One of Steve Coogan's funniest characters, Tony Ferrino gave the actor another chance to shine. Not only can he really sing - his duet with Mick Hucknall, whom he addresses as 'Simply' was nearly fairly matched - his spoof of 1970s and 1980s European variety entertainers was priceless. Taking itself seriously and pretending to be one of many episodes in a series (the opposite was true, since the BBC only made two), Ferrino gave the sense of an entertainer who was misplaced in time. His original songs, as the earlier reviewer noted, were hilarious but actually quite well composed, while Ferrino's lines - 'I sing, I dance, I chitty-chat: all in all, I have the big package' - were suitably cheesy and funny at once.
I, too, found it unfair that this show was panned at the time - if only reviewers allowed themselves to let go for an hour into the Tony Ferrino Universe and enjoyed this show for what it was: a great variety number taking place in an alternative universe where Tony Ferrino was once, and in his mind, still is, king.
