Crims

This is not well promoted and does what you expect. Wrong place, wrong time gets 2 unlikely lads banged up for a crime he did not commit. Whilst trying to survive inside, we get to see in each episode more zany ways to ease the boredom. Easy to watch, laughable moments and doesn't take itself too seriously. Good set ups and the usual high jinx that goes on in a prison comedy. Ellis is good as the fall guy and his companion always seems to get him trouble without realising. The prison guard is strange guy, ready to snap at any moment.

Fun and underated and worth a watch for a giggle. Only 6 episodes though.

Crims is quite good, not on a perfect comedy by no means but it does hold it's own more than most new BBC comedies. It's definitely worth a watch.

I'd never heard of this series until I recently found it on a streaming service. Based on the cast list, I'd expected to be in for somewhat of a treat.

How wrong I was,

It's supposedly set in a young offenders institute, but all of the prisoners are easily in their 30s. All of the characters seem very underdeveloped, almost 2 dimensional. Whilst I appreciate that comedy doesn't require a set up and a punchline, I didn't find any reason to feel even slightly amused, let alone feel the need to laugh.

Clearly this show was commissioned based on the success of the series "Plebs", it definitely shares some of the same DNA, yet Crims manages to not have any of the charm or humour.

I'm a connoisseur of British Comedy and whilst 'Crims' isn't a big- league puncher it's fresh, snappy writing and high gag-count keep it rolling on and enjoyable. Kadiff (as Jason) gets all the gags and is the nice-but-dim foil to Elis' 'wrong place wrong time' bemused Luke and the support cast is solid. The show creates it's own comedy language - frequently self-referential - to good effect (in trying not to reveal a planned escape route, Luke corrects himself from 'garden' to 'farden' - thinking this is an actual word, as a snappy riposte, Jason later uses the phrase 'I beg your farden?'). This is very much 'you had to be there comedy but I think that's the best kind. The show relies un-self- consciously on standard tropes but makes the intelligent but subtle nuances count. In other ways, blunt word play makes for simple but effective laughs (In his benign ignorance, Jason proclaims 'I'm not an igno-rapist!').

Definite potential to improve but enjoyable as it is.

• review by Danny E Mills