Brigitte Nielsen

Radio Times review

The Joan Rivers Position, a chat show with a saucy agony-aunt vibe that ran from 2004-06, is ripe for a one-hour retrospective. Partly because Rivers was mourned by the comedy world when she died in September, and this was one of the few UK shows where she was more than a guest. Partly because in all honesty, whole episodes were a chore - but the good bits were sensational.

Take Brigitte Nielsen storming out, coming back after the break, then going again. Or Graham Norton frankly discussing his sex life, including a namecheck for RT that very much didn't make it into any of our marketing materials.

Shooting Stars, BBC Two

"Oh my Gaaaad, you guys are crazy! That's terrible. How could you say that?" exclaimed Shooting Stars contestant Brigitte Nielsen, unfortunately reinforcing our preconception that Americans just don't get us Brits and our irony.

The anarchic panel show returns for an eighth series, and it's still good for a giggle, even if you know basically what you're getting by now: Vic and Bob in tights, Angelos breakdancing, the ritual humiliation of Saturday Kitchen's James Martin. The constant shrieking of attention-hog Brigitte Nielsen does rather suck the fun out of the room, however.

If Graeme Hawley proves to be anywhere near as deranged as his Corrie alter ego John Stape, we could be in for a sparky launch of this new series of Vic 'n' Bob's frenetic panel show. Chef James Martin, actress Brigitte Nielsen and comedian Ross Noble join Graeme in the guest hot spots, fielding the fallout alongside team captains Jack Dee and Ulrika-ka-ka.

Vic Reeves, hideously clad in what can only be described as a Max Wall-does-Teddy boy outfit, returns with Bob Mortimer for their super-annuated nonsense game show. Brigitte Nielsen proves game once she gets the measure of the proceedings, while chef James Martin looks like he'd rather be anywhere else.

Given how genuinely strange watching Shooting Stars can be, we can only imagine what it's like to be a guest on the show itself. For this first of a new run, chef James Martin is fool enough to put himself within firing range of Vic and Bob and spends the show looking as though he's having second thoughts. But too late: the first question to him is about how hairy part of him is, and it goes downhill from there, all the way to a scatological final challenge where a trouserless Martin looks as if he wants the studio floor to open up and swallow him. Which is about the only visual gag Vic and Bob haven't tried. Everything else is thrown into the mixer: Gandalf playing the trombone, Bob drilling a hole in the back of Vic's head, a glass of milkshake poured over a stuffed owl, some creepy puppets and a comedy harassment of Brigitte Nielsen.