I had not really seen the star and writer of TV Burp do any acting, only in his self-titled movie, which was not very good, but at Christmas time I saw the advert for this TV made film based on the popular children's books, and I was looking forward to seeing how it would be. Basically in the town of Great Pagwell, Professor Branestawm (Harry Hill) is a most eccentric and absent-minded inventor always working in his "Inventory", many of his bizarre inventions often either malfunction or work in unexpected ways, his friends and allies are Colonel Dedshott (Simon Day) of the Catapult Cavaliers, and his housekeeper Mrs. Flittersnoop (Vicki Pepperdine). He is a man of simple tastes with a shiny bald head and five pairs of spectacles – one for reading, one for writing, one for out of doors, one for looking at you over the top of and a fifth pair for looking for the others on the frequent occasions when they get lost, and he makes a new friend and apprentice in schoolgirl Connie (Madeline Holliday). Professor Branestawm is however thought of as a menace to the peace and wellbeing of the town, especially by officious local councillor Harold Haggerstone (David Mitchell) who questions the legality of his experimenting and inventing, and businessman Mr. Bullimore (Ben Miller) who wants to destroy his workshop and build a giant munitions factory, right in the middle of town. Professor Branestawm and Connie, while continuing to invent new-fangled creations, with some of them causing chaos to the townspeople, try to find a way to prove he is permitted to remain in Great Pagwell, with a signed deed to appeal to Haggerstone and The Mayor (Charlie Higson, also writing), in the end, with the appearance of invented liquid that brings photographs to life and a mad robotic father figure in the scene, the permission is approved. Also starring Miranda Richardson as Miss Blitherington, Sophie Thompson as Aggie and Adrian Scarborough as The Vicar. Hill being naturally bonkers is a great choice for the leading character, the supporting stars like Day, Mitchell and Miller do well in their parts also, filled with some special effects and magical events, strange things going and created and plenty of slapstick and oddball jokes this is something all the family can relax in front of, a fun comedy fantasy. Worth watching!

I enjoyed this. A good watch; entertaining and light. Harry Hill and the rest of the cast play up to the paradigms of their characters to good effect. Nothing much new or ground breaking but what is there is good and enjoyable. Best for kids who like to giggle at slapstick humor along with their grandparents. It has been shown lots recently on CBBC and that's the right place for this. I'd like to see more of these made as there is plenty of room to expand these characters and I would also like to see more of Harry Hill, David Mitchel and the rest of the cast in comedic character roles. So if you like to have a giggle on switch of for an hour or so watch this.If you want challenging sharp witty comedy, don't.

Not a laugh. Not a titter. BBC on low quality, high political correctness. Pity because the actors are good and Harry Hill really looks the part.Things that irked:1) The major feminist theme about allowing girls to be taught science. Yawn. 2) The racially 'balanced' cast in a period piece. Yawn. 3) The acceptability of a wife punching and knocking out her husband. What!? Try reversing the roles and getting away with it. 4) The rubbish inventions. A man with a pillow over his head pretending to be a robot?Watched it with my 3 kids. High expectations. Not one laugh. In fact the programme almost emptied our living room. BBC is so busy being PC it has lost all sense of creativity.

Professor Branestawm is based on a character created by author Norman Hunter in the 1930s who wrote a series of books featuring him over the years. As I knew little of Professor Branestawm I thought the infamous Leeds footballer of the 1970s, Norman 'bites yer legs' Hunter had carved another career post-retirement!Branestawm is what might be termed the original absent minded professor, whose strange inventions tend to go disastrously wrong. His housekeeper Mrs Flittersnoop and his dim but loyal comrade Colonel Dedshott are usually on hand to come to his rescue.Some of the local dignitaries have had enough of the zany Professor and one of the rogue Councillor's is in cahoots with a bullyboy corporate mogul who wants to build a munitions factory in the village and destroy its way of life and get shot of the professor at the same time.Its up to a school girl Connie already fed up with her teacher at school who is hell bent on holding girls back from learning science to stop the bully boys from pulling the plug on the Professor and his contraptions.Harry Hill takes the starring role as the very bespectacled Professor Branestawm who fits well with the zaniness as well as being the social outsider, finding hard to communicate with people but for his few friends.The film is certainly charming, its adapted by comedy actor and noted author Charlie Higson who also appears in the film. However it felt a little too aimed at the kids rather than a family audience and it also felt rather cumbersome with its humour. Still I would like to see more of the televised adventures featuring the Professor.