Soap spin-off is a lot of laughs

I'm not generally a fan of soap spin-offs, mainly because they tend to be watered-down, cheapish-looking and painfully corny.

Paddy And Marlon’s Big Night In is the second Emmerdale feature-length DVD, the first one being The Dingles For Richer Or Poorer, which I hated.

Since I have a soft spot for Emmerdale’s likely lads, Paddy and Marlon, I had higher hopes for their adventure, described as a “not-so-quiet night in the country and a morning after anybody would want to forget”.

Dominic Brunt and Mark Charnock, who play bumbling vet Paddy and hapless chef Marlon, are both fine comic actors and are long overdue a British Soap Award recognising their talents as a duo.

Of all the characters in Emmerdale, they’re the ones I felt could carry a spin-off comedy vehicle and make it work. And, with a laugh-out-loud showcase of impressive physical comedy that raced along to Paul Roundell’s cracking script, they didn’t disappoint.

Big Night In opens with both Paddy and girlfriend Rhona getting ready for a night out – the problem is, they each think the other is staying in to look after baby Leo.

Once the rather wobbly opening scenes are out of the way and Rhona has gone off clubbing with the girls, leaving hen-pecked Paddy and Marlon holding the baby, the fun starts. With Rhona’s rules ringing in their ears – no X-box, no alcohol and no going out – the boys inevitably end up breaking all of them. What starts off as a quiet pint in the Woolpack, with baby Leo sleeping beside them in his pram, transcends into a riotous romp through a tacky nightclub, a golf buggy car chase and the mother of all house parties.

Of course, a suspension of disbelief is required – why would two grown men find it such a challenge to look after a baby they’re supposed to be co-parenting? – but overall I enjoyed it.

With echoes of US comedy The Hangover, Chandler from Friends and even Laurel and Hardy, the pair descend into farcical panic after waking up chained to a radiator, Marlon dressed in a Lycra one-piece and Paddy in a police uniform, blonde wig and snorkel.

Gradually, details of the night before seep through. Without giving too much away, the lads manage to piece together fragments of an eventful 12 hours involving a male stripper, a giant inflatable gorilla and a 10ft boa constrictor. Their moment on the dance floor – two deadpan middle-aged blokes executing perfectly-synchronised hip-hop – is a gem.

It’s all very silly, and I saw the rather predictable twist coming, but it’s a fun, Men Behaving Badly-style outing for Marlon and Paddy, allowing talented Charnock and Brunt to push the comedy further than usual.

With appearances from a handful of Emmerdale regulars, including Bradford actress Natalie Anderson delivering a nice comic turn as ditzy Alicia, this is just the ticket for a rib-tickling night in.