Funny or easy-to-mock guests booked to provide tonight's festive repartee and laughs include dour comedian Jack Dee, Lorraine Kelly and camp sweetheart Christopher Biggins. Irritatingly, at the time RT went to press, the episode hadn't been filmed, so we can only speculate - wildly - as to its contents. It's Christmas-themed, so expect host Jimmy Carr and contestants to have dressed for the occasion: sparkly antlers; nylon beards; necklaces made of mince pies - that kind of thing. And if Biggins isn't wearing a pantomime dame outfit and lashings of rouge then I'm going home.

Panel Beaters

8 Out Of 10 Cats is back with a new series but the faces will be familiar to anyone who's watched a panel show recently, as our rundown of comedy repeat offenders shows.

After the high of last week's hilarious opener, I thought this episode was very flat overall. None of Sean Lock's flights-of-fancy left the ground, Jason Manford seemed to struggle for material, and the choice of guests wasn't very good. I'm not a fan of young standup Jack Whitehall, and while I find Josie Long strangely beguiling (it's her grinning, just-rolled-out-of-bed cuteness), she wasn't very funny here.

Peter Jones from Dragons' Den was subdued to begin with, but he warmed up in the second part -- and in doing so gave comedy ammo to the others about his millionaire lifestyle anecdotes. Fay Ripley wasn't a total loss because she got involved, but this episode was definitely slack and its content has already melted from my memory. You know it's a weak episode when a clip from the US version of Wife Swap (an irritating fat kid being denied junk food by his "swapped" mom) proved to be the highlight.

8 Out Of 10 Cats is rapidly becoming the best panel show around, isn't it? I think a big part of that is how everyone seems to genuinely enjoy the experience. Half the guests on Have I Got News For You look scared out of their wits, or spend their time walking on eggshells, while Mock The Week has always been very competitive and male-dominated, with guests often left to flounder amidst the regulars...

There's just a more pleasant atmosphere on 8 Out Of 10 Cats nowadays, and I really respond to that. Team captains Jason Manford and Sean Lock openly laugh at each other's jokes, Jimmy Carr appears to have toned down his cattiness, and this episode's non-comedians (EastEnders' Charlie Clements, presenter Claudia Winkleman, popstar Jamelia) didn't embarass themselves.

In fact, it appears that producers everywhere have realized Jamelia's TV gold with her ill-informed opinions and, well, good-natured stupidity. Can you believe she home-schools her kids?! She was better value than Iranian comedienne Shappi Khorsandi in this first episode, too. Shappi fell into the trap of mostly sitting on the sidelines and smiling at everyone else's gags, unless that was just very unfortunate editing. Also, am I alone in finding Sean Lock absolutely hi-larious on this show? The strange thing is, I find Lock's standup rather dull and tedious.

The topical panel show returns for a new series. Host Jimmy Carr, who delivers his pre-scripted waspish remarks with perfect timing, is joined by team captains Sean Lock and Jason Manford, with pop singer Jamelia and the perennial quiz show guest Claudia Winkleman.

Sean Lock Interview

He's written for Lee Evans, Bill Bailey and Mark Lamaar. He's a regular panellist on survey-based 8 Out Of 10 Cats, as well as the intellectually stimulating QI. But even he admits to being as thick as a brick.

Cats are supposed to have nine lives and if that really is the case, time could be running out for the smuggest man on the telly - because Jimmy Carr's comedy panel show is nine series' old today. Well, technically it will be nine whole series old in six weeks' time, at the end of the latest run. But that would ruin the intro to this preview!

As usual, each show sees the teams - captained by Sean Lock and Jason Manford - guessing what the British public thinks about the week's most talked-about subjects. And as usual, being correct will come second to who can give the funniest answers.

Channel 4 show 8 Out Of 10 Cats is set to be produced on almost half of its 2009 budget when it returns next year (2010).

Interview: Jimmy Carr

With his latest DVD now on sale, and as he continues to tour the country, Jimmy Carr spares some time for Den Of Geek...

8 Out of 10 Cats, the hit-and-miss quiz show hosted by Jimmy Carr at his most smugly slappable, returns for a new run. Of the team captains, Sean Lock is always good value ("All these hurricanes hitting New Orleans proves my theory that God hates jazz") but the guests can often be a rum bunch, with soap stars and vapid T4 presenters appearing alongside the comic talent.