The multi-talented comedian had broken away from TV and the live circuit with box office triumphs There's Something About Mary and Mousehunt. So BBC bosses must have thought it was a dead cert when Lee Evans wanted to return to telly for a broad strokes sitcom in 2001. So What Now featured him as an accident-prone manchild, immediately drawing comparisons with Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, a view not entirely justified. Still, the frantic performer should have aced it with a succession of slapstick sequences. Unfortunately it wasn't a happy experience for the star, who found the corporation's attitude to his scripts disrespectful. That and ferrying out the laughs to fellow cast mates Sophie Thompson and Steven O'Donnell meant it wasn't the one man comedy machine people expected. One series was produced. It may have contributed to the wind going out of Evans' sails with future screen-based outings. A guest appearance in Doctor Who became his most notable role since, and from the movies only drama Freeze Frame drew much attention. Still, it was no skin off Evans' nose - he regularly packs out arenas with his explosive, sweat-drenched stand up routines.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
