Grandma's House, BBC2

"You're Like a Real Life Paula Abdul": The Return of Grandma's House

Its fair to say that I gave up early on the first series of Grandma’s House which aired back in 2010. I understood it was a semi autobiographical comedy from Simon Amstell but for some reason the opening episode of Series one left me uninterested and slightly bemused. The reviews for series one were harsh with most agreeing Simon Amstell’s acting was a bit ropey.  I liked the idea but not the execution. However, what I always admire about the BBC is the fact that they will always give series they believe in a second shot and two years on from the first series Grandma’s House is back. It would appear that in the two years since the first series went out that a lot of work has gone into the series and the resulting second series is really quite brilliant! 

I previewed the first episode with an open mind and willing to give the series another chance. I can’t tell you how pleased I am I did.  The series has a simple premise: Simon Amstell plays a version of himself and much like The Royle Family before it, all the comedy centeres in his Grandma’s House with the main characters being Simon’s mum (played absolutely brilliantly by Rebecca Front), his Grandmother and his Aunt and her son. The comedy is subtle and the characters are identifiable and real  which serves as a refreshing change after the surprise success of slapstick series like  Mrs. Brown’s Boys. The script is sharp and laugh out loud in places. Amstell’s acting (which was unfairly berated during the first series) seems to have improved and he appears more comfortable playing an awkward version of himself. Most of the comedy comes from Simon’s awkwardness around his family and the embarrassing situations he finds himself in but he is in no way the star of the show. The cast around Amstell steal each scene.

What I found so endearing about Grandma’s House (and maybe if I’d stuck with Series one I would have discovered this sooner) is that was so warm, real and actually quite sweet in a strange way. Its believable and that’s a rare trait in comedy of late. I've always been a huge fan of genuine observational comedy. There are some lines here that I could've sworn I'd heard my mum or Aunt say themselves and I enjoyed the real life aspect to it. Its a series that doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is. Amstell is more than happy to   mock his public image and Grandma's House never feels pretentious or silly. 

If like me you were initially put off by the first series I highly recommend that you give this second series a go. I was so pleasantly surprised by this and it made me genuinely laugh out loud and smile and that's really all I ever want from a good comedy.

Series 2 airs Thursdays at 10.00pm on BBC2.

Buy Series 1 on DVD

The TVWEEK: Saturday 21st - Friday 27th April 2012

Saturday
8.30pm Britain's Got Talent ITV - The reality moves to a later time to avoid clash with The Voice.
9.00pm The Bridge BBC4 - Double bill of new danish Crime drama.
10.00pm Smash! Sky Atlantic - New US musical drama starring Angelica Huston and Coupling's  Jack Davenport.
Sunday
7.30pm The Voice BBC1 - Second episode of the weekend as it heads into "battle" rounds.
8.00pm Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve BBC2 - Six-part series where Simon Reeve travels around the edge of the Indian Ocean in an exotic journey that takes him from the paradise islands of the Maldives to the front line of the war against piracy and terror on the streets of Mogadishu. This first leg takes him from the rugged coast of South Africa, where he joins the fight against wildlife poachers, through Mozambique, and on to the tropical island of Zanzibar. On the way, he swims with sharks, meets the refugees who have found shelter in a luxury beachfront hotel, and travels on a huge container ship fortified against the constant threat of pirates.
8.00pm Vera ITV - Series 2 of the detective drama based on characters created by crime writer Ann Cleeves. Vera's reunion with her first-ever sergeant, Stuart Macken, occurs under tragic circumstances when his house is petrol-bombed. Stuart is badly burned by the attack and his 18-year-old daughter Stella is left fighting for her life in intensive care.

9.00pm Ewan McGregor: Cold Chain Mission BBC2 - Two-part documentary where Ewan McGregor is on a mission to the ends of the earth to immunise some of the hardest-to-reach children in the world. Against the odds, health workers deliver vaccines to the world's most remote children. But their fragile nature means the vaccines must be kept constantly cold as they are passed along the supply chain, from freezer to freezer.  

Monday

9.00pm Steps: On the Road Again SkyLiving - Series following the group  Steps from dance classes to vocal sessions as they embark on their first UK tour in more than 10 years.

Tuesday

9.00pm Britain Unzipped BBC3 - Greg James and Russell Kane, along with a special guest, take a look at British behaviour and reveal what really goes on behind closed doors and inside our heads. 

9.00pm Hidden Talent Channel 4 - How far can natural talent really go and what if it could change your life? Hidden Talent is a new six-part series which discovers people with extraordinary hidden talents they never dreamed they had. Hundreds of randomly selected people are put through a series of tests to identify those with hidden abilities and nine participants discover if they can go from being a total novice to a top-class performer in record time. Presenter Richard Bacon follows their progress, uncovering the amazing science that enables these individuals to achieve what others can only dream of. The first episode focuses on rock climbing and lie detection. After experts test members of the general public in both physical and mental capacities, they narrow their search down to find the individuals that they believe have the greatest potential to excel in each field.

