Comedy Specials
The Other One BBC2, Wednesday 13 September, 10pm
This comedy pilot from writer Holly Walsh is about two sisters, both called Catherine Walcott, who each had no idea the other existed until their father suddenly dies. It turns out daddy Walcott was a bigamist who maintained two families for years. There’s his daughter Cathy (Ellie White), who has a doof of a fiancé (Amit Shah) and is very middle class, along with her distraught mother (Rebecca Front). In contrast the other daughter, Cat (Lauren Socha), has seemingly slept with every man on Tinder and lives with her hilarious mum (Siobhan Finneran). It’s deliciously funny, yet also surprisingly moving. ★★★★ Boyd Hilton
comedy Playhouse: Static BBC1, Friday 15 September, 10.35pm
This latest in the run of new one-off comedies in this slot is a sitcom vehicle for deeply likeable funnyman Rob Beckett. Here he plays a twentysomething dude called Rob who leaves his job in London to move back in with his parents, only to discover they’ve just sold their house and have moved to a static caravan park in Margate. So, now poor Rob is jobless and living on a sofa bed in his parents’ trailer. At least his mum (Alison Steadman) is delighted to have someone to cook for, while his dad (Phil Davis) is just happy he can get thousands of football channels on TV. It’s an unashamedly warm, old-fashioned family sitcom. In a good way. ★★★★ Boyd Hilton