Psychoville

Psychoville is the brainchild of two League of Gentlemen members, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. If you like this sort of thing...comedy that plays off the grotesque and horrific...don't bother reading any reviews, just get your hands on this series and watch!

Season One has many memorable moments, but perhaps none more than the episode that pays homage to Hitchcock's movie Rope, being filmed in one long, continuous take without edits. It's brilliant stagecraft, and includes a guest appearance by fellow Leaguer Mark Gatiss.

The Halloween Special follows, a one-off that can be watched independently, but also links the two full seasons. It's an homage to those cheesy horror anthology movies of the 1970s, with horrific vignettes featuring the Psychoville characters. Brilliantly done.

And Season Two is even better, with a corker of a plot that steadily builds to a stunning climax. Imelda Staunton joins the cast and creates an indelible impression as the high-tech villain. She's got to be one of the greatest actresses in the English-speaking world.

Alas, the latest word has it that there will be no Season Three, and Psychoville has come to an end. But what a wild ride it was!

Brings me back to the days of Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected. No other shows have that effect, that underlying menace, the unknowing, the uncertainty of where you're being dragged. Love it. Same with Inside No 9.

I know that is a harsh title for my comment, but I felt hugely let down by The League of Gentlemen. After a hilarious, and frankly genius first series, the show went quickly downhill with a messy second series that was neither comedy nor horror, and a third that relied on a format change as a rescue attempt. As for the movie - don't get me started.

If you felt like me, then even the title of 'Psychoville' may have conjured up the idea of a desperate attempt to be funny and scary at the same time.

Thankfully, 'Psychoville' IS funny. The weirdness is there, and it still makes you feel uncomfortable, but it is always played for laughs, and after 30 minutes you feel like you actually watched a comedy show. Yes I DO understand the concept of black comedy - but the balance has to be right, and so far (2 episodes in) this show is getting it right. Where 'League' struggled to decide what kind of show it was going to be, it's successor looks set to be the kind of show the writers always wanted.

Maybe it's not as funny as The League, but it's brilliant! If you really are a fan of dark comedy, then nothing can please you more than Psychoville. It's the darkest and weirdest comedy I have ever seen! It never gets boring, since it's full of surprises. You never know what is going to happen next. So, apart from being funny, it's suspenseful as well. Amazing how many ideas two comedians can have. Rece's and Steve's abilities to play different characters are astonishing. I bet most actors can't change that much.

Production values are very high, it's movie quality. Pity it lasted only two seasons.

I fell in love with Shearsmith, Gatiss & Pemberton with the deliciously twisted "League of Gentlemen" earlier. This wonderfully black series does NOT disappoint with such stalwart guests as Dawn French, Daniel Kaluuya & the incomparable Eileen Atkins!!!! Eeeeeeeexcellent!