Toast of London, Channel 4 - TV review: A sitcom that defies explanation

Toast of London. Steven Toast played by Matt Berry (press image from Lis Clucas/Kuba Wieczorek/Channel 4) (press image from Lis Clucas/Kuba Wieczorek/Channel 4)

In the unlikely event that the Children in Need celebrity single flops, they could always try a celebrities and prostitutes blow-football tournament. It’s not in good taste exactly, but voiceover artist and thesp Stephen Toast (Matt Berry) has never cared much about that. Britain’s “second best actor acting in high winds” entered one such tournament in aid of homeless ponies last night, and thus began another brilliant series of Toast of London.

How is it that the first series – co-written by Berry and Father Ted’s Arthur Mathews, no less – averaged only 300,000 viewers per episode? Exactly how loud does the bombastic and easily infuriated Toast have to shout to get some attention around here?

Like all the best comedy, this sitcom defies explanation, and maybe all humour is subjective anyway, but if you don’t find Toast of London’s idiosyncratic pronunciations, grotesque sex scenes and Clem Fandango mentions hilarious to the point of hernia, there’s simply no hope.