Hitmen

"Hitmen" won't change the way you look at the pair, for better or worse . . . which means that if you weren't Mel and Sue fans before, this show isn't going to change that – but neither will it turn off their constituency. But it might broaden the scope of how we see two women typically cast as hosts, who deserve their shot at being something heavier and a bit more sinister – but sugary nevertheless.

It’s amusing alone to see them [Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins] here as neurotic daytime killers, even if their comic scenarios here can be big misses or big hits. Thanks to their always reliable chemistry, “Hitmen” is funny enough with its dark comedy that makes for equally light viewing.

The broad humor, largely of the restless-middle-age variety, often takes place while the hit women sit in their van with a trussed-up victim, waiting for instructions from their unseen employer, Mr. K. Much of the fun comes from the actors playing the testy, garrulous targets.

The series isn’t great, but it’s just fine. It coasts entirely on the charm of these two [Mel Gierdroyc and Sue Perkins], and whether or not you are watching specifically for them.

The pieces are there for a really fun dark comedy. But things just may need time to come together.

In GBBO terms, there's nothing resembling a showstopper here, but it's perfectly proficient as a technical challenge. ... Most of the time, though, it's a three-person show, which means episodes largely succeed or fail depending on the guest actor of the week's chemistry with Giedroyc and Perkins.

Hitmen may be just a bit too woolly and broadbrush to make a hit in the grander scheme of things. But it finds its target often enough to be more than worth your while.

The humor is darker than a witch's heart, most of it consisting of pranks played on people who are about to have their brains blown out.