The Penny Dreadfuls: Le Carré On Spying preview

Take out the radio receiver concealed in your shoe and tune in.

Humphrey Ker lands ABC sitcom 'Terrible People'

Humphrey Ker has signed up to star in his own ABC sitcom in the US. The British comedian has written the project entitled Terrible People, which is loosely based on his life.

Humphrey Ker goes to Hollywood

Humphrey Ker has landed his first US acting role, in a sitcom pilot about friends who reassess their lives after surviving a plane crash.

Sketchorama, a showcase for live sketch groups from around the UK, lived up to its billing - being very sketchy indeed. Delete the Banjax, Lady Garden and Idiots of Ants all had an equally timed stab at attacking the funny bone over a half hour presented by Humphrey Ker, and thankfully there was the odd gem among some pretty pedestrian satire. Though this opening episode felt very much like student union comedy, the showcase format means next week's programme could contain hilarity of the highest order - hopefully. It's just no fun heckling a radio.

BBC Three has launched a new comedy show starring a comedian called Russell, to go alongside its other big comedy series, also starring a comedian called Russell.

Live at the Electric is a show which mixes stand-up from Russell Kane with sketches and songs from a huge range of different performers: Humphrey Ker, Nick Helm, and American Hari Kondabolu, as well as sketch troupes Two Episodes of Mash, Jigsaw, Wittank, Lady Garden and Totally Tom.

As with any show featuring so many acts, the quality varies from skit to skit. However, you can almost find something you like. For me, my favourite moment was Wittank's sketch in which a man finishes a job interview, only for his suitcase to open a huge torrent of porn mags falls out of it.

If I were to criticise anything it would be the camera work, mainly duringl Kane's stand-up. I don't mind it if it cuts to Kane talking to camera, but often it would cut to a shot from the back of the stage, filming through a broken window for the supposed purposes of being cool. No, just stick to Kane, or the audience reaction. Don't cut it so you can't actually see anyone.

I would urge readers to give Live at the Electric a go, partly because it's highly entertaining but mainly because it attracted less than half-a-million viewers when it went out on Thursday. So it will only be a matter of time before Zai Bennent, head of BBC Three, axes this along with the rest of the channel's comedy output...