“★★★★★”

Mark Wareham, The Mail on Sunday 

“The comedian Greg Davies really is one of TV’s magnificent idiots. Series two of his sitcom Man Down ended last night at a wedding pulsing with oddball eccentricity… Was the late Rik Mayall, who played the mad dad in the first series, missed? Yes, of course. Without him, is this still one of the best new sitcoms of recent times? Yes, again.” ★★★★

Alex Hardy, The Times

GREG DAVIES returns to Channel 4 at 10PM on 13th July with a third series of his hit comedy about a childish idiot trapped in an adult’s life.  Joining this series of Man Down are theatrical behemoth and iconic 80’s movie bad-guy STEVEN BERKOFF (Beverly Hills Cop, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Octopussy), intergalactic star MARK HAMILL (Star Wars), comedian ISY SUTTIE (Peep Show) and legendary comic-actor SIR TONY ROBINSON (Blackadder).  This is alongside the established cast including: multi-award-winning actress, STEPHANIE COLE OBE (Open All Hours); 2010 Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer winner, ROISIN CONATY (Game Face); 2013 Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, MIKE WOZNIAK (Live At The Electric); GWYNETH POWELL (Grange Hill) and JEANY SPARK (Wallander).

We rejoin Dan (GREG DAVIES) at a crossroads in his life – he knows he can’t go on, he must do something.  The Head Teacher sees right through Dan’s incompetence in the classroom and, as such, he is facing a disciplinary and may lose the only thing he has left in life: his teaching job.  This is compounded by the terrifying Eastern European caretaker (STEVEN BERKOFF) who makes covering his mistakes even more complicated.  Should he ditch the teaching job he despises and follow his heart to a new adventure?   Meanwhile his always-kind mother has a new man on the scene, Deadalus “Everyone calls me Daddy” (SIR TONY ROBINSON) who is most certainly up to no good, but Dan just can’t prove it.  If he’s looking for support from his two friends he won’t have much luck, as Jo (ROISIN CONATY) is still happily chasing one obviously-doomed, not to mention completely harebrained project after another, whilst straight-laced Brian (MIKE WOZNIAK), increasingly frustrated by his idiot friends, is also coming to terms with life as a single man.  Still around to offer a firm guiding hand, as well as regularly putting the cat amongst the pigeons, is Aunt Nesta (STEPHANIE COLE OBE)… but will this be enough to ease Dan onto the right path and help him avoid complete humiliation?  Probably not, no.

GREG DAVIES is also known as an acclaimed stand-up comedian, Mr Gilbert in the hit TV series and films The Inbetweeners, and as the BAFTA-nominated star of Cuckoo.  Man Down will return to Channel 4 in week 28.

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What the press said about Man Down series two:

“We’ve waited a while for Greg Davies’s beautifully tasteless sitcom about a middle-aged loser to come back for a second series, but it’s worth the wait.  His hero Dan is a brilliant creation, a towering oaf whose self-delusion and gift for setting off minor disasters remind you of the greats – the Fawltys and the Brents”

David Butcher, Radio Times 

“He may have been sadly unavailable for this second series, but I guarantee Rik Mayall will be smiling up in heaven at the way Greg Davies is keeping his spirit alive”

Ian Hyland, The Daily Mirror

“If, like me, you’re a man of a certain age (above 23 and can’t code), Man Down is hilarious but deeply uncomfortable viewing…Man Down is very funny – Davies is a brilliant comedian”

Benji Wilson, The Daily Telegraph

“Greg Davies continues to excel as a teacher driven by cynicism”

John Robinson, The Guardian (The Guide)

For further information contact: Dan Lloyd at Avalon on 020 7598 7222 / [email protected]

NOTES TO EDITORS

Avalon Television are currently in production with: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO), Not Going Out (BBC One), Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central (BBC Two), Catastrophe (Channel 4), Adam DeVine’s House Party (Comedy Central USA), Taskmaster (UKTV) and Workaholics (Comedy Central USA).

Man Down is an Avalon Television production commissioned by PHIL CLARKE, C4’s Head of Comedy. The series is produced by TOBY WELCH (Skins), directed by AL CAMPBELL (Bad Education), while the Executive Producers are JAMES TAYLOR, RICHARD ALLEN-TURNER, and JON THODAY

Other critical praise for series 2 of Man Down

“Man Down is back.  Thank goodness for that… it’s more frenetic this series, and maybe even funnier as the outsized child in a suit tries to find love and cope with his two idiot friends… It’s back – and it’s on song.”

Ben Dowell, Radio Times 

“We’ve missed this well-written, sharp comedy, and the visual gags are a treat” ★★★★

TV Times 

“Rik Mayall is still much missed, but even without the late, great comedian as a dangerously unpredictable retiree, Greg Davies’ sitcom is as consistently funny and fresh as any recent British TV show” ★★★★

Mark Wareham, The Mail on Sunday, Event

“Raises plenty of outrageous laughs” ★★★★

Nigel Andrews, Daily Mail, Weekend 

“Brilliantly bonkers comedy…cringe-worthy and hilarious”

Nadia Brooks, The Sun, TV Mag

“The death of Rik Mayall was a huge loss to comedy – and especially to Man Down… So could the series survive without him? The answer is a resounding yes.  In fact, it’s possibly even better… it’s a masterclass in sitcom construction. All things considered, this is a sterling return for one of Channel 4’s best new comedies.”

Steve Bennett, Chortle

“Greg Davies is back with another run of his wonderfully silly sitcom”

Scotland on Sunday 

“truly hilarious”

Mike Bradley, The Observer 

★★★★

Boyd Hilton, Heat

“very funny”

Ellen E Jones, The Independent

“still one of TV’s most raucously, naturally funny comedies”

Jack Seale, Radio Times 

“Greg Davies’s strongly cast comedy is good fun”

Daily Mail

“The second series of Greg Davies’s crude, clever comedy continues to deliver, despite the sizeable hole left by Rik Mayall”

Hannah J. Davies, The Guardian (The Guide)