Zapped Series 2, Episode 1 - The Trial - British Comedy Guide (original) (raw)
Trapped in a parallel universe, office temp Brian Weaver has been locked up and charged with triggering the Snail Wars.
Further details
Trapped in a parallel universe, office temp Brian Weaver has been locked up and charged with triggering the Snail Wars. Steg opts to represent him in court, persuading Brian to face Trial by Combat with a terrifying warrior named Radnok. Barbara has abandoned soothsaying to become a blacksmith, Herman's cooking rotten fish and Howell has moved into the cat retrieval business, which involves first kidnapping the cats. Can the gang free Brian before he faces certain death at the hands of Radnok?
Broadcast details
Date
Thursday 12th October 2017
Time
9:40pm
Channel
Length
40 minutes
Cast & crew
Cast
| James Buckley | Brian |
|---|---|
| Paul Kaye | Howell |
| Sharon Rooney | Barbara |
| Kenneth Collard | Steg |
| Louis Emerick | Herman |
| Ricky Grover | Hawthorn |
| Richard Sandling | Springleaf |
| Tony Way | Chestnut |
| Guz Khan | Skylark |
Guest cast
| Jessica Ransom | Jess (Office worker) |
|---|---|
| Martin Glyn Murray | Greg (Office worker) |
| Ben Crompton | Jones The Anvil |
| Gus Brown | Advocate |
| Rufus Hound | Kevlar |
| Nina Wadia | Judge |
| Rob Reinaldo | Radnok |
| Jing Lusi | Scrape |
Writing team
| Dan Gaster | Writer |
|---|---|
| Will Ing | Writer |
| Paul Powell | Writer |
Production team
| Dave Lambert | Director |
|---|---|
| Kerry Waddell | Producer |
| Steve Coogan | Executive Producer |
| Dan Gaster | Executive Producer |
| Will Ing | Executive Producer |
| Christine Langan | Executive Producer |
| Paul Powell | Associate Producer |
| James Buckley | Associate Producer |
| Joe Fraser | Associate Producer |
| Joe Fraser | Editor |
| David Ferris | Production Designer |
| Kevin Riddle | Casting Director |
| Howard Burden | Costume Designer |
| Pete Rowe | Director of Photography |
| Jo Jenkins | Make-up Designer |
| Dan Gibling | 1st Assistant Director |
Video
Brian gets locked up
Barbara visits Brian in prison.
Featuring: James Buckley (Brian), Sharon Rooney (Barbara), Tony Way (Chestnut) & Rufus Hound (Kevlar).
Press
All the jokes in Zapped, this formulaic farce have been done decades ago and much better by the late Sir Terry Pratchett in his Discworld novels.
Mind you, Sir Terry's imagination was so fecund that he didn't leave much space for his successors.
James Buckley plays an inept office worker who ends up in a world of swords and sorcery, under the drunken protection of a useless wizard (Paul Kaye).
Beset by fake soothsayers, devious politicians and thuggish city guards, he's dismayed to discover that even the magic doesn't work properly.
Fantasy sitcom has been done brilliantly by the live- action puppet series Yonderland, over on Sky. Zapped simply feels derivative.
On the other hand, it does feature doltish coppers with dainty wings called Fairies and wizards with Jethro Tull beards.
That's got to be worth a titter. Just don't expect too many laughs and you won't be disappointed.
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail, 13th October 2017
Preview - Zapped: Series 2
Following a short run last year, Dave has brought back it's sitcom about a temp trapped in a fantasy world.
Ian Wolf, On The Box, 12th October 2017
Following 2016's miniseries that saw office drone Brian (James Buckley) transported to an eccentric alternate universe, a full series following the misfit's misfortunes in bizarre backwater Munty. It begins with Brian accidentally triggering a war and standing trial as a war criminal. Luckily for the embattled pan-dimensional prisoner, a mentally malleable judge means that even the most imperfect of legal minds could ensure his early release.