Johnny Vegas

Radio Times review

With the World Cup lurking enticingly on the horizon, this animated sitcom about a hapless everyman football freak is pitched somewhere between Family Guy, Uncle and Soccer AM. Unfortunately, it's not as funny as any of them.

There's no shortage of talent involved: Spy's Darren Boyd stars as Warren; Johnny Vegas is the imaginatively monikered coach Fat Baz; and Morwenna Banks (or Peppa Pig's mum to the UK's entire toddler population) plays drippy son Harrison. But the stereotypical main protagonist lacks the satirical edge of a Homer Simpson or a Peter Griffin, and you might find yourself yearning to slap him out of his soccercentric stupor.

Six famous faces celebrate Tommy Cooper

Why are we still laughing at Tommy Cooper 30 years after he died on stage? Barry Cryer, Paul Daniels, Johnny Vegas, Tim Vine, Brian Conley and Jason Manford explain.

Darren Boyd and Johnny Vegas interview

Darren Boyd, who plays Warren, and Johnny Vegas, who plays club manager Fat Baz, talk about their roles.

Following in the wake of children's classic Swallows And Amazons, this comedy gem sails the action 60 years on, to a small-town backwater in Ireland, where young Martin (David Rawle) and his best flesh-and-blood buddy Padraic (Ian O'Reilly) are lashing together a tatty raft for some aquatic Halloween adventures. Of course imaginary best friends Sean Murphy (Chris O'Dowd) and Crunchie Haystacks (Johnny Vegas) jump aboard and when they see land ahoy, things really get rollicking...

Radio Times review

A new series from Johnny Vegas's Woolyback Productions is always something to look forward to, and this neat little delight from podcast comics Tim Barnes and Simon Berry fulfils that promise.

It looks at how momentous events in history would have been reported through the prism of social media, starting with the Moon landing. Though it captures with a sly wink the vacuity and self-promotion inherent in any timeline, almost the first hashtag used, for a picture of a cat with its head stuck in an upturned fishbowl, had me grinning like an idiot.

The general population of tweeters might get it in the neck, but so do monolithic corporations trying to take advantage of the social media audience - the embedded BBC vox pop video is a perfect pastiche of the punning, plummy-voiced reporters of the 1960s venturing out among the masses.

Obviously with such a global event on social media, there is only way for the programme to end - with the aural equivalent of a whale on your screen. Typical.

Radio Times review

One of the hinterland hits of 2012, this delectably crackers rites-of-passage sitcom set in 1989 Ireland darted about like a toddler on sweets. Contemporary hits, cartoons and cutaways are all employed to unique effect.

As series two opens, 12-year-old Martin (fantastic find David Rawle) is still talking to his grown-up imaginary friend (co-writer Chris O'Dowd). That may sound weird but not only is it an endearing conceit; it's also very funny.

Now it's summer 1990, the Moones plan to go on holiday - just as the Republic of Ireland begin their group games at the World Cup finals. Cue some sweet trope-trampling as Dad Liam tries to stir couch-potato wife Debra into action.

The holiday-mobile is soon on its way, with Martin's oddball pal Padraic and Fidelma's boyfriend Dessie along for the ride, although Trisha is plunged into mourning over the Talking Heads splitting up. Can a family activity cheer her up?

Moone Boy simply has to be seen by more people. It's a beaming-ear-to-ear delight. Where else would Johnny Vegas dress as Doc Brown from Back to the Future Part II? Well, I'll tell you. Nowhere.

Andy Hollingworth's best photograph: Johnny Vegas

Andy Hollingworth talks about his best photograph, the latex head of Johnny Vegas.

Gallery: The Face of Satire

Photographer Rachel King worked with the artists India Banks and Frode Gjerlow and the illustrator Tom Morgan to create these fabulously inventive portraits of well-loved comedians from Johnny Vegas to Sara Pascoe.