TV review: The Mimic

They are safe, predictable and staid and, unless you go back to Mike Yarwood in his 1970s heyday, never manage to make it to a prime time slot on TV.

Terry Mynott is among them. Along with Morgana Robinson he brought us his own take on the stars in Very Important People which aired on Channel 4 last year.

It wasn't the biggest TV hit, and although his talents as an impressionist are immediately obvious, you've probably never heard of him.

But now it seems he has found a new platform to showcase his skills by way of Channel 4's latest offering, The Mimic, which had its first airing last night.

Billed as 'a heart-warming comedy series' it focuses on the fortunes of Martin Hurdle, an unremarkable maintenance man who has a remarkable ability to mimic the voices of the stars.

We are introduced to Martin as he sits in a traffic jam on his way to work and, thinking we are listening to the radio, we hear Terry Wogan announcing: "It's on mornings like this that I wish I was back in Phuket bouncing a lady boy on each knee."

We quickly realise that it isn't Wogan we are hearing, but the voice of Martin, who has the radio star off to a tee.

During the show nothing much happens by way of action. The episode centres around Martin undertaking a DNA test to see if he is he father of an 18-year-old son called Steven. Oh, and mimicking his boss over the tannoy at work after his attempts at asking for a promotion fail and he is offered a consolation prize of a new jacket instead.

It's not the most gripping storyline and the whole show has a gentle, relaxed and low key air about it, but as Mynott/Martin launches into a quick succession of accurate, witty and instantly recognisable impressions, it is hard not to find yourself engrossed.

After starting with Wogan, he works his way through a whole host of big names – Dale Winton, Alan Carr, an excellent Morgan Freeman, Gok Wan, Al Pacino and Owen Wilson, among others, and leaves us wondering who on earth he is going to come up with for the rest of the series.

Aside from the impressions, at the heart of this show's appeal are the main characters, Martin, who has us hooked from the off with his talent and his understated approach to life, and his best friend Jean, played with wit and warmth by Jo Hartley. As long as the impressions keep coming thick and fast, this show could well become a favourite. I will definitely be tuning in next week so see what he comes up with.

TV impressionists should take note.

If the sketch show format is doing nothing for your career, a series on Channel 4 might just do the trick.

Sally-Anne Youll