Deep Heat

The premise looked a good one for a sitcom - I really liked the retro show Glow on Netflix about female wrestling and was hoping for a comedic British spin on that - but it wasn't to be.

Setup was clunky and it was poorly directed but main problems were with the the script - a predictable dull storyline with hardly any laughs. Cast performances were pretty mixed with no stand-outs, too many characters really and the wrestling was unimpressive.

Surprised it went straight to a series as it obviously hasn't found its legs yet and not sure if it ever will. Disappointing.

I'm going to review this as 'Season one' even though I think that a second season is unlikely, given the lack of buzz that circulated around the show. It piqued my interest though, because I am a fan of pro-Wrestling and, whilst I'd prefer to see something a bit more like "Heelz" representing a more realistic look at the UK independent scene, there's enough recognisable elements that kept me watching.

Holly (Jahannah James) is the daughter of Pam (Pippa Haywood) a former wrestler turned promotor for BOSS pro Wrestling. Though her brother, Nick (Richard Fleeshman) is the champion star performer, Holly isn't allowed to participate despite her natural aptitude. When Pam is incapacitated, Nick steals the talent and starts his own company, so Holly vows to keep BOSS operating on their road to the big end of tour show.

I can't lie, "Deep Heat" isn't great. As a sitcom I can best describe it as sporadically amusing, rather than actively funny. The characters are very broad, but generally likable enough. Writers Ivan Gonzalez and Max Olesker appear and Olesker shows enough skill in the ring to convince as a performer. There are a couple of reliable old hands, in Pippa Haywood and Alistair Petrie. As well as occasional guest stars like John Thomson and Matt Lucas, the cast is populated by some recognisable faces from the UK indie circuit, with Mariah May and "Drilla " Dan Moloney there to populate some of the wrestling scenes with some real action.

I don't think I can, in all honesty, recommend the series to anyone who doesn't at least have a passing interest in Wrestling, it's just not funny enough to stand as a sitcom on its own merit. I didn't hate every minute of it, but I doubt I'll remember the show at all in six months.

This show does, what it does, very well. It's not a big budget, big story dram-com, but then it doesn't pretend to be.

It's fun, and, although I seldom laugh out loud at TV, I did, several times, here.

As a bonus, it does, also, have the attractive Miss James, as the lead.

Would recommend this show to anyone who is a fan of wrestling or British humor. Good wrestling scenes as well as characters that you care about. By the second episode it really takes off in stride.

Credit to all the cast members & writer's you have all done yourself proud, great showing of both a funny side & serious side to the story, Excellent watch from start to finish highly recommend a watch you won't be disappointed.