Writer: Susan Nickson
Producer: Stephen McCrum
Theme tune by Christian Henson
Stars: Sheridam Smith, Ralf Little, Will Melloer, Natalie Casey and Kathryn Drysdale…

I began to watch this show when I was laid up in hospital for a couple of weeks a few years ago.
You know the score, lay in a bed on a ward late at night with all the main lights out, trying to get some sleep with all that noise happening around you… no chance of any sleep at all… so I'd slap on the headphones and flick through the channels on the bedside digital television which hung from the wall above my bed… coming across a small marathon of this on one of the BBC channels, the only thing to watch apart from something about Stalin on UKTV History... I chose to watch Two pints as I had previously seen clips of the show, already liking the funny Ralf Little and Sheridan Smith from watching them in the Royle Family…
I have to admit.. as I lay there in bed, watching this show… I was in fear of my sides splitting from laughing so much as the none stop banter blasted though the headphones into my tired brain…constantly trying to stop giggling out loud whilst wiping the tears away from my eyes…
I was in agony before I started watching the program, it was even worse after it had finished… but I didn't care…
I swear I could hear people tutting from the other end of the ward as I lay there crying with laughter and pain… even the nurses were giving me funny looks…

* Anyway… on with the review…

The show, based in Runcorn, Cheshire in England, began as a comedy but soon became more serious as the series went on, although still retaining its very dry sense of humour…
Its 63 episodes, split into 7 series and one special began in 2001 and was first seen on the BBC channel

** MAIN CHARACTORS **

* Jonny, (played by Ralf Little) is your typical young man who only wants an easy life, he likes daytime television and has a weird craving for cat food and Jamie dodgers… he comes across as a little feminine much to the amusement of the others…

* Janet,( played by Sheridan Smith) is Jonny's girlfriend and is always trying to be a little house-proud, only not so successful.. She does her best to be faithful to Jonny but again… not so successful, getting pregnant by another man doesn't help, especially considering who the other man is… she soon has doubt over her love for Jonny?

* Gary, or 'Gaz' ( played by Will Mellor) works as a mechanic and is the typical mans man… all brawn and sexist comments… he is very proud of his vast collection of 'top shelf' magazines and dirty videos, which annoys Donna slightly… his ideal night out is a few beers with the lads whilst watching a stripper…

* Donna, (played by Natalie Casey) is Gary's long suffering girlfriend, who does feel second best to his dirty magazines and nights out with his best mate Jonny…she comes across as the type to have had many sexual relationship with many different men but her sporadic vicious temper make her a very scary lady indeed.

* Louise, (played by Kathryn Drysdale) is seen as the dopey member of the friendship group. She comes across as a spoilt, selfish woman with a very squeaky irritating voice and a really boring personality.
She struggles to get a steady boyfriend because of her insensitive nature, belittling every one she meets… it is a wonder that the others tolerate her…

** Other characters **

* Munch, (played by Lee Oakes) is Gaz's long lost half brother (or something like that) who just appears one day, he is very slow when it comes to common sense and finds it difficult to relate to people, especially women who he simply insults…
He does develop a bit of a thing for Donna after he catches her in a very sexy situation..

Flo, (played by Beverley Callard) is Donna's mother who has had a very colourful life, including posing for certain magazines for men… she comes across as a bit of a nymphomaniac and likes her drink.., she also has a thing for Gaz and feels no shame in letting him know…

* Kelly (played by Hayley Bishop) is the barmaid in the local pub who has a very high sex drive leading to her wanting to sleep with anything with a pulse, including the older regulars in the pub… she has no problems with trying her luck with both Jonny and Gaz, even if they are with their girlfriends…

There are a few other characters who pop in and out some episodes…

* The show itself…

It started as a comical look following the lives of a group of twenty something people living in Runcorn, Cheshire, mainly being filmed in a either a house, a flat or a pub called the Archer, although it does tend to flash around Runcorn fro short periods.

Jonny and Janet share a house, both being as house-proud as each other. There love of silly things and terrible conversations the only thing that keeps them together…
Gaz lives alone in a flat with Donna coming to visit very often, in Gaz's eyes it is for 'a good seeing to'… every time Gaz visits Donna at her house her mother makes a very clumsy pass at him… much to the horror of poor Gaz..
With the sometimes annoying presence of there friend Louis, who tends to say the most inappropriate things at the wrong time, putting her mouth in gear before her brain… irritating everyone in her sight..

It is a dry witted and sometimes quite rude sit-com, (although there is no real swearing apart from one word which I think is said in every episode…?).
The banter amongst the small group is mainly hilarious, (although it does have its stupid moments which are not funny for all… more sick than anything…)
The sexism coming from Gaz is more comical than insulting, as he clearly is a cave man sort who believes all women should fall at his feet and beg him for mercy… I mean it's hard to tell which is bigger… his arrogance or his ego..?
There are many brilliant one liners thrown around with in the group, the sarcasm and insults giving the show some splendid humour.

Un fortunately, as the show progressed and the member of the group begin to age and settle down, the show seems to take on a more topical and serious role, becoming less comical as it went… although it still does have that great entertainment value.

But for the best of the hilarity I do recommend the earlier series as the show seemed to have a no holes barred motto… which seemed to diminish slightly, I suppose as the nannies stepped in to tone down the show…

In all, a great comical entertaining show, especially the earlier ones, giving the viewer many laughs throughout…

There is a strong possibility that this is not to every ones taste as it can be a little smutty, but if you've never seen it and you don't mind a bit of friendly sexual banter then give it a go…

You can get a copy of the first six series from www.amazon.co.uk for less than £34.00

** CAUTION **

Boring bit so that's why I put it at the end.., you don't have to read it if you don't wish to.

* Lists of episodes

Series 1... (2001)

1... Fags, shags and kebabs
2... Spunk
3... Bone with the wind
4... Angry Wangry
5... Lard
6... Ugly Babies

Series 2 (2002)

1... On the Blob
2... Bungle
3... Dirty Girl
4... Vomit
5... Crusty
6... Mo Mo and Pigsy

Series 3... (2003)

1... Munch
2... Fish
3... Kangeroo
4... Beastiality
5... Hospikal
6... Dresses, dresses, dresses
7... Fockin' Mokky Bokka
8... Dump
9... Schluballybub

Special Musical episode… When Janet met Jonny

Series 4... (2004)

1... Corinthian Dies
2... Piggy goes Oink
3... My delicious guava
4... Cuggles
5... Purgatory
6... Mate date
7... Homeless and Horny
8... Filthy Brunching

Series 5... (2005)

1... Dead
2... Nobbly Bobbly
3... Shrink
4... Ecuador
5... Potato people
6... Antlers
7... Crab
8... Fat
9... Stot or Pork
10.. Who's the daddy?
11.. Bababababa
12.. God
13.. Love her
14.. Near, far

Series 6 (2006)

1... Speedycruise
2... Goblins
3... Mummy Cupboard
4... Cauliflower
5... Drunk
6... Croppity Crops
7... Finger sniffing
8... War, Hurrgh
9... Closing time
10.. When janet Killed Jonny

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Series 7 (2008) is not on the box set but can be bought separately from www.amazon.co.uk for £12.98...??

1... When Jonny met sharky
2... Dabdaa
3... Homophobia is Gay
4... Dead Jonny Walking
5... Here Bums the bride
6... Six months later
7... African death face
8... Borry