David Mitchell (I)

New Ben Elton comedy takes a pop at Ricky Gervais

"Affectionate" lampooning has the Bard's cocky actor colleague speaking exactly like The Office star.

This topical comedy show brings together young British comics, including Dane Baptiste, Ivo Graham, Rhys James, Ellie White and Jamie Demetriou. It feels like a scattershot ensemble, but makes slightly more sense when you learn this is being positioned as a reboot of The 11 O'Clock Show, the late-90s format that helped to shape the current comedy mainstream by employing everyone from Ricky Gervais to Sacha Baron Cohen, David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Charlie Brooker and Robert Popper.

Radio Times review

We know from past experience that the out-takes Would I Lie to You? puts on the end-of-series leftovers platter aren't disappointing. Far from it.

Would I Lie to You? has such a rich seam of comedy that routines as enjoyable as David Mitchell discussing his alleged jigsaw habit ("I find it incredibly irritating when other people fiddle with my jigsaws...") or Clare Balding speaking in German end up on the cutting-room floor.

There are the usual flashes of Lee Mack's ad-lib brilliance here, but best of all is a weepingly funny tour de force from Bob Mortimer, stoutly maintaining that he had a pet owl he used to carry around on a cushion.

David Mitchell: The internet is 'medievally barbaric'

David Mitchell, presenting a new BBC Radio 4 series on manners, says politeness is underrated and the internet is full of rudeness. Harry Wallop chats to him to find out how he holds his knife and fork.

Radio Times review

Radio Times Top 40 TV Shows of 2015, #25:

It all ended this year, in true Peep Show style, with both a bang and a whimper. Never before has a programme's grand finale combined a kidnapping, urine-drinking, Delia Smith, and a jibe about overpriced coffee with such effortless pizzazz. Our heroes ended up alone, but together, and a fate any less dysfunctional wouldn't have rung true. Such was the joy of Peep Show: though Mark (David Mitchell) and Jez (Robert Webb) lived a life none of us would hope to emulate, from the bleakness emerged moments of familiarity. Who didn't recognise Mark's constant struggle - Kenneth Clark's Civilisation and sea bream, or Octopussy and a Twirl?

Now every bit as much of a festive tradition as hangovers, DFS adverts and running out of milk the second all the shops close, Channel 4's holiday stalwart returns. In a year that saw such events as people arguing over The Dress, Taylor Swift biting chunks out of Apple or bewigged omnifarce Donald Trump being consistently terrible, there's certainly plenty to cover, so it's lucky that Rob Brydon, David Mitchell, Greg Davies and Jo Brand are on standby to cock their respective snooks at 2015's most mockable stories.

Artist has Mark Corrigan tattoo on his leg

Tom Wagstaff made the lasting tribute to the Channel 4 show which follows the trials and tribulations of Corrigan, played by comedian David Mitchell.

Radio Times review

Before I started watching this I thought, "I wonder if they'll add some sleigh bells over the thrashy theme music" and I'm delighted to say they have. There's also a spangly snowflake backdrop and several Christmas-themed claims/tales/festive fibs.

To wit, "These are two of the best gifts I was given last Christmas," announces David Mitchell, flourishing a top hat and magic wand and prompting all of us to try to picture what Christmas Day might be like at the Coren Mitchells.

But the best prop arrives when Bill Bailey introduces a pet bird called Jacob, that he claims he once smuggled into the cinema with him. The fact it's a cockatoo is heroically ignored, even by Lee Mack: no pre-watershed-unfriendly gags here (although why Mitchell's enthusiastic mime of church bell-ringing gets a laugh might take some explaining). Kelly Holmes, Jo Brand and Ruth Jones add to the mendacious merriment.