--- title: "Toast of London: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/toast-of-london/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/toast-of-london" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Toast of London (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like Toast of London, and the praise gathers almost entirely around Matt Berry. Reviewers describe his Steven Toast, a pompous and failing actor, as the engine of the show, and note the pathos he finds under the egotism. The surreal humour is the other constant: the silly voices, the visual gags, the voiceover sessions and the running jokes that reward a second viewing. Those who follow it into the second series find it sillier and more assured, and two treat it as a cult sitcom that too few people have seen. The spread is wide but lopsided. The lone dissent comes from The Telegraph, which finds the opening episode starts promisingly and then tips into overblown surreality that stops being funny. Radio Times, though positive, has a milder version of the same worry, calling the humour scattergun at times. Everyone else lands between good and very good, with reservations about pitch rather than about the central performance. ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2015. The critic calls the second series of the stupendously silly and surreal sitcom even more demented than the first, fresh from its Rose d’Or win. It packs in riffs on The Exorcist and gives a backstory to the walking meme Clem Fandango. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/toast-london-review/) ## The Times — Andrew Billen Rating ★★★★☆. 19 November 2015. The critic praised Matt Berry as the egotistical actor Steven Toast, calling the surreal sitcom a delight that celebrates a certain type of Seventies thespian. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/tv-review-toast-of-london-peep-show-5hxktjdfkbk) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 October 2013. The critic praises the show's absurd humor and Matt Berry's performance as Steven Toast, calling the series a joyous lolathon that gets funnier throughout. They single out the creative puns, surreal situations like beak-keeping, and overall imaginative surreality for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/oct/21/toast-of-london-tv-review) ## Radio Times — Jack Seale Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2013. The critic praises Matt Berry's talent finally getting a full series showcase as the pompous actor Steven Toast. They highlight the show's absurd visual gags, silly voices, and surreal elements but note it can feel scattergun at times. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/that-week-on-tv-educating-yorkshire-c4-toast-of-london-c4/) ## The Independent — Fiona Sturges Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2012. The critic called the pilot promising, noting its absurdist tone with pedigree from the writers and Matt Berry's balance of egotism and pathos, highlighted by a terrific voiceover audition scene. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/last-night-s-viewing-toast-of-london-channel-4-our-war-bbc3-8063320.html) ## The Telegraph — Chris Harvey Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 2013. The critic was disappointed by the series premiere, finding it started promisingly but descended into overblown surreality that was not funny. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10389609/Toast-of-London-episode-one-Channel-4-review.html) ## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 October 2014. The piece positions Toast of London as an underrated gem and the funniest sitcom many have missed, highlighting its surreal humor, memorable characters, and Berry's lead performance in the vein of classic British sitcoms. It calls the show essential viewing for comedy fans ahead of series two. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a600283/the-best-tv-shows-you-might-have-missed-toast-of-london/) ## Den of Geek — Rob Smedley Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2014. The critic strongly recommends the series as it returns for a second season, praising its surreal absurdity, strong ensemble cast, and Berry's distinctive performance as the failing actor Steven Toast. The show improves with repeated viewing due to its running gags and cult appeal. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/toast-of-london-the-funniest-uk-sitcom-nobodys-watching/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/toast-of-london.md