Angel and demon Aziraphale and Crowley continue to keep a watchful eye on the Antichrist (wrong child) while a witch and witch hunter join the fray.

After the first episode’s plot-heavy opener, we get some time away from the main duo to meet some of the secondary (for now) characters who will play an important role in this story. It was a wise move not to include them in Episode 1 as there’s a lot of people for us to get our heads round.

In an explosive (literally) flashback we witness Agnes Nutter, last real witch in England, going to the pyre courtesy of Witchfinder Pulsifer. Josie Lawrence returns to the role of Agnes after the Radio 4 adaptation, hiding gunpowder and nails up her skirt to ensure that her persecutors go up with her! Pulsifer is played by comedian Jack Whitehall, who we also meet as an underachieving wages clerk in the present day.

Pulsifer teams up with Witchfinder Sergeant Shadwell, a welcome Michael McKean (Better Call Saul) whose Scots accent I hope will eventually grow on me! And you can’t have a Witchfinder without a witch to find, the role being filled by Agnes Nutter’s descendant Anathema Device, a spirited performance by Adria Arjona (Pacific Rim: Uprising). Agnes Nutter’s book of prophecies is a vital text to prevent the end of the world, and Anathema is its custodian, but an unexpected collision with Crowley’s vintage roadster leads to it being lost.

Verdict: After a slam-bang opening, the pace eases a little to open up the story to new characters. Fun fantasy that’s beautifully British – can funtasy be a word? [No – Ed.] – the David Arnold title theme is an ear worm that will haunt you all day while Neil Gaiman’s witty asides will keep you chuckling. 8/10

Nick Joy