Ben Stiller

Richard Ayoade in trailer for Ben Stiller's new movie

The IT Crowd's Richard Ayoade has an appearance in the first teaser trailer for the new Ben Stiller film Neighborhood Watch.

Rentaghost latest British comedy to be picked up in USA

Eighties kids' sitcom Rentaghost is being turned into a Hollywood film starring Ben Stiller, according to reports by Variety.

Richard Ayoade joins Hollywood's Neighbourhood Watch

British comic and Submarine director lands role in forthcoming Ben Stiller sci-fi comedy.

As any nice young men and Ben Stiller's Gaylord Focker know, meeting your beloved's parents can be an intimidating experience - no matter if they're a lovely pair of retirees or ex-CIA man Bobby De Niro. E4 spin off that film's title for this cruel show in which two separate boyfriends are introduced to their girlfriends' "families", who then act out in various amusing fashions. The winner is the one who lasts the longest without running away.

I was hoping to add The Trip to my weekly review roster, but after sampling episode 2's "L'Enclume" I have a feeling that would be pointless. Not that this is a bad comedy, because I find it amiable and entertaining, but it's beholden to a rigid formula so far: Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon travel to a swanky restaurant in the idyllic northern countryside, they have dinner while teasing each other and competing with impressions, and then retire to bed after calling their other halves.

Consequently, I feel like I've said everything I want to say last week. "L'Enclume" was effectively more of the same, albeit with a different set of impressions for Coogan and Brydon to do battle with. I particularly liked their attempt to do the best naturalistic Bond villain, Coogan's insight into the acting style of Richard Gere (look into the middle distance and act like you've just remembered something), and the observation that Anthony Hopkins isn't afraid to touch his own face. I could happily watch Coogan and Brydon chew the fat, half-scripted or not, for a very long time. The opening dream sequence, guest-starring Ben Stiller, was also a fun surprise, and I like it when the story touches on the disparities between Coogan and Brydon. The former an inveterate bachelor, the wrong side of 40, desperate to get himself a Hollywood career equal to his hero Jack Lemmon; the latter a more satisfied Welshman seen using his talents to charm his wife over the phone.

The Trip is a series I'm definitely going to see through to its final destination, but I hope the journey's a touch more unpredictable than episode 2 felt most of the time.

Mildly amusing new comedy in which a hapless documentary-maker, a psychic medium and a taxi driver turned wannabe-action star - all played by British character comic Marc Wootton - try to make it big in LA. Featuring the characters' real-life encounters with unwitting members of the public, Sacha Baron Cohen-style, it already counts Ben Stiller and Larry David as fans after its airing in the US.

Who could have foretold, when The Office was first aired in 2001, that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's comedy series would go on to be shown in 80 countries, "break" America and win a Golden Globe award? Tonight, BBC Two delights Wernham Hogg fans with a re-airing of the entire first series (six episodes). The programmes are interspersed with interviews with the cast, including Ricky Gervais, Mackenzie Crook and Martin Freeman. Comedy bigwigs - Richard Curtis and Ben Stiller among them - also offer their thoughts on the inimitable series.

Tonight, BBC Two is screening all six episodes of the first series of The Office, the landmark comedy that transformed the sound of fingernails being dragged down a blackboard into laughter. And like the commentary on a DVD, the episodes are interspersed with insights from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the co-stars Martin Freeman, Lucy Davis and Mackenzie Crook, and famous fans including Richard Curtis, Ben Stiller and Hugh Jackman.

Coogan writing Alan Partridge film

Steve Coogan is back in the follow-up to 2006's Night At The Museum, Battle of the Smithsonian. The British comedian reprises his role as Octavius, the Roman general brought back to life by museum night watchman Lawrence Daley (Ben Stiller). He says it was a pleasure to work with Owen Wilson and reveals an I'm Alan Partridge film is also in the works.