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

Our pick of the comedy on TV, radio and streaming this week…:

Sunday December 1

SORRY I DIDN'T KNOW: Chizzy Akudolu takes over as host of the returning panel show about black history, replacing Jimmy Akingbola who becomes a team leader tonight, alongside Eddie Kadi. Guests are Adjoa Andoh, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Richard Blackwood and Ignacio Lopez. ITV, 10.50pm

Monday December 2

RICHARD OSMAN'S HOUSE OF GAMES: Ardal O'Hanlon represents comedy in the last week of new episodes before Christmas. The stand-up and Father Ted star is up against poet Simon Armitage, This Morning broadcaster Josie Gibson and Radio 1's Adele Roberts. BBC Two, 6pm

RHOD GILBERT’S GROWING PAINS:This week, Krishnan Guru-Murthy relives his teenage dreams on a ride-on lawnmower, Janine Harouni serenades everyone with some ukelele hip-hop and Ignacio Lopez is mortified by his school friend who reveals an embarrassing obsession Comedy Central UK, 9pm 

DETECTORISTS: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Another chance to see the 2022 festive episode of Mackenzie Crook's warm-hearted comedy. U&Gold, 10.20pm

Tuesday December 3

JACK IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS: In this partially scripted, partially improvised travelogue coming to Amazon's Prime Video today, the comedian has four days to get home to the UK from America when all the flights are cancelled – prompting a Planes, Trains and Automobiles-style race against time. The special also stars Jimmy Fallon, Rebel Wilson, Dave Bautista, Michael Buble, Daisy May Cooper and Tom Davis.

Thursday December 5

RACHEL PARRIS: POISE The Mash Report presenter returns to her roots with this 'love letter to musical comedy', being released on NextUp today. The streaming platform also currently has a Black Friday offer, with three years' worth of comedy for the price of two, £120. Sign up here.

SYD: Arthur Smith's it Edinburgh Festival show about his dad - 'an ordinary man in extraordinary times - comes to Radio 4 Extra. Syd was just 17 when he signed up to the Army, he fought at El Alamein, was captured and then imprisoned in Colditz and, after the war, joined the Metropolitan Police. In this evocation of post-war Britain, Arthur shares Syd's diary entries and conjures up the spirit of his father. BBC Radio 4 Extra, 2.30pm

Friday December 6

THE STICKY: This comedy crime caper, which lands on Prime Video today, is very, very loosely based on the true story of a great maple syrup heist when £10million of the stuff was stolen from the national reserve in Quebec. Margo Martindale stars with JamIe Lee Curtis also making an appearance::

THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW: Guests include Lolly Adefope talking about playing set assistant Dag in the superhero-spoof series The Franchise as well as Nicholas Hoult, Jamie Oliver and Coldplay. BBC One, 10.40pm

SEAN LOCK - 15 STOREYS HIGH: A repeat run of the late comic's 1999 sitcom about life on a council estate that he wrote with Martin Trenaman, and which started life on radio before transferring to TV. It co-stars Felix Dexter, Jenny Éclair, Tim Mitchell, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Peter Serafinowicz. BBC Radio 4 Extra, 11pm

PRESENT LAUGHTER: The version of Noel Coward's classic farce which won Andrew Scott an Olivier Award comes to National Theatre At Home today.

Saturday December 7

LEGENDS OF COMEDY WITH Lenny Henry: In the final episode, Sir Lenny gets together with Alexei Sayle to look back on the alternative comedy that had such an impact on them both covering the likes of The Young Ones, Monty Python and The Secret Policeman's Ball. Channel 4, 8.15pm

BLOOD ACTUALLY: A MURDER THEY HOPE MYSTERY: Sian Gibson and Johnny Vegas star in a rerun of last year's festive special. Gemma and Terry are in a village hosting a Santa contest, when competitors start being killed in warped and festive ways.U & Gold, 7pm

Published: 1 Dec 2024