The Peter Serafinowicz Show

The Peter Serafinowicz Show is one of those shows that usually get clubbed in with the 'It's a bit like Monty Python' tag. It's true that the show is a collection of sketches with some that are repeated each episode and some sketches that are in multiple parts throughout the episode, but where this show differs from Monty Python is that this show has impressions... so 'It's a bit like Dead Ringers'... Damn!
The six episodes and special Christmas episode is (thanks to BBC not renewing the series) the only chance you will get to see Peter Serafinowicz at work which is possibly just as well as my spellchecker is going crazy refusing to believe that this is such a name. Serafinowicz will be known to many from Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Black Books and for the real hardcore geeks as the voice of Darth Maul, but here he gets to showcase his talents as a comedy writer, performer and impressionist.
Impressions of Chris Tarrant, Simon Cowell, Elvis Presley, Michael Caine, Nicholas Cage, Ralph Fiennes (who acts more like Leonard Rossiter) and all four members of The Beatles amongst others. These impressions are sometimes eerily pinpoint perfect aided by costume such as his scary performance as Kevin Spacey, some are simply just the voice, but they still work because the performance is so well done.
Highlights include an acting class by Michael Caine, a hilariously short Al Pacino and and Marlon Brando as Jabba the Hutt. Life Guides spoof 70s TV instructional videos and include getting married, having a baby, fit and having an orgy. Sketches include James Bond living with his mum and releasing a standup DVD of all his one liners from the films.  Spoofs of adverts, including Kitchen Gun (A spoof on the Cillit Bang adverts. Bang and the dirt is gone!), Déjàvu Magazine, Dickens Fruit Corners (A Charles Dickens book with a jam corner), Déjàvu Magazine, news shows, Big Brother full of clones of the same person, O News, Déjàvu Magazine and a QVC spoof 'Buy It' telling people exactly how bad the items they are selling are or hosted by a Vampire.
Seventeen minutes of deleted scenes mostly from the acting masterclasses with Michael Caine's including a Don't Blink contest, Al Pacino reciting Shakespeare amongst others. Most of the stuff here can only have been cut because of time as it is certainly as good as what is kept in the episodes. The behind the scenes documentary is a little short and disappointing and it is bizarre that they would talk about the original pilot and yet not include it. The commentaries that accompany a few of the episodes (but not all) are fun, but not something you'll listen to more than once.
This is one of the main issues I have with The Peter Serafinowicz Show, it's good and I enjoyed a lot of the episodes, but it's not a show I would purposely watch again. I think the problem is that I can't figure out what the program wants to be, it's like one third sketch show like Monty Python, Big Train and so on and two thirds impressionist show like Rory Bremner. I'm not going to dispute that there are some wonderful moments throughout the series and the sight of Marlon Brando as Jabba the Hutt may be one of the funniest I have seen in a long time, but there's not much that would make me come back to watch again. But for those who want to see some good sketches mixed in with impressions and some spot on observations this is the show for you.