The reunion of The Royle Family stars Craig Cash and Sue Johnston is welcome – but this new sitcom is pleasurable rather than honkingly funnyA dog piddling on the corner flag of a windswept football pitch heralds the arrival of new sitcom Rovers (Sky1). Craig Cash and Sue Johnston lead a capable cast of familiar comedy faces in this affectionate rendering of a fictional non-league football team and its rag-tag supporters’ club. A brass band plays You Are My Sunshine as Cash’s character,Pete Mott, is booted off a local radio phone-in for using abusive language (again), or such is his fanaticism for Redbridge Rovers FC.
Inside the clubhouse,Doreen (Johnston) is instructing new girl Sam (Lolly Adefope) in the ways of phonetic cheese toastie order-taking. “Mike Nolan’s wife had a black baby,” gossips Doreen as she pours Pete his pre-match pint. They all discuss that for a while and she enjoys the repeated use of the phrase “sloshing it approximately a bit” to mean that the captain’s wife has been playing absent. Props here for not going for the obvious sporting joke. Related: Detectorists box set review: this gentle tale of treasure-hunting folk struck TV gold Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com