What We Do in the Shadows, BBC Two review - the vampires of Staten Island are back

★★★★ WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, BBC TWO The vampire of Staten Island are back

Undead in the suburbs: Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's inspired creation lives on

The first series of What We Do in the Shadows, Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s mockumentary about vampires in Staten Island (a TV spin-off from their cult New Zealand-located film) was a joy, and although it’s a hard act to follow, it’s delicious to be reacquainted with these timeless Transylvanian transplants and their mission to conquer the Americas. At least, that’s what their master, a crumbling vampire baron, has told them to do.

The King of Staten Island review - Apatow's best work in a decade

★★★★ THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND Apatow's best work in a decade

Judd Apatow and Pete Davidson are a winning combination

The master of crowd-pleasing comedy, Judd Apatow, returns with another on-brand tale of arrested development with The King of Staten Island. While it's near his signature anarchic charm, this comedy-drama shows that even a veteran director/writer/producer like Apatow has room for growth. 

Days of the Bagnold Summer review - wry suburban drama

Simon Bird's feature film debut as director

Simon Bird's feature film debut as a director is a gentle, warm-hearted look at a mother and son's strained relationship as they are forced to spend the summer holidays together when the teenager's dad cruelly cancels a trip to see him and his pregnant, much younger wife in Florida.

Rob and Romesh vs Ballet, Sky 1 review - unlikely lads throw themselves in as bait

★★★★ ROB AND ROMESH VS BALLET, SKY 1 Unlikely lads throw themselves in as bait

The ballet world survives slapstick no-hopers

The odd-couple comedy duo is a time-tested concept, and Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan have discovered a chemistry that works. Rob is the giggling excitable one, while Romesh, aided by a sleepy right eye which conveys a sense of harsh judgmentalism, adds a blast of deadpan scepticism.

Alma's Not Normal, BBC Two review - bare-knuckle comedy pilot hits the spot

Great cast and outsized characters in Sophie Willan's new creation

Creating the opening episode of a new comedy series is like flipping pancakes with one hand while playing the Moonlight Sonata with the other. You have to introduce your characters and invent the world they live in, while squeezing in enough plot to keep the action moving.

One Man, Two Guvnors, National Theatre at Home review – bliss, utter comic bliss

★★★★★  ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS, NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME The NT Live version of this masterpiece of farce is now available for free

NT Live version of this masterpiece of farce is now available for free

Armchair theatre-lovers rejoice. During the lockdown, the National Theatre is streaming a selection of its past hits for free for one week at a time. These shows, originally filmed as part of the flagship’s NT Live project (which broadcast beautifully produced recordings of shows to local cinemas nationwide and abroad), are now available on its YouTube channel.

Comedy Against Living Miserably, Dave review - standups tread the boards for CALM charity

COMEDY AGAINST LIVING MISERABLY, DAVE Standups tread the boards for CALM charity

Comedians become standup therapists to confront mental health issues

This was the third collaboration between Dave and the mental health charity CALM (Comedy Against Living Miserably), hosted at EartH in Dalston by Joel Dommett. Its non-standard format comprised chunks of performances by the featured standup comics, intercut with the performers discussing what their material says about mental health.

Feel Good, Channel 4 and Netflix review - a fresh, bingeable comedy that digs deep but feels mild

★★★ FEEL GOOD A fresh, bingeable comedy that digs deep but feels mild

Mae Martin’s dramedy about addiction is honest and enjoyable — but is it that funny?

“I am not intense.” That declaration arrives early in Feel Good, the new Channel 4 and Netflix romantic comedy fronted by comedian Mae Martin, who plays a fictionalised version of herself. Over Mae’s shoulder, we see a literal trash fire. She’s lit up the evidence of a past drug addiction. It smoulders in the background while she smoulders in the front.