Michael McIntyre

One of the longest running comedies on Radio 2 has made its return for the Olympics, as David Quantick presented a guide to the games for people who may not know that much about it...

The Blagger's Guide to the Games is full of information and rapid fire gags, cut in with sound effects and music left, right and centre. This is a four-part series, so it's longer and more informative that The Sinha Games, and covers certain aspects of the games further in depth. For example, there's an entire section about the austerity games in 1948 (when London last held the event), as well as a gymnastics guide.

The main aspect of this programme, for those who haven't listened to previous editions of The Blagger's Guide, is that it's so full of gags and material that often you miss some bits and have to listen to it again. My highlight of the show was a sequence about the austerity games, which featured impressions of Ben Elton, Kenneth Williams and Michael McIntyre all rolling into one. Excellent.

However, in the same section I was less keen on the rationing routine which featured a Dad's Army skit between Lance Corporal Jones and Mrs. Fox after the end of the war. It wasn't so much the lack of humour that was the problem, but my own pedantry. I'm a huge Dad's Army fan, and I know that in the final episode Mrs. Fox becomes Mrs. Jones. But that's just me...

There's much to enjoy from The Blagger's Guide..., though it's one of those shows that needs your full attention.

For the non-sportive, David Quantick returned to Radio 2 to give us his Blagger's Guide to the Games. Finger poised above the effects button and daftness turned up to 11, Quantick initially seemed to be holding back his quick-fire mind to allow slower listeners to keep up. But five minutes in and we were back to his usual rat-a-tat gag-and-fact-packed action. Every aside was a gem ("Even though the war had ended three years ago - that's longer than the Saturdays' chart career - Britain was still full of austerity"). The show even bears another listen, so you can catch great jokes just tossed in, such as when a standup comic flips from Ben Elton to Kenneth Williams to Michael McIntyre mid-rant, with no explanation. Warning: all Blagger's Guides are a little like listening to a over-caffeinated, over-researched man-boy in the grip of quip mania but, as a lot of my conversations are like that, I approve.

Michael McIntyre hurts leg during Euro 2012 routine

Michael McIntyre had his Irish fans in stitches this week - but ended up on crutches after an energetic skit.

Taking the mickey out of Michael McIntyre

A round-up of comedy news across the past week. As another standup is exposed for his seriousness about getting rich, over in the US Louis CK kicks out the middleman.

Why Michael McIntyre's 'work-in-progress' is a sham

What, really, should we make of Michael McIntyre's antics? His two dates in early August at the Edinburgh Playhouse are down as 'works-in-progress'. So how much are people being charged for half-complete jokes? They're being charged £31.

First things first. Chris Moyles was brave to have a stab at being a comedy compere on BBC3 last Monday. But if Chris Moyles' Comedy Empire was an attempt to prove he is ready to step into Michael McIntyre's shoes on Comedy Roadshow or Live At The Apollo I'm afraid it's bad news.

Because not even Jimmy Carr's accountant could make the memories of this performance disappear. It's one thing making a radio studio full of toadies rock with laughter, Chris.
But a theatre full of paying punters will always find you out. Especially if you don't actually tell any jokes.

It's Live at the Apollo for the stroppy teenage children of the nation's league of Michael McIntyre fans, basically. Corralled by Russell Kane, a series of young comedy pretenders jostle for attention with inevitably variable but sometimes amusing results. It's pretty hyperactive stuff - nothing's on for more than a couple of minutes, so if one sketch or routine doesn't float your boat, there'll be another one along in a minute. Highlights include duo Two Episodes of Mash (featuring the wonderfully lugubrious, occasionally slightly unnerving Joe Wilkinson) and Nick Helm who closes the show with a song. Hopefully this series will keep the cast rotating - it's a potentially decent showcase for the next comedy generation, with no time for anyone to properly die on their arse.

For once, it actually is openly about the money, money, money as the cream of mainstream comedy gathers for C4's annual Great Ormond Street fundraiser. And, while it's a bit harsh to call Jessie J a comedy act, there she is, headlining while plenty of big names wait in the wings for their three minutes on the mike. Such is the extraordinary popularity of stand-up now that plenty of the comedians in question (even - whisper it - a good number of the mediocre ones) will also be used to arenas of this size and paydays to match. Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre and Sean Lock will have seen it all before, but for up-and-comers such as Seann Walsh, Josh Widdicombe and Paul Chowdhry, this represents a significant opportunity to raise the profile. Oh, to be in that green room when someone crashes and burns...

The charity extravaganza returns for a third year, filmed at London's O2 Arena a week ago. Jessie J, coach on The Voice UK, opens proceedings with a live performance. She's followed by an all-star cast of comedians including Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Jack Dee, Jo Brand and Jack Whitehall. Once again, the two Carrs - Jimmy and Alan - will also be "hijacking" the commercial breaks. It's all in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Woman queues 7 hours for Michael McIntyre tickets

A woman proved her dedication to Michael McIntyre at the weekend when she queued up for seven hours to get her hands on tickets for the funnyman when he arrives in Berwick next month.