Swede Caroline review – marrow mockumentary is gourd for a laugh
Zany caper follows Jo Hartley as a big-veg enthusiast defending her patch from elaborate ill-doings
February 2024
Observer New Review Q&A
Aisling Bea: ‘Bury me in a coffin made out of potato waffles’
The actor and screenwriter on bouncing off Domhnall Gleeson in Alice & Jack, why Irish stars are having a moment, and the legacy of Sinéad O’Connor
TV tonight
TV tonight: shock call pitches happy pair into a tangled romantic drama
Mad Men writer Victor Levin brings love triangle Alice & Jack to Channel 4. Plus: After the Flood’s suspect is on the loose with a gun. Here’s what to watch this evening
Andrew Scott: sex scenes less ‘embarrassing’ for audience if one actor plays both characters
The Fleabag star, who took all eight roles in the solo show Vanya, says intimate scenes on stage can be discomfiting for viewers
December 2023
TV review
Smothered review – this fresh twist on a romcom is utterly lovely
‘We didn’t want it to be like Bridget Jones’s Diary’: Smothered, TV’s most brilliant new romcom
June 2023
This much I know
Aisling Bea: ‘I rebuilt my bathroom around my Bafta’
The comedian and actor on enjoying her awards, learning to be funny and where her happy place is
Greatest Days review – nostalgic, by-numbers Take That musical
A winning central performance from Aisling Bea is the bright spot in this predictable adaptation of the jukebox musical
Greatest Days review – Take That musical offers blast of feelgood reunion excitement
Aisling Bea rounds up old school friends to watch the reunited boyband in Athens and, amid the laughs, confront what happened when they last saw them 25 years ago
April 2022
TV tonight
TV tonight: the Manchester Arena attack victim who grew up 10 miles from bomber Salman Abedi
Worlds Collide looks at the aftermath of the Ariana Grande concert bombing. Plus: Joe Lycett gets cooking with Aisling Bea in Split. Here’s what to watch this evening
November 2021
Home Sweet Home Alone review – surprisingly funny festive sequel
Borat co-writer Dan Mazer and a comically adept cast including Ellie Kemper, Kenan Thompson and Rob Delaney, make for a diverting enough retread
October 2021
Aisling Bea: ‘I was completely burnt out – I definitely became less nice’
Do we really need a new version of Home Alone?
August 2021
TV tonight
TV tonight: Changing Rooms is back … and it’s had a makeover of its own
Linda Barker and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen return with a revamped version of the renovation staple. Plus: Fake or Fortune? Here’s what to watch this evening
Comfort Eating with Grace Dent
S1 E10: Aisling Bea, actor and comedian
Grace’s guest is the actor, comedian and creator of This Way Up, Aisling Bea
TV tonight
TV tonight: awkward confessions continue in Aisling Bea’s hilarious stealth hit
This Way Up, the nuanced and singular comedy continues. Plus: globetrotting art sleuths get to work in Fake or Fortune? Here’s what to watch this evening
July 2021
Observer TV reviews
The week in TV: This Way Up; Naomi Osaka; Our NHS: A Hidden History; Schmigadoon!
Aisling Bea’s pitch-perfect, bittersweet comedy is back; behind the scenes of Naomi Osaka’s recent troubles; and David Olusoga digs into NHS racism
TV review
This Way Up series two review – TV so good it’s indistinguishable from magic
Co-starring Sharon Horgan, Aisling Bea’s delightful, devastating comedy about mental health and sisterhood remains the perfect showcase for the pair’s prodigious talents
Aisling Bea and Friends review – a ridiculous, furious treat
The Irish comedian and guests Nish Kumar and Fatiha El-Ghorri lift their crowd’s soggy spirits with some choice gags
December 2020
Best culture 2020
What a joke: the 10 funniest comedy shows of 2020
There wasn’t a lot to laugh about as venues closed and gigs were cancelled. But standups still delivered silly, edgy and heartfelt gags. Our critic picks his favourite new material