Wednesday

9.00pm Queen Victoria's Last Love Channel 4 - In 1897, Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee - the first British monarch to do so. But beyond the grand celebrations on London's streets a war was raging between Victoria and her court over her relationship with her Indian servant, Abdul Karim. Victoria's friendship with her Scottish servant John Brown is a familiar story. Her relationship with Karim is less well known and yet produced even greater shockwaves in the Palace. Originally one of two Indians selected to join the Queen's household, Karim rose from being a humble waiter to become Victoria's most intimate confidant. He introduced her to the delights of Indian cuisine, fed her romantic visions of India, and became her 'Munshi' or teacher, giving Victoria daily lessons in Hindustani. 

10.00pm Turtle Boy: A Bodyshock Special Channel 4 - Documentary about six-year-old Columbian boy who suffers from: a rare condition called a Congenital Melanocytic Nevus: a giant mole that grew so much that it covered 40% of his body. It resembled a shell, and Didier was nicknamed Turtle Boy. 

11.05pm 2 Broke Girls Channel 4 - New US sitcom where Experienced waitress Max Black meets a new colleague, former rich girl Caroline Channing, while working in a Brooklyn restaurant. Despite her initial reservations about Caroline, Max eventually softens and the two women strike up an unlikely friendship. Although they can barely afford their rent, they soon begin to plan an exciting business venture together. All they need to do to open their successful cupcake company is find $250,000 in start-up expenses. 

Friday

9.00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Channel 4 - Host Jimmy Carr and team captains Sean Lock and Jon Richardson return for a brand new series of 8 Out of 10 Cats. With nine brand new episodes and two special 'best of' shows.

9.30pm Very Important People Channel 4 - Very Important People is the brand new celebrity impression show that mocks our beloved stars and satirises a culture bamboozled by trivia, gossip and regurgitated ideas. Starring Morgana Robinson and Terry Mynott, as well as a cherry-picked ensemble cast, Very Important People is about to reinvigorate the world of impressions. Keeping things ultra-fresh each show also features a topical sketch recorded in the week of transmission. In the first episode Bear Grylls tackles the perils of suburbia, David Attenborough examines the fascinating behaviour of Frankie Boyle in Stand Up Planet, while Danny Dyer deals with one of the toughest things on earth - the commute to work in Britain's Hardest Commute. Jonathan Ross, Russell Brand and David Walliams join forces as superheroes in a comic book fantasy, and the show features anti-bullying Gordon Ramsay while discovering how Adele struggles to make herself understood. 

10.00pm Alan Carr: Chatty Man Channel 4 - Alan is joined by X Factor judge Tulisa.

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The Voice: Still going Strong

Week after the week the BBC reality show has proved too strong for the ITV talent show to compete with but what is it that has made The Voice such a success with viewers?

On the face of it The Voice is just another singing competition. Another reality sereis where singers compet to win a record contract. Sounds worryingly familiar doesn't it? The UK was one of the first to use formats with series like Popstars, Pop Idol and Fame Academy all starting way before other countries jumped on the bandwagon with their own versions. The singing competition was becoming cliché and predictable.  Credit where credit’s due The X Factor has tried to reinvent itself to keep the format feeling fresh but reviews were mixed during last year's series and it appeared that viewers were finally tiring of the singing competition.

Flash forward four months and BBC launches The Voice and whilst its not a BBC idea its an idea that has proved successful all over the world. The BBC has had less success over the years with series like this. Simon Cowell and ITV have always proved more popular and some would say it was a huge risk for BBC1 Controller Danny Cohen to take on this format and compete with ITV's big guns.  It was highly possible that viewers would read about yet another singing based reality series and decide they’d seen it all before and not give the show a chance. Luckily for Cohen and the BBC viewers tuned in their droves and even more impressive, they've stayed with it. But what is the secret? What is it about The Voice that we’re all loving so much?  

When my family and I sat down to watch a recent edition I realised a few things. Firstly we were all grinning like drunken Cheshire Cats. The positivity of the auditions mixed with the banter of the coaches never fails to make you feel smiley. The second thing I noticed was that everyone in our living room was   genuinely impressed with the talent of the hopefuls and the fact that they normally sing current songs. Though we’re no stranger to the importance of “song choice” on these series with The Voice the songs always appear to hit the mark.  Once we get over the talent of each contestant there’s more fun to be had as the overwhelmed singer now has to choose who they want to work with for duration of the competition. The coaches are great to watch too. How could you dislike WILL I AM with his positive yet humble attitude? Jessie J knows what she’s talking about and with each audition you see how passionate she is about music.  Tom Jones is fantastic and Danny O'Donoghue is playful and interesting. 

In my opinion the success of the series is its emphasis on talent and positivity. There are no talentless wannabes here and whilst we may get the occasional sob story the format feels fresh and new. Now that the blind auditions have finished the next stage is the “Battle round” and those who tuned in purely for the swivel chair might be a little less interested by this but as long as the coaches are there and the genuine talent of each singer shines through I’m sure the series will continue to reign supreme for the BBC. Well done Mr. Cohen, Well Done!

Podcast: Debate on The Voice vs Britain's Got Talent

Original review of The Voice

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