# Toast of London (2013)

> An eccentric, washed-up actor spirals through the personal wreckage of his life while his showbiz career stalls around him.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/54756

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 18
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Matt Berry, Arthur Mathews
- Network: Channel 4
- Cast: Matt Berry, Robert Bathurst, Doon Mackichan, Harry Peacock, Tim Downie, Shazad Latif, Heida Reed, Cariad Lloyd
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2432604/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: deadpan, absurd, cringe-inducing, self-deprecating, irreverent

## What critics say

Acclaimed by audiences as a surreal, character-driven comedy whose third season stands out as its strongest work.

## Synopsis

Toast of London (2013-2015) is a British surreal sitcom created by Matt Berry and Arthur Mathews for Channel 4. Matt Berry plays Steven Toast, an eccentric middle-aged actor whose grand self-image is constantly undercut by a chequered past and a stalled career. Around him orbit his long-suffering agent Ed Howzer-Black (Robert Bathurst), the flamboyant Jane Plough (Doon Mackichan), and the fellow performer Clem Fandango (Shazad Latif). Each episode is built from the small humiliations of London showbiz, from recording studio sessions and voiceover jobs to bruising rivalries and awkward romantic entanglements, with Toast spending far more energy on his personal troubles than on the stage. The series runs three seasons across eighteen half-hour episodes, a self-contained comedy rather than one continuing saga. Its tone is deadpan, absurd and self-deprecating, with surreal detours that bend the sitcom frame. Fans of Extras, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and Peep Show will find the same cringe-tinged, character-driven humour.

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