Homepage News Reviews - Acts - Shows - Screen - Radio - Books - Clubs Interviews Awards 2006 Edinburgh 2005 - Reviews - Blog - Previews Features Archive Awards 2005 Edinburgh 2004: - Previews - Shows - Diary Guestbook Forum © Emporium Of Mirth 2004 Editor: Lauren Murphy Reporters: Fiona Wilkie Natalie Joanne	Emporium of Mirth Shane Richard Herring was originally going to write this ITV sitcom, but Frank Skinner turned him down to do his own writing. There’s your first mistake, Frank. Shane is a worse than poor sitcom starring Skinner, about a man who leads a boring, predictable and directionless life; a perfect mirror for the script, in fact. We’ve had enough of comedy series about dysfunctional families, we don’t need another one, particularly one as unfunny as this. The jokes rely mostly on an ITV audience’s hilarity over the mere mention of sex, and the script often wanders into the realm of the distasteful, with sexism and homophobia evident in the first fifteen minutes. Even the so-called plot of the first episode is stolen from American Beauty (although this is referenced, presumably in some sort of attempt at irony). A surprising stand-out name in the cast is David Schneider (The Day Today, Knowing Me Knowing You). Either he didn’t read the script or was just desperate. Indeed, he delivers the only-surprising-attempt at satire (“I’ve been conned by an American.” “At least she didn’t convince you to invade Iraq”). Basically, the only good thing I can think to say about this show is that the acting of Shane’s son, Lenny, is of a very high standard. It’s an interesting case of a twelve-year-old doing the best with the material he’s got. If you can bear to watch it, Shane is on Wednesdays, 10pm, ITV. Reviewed by Nat RSS  Printable version	Visit our Siamese Twin Sister Site!