Review of Professor Branestawm Returns

The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm, based on the popular children's books, was a good acting platform for the star of TV Burp, this sequel, also broadcast at Christmas, would hopefully be good as well. Basically in the town of Great Pagwell, before passing away Lady Pagwell (Dame Diana Rigg) leaves a fun, in memory of her late husband, to fund new inventions. As the only inventor in town Professor Branestawm (Harry Hill) is the obvious recipient, he is having financial troubles and could do with any money to help pay the bills. However the Professor's nasty opponents Harold Haggerstone (David Mitchell) and Miss Silt (Doreen Ingleton) create a competition, to find other inventors and display their new inventions, to divert the cash elsewhere. Three competitors are borough into town, but Professor Awfulshirt (Matt Berry) and Mary Oxford (Rosie Cavaliero) disappear, and Professor Algebrain (Steve Pemberton) becomes Haggerstone and Silt's best chance to get the better of Professor Branestawm. Algebrain lodges with Branestawm's good friend and budding inventor Connie (Madeline Holliday) and her mother Aggie (Sophie Thompson), he decides to steal one of Branestawm's creations, electric clairvoyant glasses that can see five seconds into the future, and pass it off as his own to win the competition. In the end Professor Algebrain is defeated, the Mayor (Charlie Higson) awards Connie as the competition winner with her invention, a "tablet", and she gives the winnings to Professor Branestawm to stop his eviction. Also starring Simon Day as Colonel Dedshott and Adrian Scarborough as Vicar. Hill again is a good choice for the highly bonkers and eccentric inventor, supporting cast members Day, Mitchell and Pemberton do well also, the special effects and magic is good, the slapstick and oddball jokes are fine, and overall it is just childish stuff the whole family will like, a fun comedy fantasy. Worth watching!