Mandy review series 2:
It is said that some things never change: Mandy, the creation of the talented Diane Morgan, is one of them. The work-shy, incompetent, fantasist Mandy Carter is the architect of her own misfortune. It is good to see her back to her normal self after the deviation into pantomime for her Christmas Special.
Mandy once again has big dreams with small success, as she attempts to find fulfilment in a series of short-lived jobs until she can finally achieve her stated ambition of breeding Dobermann Pinschers.
Series two features an all-star comedy cast, which sees Michelle Greenidge (Code 404) as Lola, Mandy’s friend and confidante in the local nail bar, and Tom Basden (Plebs) as Mandy’s exasperated benefits officer, along with Alistair Green (Flowers), Mark Silcox (Man Like Mobeen), Michael Spicer (The Room Next Door) all returning.
In the first of last night’s two episodes of the new series we saw her take up the role of stately home tour guide. Feeding nonsensical information to gullible tourists as she goes about her job of showing them around Brampton Hall and garnering extra payments for revealing unknown ‘facts’ about the house and previous occupants. Invited to work extra hours to serve nibbles at a book launch she mistakenly wanders into a satanic ritual with predictable consequences. Needless to say, her employment is short-lived.
In the second 15 minute episode Mandy has secured a position as a visiting domestic cleaner with Scrubbers and the scene opens with a line worthy of any ‘Carry On’. Left alone in the house she abandons any attempt at domestic chores, instead making full use of the owners hot tub until a film crew turn up to film an episode of Who Are You, Do You Think?, tracing relatives of the real Deborah Meadon.
Having mistaken the house number, the producer (Michael Spicer) assumes Mandy is Meadon’s relative with whom he has a pre-arranged appointment. Mandy does nothing to dissuade him especially as he continually bribes her to furnish additional information.
She also takes the crew to film her eccentric Uncle Charlie (comedian Charlie Chuck) who also surreally ends up in the last scene.
Each episode is basically an extended sketch so the fifteen minute duration is a far as the joke could, or should, be stretched. Nevertheless Mandy is a wonderful comic creation and it remains to be seen if Diane Morgan can sustain the character.