Review by Steve Bennett

For the follow-up to their accomplished 2004 debut, this talented sketch group have tried to give form to their previously unrelated skits.

As such, the premise this year is that the quintet are running a conspiracy theory investigation service from the heart of Bracknell. But forget any notions of the X-Files, this lot are a post-millennial Goodies taking on whatever job they land.

As such, they are despatched on various unlikely missions; whether it be uncovering evidence that the moon landings were faked, investigating crop circles or confronting an evil German genius hell-bent on cloning Jesus from DNA extracted from the Turin Shroud.

The more rigid format doesn’t really do them any favours; some of the broad ideas they start from are rather ordinary, and the script can be quite sluggish in advancing what might loosely be described as the plot.

Yet within these sketches are some moments of inspired brilliance. The team have an acutely developed sense of the absurd, which is realised in asides from the contrived main plot, and some lines sparkle with imaginative wit, even if not quite as many as you’d like.

It is as stylishly executed as before, atmospherically staged with the minimum of effects, simply relying on the performers’ talents to create the mood. And some of the characters they create are impressive, mainly through the recognition of stereotypes such as the growling Bob Hoskins Cockney, the Colombo-style private dick or the squabbling space aliens.

They take a few risks – halting a sketch midway through for an odd diversion about milk, or recreating Princess Diana’s death, this time as farce.  These are the best moments,  and are sketches that could easily stand alone, away from the conceit of the rest of the show.

More structure is often welcomed, but here it seems to have limited the team’s imaginations, even if there is still plenty of fun to be had with their hour.

Review date: 1 Jan 2005
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett