Culture Clinic: Michael McIntyre

Michael McIntyre dreams of batting for England and sitting next to Muhammad Ali on a long-haul flight.

Laughs aplenty as Michael McIntyre and his pals continue their tour around Britain. Dig below the surface of tonight's leg of this stand-up tour - which sees host Michael introduce headliner Jason Manford off 8 Out of 10 Cats at the Manchester Apollo - and you'll find a brilliant pair of comedians rarely seen on TV. Indeed, the routines from John Bishop and Mick Ferry should get you giggling...

Comic's Kate Moss confession

Michael McIntyre knew he'd made it when he read that Kate Moss was a fan.

Don't miss this very funny new series, showcasing comics from the alternative circuit in front of a primetime audience. Michael McIntyre introduces each performer with a high-octane performance that looked like a tough act to follow. Yet there isn't a single dud among the performers, and each one is as different as different can be. My personal favourite was the nerdy, off-key oddity of Mark Watson, who explains why he can't quite believe how lucky he is to be married and why he finds it difficult to walk across a bridge without throwing his keys into the water, although Rhod Gilbert's story of lost luggage deserves to become a classic.

Don't miss this very funny new series, showcasing comics from the alternative circuit in front of a primetime audience. Michael McIntyre introduces each performer with a high-octane performance that looked like a tough act to follow. Yet there isn't a single dud among the performers, and each one is as different as different can be. My personal favourite was the nerdy, off-key oddity of Mark Watson, who explains why he can't quite believe how lucky he is to be married and why he finds it difficult to walk across a bridge without throwing his keys into the water, although Rhod Gilbert's story of lost luggage deserves to become a classic.

For five years now, Live At The Apollo has been bringing us some first-class stand-up comedy. The key difference with this new series, from the same team, is that regular host Michael McIntyre will take it to different venues around the UK, showcasing familiar faces alongside relative newcomers. We start in Edinburgh, where Rhod Gilbert tops the bill.

What do you need if you're touring Britain with a comedy roadshow (apart from Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, of course)? Bags of talent, naturally, and thankfully shooting star Michael McIntyre is loaded. Each week from a different venue (tonight it's the Edinburgh Playhouse), Michael will do a turn then introduce a different headliner (tonight it's Rhod Gilbert), plus three emerging funnymen. Top chuckles.

Anyone who enjoyed Live at the Apollo will be the natural audience for this show fronted by the dangerously ubiquitous Michael McIntyre. I like him a lot, but I'm starting to feel that he's on everything. He's good value, though, and knows how to work an audience. Here, he fills in between comparatively unknown stand-ups, with the exception of Mark Watson, with whom Radio 4 listeners might be familiar. It's a good show - the first is from Edinburgh; I particularly liked droll Canadian Stewart Francis and his relentless one-liners, and the laconic Watson. But the cheerfully exhausting Rhod Gilbert probably takes the prize with a daft story about a flight to Dublin: "I was going abroad, I'm Welsh, I bought shorts..."

Michael McIntyre: 60 Seconds

Michael McIntyre talks to the Metro about the first joke he told in public and his man-drawer.

Michael McIntyre, the chirpy stand-up, presents this new comedy series from various live venues around Britain. Each week he'll bring fresh new talent alongside a headline act. This first show comes from Edinburgh, with the Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert top of the bill.