Looking back on what has been a notably depressing year, it might seem a near-impossible task to pick out moments worthy of levity. Thankfully, that is the job of Jimmy Carr and regular team captains Jon Richardson and Sean Lock, old hands at refashioning the awfulness of the real world into digestible chunks of frippery. Panellists Isy Suttie, Richard Osman, Joey Essex and Romesh Ranganathan assist them, while elsewhere games and surprises are promised.

The show about opinion polls, surveys and statistics is back for its 18th series, and provides plenty of raw material for the comedians to come up with hilarious gags.

Jimmy Carr returns as host, with his classic sardonic delivery and infamous laugh.

"It's a honk," he explains. "My laugh has its own Facebook page!"

Team captains Jon Richardson and Sean Lock are also back, and they're joined by comedian Jack Dee, Radio 1 DJ Gemma Cairney and comic Rob Beckett in the first episode.

Now that BBC2's Never Mind The Buzzcocks is looking well past its best and Channel 4's 8 Out Of 10 Cats is rapidly running out of lives, the 10pm Monday slot is fast becoming an elephants' graveyard for once mighty TV panel shows. And I still don't understand the logic of C4's dim young things moving a quiz about the biggest news stories of the week from its traditional Friday night slot to the beginning of the week. Unless they want it killed off, of course.

Season 14 of the shouty 8 Out Of 10 Cats, which in the panel show stakes sits somewhere between the enjoyable Would I Lie To You and the creaky Mock the Week. Jimmy Carr - still in the quizmaster's seat - has a newly installed target on his back marked "tax avoider", and team captains Sean Lock and Jon Richardson will likely be the ones taking aim. Nothing in the way of info about this opening episode, but even money says that an Olympian will be present.

This panel show went out with a delightful bang two weeks ago with an episode that saw host Jimmy Carr face a sustained but affectionate ribbing over his tax dodging. He's the only one who'll be relieved the show is now into compilation mode - this second collection of clips of the best of the recent 13th series, minus the guest chaff, remind us how many laughs the show's regulars routinely deliver.

Jimmy Carr's tax row sees Channel 4 ratings soar

Viewing figures for Jimmy Carr's Channel 4 show 8 Out of 10 Cats received a boost on Friday following the furore over his tax affairs.

Jimmy Carr mocked on '8 out of 10 Cats' over his taxes

Jimmy Carr was roundly mocked over his involvement in a tax avoidance scheme on this week's 8 out of 10 Cats.

There's been plenty of reverential regal programming celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Now it's time for a more sardonic spin on the landmark event, with this special edition of the popular comedy panel show. Wisecracking Jimmy Carr hosts as two celebrity teams, captained by comedians Sean Lock and Jon Richardson, give their satirical take on the royal weekend, while dissecting monarchy-related opinion polls, surveys and statistics.

Host Jimmy Carr and regular team captains Jon Richardson and Sean Lock present the latest edition of the 13th series of this irreverent comedy panel show based on statistics and opinion polls. Tonight the guests trying to predict the public's responses to the topical issues of the moment are television presenter Tess Daley, newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and comedians Micky Flanagan and Hari Kondabolu.

Jimmy Carr is truly a workaholic: not only is he currently touring his latest stand-up show, he's also popping up on Alan Carr's Chatty Man at 10pm and is back hosting another round of the noisy panel show that makes fun of polls, surveys and stats.