A Frank look at Russia

The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio

The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.

Sunday June 3

FRANKIE GOES TO RUSSIA: Frankie Boyle travels to Russia in the run-up to the 2018 football World Cup, with the tournament about to kick off against a backdrop of spy poisoning, alleged state-sponsored doping, threats of hooliganism and perhaps the worst relations between Russia and the West since the Cold War. In the two-part series he’ll look at the PR effort involved in giving Russia a friendly face, meet sabre-wielding Cossacks who will be providing stadium security, and watch both the re-election of Vladimir Putin and the breaking news that Sergei and Yulia Skripal has been poisoned in Salisbury from among the Russian people.BBC Two, 9pm

Tuesday June 5

PHIL ELLIS IS TRYING: This new Radio 4 comedy from the stand-up behind Funz And Gamez co-stars Johnny Vegas, Lolly Adefope, Katia Kvinge and Terry Mynott. Phil is trying to keep his entertainments business afloat, to get over his divorce from Leanne and to be a better person. But it’s a struggle, and he’s behind on the payments to his landlord Johnny, who owns the celebrity memorabilia shop below. Luckily, Phil's assistant Lolly has found one more kids' party which could cover the bills… Radio 4, 11pm

FRESH OFF THE BOAT Comedy Central has brought the rights to this family-based US sitcom, loosely inspired by the life of celebrity chef Eddie Huang as an immigrant in suburban Orlando in the mid-1990s. We’re some way behind the States, where this show first launched on ABC in 2013, becoming the first primetime sitcom starring an Asian-American since Margaret Cho's All American Girl in 1994. It kicks off with a double bill. Comedy Central, 8pm