Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10
Cast: Tim Key, Daisy May Cooper, Jessica Hynes, Daniel Rigby, Tuwaine Barrett, Michael Culkin, Dan Renton Skinner, Rosie Cavaliero, Dan Mersh, Vincent Franklin, Joplin Sibtain, Sharlene Whyte, Karl Theobald, Katy Wix, Julian Barratt, Reece Shearsmith, Justin Edwards, Ricky Tomlinson, Cariad Lloyd, Angus Wright.
If comedy is subjective and can rise and fall with whatever the fashion of the day dictates then at some point, we must expect almost every historical scenario to be discussed as potential for a sitcom, or at the least as backdrop and discussion in which to drive the genre forwards.
Not everything in history can serve the purpose of making people laugh and think, we would not accept the disgusting abhorrence of slavery, the sorrow of civil war, or the horror of a major calamity to draw humour from in any artistic medium, so do we the same when it comes to the history of one of the great injustices of British history, the damage created by the belief that a great swathe of women in the country, and in Europe and the fledgling colonies of North America, were witches, that they deserved to be put to the flame, ducked in water till they drowned, or stoned, and all in the name of religious bigotry, and for the most part ignorance, jealousy and suspicion.
It is a fine line that we tread in search of entertainment, and to be fair to the writers Neil and Rob Gibbons they stride the path carefully as they bring The Witchfinder to the television community in a six part series which gives freedom to Tim Key to finally strut his considerable stuff in a lead role, and with the likes Daisy May Cooper, the ever-reliable Jessica Hynes, and Daniel Rigby all adding a sense of the sublime to the proceedings.
Nothing is funny about repression and death meted out by those with power, but there is a giant sense of humorous retribution to find in pricking the sense of authority, chauvinistic value, and pomposity, and in The Witchfinder there is so much to enjoy that the truth of the series soon becomes apparent.
The Witchfinder is not looking for the scapegoat, its strength comes from showing the viewer that the authority of church and man is built upon fear and entitlement, that nothing has changed, and that the land itself had little to fear from those accused of the crime of witchcraft except for they might prove to be the progressive element that could overturn the hierarchy and the position coveted by narrow-minded and mentally resentful men.
The case in point comes in the final episode of the series where the tremendous Reece Shearsmith appears as the Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins, fussy, pompous, a preening prima donna who plays to the gallery; in this the series takes on the embryonic form that was provided perhaps by the first foray on screen of Blackadder, so too will Tim Kay and the fine cast find themselves, if time allows, to be taken forward, to provide a much needed home grown comedy that is not afraid to take chances, but also that will appeal to those who understand comedy is more than just a cheap laugh, or gruesome back slapping, almost painful undeserved swagger, it must be seen to burst the bubble of clumsy conceit.
An enjoyable first series, The Witchfinder is worth investigating.
Ian D. Hall