Two women who debuted as Britain’s first prime-time female double act for 25 years have received a mixed critical reception to their first show.

Lorna Watson and Ingrid Oliver, hailed as the next French and Saunders, met at Tiffin Girls’ School in Richmond Road, Kingston, where they performed sketches as teenagers.

They were spotted by the BBC’s head of comedy Mark Freeland at the Edinburgh Festival five years ago, and launched their sketch show Watson and Oliver on BBC Two on Monday, February 20.

The first 30-minute programme of the six-show series saw the 34-year-olds kissing guest star John Barrowman, of Torchwood fame, who one reviewer complained was allowed to steal the show.

Jane Simon, of the Daily Mirror, wrote: “There’s nothing in the first outing for their new sketch show to dislike, but nothing that really stakes out new comedy ground for female comedians in the way that Catherine Tate did.”

In the Guardian, Clare Considine said: “The Beeb’s new comedy signing is about as edgy as Lorraine Kelly’s guide to budget family dinners.

“There’s more than a whiff of nostalgia in Watson and Oliver’s debut, and if you long for the cheekily innocent days of French and Saunders, Watson and Oliver looks set to satisfy that itch.”

Watson and Oliver is shown on BBC Two at 10pm on Mondays.