Alan Davies

Radio Times review

Usually the QI panelists scrabble about improvising madly as they try to answer Stephen Fry's abstruse questions. Yet both Johnny Vegas and Jason Manford come up with a correct answer (and in Manford's case an impressively comprehensive one) almost immediately. Are the guests getting smarter or the questions easier? Aisling Bea and regular Alan Davies can't compete with such esoteric knowledge. In fact she almost gives up after hearing about a strange northern pursuit involving larded-up legs. "The more I get to know you, the more I think you men are mad," she states. Oh, and you'll never think of the word "sufficient" in the same way after Vegas's revelation.

We've reached "L". Lordy. That's some longevity, right there. However, to make things a little less lumbering, question maestro Stephen Fry is concentrating only on the animal kingdom tonight: from lonely whales to larval locomotives. And possibly lolloping lorikeets, lecherous lions and lesser mouse lemurs. Guests Sarah Millican, Ross Noble and Colin Lane join resident fixture Alan Davies.

Radio Times review

It's certainly a big night for comedy panel shows with Have I Got News for You joining Would I Lie to You? on BBC1 and, testing our knowledge of the baffling and the obscure, the wonderful QI on BBC Two.

We're on to the letter L - although that hardly matters - and it takes less than five minutes for it to get lewd despite the headmasterly efforts of Stephen Fry. He asks an innocent question about the sound a lonely whale makes and the ensuing banter suddenly spirals off into filth. Hilarious filth, mind you. Fry, whose obsession with gadgetry matches his love of language, also gets to demonstrate how a fish can drive a tank.

Joining QI regulars Ross Noble and Sarah Millican is the quick-witted Australian comic Colin Lane, but even he is no match for Alan Davies who, for once, isn't there simply to play the fool. "What has 32 brains and sucks," the panel is asked. "The front row" is his speedy response.

Alan Davies, Indigo at The O2 - comedy review

Alan Davies's latest show, Little Victories, features shameless nostalgia, fart jokes and a moving portrait of British eccentricity.

Host Stephen Fry has just published the third volume of his autobiography, called More Fool Me.

It's obviously a tongue-in-cheek title as the cerebral host of the popular comic quiz - which stands for Quite Interesting - has to be the most intelligent presenter on TV!

Since 2003, Stephen has been challenging audiences with fascinating and remarkable nuggets of knowledge.

Now QI is back for its 12th series, popular permanent panellist Alan Davies returns again, and the pair will be joined by the great and good of British comedy.

Although Sunday Night At The Palladium will mainly be fronted by a number of comedians, this first episode was hosted by the rather bland Stephen Mulhern. I've never really been a fan of Mulhern's and find him to be somebody who is severely lacking in the charisma department. As a result I found this opening episode of Sunday Night At The Palladium to be fairly lacklustre especially when Mulhern was interacting with the audience in some obviously scripted moments. Thankfully the show was saved by the special guests including Bryan Adams who knocked out a couple of hits and Alan Davies who performed a selection of jokes from his new tour. I liked how the variety of acts would appeal to certain members of the family with the kids lapping up Little Mix's performance whilst the older generation probably enjoyed Alfie Boe's warble through a Les Miserables number. Additionally I enjoyed the mixture of memorable names with a couple of variety acts that I'd never encountered before. For example quick change act David and Dania were an unexpected highlight and Canadian novelty trio Les Beaux Feres were equally surprising. I'm sure that Sunday Night At The Palladium will vary in quality depending on who the host is but on the whole I found the opening episode fairly entertaining. More than anything else it's great to see an old-fashioned variety show with features recognisable rather than yet another reality programme in which normal people attempt to find stardom.

Alan Davies interview

Family matters are very much at the heart of Little Victories, Alan Davies' new stand-up show.

Opinon: How important are funny faces in comedy?

Alan Davies recently suggested comedians can be divided into two groups, golfers and self-harmers. I think you can currently divide them into the serious face brigade and the comic face brigade.

Alan Davies: 'I didn't react well to fame.'

Overnight success left the comedian in an emotional mess and unable to do stand-up, but he's finally ready again for the Edinburgh Fringe.