The week's best comedy on TV, radio and streaming

The best of the week’s comedy on TV, radio and on demand…

Tuesday December 6

SEBASTIAN MANISCALO: IS IT ME?: A new Netflix stand-up special, recorded in Las Vegas, in which the US comedian acts out life's little agonies, from school drop-offs to off-leash dogs to date nights with his wife.

Wednesday December 7

ROSE MOLLOY GIVES UP EVERYTHING: Sheridan Smith stars in this new comedy as a title character is addicted to everything, including smoking, alcohol, Adderall and caffeine. After an embarrassing incident at a wedding, she wakes up in hospital and decides to change her life by ‘giving up everything’ - before her toxic habits destroy her friendships, her family and her career. Sky Comedy, 10pm

SPIKE MILLIGAN: THE UNSEEN ARCHIVE: This documentary delves into a treasure trove of recently unearthed archive to paint a new portrait of Spike Milligan. Film, scripts, letters, objects, photographs, recordings, and art cast light on the genius plagued by crippling mental illness, insecurity, and an enduring lifetime struggle to reinvent what comedy could be. The items include an unpublished play called The Snow Goose that Spike returned to again and again after it was rejected by the BBC; home movies of sunny afternoons in the paddling pool and a simple annotated envelope that read: 'I went into the now overgrown garden in 127 Holden Rd. I found this little toy… I broke down and cried. I feel I wanted those yesterdays with the children to come back.’ Sky Arts, 9pm

ABSENT FRIENDS: I WRITE THE GAGS - Barry Cryer: The king of the joke opens a new season commemorating well-known faces who died in 2022. This is an interview Barry gave in his 80th year to Steve Wright, recalling the early part of his career, including his very first job as a stand up comedian at Soho's legendary Windmill Theatre, with plenty of anecdotes on the larger-than-life characters he met over six decades in the entertainment world. Radio 4 Extra, 8pm

Thursday December 8

PLEBS: SOLDIERS OF ROME: The feature-length special finale to the ancient Roman comedy series helps launch the new ITVX, which hopes to become a major player in the streaming market. In the 85-minute special, Marcus, Grumio, Jason and Aurelius join the army in peace-time, hoping to win respect, romance and discounts at participating restaurants. But when war's declared, they’re sent to fight on the front line for a cause they don’t believe in. Now their main interest is the struggle for survival. Tom Rosenthal, Ryan Sampson, Jon Pointing and Tom Basden return as the four plebs, along with Karl Theobald as Landlord. Joining them for the finale are Patrick Baladi as Roman commander General Diomedes, Tori Allen-Martin as warrior queen Barbronelda and Kåre Conradi as Barbarian leader Segimundus.

LIVE AT THE MOTH CLUB: On stage at the East London club tonight are Lara Ricote, Seb Cardinal, Dr Brown, Dustin Demri-Burns and host William Stone - with their sets interspersed with backstage shenanigans. Dave, 10pm

Published: 4 Dec 2022