Radio Times review

Jonathan Ross is your host as the nation's comics get together and royally rip the mickey. No tears. No compliments. It's their way of saying they love each other.

The nominations list shows 2014 has been an exceptional year - albeit primarily for white men, who are so glaringly dominant, it's a wonder there aren't any blokes up for best comedy actress.

The evening should belong to Matt Berry, whose riotous Toast of London is in line for six awards, the most nods since Gavin & Stacey seven years back. His fellow best actor nominee Mathew Baynton might have a better chance in the restored comedy drama category - if The Wrong Mans can edge out Rev. and the dazzling Inside No 9.

Or will it be a night for codgers? Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse's labour of love Story of the Twos is justly recognised, and there are two noms for a gang of plucky UKTV debutants called Monty Python...

Black Mirror: White Christmas review

Black Mirror isn't really sci-fi, it's more like now after a couple of software updates - and it's quite terrifying.

Review: Channel 4's Black Mirror: White Christmas

The performances were all very good, although I was surprised Jon Hamm almost reprised his Don Draper role from Mad Men. It felt like Charlie Brooker either needed a Draper-type for this suave role, and luckily managed to get the real deal, or Hamm was drawn to a part that wouldn't be much of a stretch but allow him to appear in a show he loves.

A triptych of tech-tinged tales, just in time for Christmas. Jon Hamm and Rafe Spallp] star as Matt and Potter, two men sharing a turkey dinner in the middle of nowhere, who start to divulge stories from their past: Matt's time as a relationship guru with a twist, Potter's encounter with a social media-style blocker, and a woman's (Oona Chaplin) unfortunate encounter with some invasive "smart! technology. Of course, this being Black Mirror, there are some unforeseen twists along the way.

Radio Times review

Charlie Brooker's digital dystopia delivers a festive mystery in anthology form, with three connected stories about dark things in a twisted near-future. Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall lead the cast as two men sharing a Christmas meal somewhere remote and snowy. Where are they? And who are they, really? As the companions exchange stories, we see Oona Chaplin as a woman bedevilled by "smart" gadgets, and Hamm himself offering unconventional romantic advice.

Plus, in the sort of flip between virtual and tangible worlds that's the trademark of the series, the question is asked: what would happen if you could "block" people and never see or hear from them again in real life, as you can on Twitter and Facebook?

Black Mirror: White Christmas, Channel 4 - TV review

Black Mirror is great on our technology culture, but also just great.

Black Mirror: Rafe Spall excels but rest is too grim

Call me old fashioned, but I like my Christmas specials to have a bit of festive cheer. I only knew Black Mirror by its reputation as a dark satire of modern life, so I sat down to watch expecting to be both horrified and depressed.

Black Mirror Christmas special review

This Christmas special of Charlie Brooker's techno-horror show manages to compact the show's usual three-part run into one, feature-length, portmanteau episode.

Black Mirror: We wish you a very bleak Christmas

"There's nothing in this that's as bleak as whatever the fuck EastEnders is going to do" claims Charlie Brooker in the casually scornful manner in which only he can. Speaking at the preview screening of White Christmas, last night's 'festive special' of his dystopian Channel 4 anthology Black Mirror, I have to disagree with Brooker. The ninety minute feature length special of his disconcerting dystopian drama was markedly more gloomy and disturbing than your average shouty, death-strewn festive soap instalment. But an incomparably more insightful, entertaining piece of television.

Black Mirror: White Christmas review

White Christmas' nightmarish tales of isolation might be dark, but they show sage concern about the kind of world we're building for ourselves. They ask us to consider the humanity of how we treat people online and in the real world. An extreme reflection it might be, but underneath it all, Black Mirror may well have the most charitable heart of any of this year's seasonal specials.