Bob Carolgees

Spit The Dog's last performance - Bob Carolgees reveals injury

Spit The Dog may have hoiked his last loogie. Bob Carolgees, the comedy ventriloquist behind the 1970s favourite, has revealed that he has carpel tunnel syndrome, which make it hard for him to operate his phelgmy puppet sidekick.

David Walliams is joined by Hugh Bonneville for a Christmas special, with the Downton actor playing a grammar-obsessed vicar, a toothsome gameshow host and a yoga guru with anger issues. To his credit, he hurls himself into this sorry business with vim, but even with sketches featuring, in one case, the combined heft of Biggins, the Chuckle Brothers and Bob Carolgees, the material just isn't up to snuff.

A festive edition of Matt Lucas's comedy awards ceremony, where comedians nominate awards to be handed out in daft categories. Tonight's nominators are Jo Brand, Alan Davies and Rhod Gilbert, who will determining the awards before passing over judging duties to a celebrity panel. A loose term, perhaps, as the panel comprises perky dancer Bonnie Langford, bum-chinned funnyman Ted Robbins, 80s ventriloquist Bob Carolgees and Spit the Dog, chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and former footballer David Ginola.

Following on from a successful pilot last year, Justin Moorhouse returns in this sitcom playing an alternative version of himself, as a Manchester radio DJ recovering from a messy divorce.

This was a rather enjoyable half-hour, which began and closed with Justin talking to his mother (Anne Reid), who was horrified about Justin bringing him ginger nuts rather than Duchy Originals, and who has an attraction towards men with moustaches, including Bob Carolgees and Adolf Hitler.

The main plot of the first episode was Justin having to attend a gathering of parents at a restaurant with his ex-wife Tanya (Sally Lindsay) to try and get their son into a Catholic school, while at the same time going on a date with new love interest Lisa (Katherine Kelly) in the same restaurant.

The main lynchpin of comedy in this episode was the headmaster of the Catholic school, an Irish priest who was very traditional in his views. For example, he's against divorce, so Justin and Tanya have to pretend to be married. Now, the other week I came across an article on The Guardian's website from a man complaining that comedians are lazy when making jokes about religion. In terms of this show - while it is a bit lazy for making the Catholic priest Irish - there was no mention of paedophilia at all, and only one mention of homophobia.

Also, speaking as someone who went to Catholic school, I know that most Catholic priests are decent, well meaning people. R.E. teachers, on the other hand, are despicable monsters who still give me nightmares, and speaking from my own experiences are not exactly fair and balanced when covering certain topics. (The day when the pro-life campaigners came to our class and presented a slide show featuring graphic pictures of aborted foetuses springs to mind). This has nothing really to do with reviewing this show; it's just something I've always wanted to get off my chest.

Anyway, getting back to the main point, I think that Everyone Quite Likes Justin is worthwhile and entertaining sitcom which fully deserves the series that it has been given. Let's see what Moorhouse has to offer us as the series progresses.