The secret to Victoria Wood's popularity was that her humour allowed her to be "inoffensive and yet quite naughty." There may be comedians who were sharper or funnier, but they couldn't claim the huge affection Victoria Wood had. She was loved by so many because she'd never resort to shocks, sex or scandal to grab attention, finding the right tone by being a tiny bit "naughty" but never cruel.

Julie Walters, Barry Cryer, Celia Imrie, Alison Steadman, Michael Ball and others offer funny anecdotes and warm memories of her and if you begin to feel it's perhaps getting too sweet and sad, clips of Victoria Wood elbow their way in, being a little bit "naughty" to correct the balance. You can't be melancholy when she pops up on screen to discuss ageing women visiting the doctor, some with pelvic floors dangling and another holding her cervix in a margarine tub.

We also learn of Wood's Lancashire childhood and how she saw Joyce Grenfell's act as a girl, and became fascinated with the image of a lone woman on a stage who could make everyone laugh.

Every gag in the "modern world v retirement" book is used in Boomers, but the cast is so good it just about carries it off. This week, Alan's rant at the neighbours goes viral and a newly arrived couple, Matt and Seb, invite the Boomers to a houseparty. Maureen (Stephanie Beacham, as minxish as ever) tries to keep her gay icon status under wraps as Joyce (the brilliant Alison Steadman) tries to ingratiate herself. There's a farce involving an upcycled family heirloom and a small dog, but the one-liners are good.

As the sixtysomethings sitcom returns, it's Trevor's birthday. This means the gang have to spend the weekend at a campsite. Worse, at least from Alan's perspective, the men have been entered in a charity bike race. Still, as John notes, the money is going to Age UK, so "you're basically investing in your future". Maureen, Carol and Joyce meet a Swedish lad who appears to have a penchant for older women. Fine performances from a cast that includes Alison Steadman, but not nearly enough risks.

"I CAN handle myself." "I wouldn't in those shorts!" That's the type of humour you can expect in this new series of Boomers, the gently cheeky sitcom about a group of older people, ageing baby boomers, as they gossip, nag, squabble, and go on holiday together.

Boomers is never laugh-out-loud funny but it's warm and charming and has an impressive cast of famous older faces, such as Alison Steadman, Stephanie Beacham and, er, Russ Abbott.

The second of the new Comedy Playhouse season is written by The Royle Family's Craig Cash and Phil Mealey. Five seemingly disparate groups of people discuss their lives to camera, including Brenda and Roger, who run the "Brenroger" B&B, elderly couple Milton and Pearl, fixated with their smoke alarm, and brothers Martin and Tom. It's Alan Bennett with more swearing and a decent cast (Timothy West, Alison Steadman), but ultimately not quite as touching, clever or as funny as it thinks it is.

Radio Times review

If you enjoyed BBC Four's series about retired folk in Dorset, Close to the Edge, here's the sitcom equivalent. The idea is that three 60-something couples (including Alison Steadman as uptight Joyce) are striding into retirement, keeping creaking marriages afloat and leaning on old friendships - the working title was "Grey Mates".

We rejoin them at the Calais Eurotunnel terminal, returning from a trip to a Christmas market. There are surly asides about Germans, gingerbread and saucy Santa toys, while Alan (Philip Jackson) wrestles with a voice-recognition phone line: "Didn't understand me, wouldn't let me finish," he sighs. "It's the computerised ticket line version of Joyce."

Radio Times review

Sue Limb's literary parody (sorry, "Rhapsody about Bohemians") is back for a third series. Hitler may be causing trouble in Europe, but for the self-obsessed Bloomsbury artistes life continues uninterrupted. Vita Sackcloth-Vest (Miriam Margolyes) is still hiding her steamy romance with Venus Traduces. Naturally, Venus's unexpected arrival at Sizzlinghurst leads to a sub-Wodehouse imbroglio of fake names and Marxist spies.

There's something charmingly disrespectful about Gloomsbury, particularly Alison Steadman's Ginny Fox character (a merciless send-up of Virginia Woolf). If you're misty-eyed about all things Bloomsbury, and calling DH Lawrence "Dave Lollipop" makes you smile, Gloomsbury is sure to raise a chuckle.

Radio Times review

For many, there's only a very fine line between comedy and horror; the two combined are an irresistible cocktail. Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton are masters in this field. For the final episode of this excellent anthology, they ensure we're snorting one minute and shuddering the next.

I shan't say too much about Séance Time, except that it happens inside a spooky house, where the gullible Tina (Sophie McShera, Downton Abbey's Daisy) is greeted by Shearsmith's character Hives (surely a nod to Laurel and Hardy). Before long, Tina is introduced to a black-veiled, hoarse and hilariously theatrical medium (Alison Steadman). The lights are dimmed and that's when the fun starts...

Emotionally affecting and brilliantly crafted, The 12 Days of Christine, starring Sheridan Smith, has been the highlight of the series, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton's next-generation take on Tales Of The Unexpected.

Their curious muse hasn't abandoned them for this final episode, however. The cleverly executed Séance Time gives two of the writers' most cherished obsessions an airing: horror films and - a thrill for fans of The League of Gentlemen's community theatre troupe Legz Akimbo - the pretensions of actors.
The icing on what turns out to be a deliciously poisonous cake is an appearance by Alison Steadman. Do have nightmares.