Radio Times: Review by:; Jane Rackham

David Holmes runs a family business that’s one of the few industries to buck the current economic trend. Yet Holmes and Sons in Fleet, Hampshire, is almost dead and buried. If you haven’t guessed, they’re funeral directors. David’s young sons Olly and Toby are bored to death; David’s a soft touch (his nickname is Giveaway Dave), while colleague Sheena is sulkily and stubbornly resistant to change.

The meeting with a wedding planner to get ideas how to organise an event is nearly the final nail in the coffin for her. By the time you see how one son talks to actors posing as bereaved clients, you’ll be squirming behind a cushion.

About this programme

3/8. The entrepreneur gives advice to David Holmes, who is struggling to make a profit from the family-run funeral directors he set up in Hampshire five years ago and hopes to pass on to his two sons. Alex tries to help David avoid letting his ethics get in the way of improving the bottom line and encourages him to reinvent his business model. However, she finds that he and his office manager are resistant to change.