A couple of good sketches, but I wouldn't watch again if it became a series. Would have been better without all the canned laughter.

I know it's not really "canned laughter" - it just sounds that way, especially when it's so OTT and drowns out some of the dialogue.

Walliams. Just Why? For God's sake? *shudders*

I thought the sketches were in the main unfunny and a bit lame, although the married couple sketch was brilliant.

The reason I watched it was purely because I love both David Walliams and am a huge fan of Joanna Lumley.

I just loved it for the disguises and different characters they moulded themselves into it.

Plus they're great at sending themselves up as well!

I didn't understand the "pop idol" sketch, the quiz show went on too long, too repetitive, and the tanning salón was a bit lame, though the characters were great.

Of course they couldn't show this now, but years ago, when Joanna Lumley and Ruby Wax did sketches together, they were a bit more risque, and there was one that had JL coming out of a mental clinic, and god, it was absolutely hilarious as well

Facking Walliams again. No I'm sorry but I don't think he's talented. The BBC just keep giving him endless shows for what I see the main reason being he is who he is.
He's been in a popular comedy show many moons ago and the BBC just keep commissioning any old thing he wants to make.
It feels like every Christmas he also makes some children's drama which is sentimental tosh and the comedy is very weak.

They should just restrict his presence to the comedy panel shows I don't watch anyway where he can hog the camera, show off and get all the attention he wants.

Spot on AM.
Summed up Walliams better than I could have done.

I'm reading his autobiography at the moment and he's an interesting bloke. Admittedly wasn't expecting much from this show, but I laughed out loud a decent number of times and enjoyed the angle a lot of the sketches took. Some were a bit overlong, like the newsreader and quiz show one, but it was an overall hit IMO and probably in good running for a series. Very Two Ronnies, as another person said upthread. Also, it wasn't just Walliams writing; quite a few other writers were listed in the credits.

Wardrobe, hair and make-up did a brilliant job -- especially on the GBBO sketch!

Don't understand why people are saying Joanna Lumley is a revelation? She's been doing comedy roles for decades!

Also, quitting five minutes into a sketch show -- which is, by its very nature a changeable beast -- and then coming on here to trumpet it... how sad can you get?!

On the other hand, if you watched all of it and THEN said it was rubbish some smart-arse would probably ask "Well, why did you watch it, then?"

Agree with "coming on here to trumpet it", though. Bad form, except if it's a show you normally like, but was particularly poor one night.

Yes, you should probably give it ten minutes before giving up and coming on here!

I thought it was really funny. The Bake Off sketch was the funniest for me, but I also loved the Liars Anonymous and Auto correct sketches. I hope they make a series. David Walliams and Joanna Lumley made a good double act.

This was dire and embarrassing for the most part. Lumley demonstrated that she can act as did Morgana Robinson but Walliams demonstrated once again that he can't. He is always the same.

If this is going to become a series it needs much stronger editorial control.

The impression I got from David on a recent interview with Jonathan Ross as that this will be a series but with a different person appearing alongside him each episode - hence the title 'Walliams & Friend'. Interesting concept but could be hit and miss depending on who else he gets!

I watched part of this on Christmas night and then after reading this thread caught up with the rest of it on I-player. Unfortunately it didn't change my view of it much, some sketches were clever and mildly funny like the PC-opener, the tanning shop one, the GBBO and the pop group one. I felt Joanna Lumley impressed me more than Walliams though and the other sketches were unfunny IMO and didn't hold my attention which was probably why I had to view it a second time.

I heard about this on his Ross interview and M&W and Ronnies are Christmas traditions so I thought I'd give it a go as it was supposed to be in the same territory.


I agree with others that it was very hit and miss. I'm also not a huge fan of Walliams. I think he tries too hard.
If anything the supporting cast made the show. I thought to myself it could be much better with Walliams as the lead writer and leave the acting to others.

what hold does Walliams have over the bbc there is another thing on about a boy that Walliams is in he is pretty shit most of the time

That will be the thing he wrote, The Boy in the Dress? It was on last year. It was OK but not as good as Gangsta Granny. There's another new one on New Years Day.

There has always been something a bit "off" with Walliams as a person. He often comes across as very desperate, needy, full of self ego, narcissistic and a little sinister. His "act" of a safe camp comic your mum would like has slipped a few times recently on chat shows where he has been made to look an idiot by "bigger" stars. You can see it in his eyes that he was seething but couldnt let the mask slip.

Watched the whole lot from start to finish - hit and miss for me... the GBBO sketch was cringeworthy (playing the lewd and crude card - ho hum we never seem to get through a comedy without it and that was particularly poor), others went on too long (the quiz sketch), others were very well done (auto correct, married couple etc... - almost elements of the 2 Ronnies in there!). Overall worth watching IMO - would watch him again with a.n. other (or Lumley for that matter).

I think you may be reading far too much into tiny things. Comedians on chat shows are often in their comic personas, not being themselves. The look you saw in his eyes could easily be part of his act. Or it could be you seeing things that support your view his character is a bit "off".

He certainly has had personal problems but so have many performers.

I enjoyed it

I watched this last night before it was removed from the iPlayer. Hit and miss as most sketch shows are, but I laughed a few times. I thought the cash4money spoof was the best. I particularly enjoyed the woman saying, "now I can afford that luxury holiday" (having received 8p for her pound coin).

I think Pete is right. I saw Walliams in the last (Christmas) edition of Bring The Noise on Sky One and there was a musical chairs type round where they ran round a Christmas tree and had to grab a parcel off the tree when the music stopped. There weren't enough parcels so they had to be quick. First of all, Walliams said he couldn't run in the comedy slippers he was wearing (fair enough) but then took off his trousers too and ran around in his undies, which wasn't a pleasant sight. He had a tussle with Mel C over the remaining parcel and he really fought for it until he won. You should have seen the looks he was giving Mel C for ages afterwards. Other performers have problems, true, but Walliams does seem "off" to me. I wouldn't want to cross him.

I actually thought the other, fairly unknown, gay comedian Joel outdone him in wackiness and campiness and was funny with it and Walliams looked cross that he had been outdone.

I've seen Peter Kay exhibit this exact same trait when he's on a chat show and somebody is very funny, he has to try and cramp their style. You can see the competitive element in their faces that the audience is laughing at somebody and it isn't them.
They've got to to be the funniest person in the room or they don't like it.

Oh dear. Had high hopes for this but it's awful.

Wish they would make Celebrity Slammer. Love the classical football chants.