DVD review by Steve Bennett

Mock The Week seems to be on such constant rotation on Dave that buying a DVD would seem redundant – there’s hardly a time of day that it’s not on, it would seem.

That, presumably, is why the show’s Christmas release is a ‘Too Hot For TV’ collection of material that was too risqué to air. Actual shows come as extras, with the offcuts the main attraction.

Anything billed as ‘unbroadcastable’ should, of course, be approached with care; taste and decency aren’t the only reason material doesn’t make it to air. But, thankfully, with the recording of each episode lasting up to three hours, there are plenty of leftovers for the DVD, so there’s not too much on this compilation that didn’t make the cut on quality grounds.

With Frankie Boyle the inevitable ringleader, there’s plenty of risqué material here. And because of the fiercely competitive atmosphere that’s nurtured on Mock The Week more than any other panel show, once one comic starts a gag, the natural instinct of the others is to top it. Especially when producers have told them to steer clear.

So all the other regulars – and quite a few of the guests – get a look-in, with even Dara O Briain, usually that genial voice of authority, joining in with the sometimes frutally funny mischief. How there was anything of the episode when all seven people round the table became obsessed with ‘anal lube’ is a mystery.

An extended episode of that show, with much of that exorcised material reinstated, is one of the three included as one of the extras, alongside ‘the leg show; and ‘the hedgehog show’.

In short, there’s enough new material here to satisfy even die-hard fans, with very little filler. Only the failed snippets when O Briain records ‘trails’ promoting upcoming episodes feel like they haven’t earned their place among the prime material.

Main feature: 52 minutes
Extras: Three extended episodes, totalling 132 mins
Released by: Spirit Entertainment, November 9
Price: £19.99. Click here to buy from Amazon for £11.98

Published: 23 Dec 2009