Ben Miller (I)

Radio 2 Comedy Greats tackled Benny Hill. Comedian Ben Miller talked up Hill's claims to be a "comedy innovator and TV pioneer" and promised, "if you think you know the Benny Hill story, it's time to think again". This sounded intriguing but the show did little to back up these assertions. There were plenty of clips of Hill, sounding very dated and unfunny ("There's the wife, feeding the pigs. She's the one with the hat on") with people like Tony Blackburn insisting, "it's just seaside-postcard fun, really . . . nothing wrong with that". As comedy tastes changed and his ratings fell, Hill's TV show was cancelled. "Benny never really became the comedy pariah that some have painted him as," Miller said. It felt like faint praise.

"Innovative" and "ground-breaking" may not be adjectives you'd usually attribute to Benny Hill, the risqué comedian. In this documentary, however, Ben Miller, an actor, makes the case for Hill's legacy to be reassessed. Following the success of The Benny Hill Show in 1965, he became the first British comedian to establish his reputation on television, rather than radio. It's no surprise to hear that Hill was obsessed with the craft of visual comedy. More unexpected is that he also played "straight" roles in a number of popular films, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The line-up seems to change as often as the cast of your average soap but somehow this comedy music panel game has endured. Since the show's inception in 1996, Mark Lamarr and Simon Amstell have had spells as presenter, and Sean Hughes and Bill Bailey have both taken the role of regular team captain. Only Phill Jupitus has lasted the distance. Even the tone of the show has changed over the years - particularly after Amstell took over presenting duties. He put his own quirky, irreverent and somewhat juvenile mark on the programme and when team captain Bailey quit last year he referred to the guests as "gormless indie twerps". Now Noel Fielding (of The Mighty Boosh fame) will take the captain's seat opposite Jupitus, and Amstell will be replaced by guest presenters (beginning tonight with Gavin & Stacey's James Corden). Whether the show will survive after such a flurry of changes remains to be seen. Although Buzzcocks has long since left the illusion of improvisation behind, it has certainly become much "trendier" in recent years and, thanks mostly to the wit of Amstell and Jupitus, it has remained entertaining. Now one must hope that Jupitus can carry on that tradition alone. Joining the teams this week are the potentially dull Tom Clarke of indie band The Enemy and singer Paloma Faith but fortunately actor/comedians Ben Miller and Janeane Garofalo should help keep the proceedings lively.

BBC lines up spoof web review

Comedians Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller have revived their cultural critic characters Craig and Martin for a spoof online review show for the BBC.

Is using the word Gypsy racist or suitable material?

Comedian Ben Miller wanted to use the term in a comedy show but the BBC stopped him.

BBC axes Mutual Friends

BBC1 has axed primetime comedy-drama Mutual Friends after just one series.

The Hat Trick show, penned by Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto, was initially planned as a one-off about male friendship featuring comedians Ben Miller and Alexander Armstrong but was later commissioned for a 6 x 60-minute series.

We seem to be making rather a habit of recommending shows that are about to get canned - for that surely will be the fate of this ambitious satire that is pulling less than 2 million viewers in prime scheduling real estate. It's a shame: it's no 30 Rock, but because we're London media twots, we always like the concept of a behind-the-scenes TV show. Then again, the trials of making a terrible series about zombies is... less good. But, hey, Jim from Neighbours pops up, and Ben Miller is great value as the despicable TV producer. Kelly Brook, though, seems to struggle to play herself in real-life, let alone a version of herself, and is amusingly bad. Thanks for popping in, Moving Wallpaper.

I caught the last episode of Moving Wallpaper last night, having missed the middle three episodes. It was quite enjoyable, too. Ben Miller's the main reason to watch as egomaniac producer Jonathan Pope (even if he plays it all much, much broader than everyone else), but that's a small complaint.

It's just a shame ITV didn't have the confidence to follow Moving Wallpaper's finale with a full-length, televised pilot with decent production values.

Ben Miller stars as put-upon producer Jonathan Pope in this satirical sitcom. Well, we don't care much for the portrayal of the writers on Jonathan Pope's new project, zombie thriller Renaissance, because they're little more than quivering bags of ego and paranoia. So much so, that when a new writer on higher pay joins the team, they down tools like French truckers on a Friday. You wouldn't catch us... What's that, our Hob Nob budget's been slashed again? Everybody out!

I was thoroughly disappointed to see the ratings for last week's opening episode in this new series of the highly watchable sitcom. A rating of 2.12 million doesn't bode well for tonight's ratings or a third series. Shame really, as it's great fun and always worth it for Ben Miller as TV producer Jonathan Pope.