The sports panel show returns for its ninth series, a boon for those who feel that you can never get too much exposure to James Corden. Despite his new US-based job, Corden hosts proceedings as ever, while regulars Jamie Redknapp, Freddie Flintoff and Jack Whitehall are all present and occasionally correct for this opener. They are joined by Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter and comedian Josh Widdicombe, while Sky Sports presenter Olivia Wayne (formerly Godfrey) adds a direly needed female presence to mitigate the bantz.

It's the eighth series of this bantzier, nearer-the-knuckle alternative to A Question Of Sport, hosted by James Corden. For this opener, he's joined by Kevin Bridges, Jack Whitehall, Jamie Redknapp, Freddie Flintoff, Frank Lampard and Judy Murray ("Who's your favourite son?"). Among the items is a ribald take on footballers-turned-authors, while the chaps are put through their paces at a tennis training court to play John McEnroe, conducted in a suitable atmosphere of mutual mockery. Tim Henman and Nigel Havers also appear.

Burning questions for the stars

To celebrate the return of the show, we headed out to Elstree to hang out backstage with the boys - James Corden, Jack Whitehall, Jamie Redknapp and Freddie Flintoff - while they prepared for another show.

I remember teachers exactly like Alfie (Jack Whitehall), who desperately sucked up to the classes that bullied them. We had a German master who turned his "lessons" into an eternal Rubik's Cube competition (prizes of cash and Smarties).

At Abbey Grove School's swimming gala, the wimpish Alfie claimed a chlorine allergy so bad it would turn him "from Jamie Redknapp to Harry Redknapp just like that". But then, in the cause of trying to prove his class wasn't a bunch of complete losers, he agreed to enter the synchronised diving contest and his face swelled up until he looked like Avid Merrion in Bo' Selecta!. God, it was funny. I sniggered all the way through and then - old habits die hard - nipped out for a bag of cheese and onion crisps, the swimming gala snack of choice, whether you're 14 or 40.

Who knew that gruff football gaffer Sam Allardyce was a fan of Strictly Come Dancing? When the West Ham manager reveals a weakness for the dancing show, fellow guest David Walliams takes him for a spin on the dance floor. The resulting intimate waltz is characteristic of the show: trying to hype up the macho banter but inevitably ending in back-slapping bawdiness. "I can see why they call him Big Sam!" Walliams coos.

In another playful TV rip-off, series regulars have their very own MasterChef challenge. Freddie Flintoff serves a surprisingly bistro-style fish and chips; Jamie Redknapp goes retro with a pineapple upside-down cake; host James Corden cooks an ambitious beef Wellington ("basically a big pasty," laughs Flintoff); and Jack Whitehall hacks at a pheasant carcass.

I can't imagine there's usually much crossover between this sporty panel show and the One Direction fanbase. But don't be surprised to see a massive spike in Sky's viewing figures with Harry, Niall and Louis joining Jamie Redknapp's team tonight.

The result is one of the most fun hours of TV in ages, with enough unexpected outbreaks of bromance to fuel an entire library of feverish homo-erotic 1D fan fiction. The tattoo on Niall's bum - applied live in the studio by an exultant James Corden - is only the start of things.

One of the funniest aspects of the show is how genuinely delighted Jamie Redknapp is to be part of a boyband for the night, although there'll be endless rewinding of the banter between Harry and Freddie Flintoff to try to work out whether Harry is pleased to be there or not.

Sport does, occasionally, manage to get a look-in too, and in a basketball-themed night there's a group of young men who are even more amazing than One Direction themselves. If you've previously seen the acrobatic slam-dunkers known as the Face Team on A Question of Sport, you'll know they're truly astounding.

But it's the return of Pop Star Penalties which provides a historic encounter between Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley and Harry Styles in goal. It's a round they might have rechristened, One Day, Lad, This'll Be You.

A boon for those feeling starved of James Corden on our screens, as he and the gang return with a new series of the sports challenge show, with Red and Blue teams pitted against one another in the usual series of challenges. These include everything from a game of one-on-one football in zorb suits to a matchmaking game involving improbable celebrities including Steven Gerrard and Kim Cattrall, culminating in a speed quiz/assault course combo. Guests include Jamie Redknapp, Freddie Flintoff, Jimmy Carr and Jack Whitehall.

James Corden returns to referee the seventh season of the knockabout sports quiz that, thanks to its success, has pulled in a bigger budget - and they're gonna use it.

So if the prospect of comedy rally driving, bouncing around in plastic balls and a military assault course involving Jack Whitehall, Jimmy Carr and team skippers Andrew Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp sounds like your idea of fun, then this is the show for you.

Think Top Gear meets Total Wipeout.

A seventh series of the quiz that makes A Question of Sport look like Pathé newsreel of over-60s crown green bowling. These days the quiz questions are few and far between: with money almost visibly dripping from the screen, it's all about big stunts and big-name comics.

Tonight, the regulars - Jack Whitehall, Jimmy Carr, Jamie Redknapp, Andrew Flintoff and host James Corden - go rally-driving with near-fatal consequences, play football against Edgar Davids while stuck in giant plastic bouncy balls, and complete a hellish military assault course. In between are some very funny pre-arranged zingers - mostly delivered by Whitehall, so if you're not one of those people who's violently allergic to him, you're in business.

John Bishop's new series serves scant purpose other than for the comedian to act as compere for a series of clips of fellow stand-ups (among them Jason Manford, Jason Byrne and Mick Miller), celebrities (including Jamie Redknapp, Ricky Hatton, John Prescott and Freddie Flintoff) and members of the public, telling jokes. The series runs to 10 episodes and is entirely dependent on the quality of jokes, which on tonight's evidence aren't very good. They are, however, squeaky clean, so at least it's an option for entertaining family viewing.