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

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

Sunday May 10

THE RANGANATION:  Romesh Ranganathan's topical comedy show returns, with the comedian broadcasting from his garage, and his focus group, including his mum Shanthi, similarly stuck in their own homes. Guests scheduled to appear on the series include Danny Dyer, Aisling Bea, Freddie Flintoff, Mel Giedroyc and Jon Richardson.Read an interview with  Ranganathan about the show here. BBC Two, 9.15pm

Monday May 11

RICKY & RALF'S VERY NORTHERN ROAD TRIP:  The Royle Family's father and son, Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little, reunite for this travel show, touring around Northern England in a sturdy camper van. The journey begins in Ricky's hometown of Liverpool, from where they head to Ricky's birthplace, Blackpool, where they meet veteran comic Mick Miller, and then on to Preston.  Gold, 8pm.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST: The classic 1952 movie version of Oscar Wilde's play with  Michael Redgrave, Joan Greenwood, Edith Evans and Margaret Rutherford. Talking Pictures TV, 1.10pm

Tuesday May 12

ROB & ROMESH VS… This week the comics learn about basketball, travelling from the street courts of South Central Los Angeles to the Staples Centre, home of the LA Lakers and LA Clippers, and finally to Paris.Sky One, 9pm

NURSE: Paul Whitehouse's comedy-drama, in which he plays a series of patients visited by community psychiatric nurse, Liz (played by Esther Coles) gets a rerun on Radio 4 Extra. Whitehouse, with co-writer  David Cummings,  brings us an obese bed-bound mummy's boy, an agoraphobic ex-con, a manic ex-glam rock star, an ageing rake, a Jewish chatterbox in unrequited love with his Jamaican neighbour, and a long-suffering carer and his Alzheimer's-afflicted mother. Radio 4 Extra, 11pm

Wednesday May 13

WHAT'S FUNNY ABOUT… In this new series, behind-the-scenes TV veterans Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman talk to the writers, producers, and performers behind Britain's biggest TV comedy hits, and hear the inside story of how they brought their programmes to the screen. First up, Dawn French and writer Richard Curtis discuss The Vicar Of Dibley, including the dilemma of how to make a fundamentally nice character funny. Radio 4 Extra, 10.30pm

WHERE TO, MATE? Recorded on location in a car Where To, Mate? features drivers Bernie and Ben – played by comics Jo Enright and Peter Slater – chatting to their fares while driving around Manchester.  The conversations were improvised by the cast based on ideas by director Jason Wingard, who was also behind the feature film Eaten By Lions, and longstanding BBC comedy producer Carl Cooper. Radio 4, 11pm

Thursday May 14

CHARLIE BROOKER'S ANTIVIRAL WIPE: Coronavirus means he can't work on Black Mirror at the moment – as well as being outdone by reality in the weird storyline stakes – so Charlie Brooker returns to the Wipe format for the first time in more than four years. With a format ideally suited to lockdown, he will discuss the crisis and what we've been watching to while away the hours. Guest contributors include Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) and Barry Shitpeas (Al Campbell). BBC Two, 9pm<./strong>

Friday May 15

BIG ZUU'S BIG EATS: In this new series the grime MC travels around the country to cook the perfect post-gig meal for Britain's touring stand-ups, starting with Jimmy Carr in Croydon, where he has to  take account of the comic's 'occasional vegan lifestyle, but also his love of a dirty fast food'. Dave, 10pm

MODERN FAMILY: In the last ever episode of the hit US sitcom, after 11 seasons and 250 episodes,  the extended family struggles to bid farewell. Sky One, 8.30pm

BLACK BOOKS: If you're up for a late-night marathon, Channel 4 are playing the whole first series of the classic comedy back-to-back. Dylan Moran is foul-tempered bookshop owner Bernard Black, Bill Bailey his long-suffering assistant Manny and Tamsin Greig  his best and possibly only friend Fran. Channel 4, 11.05pm

Published: 10 May 2020