Little Miss Jocelyn

When I watched the show for the first time I thought 'oh another Little Britain clone' but I was pleasantly surprised by the following episodes. As with all new programme's i was too quick to judge and have found myself looking forward to future episodes. However there are some sketches and characters I still don't laugh at. The bus driving character Sheson is too similar to the traffic warden character of Jiffy to me to be considered an individually comical character. Despite this I still enjoy watching the show but as a 3 non blonds fan I'm bound to be a little biased. My favourite characters in Little Miss Jocelyn are Mrs Omwukuopopo (Nigerian Polygamist), Jiffy (Parking Attendant) and Fiona (A woman who doesn't want her colleagues to learn she's black) and these characters in my opinion really make the show. A criticism i must make though is that it seems like a female version of Little Britain and The Fast Show but I don't think it was intentional on Jocelyn's behalf.

I really don't understand why so many people dislike this show. It certainly holds its own against all the other character based sketch shows that have appeared over the last few years.

I didn't like her previous show 3 Non Blondes & had low expectations. Admittedly, there are a few sketches that fail to hit the mark (especially in the first series), but the majority make me laugh out loud. With such a large variety of characters & ideas there will always be some that you won't like. However, the richness of 'Little Miss Jocelyn' stems from this variety. Characters such as the Nigerian Driving Instructor, the Toilet Attendant, the Disgusting Shop worker, Gladys Kingston the foul mouthed man hater, the Dietician / Witchdoctor, Tantrum Woman and the Traffic Warden are used in the context of sketches but also in the real world in a hidden camera show style. This works beautifully & shows just how versatile & inventive Jocelyn Jee Esien is. Her skill at portraying so many very different comic characters (Old women, teenagers, men etc) in a convincing manner is impressive & so is the attention to detail. The Bus Driver & Traffic Attendant are absolutely spot on in the way they behave & speak and they're worryingly close to the real people who do those jobs.

I love Gladys Kingston, the funeral chasing old ladies, the Umwopwopwopwops and the Toilet Attendant. Just give this show a chance. Don't avoid it just because a few people here hate it.

This show made me laugh at points but a lot of it just felt forced and contrived. One of the great things about Little Britain - another sketch show - is that it feels natural and the characters are so believable. Each character on this show feels so forced and overdone and you want to laugh because Jocelyn tries so hard, but you just can't laugh.

The Voodoo diet planner was somewhat funny the first time, but after that it's just repetitive.

The car-parking attendant is an example of one who tries so hard to pull laughs. She jumps out of glove compartments. She wears crayola makeup. Her uniform is obviously a handmade costume from the producers. She just appears as a cartoon! Others are too long, too contrived or just plain unfunny. What this show lacks is subtlety.

Another thing that annoys me is how Jocelyn is churning out the catchprases! She really wants t-shirts, coffee cups, mimics, songs and everything to come from this show and it's catchprases. "This is going to take a long time." "I'm calling mum, that ain't right."

I give it 5 because it's still pretty OK and there are funny bits but a lot of it isn't that great. I only watched the first episode and will give it another go tonight.

I'm disappointed thought because I was such a huge fan of 3 Non Blondes.

Everyone hating it and giving it one star just don't understand the subtly of the humour. There are many cultural references here to Essien's African background which is cathartic to me and other black people. I loved this show growing up because she was the only black comedian at the time; a black woman at that. She brought to light things black people understood: having to act white at work through Fiona, the stereotype of ignorant black teens shown in a comedic way, the hair dressers and the Nigerian taxi driver. When you grow up in our background, the jokes hit home and as tough as growing black in the UK has been, you're able to finally laugh at your experience. It's a light hearted way for us to finally see ourselves represented on TV. Jocelyn Essien did amazing job. I always come back to watch this show because it brings back good memories but mostly how hilarious it is. All the reviews saying it's unfunny just don't understand it is because Essien crafted a show that finally centred the black experience and was unapologetic for it. And for that, she's my idol and one day, I hope to work with her and tell her how important this show has been for inspiring my own route into writing for comedy. Love you so much Jocelyn!

OK, I simply adore this new comedy sketch show by 3 Non Blondes star, Jocelyn Jee Esien. But first of all, I must admit that this show is an acquired taste. The less positive comments about it are understandable, considering the sketch material.

But for me, it is Esien's sheer versatility and wide-range of characters, that make this a winning formula. She becomes that character and adopts a whole new persona, in each sketch! My favourites include acid-tongued, man hating Gladys Kingston, Fiona the office employee who believes that no-one knows that she is black, Jiffy the busy-body traffic warden with her love for stopping ordinary people and lecturing them on various topics, and so on. Her facial expressions are just priceless, too.

You either love or hate it. I personally can't get enough of it.