A few years ago, Radio 4 phone-in show Down The Line caused no end of controversy as the complaints flooded in, from listeners who hadn’t quite cottoned on to the fact that it was a spoof. It’s taken its time getting there but the character-based comedy show has finally arrived on TV, as Bellamy’s People, in which the radio host Gary Bellamy (Rhys Thomas) tracks down some of his more eccentric listeners.
But the most notable thing about the show is the men behind it – Bellamy’s People marks the first TV collaboration in ten years of The Fast Show creators Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson. This time around we’re promised a slightly quieter, more reflective show, and one more concerned with gentle social satire. But with a cast that also includes the likes of Simon Day and Amelia Bulmore, there should hopefully be some laughs in there as well. Let’s just hope, given the combination of Paul Whitehouse and comedy characters, that the prosthetic makeup isn’t as TERRIFYING as in the Aviva ad where it looks like his face is melting.
- Bellamy’s People, 10pm BBC Two
