josettekernaghan From the opening credits I was hooked. The story-line is perfectly written,the actors are second to none. The characters are funny, weird and clever and you find yourself feeling In twined with all these strange people who have great depth. For me there is exactly the right portion of comedy and horror combined. I laughed and cried a bit, then laughed again throughout. I have already recommended this repeatedly to all my friends and family, it's definitely a must see and will put you in a very strange yet satisfying place while watching it! A genius bit of TV!

Red-Barracuda Psychoville is the TV series actor/writers Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton devised between The League of Gentlemen and Inside No. 9. Like those others it also has that very specific mixture of black comedy and horror that these guys are so at home with. For my money though, Psychoville is probably the lesser of the three series, although it is still very good. Despite what its title initially suggests, and unlike 'League', its characters are located in various places around England and the action is not confined to a single location. The title seems to refer more to a state of mind than anything geographic. Anyway, the cast of disparate characters are slowly drawn together by an ominous secret from their past which is initially communicated to them via mysterious sinister letters.First off, this is another bit of work that once again showcases Shearmsith and Pemberton's considerable abilities as character actors as well as writers. They both play a selection of very different people who populate this dark story. They are even joined by former 'League' colleague Mark Gatiss in what to me was the best episode of all, 'David and Maureen', which pays very direct homage to Alfred Hitchcock's experimental thriller Rope (1948), in that it shares the conceit of having its whole story told in one single unbroken take. The series also references other films too, such as another Hitchcock classic Strangers on a Train (1951), in less obvious ways.Of the three series Shearsmith and Pemberton have done, this is the most story-based. It has a mystery underpinning it and the characters do have story arcs that progress in a more traditional manner. The first season probably did this best, in that we knew less of what was going on, so the element of surprise worked more strongly in the series favour. As it progressed I felt it sometimes gave the impression of running out of strong ideas though. The characters are a strong point as you would expect, however, with, amongst others, a misanthropic clown, a psychologically damaged midwife and a sinister manifestation of the mind known as the Silent Singer. The ending to season two quite clearly looks to have been devised with the hope of winning a third season, as it is not really a proper ending at all, with certain plot threads left in the air and the finale really no more than a cliff-hanger of sorts. Evidently the BBC thought otherwise and that was it as far as Psychoville went.

Jackson Booth-Millard I never saw The League of Gentlemen, I have only ever seen bits and pieces of it, so I decided I would give the same stars and writers, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, a chance in this new series. Basically the series is set in different parts of England and revolves are five different character story lines: serial killer-obsessed man-child David Sowerbutts (Pemberton) who still lives with his mother Maureen (Shearsmith); embittered one-handed children's entertainer Mr. Jelly (Shearsmith), blind millionaire Oscar Lomax (Pemberton) who collects Beanie Baby stuffed toy animals, midwife Joy Aston (Dawn French) who treats a practise baby doll as if was a real child, and (for the first series) pantomime dwarf Robert Greenspan (Jason Tompkins) in love with his Snow White who has the power of telekinesis. The five characters are connected by a mysterious blackmailer, they are all brought together by a message, and then they find out they were all once in the same institute under the watch of Edwina Kenchington (Eileen Atkins) for their conditions, the second series and Halloween special follow their exploits after as Grace Andrews (Imelda Staunton) tries to bring most of them together as part of a dark conspiracy plot. Also starring Daniel Kaluuya as Tealeaf, Daisy Haggard as Debbie, Lisa Hammond as Kerry, Daniel Ings as Kelvin, Mark Bonnar as Detective Finney, Adrian Scarborough as Mr. Jolly, Miranda's James Holmes as Simon, Christopher Biggins, David Bamber as Robin, Miranda's Dominic Coleman as Colin, EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy as Lorraine, Mark Gatiss as Jason Griffin, Richard Bacon as Interviewer, John Landis as Director, Andi Osho as Registrar and Katherine Parkinson as Fiona. The characters all have their amusing quirks and interesting individual story lines, especially Mr. Jelly and Oscar Lomax, Shearsmith and Pemberton are fantastic playing their numerous, French is almost terrifying in her part, Staunton is creepy as the secret organisation leader and the other supporting cast members do well, the interconnecting things going on work and come together well, it is both dark and funny, a terrific black comedy mystery psychological thriller. Very good!

steven-222 Psychoville is the brainchild of two League of Gentlemen members, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. If you like this sort of thing...comedy that plays off the grotesque and horrific...don't bother reading any reviews, just get your hands on this series and watch!Season One has many memorable moments, but perhaps none more than the episode that pays homage to Hitchcock's movie Rope, being filmed in one long, continuous take without edits. It's brilliant stagecraft, and includes a guest appearance by fellow Leaguer Mark Gatiss.The Halloween Special follows, a one-off that can be watched independently, but also links the two full seasons. It's an homage to those cheesy horror anthology movies of the 1970s, with horrific vignettes featuring the Psychoville characters. Brilliantly done.And Season Two is even better, with a corker of a plot that steadily builds to a stunning climax. Imelda Staunton joins the cast and creates an indelible impression as the high-tech villain. She's got to be one of the greatest actresses in the English-speaking world.Alas, the latest word has it that there will be no Season Three, and Psychoville has come to an end. But what a wild ride it was!