Friday night’s TV was an embarrassment of riches, such was the quality of shows on offer, but it was also an annoying toss-up between watching the final instalment of Criminal Justice or Benidorm. As I don’t have Sky+, I decided to watch Benidorm and catch-up on Criminal Justice on BBC’s iPlayer, which is without doubt a superior on-demand service to ITV’s.

So which was better? Well, they were both equally brilliant, but I’ll start with the last part of Criminal Justice. When I first watched it and Juliet got sentenced to five years for manslaughter – to serve two-and-a-half years before consideration of parole – I felt it was a bit of an anti-climax, however, having thought about it, I can now see why Moffat wrote the ending that way… Read more & comment »

Oh it’s so good to be back with the misfits and freaks in Benidorm! The Oracle, his mum/PA, gayer than gay Gavin and Troy and of course, the leather skinned, miserable and constantly cruel Madge, and the rest of the long suffering Garvey family.

Mick’s still fighting his dislike of step-father-in-law Mel in the hope that when he dies, Mick and Janice will inherit his fortune. And Mel’s got a new business venture to add to that fortune too; selling and hiring out mobility scooters, with his selling point being, “You don’t have to be a cripple” in order to enjoy a mobility scooter; you just have to be a lazy git.

Sheridan Smith added to the going-with-a-bang start to the new series, starring as she did as gobby scouser Brandy, who’s rather inexplicably friends with the buttoned-up Martin. He’s now single, his wife having apparently gone off to be miserable elsewhere, and he fancies a snifter of Brandy… Read more & comment »

I’m so chuffed that a new series of Benidorm is starting tonight, I just felt compelled to pen a Why I LOVE about it… because love it I do, as I know millions of us Brits do.

And I suspect we love it so much because there’s someone we all know in that cast of misfits and typical-Brits-abroad who holiday year after year at the all-inclusive Solana resort.

Written by Derren Litten, co-writer of The Catherine Tate Show, the first ever episode of Benidorm aired on Thursday 1st February 2007 and I was hooked, along with several million others… Read more & comment »

Ah the absolute bliss; the Brits in Benidorm were back last night for a special episode which transcended the giddy heights of humourous excellence and made it to the roof of the high rise apartment block, the Solana… as did half the gang of our beloved holidaymakers who were being held hostage there by a murderer with a gun, but nonetheless, it was a nice day for it and luckily, the inside bar was still open.

If you missed this last night, it should be made law that you watch it on ITV’s catch-up Player – it’s for your own good because to not watch it would leave a huge humour shaped hole in your life, it was just that good. Read more & comment »

Your favourite holidaymakers are back. Benidorm returns for a one-hour Summer special on ITV1 that delivers thrills, drama, action and, of course, award-winning comedy.

Will Mel survive?
Will Mick be left stranded in a Benidorm jail?
Will Janice run off with Jack?
Will The Oracle ever reach dry land?
And just how will Madge cope?!!

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Una Stubbs has joined the cast of ITV1 comedy Benidorm, according to The Mirror.

The 72-year-old apparently arrived on the Spanish set last week to begin filming her role as Martin’s snooty mum.

“Her son loves the fun and brashness of Benidorm, but his mum is a totally different person,” a source said.

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After a BAFTA nomination for the first series and ratings success for the second, ITV is delighted to announce that our favourite holiday makers will be returning in 2009 with a one hour special and eight new episodes.

The award-winning creator Derren Litten once again pleased the critics with his Brits abroad observations; “Benidorm is back with a tasty mix of spot-on characterisation, humour, and terrible karaoke with some of Britain’s best actors”, “tacky and terrific – a real guilty pleasure”, “Derren’s winningly bawdy sitcom succeeds because it manages to get us laughing with, rather than at its gallery of grotesques”… Read more & comment »

Benidorm actor, Steve Pemberton has revealed why he thinks the first series of the show was so successful on ITV1.

Steve told MSN:

“I think everyone can relate to it. Everyone’s been on holiday, everyone knows what it’s like – and the time of year it goes out definitely helps.

“I was talking to my mum about it and she said ‘I’m really ready for another series because it’s so miserable and grey at the moment’,” he adds.
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Once again the Solana, Benidorm’s premier all inclusive resort, plays host to its usual mix of holidaymakers all looking for sun, sea and savings – although not all of our regulars planned on being there.

Kate and Martin have gone to a nearby picturesque village but find more than a chocolate on the pillow in their room.

The Garveys return with several new additions – Telle’s baby Coolio and Madge’s new boyfriend Mel, owner of five sunbed shops and Didsbury’s answer to Julio Iglesias. Read more & comment »

Former Eastenders actress, Wendy Richards has been causing havoc on the set of ITV drama, Benidorm.

Richards character has to use a mobility scooter, however, her fine motor skills obviously aren’t all they should be, and when Wendy was in charge of the scooter, everyone else made themselves scarce.

Richards told The Sun: “Every time I filmed a scene on a marble floor and I had to drive out of shot, everyone would run a mile as they I knew I could easily crash into them.

“If I wasn’t zooming into a broom cupboard, I was knocking over potted palms. Read more & comment »

Former Eastenders actress, Wendy Richards is to star in ITV comedy, Benidorm.

Best known as Pailine Fowler, Wendy will reportedly play a “loud-mouthed, rude” wheelchair-bound character.

An insider told The Sun: “She is really looking forward to being a part of this series – she was a huge fan of the first.”