Step inside the strange and happy world of the Cowards - a brand new sketch series from Tom Basden, Stefan Golaszewski, Tim Key and Lloyd Woolf. Subjects for sketches include elephants, James Bond, ninjas, skipping songs, trolls, wishing wells and holding hands...

In the Cowards skewed world, a teacher falls in love with a mouse, and Little John, and Friar Tuck accuse Robin Hood of hooliganism. A monk breaks into a three-year vow of silence. But what question is he so desperate to ask?

Some charity workers try to work out which of them has special needs. A man needs a new light bulb for his lighthouse, and there's an argument about whether Trigger and Boycey were played by the same actor. Mum and Auntie Pat come along to a job interview, a guinea pig asks for a fiver to go bowling again and nudists go swinging with Luther's privates.

To be honest, this CD collection was not really my cup of tea. The gags are very hit and miss and a lot of them felt like they needed a lot more polish - as if they were just rough ideas that needed fleshing out a little more to work.

I did laugh at some of the sketches, but not enough to warrant me seriously recommending this as a must buy. Highlights included the guy who thinks he's been asked to be Tim Henman's best man; the two office jokers who keep popping up; the Everest climber who's lost his daughter - even though she was on his shoulders when they set out; a dispute on whether it's better to roll or fold clothes before putting them in a suitcase; Rice Krispies 's Snap, Crackle and Pop arguing - Crackle wants to change his name to Chris Horn and live a more exciting life; a discussion on a kid's TV series, which no one can remember, called The Blumps; preparing for Mad Betty's visit; the man who uses a bicycle bell to communicate; and too many people being invited for dinner.

While this collection will raise a smile, I seriously doubt you'll want to listen to this collection more than once.

3

Darren Rea