We must be nearing the point of critical mass at which there are more comedy panel shows than there are comedians. Argumental attempts, with intermittent success, to split the difference between Have I Got News For You and Mock The Week, by getting teams of the usual suspects to debate topics suggested by John Sergeant. Tonight, captains Marcus Brigstocke and Rufus Hound are joined, respectively, by comics Will Smith and Jimmy Carr. Subjects include sweatshops, face transplants, reality TV and homosexuality.

Argumental Review: Dividing Opinion

The first episode of the third series of Argumental is definitely not seamless, with the supposed spontaneity of the show becoming contrived. However, it is worth watching and it definitely provides some laughs - even if, at times, you're laughing at John Sergeant (bless him), rather than with him.

Dave's top original show - recently selected for the honour of a rerun on BBC2 - finishes off the series with a best-of compo. So it's a bit funnier, although it still has the problem of mixing autocued speeches that feel too scripted with improvised banter that feels rudderless and underpowered. Sean Lock and Frankie Boyle are the pick of the many guest debaters. They join regular captains Rufus Hound, who strips naked at the end, and Marcus Brigstocke, who doesn't. Cuddly chairman John Sergeant links the clips.

John heads up TV argument show

John Sergeant reckons his role as host on TV show Argumental is a bit like being a school headmaster.

As much as it does good business filling its schedules with Top Gear repeats and faintly laddish comedy, Dave hasn't quite been able to resist trying its hand at original programming. Argumental - now returning for a third series - was one of the first fruits of that idea. Hosted by the continually charming John Sergeant, who grins his way through a script that seems slightly too crude for him, the show asks you to enjoy the spectacle of third-string TV comics notionally debating contentious propositions, but ultimately reeling off hastily assembled routines. Marcus Brigstocke and Rufus Hound captain teams featuring Frankie Boyle and Andrew Maxwell.

This comedy drama that's mercilessly taking the myth out of BBC war reporting is something of a hidden gem. Indeed, we hear that John Simpson, John Sergeant and Martin Bell have actually gone to war themselves over which one of them the wonderful David Bradburn (Martin Jarvis) is based on. Tonight, David throws his fags out the pram when media darling Jeremy Pax - sorry, Jeremy Morrison - is drafted in to report on a ceasefire...

This new series from the Comedy Connections people has a rather misleading title.

Despite the efforts of presenter Clive Anderson and three other scriptwriters to find the funny side of different TV formats this is a fairly straight run-through.

It would certainly benefit from less of Clive's awkward links and more of what we really want to see, the clips which cover all the bases from an ancient show called Top Town right through to today's The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and John Sergeant doing his Stiffly Come Dancing thing.

Among the gems tonight is ex-Corrie actress Debra Stephenson doing impressions of judges Amanda Holden, Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue.

And Les Dennis reveals that the clapometer on Opportunity Knocks was operated by a couple of prop men pushing a lever to pretty much wherever they liked. A generation is collectively gutted.

John Sergeant returns as the chortling host for series two of Dave's homegrown panel game. Tonight's topic for debate - political correctness, the British economy, Brad Pitt - prompt lots of clever quips, although Rufus Hound's attack on bodybuilding will have you wincing.

Dave's flagship programme. Okay, it's not perfect - but it can be funny. It's hosted by kindly John Sergeant, with Rufus Hound and Marcus Brigstocke as captains - they're nowhere near awful. The standard of guest is pretty high - the first ep kicks off with ever-good-value Dara O'Briiiiaiiin and The Thick Of It's Chris Addison. He's going to be a Hollywood player after In The Loop comes out, according to yesterday's supplements. All in all, it'll be a welcome relief from today's News At Ten.

Dave to get Argumental again

Dave has ordered a second series of the John Sergeant-hosted panel show Argumental.

The 12 x 30-minute series by Tiger Aspect features team captains Rufus Hound and Marcus Brigstocke, who battle it out to win "important" debates.