Bill Paterson

Video: Getting nostalgic with Dad's Army cast

The stars of the new Dad's Army film, Toby Jones and Catherine Zeta Jones, have said they grew up watching the show on TV.

The film, directed by Oliver Parker, moves the Dad's Army story to May 1944 as the Allies prepare to invade occupied Europe.

Toby Jones takes on the role plays Captain Mainwaring and Catherine Zeta Jones plays a glamorous journalist who arrives in Walmington-on-Sea to write about the Home Guard.

Cast members Sir Tom Courtenay, Sir Michael Gambon, Bill Paterson, Blake Harrison and Daniel Mays tell entertainment correspondent Tim Masters their memories of filming in Bridlington.

The "Them" of the title refers to comedy stalwarts like Sally Phillips and Blake Harrison. But what's startling about this patchy sketch show is that it also features comic cameos from serious actors such as Denis Lawson, Jane Asher, Bill Paterson and even Simon Callow. The sketches, ranging from unhinged to downright surreal, come thick and fast, so when they don't work so well (the talking blancmange man), there's a better one round the corner, like the stretched-head boy whom doctors diagnose as being born at the wrong aspect ratio). Continues tomorrow.

Kayvan Novak, Sally Phillips, Morgana Robinson and Blake Harrison take turns to spoof a series of generic dramatic set-ups (the crime scene, the politician's mea culpa, the workplace) in this promising new sketch show scripted by a team including Charlie Brooker and Ben Caudell. A quality supporting cast of 'serious' actors, including Simon Callow, Ewen Bremner and Bill Paterson, provide the essential foundation of gravitas - it's worth a look just to see a poker-faced Denis Lawson ask, 'What kind of trousers does a cunt wear?' - while someone has also taken the smart decision not to risk trying the audience's patience with catchphrases or recurring characters. The result is fresh, funny and, impressively, even springs the occasional surprise. Better still, there's more tomorrow.

Considerably less impressive [than Toast Of London] is C4 Comedy Presents: Them From That Thing an almost entirely mirthless sketch show that wastes 
a core cast of able comic performers such as Sally Phillips and Fonejacker's Kayvan Novak on weak, strained material (some of which was apparently written by the usually reliable Charlie Brooker).

Its gimmick, such as it is, is casting straight actors such as Bill Paterson and Sean Pertwee in comic roles, but that just comes across as a desperate attempt to give it some identity. This is committee-formed comedy, lacking in 
singular vision.

In Stephen Mangan's own words, Dirk Gently is "charming, ­irritating, bright, funny, hapless, unreadable, transparent, roguish, chaotic, philanthropic and possibly dishonest".

That's a lot of character traits to be dealing with, but we discover yet another, equally surprising side of his personality tonight as he shares fish and chips with a new female friend.

Dirk and MacDuff (Darren Boyd) are at Dirk's old college at Cambridge to take up the post of head of security.

His former teacher, Professor Jericho (Bill Paterson), is trying to develop artificial ­intelligence and he's afraid that someone is attempting to steal his research.

However, Dirk's more concerned with breaking into the college records to find out why he was expelled as a student.

It's just a shame creator Douglas Adams isn't around to see how Howard Overman has ­transferred Dirk to the screen.

He'd definitely approve.

Dirk Gently is bedding in nicely. Where the show was groping around for a strong identity last week, this second story is much more involving. The series shares the same character dynamic as Sherlock - brilliant but antisocial hero, likeable Everyman-sidekick - but goes its own way with humour and eccentricity.

Dirk returns to the Cambridge college that expelled him for cheating, and finds a centre of research for artificial intelligence. Catching up with his former mentor, Professor Jericho (Bill Paterson), Dirk is soon plunged into a conspiracy of theft, murder, cutting-edge robotics and online gaming. It ends up being this week's oddest combination: fantastical and touching. It works wonderfully.

Expelled from university 20 years ago, Gently returns to Cambridge "in triumph" to become a security consultant for his former mentor, Prof Jericho (Bill Paterson). The triumph is shortlived as the detective and sidekick are charged with guarding a valuable robot, which promptly goes missing. Worse, a death follows and the two men attract the attention of the law. Better than last week's opener, it adds a hint of darkness and an unlikely love story to the series staples of outrageous coincidence, Gently behaving appallingly and plain silliness.

As much a celebration of Scotland's acting talent as it is of Robbie Burns, this mockumentary was first shown on BBC Scotland in January, on the 250th anniversary of the bard's birth. The gags are as recognisable as the poetry, yet there's plenty of fun to be had. Set in Burns's hometown, Alloway, it follows the ragbag of entrants for the annual recital competition. Familiar faces include Ashley Jensen, pushy mum of wide-eyed Hayley; Denis Lawson as the despotic head of the Burns Society, with Paul Higgins his lovesick hopeful; and a gleeful cameo from Bill Paterson as a touchy-feely tartan seller.

This is another chance to see the mockumentary made for the 250th birthday of Rabbie Burns about a village having an annual recital competition. Say what you like about the Scots, and really, you should, they do have some talented actors. The material is patchy (we don't mean Burns's poetry) - but the likes of Ashley Jensen, Denis Lawson - and best of all Bill Paterson - are so entertaining that it really doesn't matter.

The preview CD didn't make it in time for our print deadline, but I have no hesitation in recommending this comedy purely on the basis of the talent involved. Bill Paterson has written the perfect Baxter vehicle: two brothers, separated by ten years and widely differing musical tastes, try to decide on the music to be played at a friend's funeral. Paterson was reluctant to co-star but says, "actors are terrible for blaming other people - writers, directors - but this stuff is all my own rubbish and that makes it quite liberating"