EMMERDALE
PICK OF THE DAY
AN OLD fashioned studio sitcom, with issues of immigration and prejudice at its heart, this is an odd beast.
Well-loved Vera star Brenda Blethyn plays Kate, the casually bigoted owner of a seaside cafe.
“There are four things in life I hate,” she trills. “Scroungers, foreigners, doctors and posh people.” Cue studio laughter, something that makes this sitcom sound like it’s straight from the 80s.
KATE & KOJI ITV, 8pm
Her cafe is not doing well, on account of the new ‘Frothy Coffee’ cafe that’s just opened nearby.
It probably offers soya milk and kale smoothies, while Kate’s more in the business of fry-ups.
Her only customer is Koji (played by Jimmy Akingbola), an asylum-seeking doctor from
ITV, 7pm
Africa who is not currently permitted to work and nurses one cup of tea all day.
He’s well-dressed, nicely sarcastic and thankfully not troubled by the endless stream of discrimination.
He is all of the four things Kate hates, which sets up the premise as Kate and Koji gradually develop a friendship.
In the meantime, other characters occasionally wander into the cafe in a fashion that you’d almost expect to hear the audience burst into applause in
AFTER being gripped by abdominal pain, Vanessa is now in hospital for treatment. But Tracy is taken aback when Vanessa reveals that she’s prepared a last will and testament. Feeling the pressure, will Tracy reveal Vanessa’s secret?
Meanwhile, Billy wants to know Cain’s plan for taking care of Malone. He wants to make sure Lucas and Dawn are safe. Leyla and Liam’s plans to spend the evening together crumble, and everyone’s worried about Marlon, who is in turmoil.
Mrs Brown’s Boys style.
Inbetweener Blake Harrison plays Kate’s nephew ‘Medium’, while Barbara Flynn plays Councillor Bone, Kate’s lifelong arch enemy.
Kate’s whining harridan persona may grate on some, although she serves as a nice satire of someone who has a lot to learn.
And while everything is one big joke, big issues are tackled over bacon and eggs – although some might find the dated format hard to stomach.