Is it the recession? The Tories? The procession of fresh-faced ob-coms filling the O2 with their jaunty musings on social-media etiquette and supermarket self-service checkouts? Who knows. But there's little doubt that what older readers will recognise as alternative comedy is undergoing a mini-renaissance. Alexei Sayle has returned to stand-up and this new series sees Stewart Lee, who has flown the flag through alt.com's fallow years, introducing comedy from The Stand in Edinburgh. It's simultaneously refreshing and frustrating.

Tonight's opener features Isy Suttie, David Kay, Boothby Graffoe, Henning Wehn, Glenn Wool and David O'Doherty. But not for very long: at half an hour, and with ads and six comedians per show, it means approximately one and a half gags each - although the same half-dozen will be returning for more across the 12-part series, which showcases a total of 20 stand-ups. It's great to see more marginal comic turns getting exposure, but frustrating that we aren't allowed to see them in full flow, at least tonight.

Stewart Lee's history of stand-up on TV

Iconoclast comedian Stewart Lee knows TV's delicate relationship with live comedy better than anyone. Ahead of his Comedy Central series showcasing leftfield comics he outlines the history of stand-up on television...

Stewart Lee: Pop culture's past is growing fast

I went for a meeting with the channel's marketing people, who had not watched any of the 12 episodes, but were principally, and understandably, concerned about how to sell this strange product to their target audience of 18- to 32-year-olds, whose loyalty to the channel encourages advertisers to fund it.

Stewart Lee interview

You won't see much of Stewart Lee in his latest TV series starting on February 5. He is executive producer/curator of Comedy Central's The Alternative Comedy Experience and only crops up briefly interviewing the acts between their appearances.

Stewart Lee: Our manifesto

We have been criticized on the internet for the lack of 'new' talent in the show, but we never wanted the talent to be exclusively 'new', and any quotes saying we did are inaccurate glosses of my words.

The Alternative Comedy Experience: review

Well done, Comedy Central. For too long, your schedules have been filled with repeats of Mike and Molly, Two and a Half Men, King of Queens, and a whole host of other mind-numbingly awful American sitcoms. Just when you were starting to wonder whether the name "Comedy Central" was some sort of sarcastic joke in itself, they pull something like The Alternative Comedy Experience out the bag, and fair play to them.

Stewart Lee is not amused by monopoly of TV comedy

Comedian attacks production companies behind popular shows for simply employing their own clients.

Stewart Lee interview

Do you hate stand-up comedy? You might love Stewart Lee's new quirky TV series.

The Alternative Comedy Experience - review

Stewart Lee curates a series of alternative comedians, but offers little discussion on the genre.

Stewart Lee interview

Stewart Lee prepares to invade The Stand for the filming of his new Comedy Central series, The Alternative Comedy Experience.