In 2017, this comedy news roundup has remained - in the face of ever more bewildering world events - the sanest response on television. It is sharp and righteous, but also humble and inclusive, always punching up, never falling into the trap of seeming to be part of the establishment. For its festive farewell, Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe welcome guests including the very funny Stephen Merchant.

Donald Trump wins The Last Leg's 'Dick of the Year'

Donald Trump has won The Last Leg's Dick of the Year award.

Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe return for their 12th live series of Friday night irreverence, poking sharpened satirical sticks into the underside of events from the past seven days. Tonight's guests helping the triumvirate of tomfoolery tackle talking points from the worlds of comedy, entertainment and politics are New Avenger/Ab Fabber Joanna Lumley and - no stranger to topically tinged standup himself - Russell Howard.

The relentlessly hopeful comedy of The Last Leg

There is one show that consistently acknowledges the shock and anger but also challenges me to replace the despair with something else: hope. That show is Channel 4's The Last Leg, starring Adam Hills, Alex Brooker, and Josh Widdicombe.

The last in the current series of Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe's late-night talkshow comes complete with a special celebrity guest: US-vice-president-turned-environmental activist Al Gore. As well as helping the boys dissect the week's news - who knows, he may even have something to say on current matters in the White House - he'll be plugging his movie An Inconvenient Sequel, the follow-up to his 2006 doc An Inconvenient Truth.

Aussie comedian Adam Hills and his cohorts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker continue to prove that a lasting and satisfying legacy to an Olympic event is indeed possible on occasion, and not just for West Ham United FC. Five years on from 2012, and still delivering a strong late-night comedy chat game, the trio take on both the amusing and sometimes the thorny stories of the week, as well as busting out their taboo-challenging "Is it OK?" section.

It is presumably a source of great satisfaction to Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe that this chatshow - which began with a focus on disability issues - has completely transcended its original brief to become a sparky and engaging Friday night fixture with universal appeal. But tonight, it's back on its original beat, welcoming Ellie Simmonds, Jonnie Peacock and Liam Malone to discuss the World Para Athletics Championships in London.

The Last Leg: Re-United Kingdom review

The message running through the evening was that, following the example of Jo Cox, we should seek to set aside our differences and remember what we have in common.