Brian Cox (II)

This is, approximately, Monty Python's Galaxy Song extrapolated into an hour-long special. It's a collaboration between Eric Idle and Brian Cox, hung on the somewhat laboured conceit that Cox thinks he is presenting an academic lecture but has, in fact, been roped into a glitzy musical. It has its moments and, naturally, there's a "hilarious" Uranus pun. Robin Ince, Warwick Davis and Noel Fielding also star.

Preview: The Entire Universe

The Entire Universe, featuring Noel Fielding - with Eric Idle, Professor Brian Cox, Warwick Davis and Hannah Waddingham - tells the story of the birth of the universe in just one hour. Although social media is already buzzing with anticipation about the show, it airs on TV on 26th December.

Bruce Dessau's top comedy gigs for 2016

Having been spoilt for choice when it came to picking TV highlights the live highlights felt thinner on the ground this year. The Edinburgh Fringe featured a lot of very good shows but few really great ones. Maybe comedians were a little knocked sideways by the Brexit vote. but two did respond well - see below. Elsewhere there were a few excellent big gigs and small gigs and it was nice to see some West End runs rather than bank raid arena one-offs. These shows are listed in absolutely no particular order.

Samantha Baines: Eight space facts you never knew

Award-winning comedian (and Call The Midwife alumnus) Samantha Baines brings her debut solo hour to Edinburgh this year, and promises to share her passion for science, rip the lid off sexism in space, and impress Brian Cox. Get yourself a little insight into the sort of facts you can expect her to dole out.

Robert Newman: The Brain Show review

Dissing bad science, capitalists and Brian Cox, Newman's low-octane cabinet of neuroscientific curiosities has nonconformist bite.

Five of the best comedy gigs for Christmas 2015

Sara Pascoe, Margaret Cho, Brian Cox and Kevin Bridges are among those promising better laughs than you'll get from your Christmas crackers.

Radio Times review

Radio 1 DJ Greg James is the poor rube dropped into the entertaining, immersive murder mystery. He's got to work out why Reese Witherspoon, owner of Successville's biggest chain of bars (see what they did there?), has been murdered. Playing junior to the gruff, unorthodox-verging-on-insane DI Sleet (deadpanned brilliantly by Tom Davis), he's criticised for being "a bit camp and weird".

But then he's got to contend with Prof Brian Cox as an awe-filled forensic scientist and Frances Barber giving a delicious turn as a rapacious Mary Berry, owner of strip club Soggy Bottoms. He can't help laughing incredulously at it all and neither will you.

Rob Auton: the Brian Cox of comedy

An award-winning joke about a chocolate bar gave the impression that Rob Auton was a ruthless gag-merchant. But his meandering, poetic shows, riffing on his amazement at the world, encompass a whole lot more than that.