Year of the Rabbit

Like Marmite, you will either enjoy this or you'll hate it. It's not perfect. I have watched the first three episodes. It works well as a parody of historical crime dramas, it is surreal and has a good sense of camp. The writing has a wonderful turn of phrase. It is definitely not everyone's jar of London fog, but it's worth a look.

Brilliant concept and characters, I cannot get enough of it.

Detective Inspector Eli Rabbit is a policeman in Victorian era London. He's a hard-bitten, tough-as-nails veteran whose seen just about everything. He's given a new partner, a young, inexperienced and naïve Sergeant, Wilbur Strauss. Together they investigate crimes, often in the sleaziest parts of the city.

I watched this because it stars Matt Berry (The IT Crowd, What We Do In The Shadows, Toast of London, amongst others) as Rabbit. He is well cast for the role and puts in a decent performance and the episodes are reasonably funny. The Victorian setting contrasted with some modern vernacular and sensibilities makes for some great gags.

Berry is upstaged, however, by Susan Wokoma as Mabel Wisbech: she has the best lines and delivers them perfectly.

However, while good the show is not brilliant, lacking that special something to make it so.

This was much more entertaining than I thought it would be. Could be a hit.

I'm a huge Matt Berry fan anyway but I loved this show, very funny with great characters and all set up for a second season until channel 4 pulled the plug on it. I think this could be one of those series that people didn't really know existed but wouldn't be disappointed once they stumbled across it.

I laughed so much watching this off beat comedy and what they did with the John Merrick (Elephant Man) character was hilarious.

I'll just have to watch it again.