The Times

Knowing my taste in comedy, The Mighty Boosh (BBC3) will probably be the nation's favourite within six months, quoted in playground and parliament alike. I remained stonily unamused. Criticising a new comedy show is about as sporting as shooting fish in a barrel, but in this case the fish had it coming. The Mighty Boosh tried to be surreal and weird, but kept tripping over its awkward writing style ("You're about as edgy as a satsuma") and its self-congratulatory performance tone. There was a promising pastiche of The Island of Lost Souls in the second of the two introductory episodes, but it quickly degenerated into a lame musical number with breakdancing mutants, which looks funnier on paper than it really was.

There was one good visual joke about a moving shrub, but one laugh in an hour doesn't do it for me. But what do I know about comedy? I can't stand Only Fools and Horses either.

Rupert Smith