Everyone Else Burns

The jokes come thick and fast, and though Rachel may be having a pretty miserable time, the viewer won’t.

Easily the fall’s best original scripted series.

There is a certain sort of downbeat, naturalistic, kitchen-sink comedy that the British do well and whose tone no American equivalent has ever quite captured, or perhaps tried to. .... I will enjoy these six borrowed episodes to the utmost, and suggest that you do too.

It might not set the world on fire, but Everyone Else Burns – which takes on organised religion with light mockery rather than savage skewering – has plenty of warmth.

While some aspects of Everyone Else Burns might get repetitive in a hurry, there is more than enough stories revolving around the Lewises trying to live in the world while prepping for Doomsday to make for a pretty funny show with well-rounded characters.

In this second series, the subject matter becomes a bit more uncomfortable as a source of comedy. .... Still, much of the script is deftly written, with a high gag count.

A few unresolved plot threads and a lack of comeuppance for deserving characters suggest that the writers are holding out for a second season, but it's hard not to wish for some resolution when such a thing is no guarantee. It makes for a sitcom that is enjoyable enough in the moment but all too easy to shrug off, which is not what you'd expect from a premise with potential to be so provocative.