Vic Reeves

Hebburn is a fairly warm-hearted new sitcom written by stand-up comic Jason Cook. Set in the unremarkable town of Hebburn, South Tyneside, where Cook grew up, it revolves around a close-knit working-class family headed by Vic Reeves (billed under real name Jim Moir) and Gina McKee. He's affable and blokey, she's overbearingly well-meaning in the way sitcom mums almost always are.

Rounding out the brood are comedian Chris Ramsey - who looks like Stan Laurel moonlighting as a member of One Direction - as the prodigal son awkwardly introducing his "girlfriend" (Fresh Meat's Kimberley Nixon) to the family. But unbeknownst to them, the pair secretly wed in Vegas. Oh no! Apparently.

There's also a daffy gran prone to inappropriate outbursts, and a tart-with-a-heart sister. So no, it won't win any awards for originality (if indeed such awards existed). And that's Hebburn's problem: although it's packed with gags, they're mostly rather obvious and unremarkable. Cook - who also appears in a supporting role - can't resist all the usual cheap tracksuits and fake-tan jibes, and even throws a cheesy pub singer in for good measure. Tinged with pathos and black comedy, it's amiable enough, and nicely performed - especially by McKee, reminding us that she's capable of delivering much more than the frosty types she's usually cast as. But it isn't remotely distinctive or original.

There's no getting around the fact that this is a monumental feast of backslapping: a two-hour, self-loving parade where Channel 4 tells itself just how wonderful and influential it is. Which is pretty insufferable if you think about it. Luckily for Channel 4, it does have a lot to cheer about.

This was the channel, after all, that gave us Green Wing and Spaced, Peep Show, Brass Eye and Father Ted. And we should be forever grateful to C4 for giving Harry Hill his TV debut with The Harry Hill Show (1997-99), which figures in the foothills of the top 30, voted for by members of the public.

Elsewhere Dom Joly, from Trigger Happy TV, bemoans the albatross of the giant mobile phone gags, where he yelled "HELLO!" into a fake mobile ("I really hate it [now]. I hate it with a passion uncontested. It's my Emu"), and Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer reveal they filmed their Big Night Out 20 minutes after leaving the pub.

C4's Funny Fortnight continues with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer gleefully churning out... yes, a reworking of Shooting Stars. Which means more exuberant, absurd chaos from its batty quizmasters, guests ranging from the classy to the inane (Eddie Izzard to Chelsee Healey, with This Is England's Thomas Turgoose gamely occupying the middle ground), and Dan 'Angelos Epithemiou' Skinner keeping score in a new guise: as a middle-class Viking. Hell, why not.

Vic & Bob: We blackmailed Simon Cowell

As part of Funny Fortnight, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer return to Channel 4 with an anarchic new show bringing together Eddie Izzard, Simon Cowell and Dr Christian Jessen. They kindly agreed to tell RT.com all about it, and left us more confused than ever...

Shooting Stars may have been cancelled, but Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are convinced there's still humour to be wrung from the surreal panel show format. Their contribution to Channel 4's Funny Fortnight is this characteristically fantastical quiz show in which Eddie Izzard and other star guests face unexpected questions as they compete for prizes. Impersonations and new sketches are part of the mix in a comedy half hour highly likely to garner a new fan base for these veteran kings of comedy.

Out of Channel 4's Funny Fortnight we're most excited to see Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer ripping up the panel show rulebook once again for Lucky Sexy Winners, which hopefully will be a cool and capable successor to their much-missed BBC programme Shooting Stars. With original sketches, new characters and a dash of sheer insanity, their clowning around is not to be missed.

Vic Reeves: This week I'm...

The comedian shares what his week has in store.

Gina McKee, Jan Ravens and Phil Nice join Hebburn cast

Gina McKee, Jan Ravens and Phil Nice have been lined up to star alongside Jim Moir, Chris Ramsey and Kimberley Nixon in new six-part BBC Two comedy series, Hebburn.