Alan Carr

Although I knew the programme was coming, I did feel that it received very little in the way of promotion before it aired last Monday. I have to say I didn't expect much going in, primarily as it was placed in the dreaded 10:35 slot for shows that BBC One aren't that proud of. To his credit McIntyre proved to be an endearing presence, as he often is, although he really didn't ask his guests that many probing questions.

I did feel that the programme was better depending on the quality of the guest, so to me it was at its best when Sir Terry Wogan appeared and reached a lull by the time we got to Lord Sugar.

One of the things that irritated me the most about McIntyre was the fact that he continually broke the fourth wall, whether that was to inform Lily Allen that somebody was talking to him in his ear or the pre-credit sequence in which we saw him talk to the audience ahead of the show itself. In fact McIntyre seemed more at home addressing the audience than he did when he was forced to go into chat show host mode.

His interactions with the crowd provided the funniest moments especially when he played the first ever round of 'Send to All'.

Though not as bad as some celebrity-fronted chat shows, especially the one that Allen herself hosted, I don't think that McIntyre really suits the chat show format in a way that others such as Alan Carr and Graham Norton do. Thankfully his likeability shines through which doesn't make watching the programme a chore, but at the same time I don't think I'd ever choose to watch it again.

The Michael McIntyre Chat Show needs tweaking

Michael McIntyre, like Alan Carr, comes from the world of stand-up comedy, but his style couldn't be more different. He isn't edgy or acerbic. He's jolly, charming and very middle-class, which has proven to be a winning combination for his comedy tours. However, I'm less sure those strengths equals a brilliant chat show host.

Radio Times review

The path from comedy to chat show is a well-trodden but perilous one. Alan Carr and Graham Norton have both skipped down that route with ease but now Michael McIntyre finds out whether his bouncy style of humour will work in the static format of a chat show.

Stand-up comedians don't always find it easy to allow someone else into the spotlight so he'll need to rein in his boisterousness a bit. If he wants pointers, two of his guests have been in the hot seat themselves before: Terry Wogan and Lily Allen (although the latter was widely panned for her efforts). It'll be interesting to see how Michael copes with his other guest, too - Lord Sugar doesn't suffer fools gladly, so he's not always the easiest interviewee.

Does the world really need another chat show? Decide for yourself as irrepressibly perky comedian Michael McIntyre tries to remind himself to shut up long enough to let his guests get a word in edgeways. Graham Norton, Alan Carr and Jonathan Ross will scarcely be quaking in their boots at McIntyre's opening guest list: Lily Allen, Lord Alan Sugar and Sir Terry Wogan can all be relied on for a jolly anecdote but it's a pretty safe choice for an opening gambit. McIntyre will need something a little edgier if he's going to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

It's the night when TV's big guns mount a barrage of merriment to blast us over the finishing line of 2013. Point your remote pretty much anywhere and a party mood is guaranteed - without the need for an actual party. On Channel 4 Alan Carr gets help from James Corden, Abbey Clancy and Tinie Tempah. There really is no excuse for letting the fizz in your glass go flat.

Another debut sitcom that was awarded a Christmas Special is Channel 4's Man Down. Having not been a fan of the series I approached Man Down with trepidation and mainly watched it as I couldn't find the remote control after Alan Carr had finished.

Man Down can best be described as a surreal sitcom which gets laughs from the absurd situations its characters find themselves in. Greg Davies is perfectly cast as the hapless hero while Rik Mayall provides incredibly absurd support as he revels in dressing up in a number of costumes to surprise his son. Best of all though is Mike Wozniak as Dan's only sensible friend Brian and gets to deliver a brilliant speech about this year's must-have toys for kids.

I have to say Man Down was the biggest surprise of the Christmas season as I was expecting not to laugh at all while watching. It may well have been I'd had too much to eat and drink at this point, but I still found Man Down to be a comically surreal slice of festive fun.

Or rather the British TV Comedy Awards, where sitcoms and panel shows are championed rather than pure standups - fair enough, as this talent tends to lose out at the Baftas and elsewhere. With its unsentimental yet uncynical take on the news review, The Last Leg could well edge out Alan Carr and Graham Norton's efforts in the entertainment programme category; hospital sitcom Getting On has also done well with three noms, while many will be rooting for kids' hit Horrible Histories to be named best sketch show. Jonathan Ross hosts.

You could make a case that TV comedy is having a bit of a moment right now. Go back a few years and there was a dearth of fresh sitcoms and most panel games felt tired. Now we have fizzingly funny scripted shows from Fresh Meat to Man Down. Meanwhile, Would I Lie to You? has evolved into the perfect panel game (though A League of Their Own runs it a raucous second). Graham Norton and Alan Carr cross wits for the chatshow crown. And RT's own Sarah Millican has devised a blend of stand-up and chat that works like a dream.

This and much more is likely to be up for celebration by Jonathan Ross and the assembled, well-refreshed comedy gods. Nominations were under wraps as we went to press, so we can only hope BBC2's Count Arthur Strong gets the recognition from his peers he didn't get in the ratings and that other minority tastes like Peep Show and Getting On have their moments in the sun. But whoever wins the prizes, any ceremony populated by drunken comics is bound to be a blast.