William Shakespeare: he was a genius, right?
The playwright who forever changed the English language is once again being celebrated on the 400th anniversary of his death.
But what of the early years? Ben Elton’s new comedy series Upstart Crow delves into the background of the literary master, asking all the important questions: what would his mum and dad have made of his work? And where did he get his ideas from?
Titled Upstart Crow, this is old-school sitcom territory – think a Shakespearean special series of Blackadder, with jokes both clever and daft.
Perfectly cast in the lead role is Peep Show’s David Mitchell, with a tone of permanent exasperation and a wig that makes him look bizarrely spot-on with the accepted portrait of Shakespeare.
He’s not the only seasoned comedian involved – Harry Enfield stars as Will’s rather Hobbity looking dad, while Liza Tarbuck plays his largely encouraging wife Anne Hathaway.
Also jumping off the screen is Helen Monks, the brilliantly gobby lead of Caitlin Moran’s Raised By Wolves, who imbues Will’s daughter Susannah with a similar teenage grumpiness.
Shakespeare celebrations in London
Upstart Crow is a witty take on Shakespeare that benefits from a hugely likeable cast, with plenty of in-jokes from the plays, and a pitch-perfect performance from David Mitchell. Cue the applause.
BBC Two, 9pm
