Toast of London

image c Channel 4

Toast of London
3 / 5

Channel: Channel 4
Series: Two
Writers: Matt Berry and Arthur Mathews
Cast: Matt Berry, Robert Bathurst, Harry Peacock, Tracy Ann Oberman and Doon Mackichan et al

Probably scheduled far too late for this to fall in to the laps of most people, Toast of London follows Matt Berry's character Steven Toast, an actor who is exactly what I imagine most people think actors actually do on a daily basis (100% what I think they do). Voice overs (with the exemplary named Clem Fandango played by Shazad Latif) and daft parts in long-running theatre productions, terribly constructed advertisements and pretty much anything else (except waiting on tables, though it's probably only a matter on time).

I can vaguely recall the first series-I'm not even sure if I watched them all; but I must say that the three episodes I've watched of the second series far outshine the first in all areas. Arthur Mathews co-created Father Ted with Graham Linehan, so you can imagine how far-fetched and silly Toast of London can get, and it doesn't disappoint. It has elements of Alan Partridge, in that no matter how hard Toast tries he just can't seem to do anything right at all (you could probably play Accidental Partridge quite happily throughout the series) though I'm pleased to say that Toast isn't an entire Partridge.

What drew me to the series was Matt Berry. I listen to Planet Rock Radio just to hear his voice, and hearing him saying 'oars' in Reeves and Mortimer's House of Fools as Beef was pure, unadulterated delight. The only other person who's voice I'd run after would probably be Craig Fairbrass's, voice of Gaz in Call of Duty 4. But anyway. It's no secret that he has a wonderful voice, something which is very necessary for an actor, though it doesn't seem to help his character Toast much at all, particularly since his voice over work consists of demeaning advertisements and being continuously laughed at by Clem Fandango. And if Clem Fandango is laughing at you...

Toast of London is familiar, even to those of us who really don't know the world of acting, voice over or theatre very well at all. Or even London. It doesn't presume of the audience at all (except to think that you might want to be entertained) and, well, Matt Berry's voice.