Fringe's best comedians tell you who to see and why

Fringe's best comedians tell you who to see and why.

All the best Edinburgh Fringe previews in London

Don't get me wrong, I love Edinburgh, with it's Hogwartsy cobbles and granite grandeur, seeped in history and united by culture, heritage and a too-often-racist hatred of the English. But when it comes to the Edinburgh Festival, the major advantage of Edinburgh, that it's nowhere near London, becomes its major drawback for all of us keen to see some of the country's best comedy.

Comedians appearing in celebrity Crystal Maze revealed

Vic Reeves, Al Murray, Steve Pemberton, Susan Calman, Russell Kane, Ellie Taylor and Tom Rosenthal have all signed up for the show, which will again be hosted by Richard Ayoade. Six hour-long shows will be made in aid of Stand Up To Cancer, with Reeves competing in a team captained by his wife, Nancy Sorrell.

Ofcom upholds complaint against Roast Battle trailer

Comedy Central rapped over Jimmy Carr's 'antisemitic' joke.

TV review: Roast Battle UK, Comedy Central UK

While I don't actually think kids would be jotting down the one-liners lobbed by the likes of Chris Ramsey and Tom Rosenthal at each other for later use themselves I do think the programmes risks normalising dubious attitudes.

Another series of competitive insults, hosted, naturally, by Jimmy Carr. Roast Battle is neither big nor clever, but it is reliably funny, and the bear pit atmosphere is effective: the relieved hugs at the end tell you the comics feel the rush. Tonight: Fern Brady v Ivo Graham, then Chris Ramsey v Tom Rosenthal.