Gerard O'Donovan

Rik Mayall: in the company of crazies

The late Rik Mayall was at his most consistently brilliant in The New Statesman.

Last Tango in Halifax, BBC1, episode 1, series 2 review

Last Tango in Halifax with Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid is a welcome and unmissable returnee to our wintry TV schedules.

Royle Family creator Caroline Aherne teams up with Mrs Biggs writer Jeff Pope for this very entertaining comedy about security guards working the night shift in a shut-up shopping centre. Astute casting puts Mrs Brown's Boys star Brendan O'Carroll alongside Bobby Ball, Dean Andrews and Peter Wight as the brainless foursome whose work-shy ways get them into serious bother. It is decidedly crude in parts but there are small moments of brilliance too, thanks to the writing and rare cast chemistry. Supposedly a one-off, it's easy to see this returning as a regular sitcom.

One of TV's most unlikely - but no less enjoyable for that - cross-fertilisations returns as the 8 out of 10 Cats comedy quiz team takes over (for the third time) the veteran words and numbers game Countdown. Once again, Jimmy Carr replaces Nick Hewer in the presenter's chair, while Jon Richardson is joined by Rhod Gilbert to take on fellow comedians Lee Mack (replacing absent captain Sean Lock) and Rob Beckett. In Dictionary Corner with Countdown's Susie Dent is performance poet Tim Key, while Rachel Riley gets less welcome assistance from beardy Joe Wilkinson.

Hidden away late in the Sunday-night schedules, this cheerfully silly sketch show from comedy veteran Kevin Eldon is filled with sight gags, odd noises and mad musings of every hue (from the difficulty of finding lost property offices to fly psychology and what butlers get up to on their days off). A delight from start to finish.

Another blisteringly dark satire from Charlie Brooker, this time tackling a very serious subject: rising public disenchantment with mainstream politics. In The Waldo Moment, a lonely comedian (Daniel Rigby) is propelled into the limelight when the provocative little interactive cartoon bear he voices on TV tangles with a politician (Tobias Menzies) live on air. When the incident goes viral, the entire political process begins to look dangerously absurd. It's not a bad stab at dystopian drama, although it's not quite Orwell.

There are some lovely moments in Ricky Gervais's gently observed comedy tonight as Derek (Gervais) and the residents of Broad Hill nursing home enjoy a day trip to the seaside with the compliments of the long-suffering Dougie (Karl Pilkington). While they are away attention turns to soft-hearted care assistant Hannah (Kerry Godliman), forced to reconsider her own achievements when an old, and far more successful, schoolmate turns up at the home to her relegate her mother to the sidelines of her life.

Four episodes in, and the Stockport-set comedy is still struggling to catch fire - but there are enough flickering signs of life to merit a look. Hodge (Lee Boardman) gets the jitters when his wife Kath (Rebekah Staton) suggests starting a family, not helped when his plumbing results in disaster at Daz's (Stephen Walters) house. Meanwhile, Beggsy (Will Ash) isn't happy about being used as bait for Colleen's (Naomi Bentley) peculiar flatmate Bev (Isy Suttie); and an old schoolmate (Paul Nicholls) of Glyn's attempts to renew their acquaintance.

Frank Skinner seems uncharacteristically star-struck at having Cilla Black on the show, perhaps because so many of his guests have been distinctly underwhelming (even boring) so far this series. Cilla's professional sparkle certainly jollies along some fairly morose contributions from comedian Hugh Dennis and TV presenter Mel Giedroyc as they discuss their competitive dislikes of, among other things, pompous celebrities, office leaving cards, Las Vegas and knickers.

Another entertaining alternative review of the week with the team behind the popular Paralympics comedy round-up. Comedians Adam Hills and Josh Widdicombe are joined by guests who have been in the news this week, plus there are live studio challenges and sports reporter Alex Brooker gives us another update on his continuing quest to qualify for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.