Radio 4-listening types out there.  The comedy touches on issues of faith, addiction, power politics and feminism in a seemingly very light-hearted way but it displays a keen intelligence more perceptive than most 'serious' views of such subjects; it preaches lightly but thoughtfully. While the 'comedy vicar' has been a figure of fun for centuries, 'Rev' has a nice contemporary feel to this most common of tropes. British comedy writing at its best and if you tune in, you, like 'thetvreviewguy', won't be agnostic about 'Rev'.

Who Do You Think You Are?

There's something very basic about impersonating someone; we grow up imitating others as we develop our own personalities, be it behaviour, opinions and beliefs. We  think we have at least one good impersonation in us. Bad impersonators are doubly unfunny - their impersonation sucks and the jokes aren't funny. Good mimicry, is like an elephant, something you know when you see but hard to describe. Both John Culshaw and Debra Stephenson are excellent mimics and 'The Impressions Show with Culshaw & Stephenson' (BBC1) hits the target more times than not. Stephenson is a fine comedienne and, 'thetvreviewguy' particularly enjoyed her take on Jennifer Anniston; Stephenson, like Ronnie D'Ancona, is a good looking woman who can assume most appearances really well. Her Katie Price, aka Jordan, was spot-on; preening, pneumatic and self-obsessed. John Culshaw has been doing impressions for years ('Dead Ringers' was a noteworthy calling card of his in the early Noughties) and he sparks off Stephenson extremely well. His Gordon Brown does, however, sound like his Tom Baker. He does an excellent Boris Johnson (Culshaw as Boris as Travis Bickle) and Ian Hislop (Hislop's fogey-dom perfectly captured). Watching the show, 'thetvreviewguy' noted how most of those impersonated were British celebrities; while this was a funny show, light and witty, it won't do any business for the BBC accross the Pond. An enjoyable half hour, worth it for the Robert Peston and Davina McCall impressions alone.

Welcome to the Jungle - 'Alone in the Wild'

'Alone in the Wild' (Discovery UK) is, in the humble opinion of 'thetvreviewguy', the best piece of 'reality tv' in the last year. Send a celeb or semi-celeb into the wild; in this case, soi-disant alpha-males undercover reporter Donal McIntyre and former SAS soldier Chris Ryan go into the jungle in Guyana and it just pisses rain for most of the week that they're there. They have to hunt or find their own food, forget 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here', this is the real deal. Being dumped in a rainforest in Guyana, the guys endure snakes, midges, hunger, thirst and, for a few days, solitude. Now, 'thetvreviewguy' will not be impressed if it turns out that McIntyre and Ryan had access to a local Hilton but Ryan seems a hardy sort who, as he noted, has never spent this long in the jungle before unarmed. Highly effective yet simple TV, this is quality stuff; the jungle is brought into the living room...Ryan, as is to be expected, has very little problem managing his stay but McIntyre finds it a little more difficult, admitting to camera that he hasn't spent much of his life alone and will find it an interesting psychological experiment. They both, unsurprisingly, survive and find it to be a worthwhile experience. Do all your extreme camping with your feet up by watching 'Alone in the Wild'... makes you feel alive again before switching on to news about the Euro crisis and impending end of the world economy as we know it.

