The comedy week ahead

The comedy week ahead

Today

TV: The Christmas special of Hebburn, Jason Cook’s affectionate sitcom starring Chris Ramsey, Kimberley Nixon, Gina McKee and Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves)should put you in a festive mood. BBC Two, 10.30pm.

TV: Limmy’s Show comes to an end with a comparatively mainstream offering, with festive c omedy sketches, written by and starring Brian Limond. BBC Two Scotland (and iPlayer for the rest of Britain) 10pm.

Monday December 23

RADIO: Robin Cooper - the alter-ego of comedy polymath Robert Popper and prank call maestro - hosts Radio 4 Extra’s Comedy Club strand of vintage programmes from 10am to noon every day this week.

Christmas Eve

RADIO: The 15-minute musical team, including Pippa Evans, Richie Webb and Dave Lamb, present a festive edition, A Christmas Cowell.Radio 4, 6.15pm

RADIO: Al Murray celebrates Christmas on 5 Live with Andy Zaltzman, Tiffany Stevenson and Kevin Day in a festive version of 7 Day Saturday. Radio 5 Live, 7pm

TV: It’s IT Crowd night on Channel 4, starting with a repeat of the hour-long final episode at 9pm, then a behind-the-scenes documentary at 10pm, then two classic episodes.

TV: Mel Smith: I've Sort Of Done Things. A tribute to the comedy star who died this year at the age of 60 in which his his friends, colleagues and admirers, including Griff Rhys Jones, John Lloyd, Richard Curtis and many others, talk about his talents. The show also features exclusive home video footage, rare archive and classic sketches. BBC Two, 9.45pm

LIVE IN LONDON: It’s a traditional Jewish Christmas Eve show at the Hampstead Comedy Club (now confusingly in Camden - the Camden Head pub to be precise). The line-up is Lewis Schaffer, Mark Maier, Sol Bernstein and MC Ivor Dembina.

Christmas Day

TV: Greg Davies et al return for a Christmas special of the brilliantly twisted Man Down, surely the best new sitcom of the year. Channel 4, 10.35pm

Boxing Day

TV: 28 years after the broadcast of the last episode of Roy Clarke’s sitcom Open All Hours, comes the revival Still Open All Hours. David Jason heads the cast as Granville, who has inherited the corner shop from his Uncle Arkwright. Will this new episode revive fond memories… or ruin them forever? BBC One, 7.45pm

TV: Channel 4’s Big Fat Quiz Of The Year airs from 9pm, again hosted by Jimmy Carr. This year’s teams are Jack Whitehall with Jonathan Ross, Dara O Briain with Kristen Schaal, and Noel Fielding with Richard Ayoade.

TV: Sightseers, the comedy serial-killer film written by and starring Alice Lowe and Steve Oram and directed by Ben Wheatley receives its TV premiere on Film 4 at 9pm. Click here for our review.

Friday December 27

LIVE IN BRIGHTON: Treason Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2002 at Chortle.co.uk">The Treason Show begins its run of shows based on 2013’s biggest news stories. At the Brighton Dome until New Year’s Eve.

LIVE IN LONDON: We make this the fifth time Luisa Omelian has brought her show What Would Beyoncé Do to the Soho Theatre… not bad for something that started as a free Edinburgh Show. A perfect run-up to New Year’s Eve for all the single ladies… though it actually runs 'til January 11.

Published: 22 Dec 2013