All-female Cats Do Countdown and the rest of the week's TV and radio comedy

The week’s best comedy on TV and radio.

Sunday July 8

THE MISADVENTURES OF Romesh Ranganathan: In episode two of his off-the-beaten-track travel series, the comic travels to Ethiopia to find out whether it’s really the food-starved dust bowl that the media portrays. He visits ancient rock churches, scientific oddities, Rastafarians and Camels as well as experiencing ‘wellness’ treatments that he worries will damage his reproductive capacity, an eye-cleansing doctor, and traditional rhyming jazz musicians who insult him in front of an audience. BBC Two, 9pm

Wednesday July 11

THE INFINITE MONKEY CAGE: Brian Cox and Robin Ince return for a new series, and celebrate their 100th episode with Brian Blessed, Eric Idle, Shappi Khorsandi, Dave Gorman, Andy Hamilton and more joining them on stage to consider what has been learnt since the first episode in November 2009. The programme was recorded with a live audience in the BBC’s Radio Theatre and was filmed for the first time, with the video out on iPlayer today too. Radio 4, 9am

Thursday July 12

NEWS CRACK: Channel 4 have remained relatively quiet about this new topical comedy pilot from writer/producers Guy Davidson and Dan Clarke - known to their many internet followers as mashup maestros Mother's Best Child. It promises to be an ‘anarchic, clip-based show’ that aims to ‘put a subversive twist’ on the week['s news. Channel 4, 11:05pm

JOHN BISHOP IN CONVERSATION WITH... Gavin & Stacey and Stella star Ruth Jones is his guest this week. W, 10pm

Friday July 13

8 OUT OF CATS DO COUNTDOWN: This is surely all the suffragettes ever dreamed of as they starved themselves in prison: a special all-female edition of a popular words-and-numbers game. Yes, Channel 4 are actually hailing this first episode of the 16th series as ‘celebrating 100 years of women's suffrage’. Katherine Ryan takes over from Jimmy Carr as host (only for one episode - let’s not go mad here) as Roisin Conaty and Jessica Hynes take on Sara Pascoe and Lolly Adefope. Morgana Robinson appears in character as Natalie Cassidy in Dictionary Corner. And don’t worry, normal service is resumed next week with just one woman player (Ryan again) and celebrated man Dr John Cooper Clarke in Dictionary Corner. Channel 4, 9pm.

Published: 8 Jul 2018