Imposters
Stan
Gavin & Stacey
It seems that nobody falls for a con like a con artist. At the hectic end of Imposters' first season, everybody always seemed one step ahead of everybody else: professional conwoman Maddie (Inbar Lavi); three musketeers Ezra, Richard and Jules (Rob Heaps, Parker Young and Marianne Rendon), all of whom Maddie had married in order to ruin; FBI man Patrick (Stephen Bishop); and the assorted baddies that Maddie is supposed to be working for. As this second season has begun unfolding things look rather different. The three musketeers have become three stooges once more, having stranded themselves in Mexico without the million-dollar ring that was supposed to be their big payoff, and Maddie has become a terrified target of The Doctor (Ray Prosica) and his murderous henchmen. We've been learning more about Maddie's mysterious past, but she remains a less interesting and much less sympathetic character than Ezra, Richard and Jules. The three … well … amigos have a terrific mickey-taking group chemistry, and Imposters feels like an entirely different show when it's following their escapades rather than Maddie's misery-guts solo journey. Young remains a delight as Richard, a handsome, good-humoured jock who's not quite as dumb as he looks, but not quite as smart as he thinks he is. The sudden intervention of Jules' smug, irritating and immaculately presented sister (Rachel Skarsten) is turning out to be just as much of a hoot. Well worth revisiting.
Gavin & Stacey
Netflix
Here's the delightful comedy-drama that set James Corden on the path to becoming the unlikely global star that he is today. Gavin & Stacey carries its joyful, romantic storyline on the back of an authentic, rough-edged brand of dialogue and humour that only just stays on the earthy side of dirty. The romance is a cross-border affair between Essex lad Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Welsh lass Stacey (Joanna Page), who have spent months chatting and flirting during work-related phone calls. As the series begins, Gavin and Stacey are about to meet for the first time, and each is bringing along a pal for moral support. Said pals are played by series creators Corden and Ruth Jones (Stella). Corden's character is a compulsive eater who can't stand "fat birds" and "mingers", but only until he meets Stacey's wonderfully fierce and patriotic Welsh mate. Having the likes of Rob Brydon and Alison Steadman bolstering the cast doesn't hurt a bit.
