The series starred and written by David Walliams, Catherine Tate, Peter Kay, Omid Djalili, Mackenzie Crook, Marcus Brigstocke and more up-and-coming comedians, most of whom went on to successful careers.

[3][4] Despite the impressive array of future successful comedy stars, the show was not a ratings hit.

In the Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy (1998), critic Mark Lewisohn said, "the ideas with good potential were buried under a mountain of mediocrity... the show's clash of styles, pacing and mood worked heavily against them".

[5] However, he cited Marcus Brigstocke's psychotic airline pilot and David Walliams's insane royal watcher as standout characters.

[3] Brian Donaldson of The List described the show as "something of a mixed bag" and noted that "there's a healthy amount of decent moments".