The Witchfinder is a new BBC comedy starring This Country's Daisy May Cooper and Alan Partridge sidekick Tim Key, and so far viewers are impressed with how well the duo work together.
In the first episode of The Witchfinder, we were introduced to failing Tim Key's Norfolk witchfinder Gideon Bannister and Daisy May Cooper's Thomasine Gooch, an unmarried woman who is accused of witchcraft.
The series is set in the mid-17th century which was a turbulent time as they were dealing with civil war and plagues, and it was also a time when witch trials were rife and women who didn't fit into society were accused of practicing witchcraft.
But The Witchfinder deals with the topic in a darkly comic way, as we see Thomasine taken to court in Chelmsford to try and convince people that she's innocent and not a witch, she's just not behaving how a typical woman would!.
In her case, she's unmarried, likes drinking a lot and frequently gets into arm wrestling matches and scuffles, so she's very much not of her time!
Following episode 1, viewers are enjoying the way Tim and Daisy bounce off each other and despite some reservations, people are liking the lead casting and the way their comedy style compliments each other.
LOVED #TheWitchfinder episode 1. What an unbelievably fantastic comedy assemble. Tim Key, D.M.Cooper and Daniel Rigby are all brilliant as usual and and Jessica Hynes was WOOOAH what a surprise.March 8, 2022
tim & daisy worked well together. and it is great to see tim getting a main role in something again as he is funny #TheWitchfinderMarch 8, 2022
Ep1 of #TheWitchfinder felt like it was finding its feet a bit. Really enjoyed how Daisy May Cooper and Tim Key played off each other, so I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. Cast is phenomenal!March 8, 2022
Thank the Lord! #TheWitchfinder available in all it’s entire series glory on @BBCiPlayer An utter gem, @timkeyperson and Daisy May Cooper are fabulous and Jessica Hynes is a joy. Ruddy marvellous!March 8, 2022
Need more episodes before making my mind up about #TheWitchfinder. It definitely worked best when Tim Key and Daisy May Cooper played off each other, and that’s now set up to happen more often. Felt weird watching it after a day of constant IWD posts though!March 8, 2022
In an interview with What to Watch, Daisy May Cooper spoke a bit about her character. She told us: "Thomasine is sort of street smart but a bit thick and because she’s so different because she likes to drink, arm wrestle in the tavern and do all the stuff that I kind of do myself, people think that she might be a witch because she’s not behaving how I suppose women should be behaving."
She added: "So she gets taken by the witchfinder to court in Chelmsford. And it’s a bit like Planes, Trains and Automobiles but with a witch and a witchfinder!"
The Witchfinder also has some great cameo appearances along the way from the likes of Inside No 9's Reece Shearsmith, The Mighty Boosh's Julian Barratt, and Landscapers' Daniel Rigby. So we might have even more legendary pairings to come!
The series continues on BBC1, with episodes also available on BBC iPlayer for those wanting to watch on-demand. For full listings — see our TV Guide.
