Minchin: I'm hugely outraged by proselytising charities

The comedian Tim Minchin talks about writing the music for the RSC's Matilda and his argument with the Salvation Army about a Christmas song.

Tim Minchin on his busiest year yet

If you don't know the name you will recognise his face.

This second series of the show in which comics and TV personalities riff off mad inventions and ideas from the audience works so much better in
its new informal, chatty format.

Tonight, the pair deciding what's brilliant and what's not comes in the irresistible shape of Tim Minchin and Alexei Sayle, who have great chemistry and have a fine old time finding mirth in the general bemusement. What's a genius, Tim? 'A genius is a nuts person who turns out to be right.'

Devilish musical comedy sensation Tim Minchin has a big few months coming up; he's doing an arena tour with full orchestra, plus November sees the opening of the RSC's adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda, for which he has provided music and lyrics. Get a taste of this London-based Australian in his cracking live show, which includes some seriously funny ditties on sex, death and being ginger - plus some dancing bears.

Jonathan Ross takes on exuberant comedian and actor Robin Williams this week. It's been a while since Williams has carried a hit film, but his quick wit and improvisational flair should make him the perfect chat-show guest. Model and entrepreneur Elle Macpherson, the new host of Britain's Next Top Model, also joins Ross. Australian musician and comic Tim Minchin completes the line-up.

This episode in the network's ambitious Comedy Showcase short series, is by and stars Tim Minchin as Jonny, lead singer of rock band Perspex, who's left Australia to find fame and fortune. Just as it seems within his band's grasp he meets Verity, beautiful lead singer of a Christian pop band, and their mutual chemistry is instant. So will this change his path to that of true love and different values or, by inducing deep suffering, make him a better artist? The remarkable supporting cast includes Peter Serafinowicz, Dan Antopolski and Lizzie Roper.

Musical comedies have to work that little bit harder because breaking into song can, frankly, be very irritating. Tim Minchin, who wrote this, sits on the surreal side of the fence without even thinking about his balance, so this could be a paradisal piece of humorous harmony - or we could see it fall into the pit of never-to-be-commissioned comedy pilots.

One of the few problems we've had is working out what to write about good comedies. If it's not funny, you can be scathing and compare it to the end of civilisation or Horne And Corden, whichever you consider to be worse. But if it is funny, you can't make jokes about it, and you certainly can't analyse why it makes people laugh. Jonathan Miller tried and failed, and we're not nearly as clever as him. Tim Minchin's manic stand-up act isn't great, but it is funny and his piano playing is impressive. We would like to say: 'If you don't like comedy songs, it's not for you'. But really no one likes comedy songs and it's better than that. See what we mean? Hard gig.