Reading From The Book Of Guys

James May is, thankfully, not Jeremy Clarkson. If Clarkson is a one of the last people you'd like to meet for a drink, May, if not the first, would be high enough on 'thetvreviewguy's list. May's 'Man Lab' (BBC2) looks at stuff that us men have forgotten how to do and experience; plugs, shelves...being grown ups, the usual. Yet, there's an essential decency at the heart of May in contrast to Clarkson. May's 'bloke-ish' approach may not be to everyone's taste, but in taking us through the common trials in the everyday life of a man, we appreciate his amiable demeanour and self-deprecating humour. While 'Man Lab' is destined to be repeated on 'Dave' till eternity, it shouldn't be discounted on this basis (some of 'thetvreviewguy's favourite shows are on 'Dave'). May's always had a genuine interest in science and engineering and, unlike Clarkson, doesn't seem to get a puerile kick out of offending and annoying. 'Man Lab' may not be the most cutting-edge TV but it is watchable and, who knows, may help the modern, middle-aged male (an age which 'thetvreviewguy' is welcoming as much as the Captain of the Titanic welcomed the iceberg in his path). The item with May and producer in a 'haunted' house measuring responses to fear was one of the highlights so far; the presenter was spooked in the extreme. Men, do yourself a favour and 'man up' by tuning into 'Man Lab' - you never know when you might actually need to use all the blades on your Swiss Army knife...

Murder In A Middle Class Manner

'Midsomer Murders' (ITV) has been running for donkeys years; it's corn beyond belief. The plot, such as it is, is sub-Agatha Christie with extra-camp thrown in. There's a large amount of Home Counties smugness and a resultant nice warm glow of the English middle classes killing each other in the countryside. It must surely be a test of approaching middle age (knocking on thetvreviewguy's door like Beethoven's Fifth in a busy mood) as to whether one likes 'Midsomer' and why. Sure, the scenery is long and lovely and lush - always good for repeats and new episodes when the weather starts getting shitty in the Autumn. It could be the titillation of illicit affairs in the woods - last night's episode featured a nuns' cloisters (phew!) and some fruity goings on of the bourgeoisie (phwoar!) - that brings in the viewers by their millions. Would we all either consciously or subconsciously like to live in Midsomer? Would living somewhere with a higher murder rate than Compton, L.A., not be somewhat disconcerting? Is there anything to actually do, apart from kill or be killed? There's always been a hankering for the good life since, well, 'The Good Life' and when there's some extra-marital hanky panky thrown in, you'll always draw in the gawker, sorry, viewer. 'Midsomer' is like a nice, warm bottle of red plonk - offering nothing but a  guilty, fleeting, ephemeral experience with no zero hangover potential. Already amply parodied in 'Hot Fuzz', the programme doesn't take itself at all seriously and rarely transgresses onto 'Morse' or 'Taggart' 'proper' murder stuff (although the plot last night, quite unusually, did touch on some interesting political issues). 'Midsomer Murders' isn't quite worth dying for but...admit your age, give in to the dark side and watch.

Coming To An Airport Near You

Imagine actually looking forward to going to the airport, checking in, eating airline food and then the eager anticipation of six hours of Trans-Atlantic travel itself. For a brief period from the late 50s to the 1970s (when hijacking ended the fun), that was very much the case. Zoom forward to 2011 and this seems a quaint and ridiculous notion; passengers are treated as bombing suspects, frequently delayed, and having to endure the petty humiliations of the low cost airline and the 'pleasures' of airport shopping. Yes, it's much cheaper to fly now thank 50 years ago but it's still, by and large, an unwelcome experience. Which brings us to 'Pan Am' (RTE 2), set in a time when airports and flying were undeniably glamorous. It had 'thetvreviewguy' slightly underwhelmed but wanting more. Christina Ricci is great, the 'look and feel' of the time is almost spot-on, while the backstory is passable, if a little light. The air hostesses and pilots are reasonably skectched characters but we'd like to know more about what makes them tick. This could be down to the nature of a 'Pilot' (yes, the first episode of 'Pan Am' is called the 'Pilot') programme itself; try and cram as much establishing information as possible into your first view of a series. The spying angle didn't really work; 'thetvreviewguy' likes his espionage dark and murky.There'll be plenty of 'Mad Men' comparisons and there is something about that era that is compelling; it was a time of Post WWII swagger and optimism, pre-Vietnam and, for most viewers, a Camelot-type time that now seems a very long time ago, possibly before they were born. 'Pan Am' is a pleasant flight that will have the viewer looking forward to their next Martini at 30,000 feet.