Surely, a brand new sitcom co-written and starring Stephen Mangan, had to be good hadn’t it?  Add to this, it also featuring the always utterly brilliant Katherine Parkinson, as well as the legendary actors Richard E. Grant and Charles Dance, and this had all the TV ingredients to be a sure fire hit hadn’t it?

With such a great cast and great writing(co-written also by Robert Delamere), this first episode of Hang Ups was indeed a successful triumph.  Although adapted from the American series Web Therapy, it had an original fresh feel to it and most important of all in this sitcom genre, it was funny.  It was not vulgar and nor did it try too hard to be funny either.

You know you’ve really enjoyed a programme when you’re regretful of the ending credits coming up so soon.  Without the adverts, the duration of this show was only twenty-three minutes long so again this was testament to the brilliant witty writing and on point editing.

Stephan Mangan stars as Dr Richard Pitt, who is a troubled therapist due to his last practice failing.  Therefore, this first episode saw him launch his new business venture, which was therapy over the web.  The problem being though that he leads a chaotic life, what with teenage kids to look after, a career go-getting wife(Katherine Parkinson) and a strict father(Charles Dance as Jeremy Pitt), who continues to treat Richard like an infant.

Richard’s one and only solace is speaking to his own therapist Leonard Conrad(Richard E. Grant).  Except that Leonard, rather amusingly,  seems a little unique should we say in his own therapeutic advice to Richard, e.g he suggested that Richard cup one of his testicles in one of his hands the next time he speaks to his father.

Actress Katherine Parkinson, seems to be fantastic in everything that she does right now.   Here as Karen Muller(Richard’s wife), she was once again magnificent.  The ensemble of the cast is what made this show so good.   Each different funny character complimented the next one beautifully.  Alice Lowe as Celia Cain, Richard’s clinical supervisor, was very amusing.  As was the menacing but funny performance given by Steve Oram.  Steve plays furious Neil Quinn, a man that Richard owes some money to.

A great a first episode and it’s so good to have a new funny sitcom on terrestrial television once again. 4/5.