Radio Times review

You've tittered at QI. You've guffawed at Would I Lie to You? So how will your sides cope with a brazen fusion of both formats?

That's obviously the thinking behind this derivative panel show, in which Lee Mack asks a team of celebrity guests to provide hard evidence for their seemingly outlandish claims. This week's unlikely facts include: dogs can "catch" their owners' yawns; shrimps are fitter than humans; and an adult male will never be shorter than his mother.

Padded out with pop-science facts, whimsical practical tests and based in a weirdly cramped, overly busy set - it looks like it's filmed in a stationary drawer - it has the whiff of a project cobbled together during a busy executive lunch. But it passes the time affably.

Mack's guests are Olivia Colman, Rhod Gilbert and Paul Hollywood, who gamely leaves his Bake Off comfort zone to see if it's possible to scale a wall using household vacuum cleaners.

Jimmy Carr returns to host the entertainment where consonant-cussing and vowel-fouling are positively encouraged. What by rights should have been a diverting one-off is now arguably more successful than the Cats original.

The show works because the Countdown format is nigh-on impregnable, while there's nobody more competitive than a stand-up comic (no matter how dodgy their numeracy skills). Guests Kevin Bridges, Rhod Gilbert and Josie Long take on the brainteasers with regular captains Sean Lock and Jon Richardson, while Rachel Riley prepares for teasing of a different kind.

A festive edition of Matt Lucas's comedy awards ceremony, where comedians nominate awards to be handed out in daft categories. Tonight's nominators are Jo Brand, Alan Davies and Rhod Gilbert, who will determining the awards before passing over judging duties to a celebrity panel. A loose term, perhaps, as the panel comprises perky dancer Bonnie Langford, bum-chinned funnyman Ted Robbins, 80s ventriloquist Bob Carolgees and Spit the Dog, chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and former footballer David Ginola.

Here Be Dragons throws spotlight on new Welsh talent

A new comedy series that showcases Welsh comics following in the footsteps of Rhod Gilbert and Rob Brydon premieres tonight.

Rhod Gilbert: Why I'm turning my back on stand-up

Welsh funnyman Rhod Gilbert has admitted the could perform a special final gig as a way of signing off from his stand-up career as he concentrated on other work.

It's an unnerving combination - imagine waking up to it after jetlag, or a snooze on the sofa - but the mash-up between the irreverent panel show and the venerable quiz has been popular enough for Channel 4 to have a new batch made.

As long as Jimmy Carr is in the host's chair, he'll dominate the fight for the Countdown teapot, while the teams stretch themselves by trying to do the jokes and get a decent word at the same time; you don't get to be a TV comedian without a competitive streak. Tonight Sean Lock has Jason Manford on his side, while Jon Richardson forms a loose allegiance with Rhod Gilbert.

Returning to assume his hosting position for an eye-watering seventh series, Rob Brydon stirs the comedy panel-show action with his familiar scurrilous cheek. David Mitchell and Lee Mack are back in harness as team captains, and tonight's porky-spinning guest line-up includes Rhod Gilbert, Vernon Kay, Dara O'Briain and Denise Van Outen. Who will turn out to be the most credible fibbers/most gullible listeners when it comes to telling tales - tall or true - about their own lives?

It's been scientifically proven that it's impossible to watch this without feeling at least 42% happier than before it started. True or false? Who cares.

What is absolutely true is that this is the seventh series of the rib-tickling Friday night favourite where team captains David Mitchell and Lee Mack do such sterling work each week to keep the old North-South rivalry stoked up.

Rob Brydon will be in the presenter's chair once again and fibbing for all they're worth tonight (or are they?) will be comedian and occasional maths guru Dara O Briain, Rhod Gilbert, Vernon Kay - who claims that he once nearly caused a gas explosion while in a banana packing factory - and Denise van Outen, who has a confession to make about her bottom for viewers tonight. You can feel David Mitchell blushing behind his beard already.

It's a good job this goes out before the watershed, or things could get out of hand.