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Dennis Pennis is dead. With his carrot topped cadaver barely finished twitching, has a new creation which is just as obnoxious. '."/.r>r<:s: Mark Robertson
Slay
PAUL KAYE MADE HIS natne as an anarchic loon who would accost the rich and famous with a microphone and a camera and pose impet‘tinent and inappropriate questions. Sttclt was the notoriety ol Kaye’s alter ego Dennis Pennis. that success put him out ol‘ business. ‘By the end of it I was chucking abuse from ISO yards away and would still get arrested on sight in Leicester Square. despite haying all the proper accreditation.‘ declares Kaye. ‘l was persecuted. It was shocking.‘
Kaye has now relocated from the star-studded city streets to the ol’l’ice l‘or l’t'lj/k'r'l War/(12 specifically. that of a successful marketing company. where his latest incarnation resides. The ‘hilariously‘ tnonikered Boh Slay is a marketing man. higot. sleaze merchant. liar and all round nasty piece of work.
This sojourn in sitcom-land is a comfy one for Kaye. "It‘s the closest I‘ll ever get to haying an
Harry Hill
Where Channel 4
When Starts Sun 27 Feb, 8pm
The sketch Bringing surreality into your Sunday, the once magnificent Dr Harry Hall has actually been given a third series in which he aims to come up with more couplings linking
The Le e 0i Gentlelange‘h
Where BBC2 Elizabeth Hurley with Curly When Fri 10pm Wurly and matching The sketch A bizarre Norman St John Stevas to a
assortment of twisted freaks populate the once sleepy village of Royston Vasey with a local shop which is anything but, a jobseekers centre that doubles as a concentration camp and a butcher’s shop hiding some stinky-meat secret.
Laugh ratio At times a bit too dark for its own good
bag of Maltesers.
Laugh ratio At its best when Hill is doing his barmy, athletic stand-up. At its worst with some miserable 'comedy’ sketches about East European clowns, badgers and stairmaster grannies. Still, he seems like a lovely fella.
(exactly what is causing The Grimleys those nosebleeds?) There is Where Scottish undoubtedly a heart and When Sun 10pm
soul to the show, but The sketch Yet another
both are diseased . dysfunctional family; this
beyond time one living in the redemption. . . y' - Midlands of the 705 And all the y‘ g“ ‘ which puts the better for scum near Brum.
it. a Gordon — the only
ide
ollice joh. except. ol' course. there were cameras.‘ states Kaye. 'II was actually nice knowing what people are coming hack at you with: there is a real pleasure in heing scriptedf
llis character Slay is. lrankly. an unpleasant arse. The joke is supposed to he that Slay liyes the most enyicd ol' liliestyles. In an attempt to endear himsell to Us. Slay deliyers asides to the camera that
llc‘l l 01'.
brains of the family -— fancies his teacher while his dad sits on the couch eating crisps and belching all day leaving his mum to seek fulfilment next door. Which is about it, really.
Laugh ratio Had some potential in its first series with Jack Dee and Samantha Janus in the leads. But when you put Nigel Planer's flatulence into the context of Brian Conley's attempts at being a sadistic PE teacher, it falls very flat indeed. Better than The Wi/sons, though.
Trigger Happy TV
Where Channel 4
When Fri 9.30pm
The sketch Dom Joly and Sidekicks stalk the parks, art galleries and kitchen showrooms of London baffling the general public,
teasing pensioners and interviewing celebs in the street before running away. And all to a soundtrack of Joly’s favourite pop tunes. Laugh ratio One episode of Joly's japes is probably
enough. Still, the image of a
life-sized snowman scaring the bejaysus out of small children doesn’t leave the memory too hastily.
The Creatives Where BBCZ
When Wed 9.30pm
The sketch An Edinburgh ad agency is the home to a bunch of non-creative types struggling with their middle youth in a business which frowns on the ageing process.
Laugh ratio Jack Docherty
‘ and Moray
Hunter may have had their best comic days with Absolutely and Mr Don
Hello nasty: Pa ‘ Kaye as Bob Slay (main pic) and Dennis Pennis (below)
, y ‘4.
only" serve to make him ey en less likeahle: it is hard to one a character you l’eel like slapping most ol‘ the time. .\ strong supporting cast. including .\'ina \Vadia ol' (Mm/nus (inn/um .llt' helps. but simply cannot save it. The show centres around the ol‘l‘ice and is more about the comic possibilities ol‘ the workplace and its politics. which is
something Reggie l’errin and countless others hay e prey iously done
We li\'e in itttpatiettt hope liot' (ll/it'll Kaye. the skclclt-rhascd comedy show that he is currently writing l'or ('hannel l~‘our t 'lt's a sort ol‘ 'I'ln' [metre (Htimt/vim'n set in the city ’) to hopelully proye that the spark of genius that was Dennis was no one—hit wonder.
Perfect World starts on BBC2, Fri 25 Feb, 9.30pm.
& Mr George but they still have an infectious chemistry. Probably because they’re mates. And it's better than Jack’s chat show.
The 11 O’Clock how
Where Channel 4
When Tue—Thu 1 1pm
The sketch An alternative news show which attempts to marry Havel Got News For You and everything Chris Morris has ever done. The show has gone through more regular changes at the top than Celtic FC with Fred MacAulay, Brendan Burns, Ali G and Daisy Donovan all having attempted to offset the witticisms of the
somewhat ghoulish-looking Iain Lee. r Laugh ratio Without the r y '
interjections of Ali 6, only a more liberal than usual sprinkling of the I 'f’, 's’ and ’b’ «.- " words will ‘ probably save it. Not as good as Newsnight ‘ Scot/and.