Catherine Gee

10 best Comic Relief moments

As Comic Relief returns to raise more money for a good cause, we look back at some of its best moments.

The Dog Thrower, Sky Arts 1, review: predictable & daft

Could repeatedly throwing and catching your dog ever be considered a bit of playful fun? Probably not, but that's the premise of the 30-minute comedy drama The Dog Thrower.

Alan Partridge on why he's grateful to Nigel Farage

After rescuing North Norfolk Digital from a serious hostage crisis, new hero Alan Partridge has had a few months to reflect on his actions.

James Corden on new action comedy 'The Wrong Mans'

Espionage, kidnap, mistaken identity, car crashes - James Corden's new BBC comedy The Wrong Mans is certainly ambitious, reports Catherine Gee.

Father Figure, BBC One, review

All of it was implausible, but, that's not really the point. We don't need our comedy to be plausible. Peep Show was rarely plausible, neither was Blackadder, nor Red Dwarf, nor Fawlty Towers, but that didn't stop them being funny. What we need is for these implausible situations to be delivered with wit, brilliant timing and a superbly funny script. Father Figure failed on every count.

You may remember when, 12 years ago, people all over the country began parroting lines such as "it's spitting!", "garlic bread?" and "t'internet". Love it or hate it, this hugely popular live stand-up show from the Kay certainly made an impact - not least as a massive contributor to the continuing success of "observational comedy". If you've not already heard more than enough from the Phoenix Nights star, here's your chance to relive this show from 2000, recorded at the Blackpool Tower.

Since it was uploaded to YouTube on July 15 this year, Psy's video for his K-pop dance tune Gangnam Style has been viewed more than 620 million times - making it the second most-watched YouTube video ever. It has spawned countless spoofs, including ones featuring members of the US Naval Academy, Eton College and the Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei - all performing the now-famous dance. Tonight, Jonathan Ross welcomes Psy himself, who will explain his popularity, before performing his Korean-language hit. Damian Lewis, one of the stars of Homeland, also guests.

Dr Pippa Moore (Vicki Pepperdine) continues to attempt to breeze through her divorce in this charmingly understated hospital comedy tonight. Meanwhile, pregnant nurse Den Flixter (Joanna Scanlan) sharply adjusts her plans to resign when she discovers the benefits she's entitled to and Kim Wilde (Jo Brand) learns that putting herself through medical school will be no easy task.

The award-winning political satire spoofs a governmental inquiry in an hour long special possibly inspired by the Leveson inquiry but bearing a greater resemblance in its staging to the Chilcot inquiry into Iraq. In the aftermath of the suicide of a key-worker after his flat was sold off, an inquiry has been called. Lord Goolding and his team of three inquisitors have little patience for the nervous rambling and impenetrable politician-speak of those giving evidence.

The civil servants, government and opposition troop in, each pointing the finger at the others. The sight of foul-mouthed media advisor Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), in particular, speechless and unable to dig himself out of a self-created hole is a joy to behold. As the entire episode is focused on the inquiry itself, the inventive swearing is mostly absent, instead the delight comes from watching each character struggle to answer questions without ending up in further trouble. Occasional moments descend into panto but with writing this exceptional, it's easy to forget we're watching a fictional inquiry.

Armando Iannucci's political satire returns for its fourth series - the first since Labour was ousted from government - and the good news is that it's still brilliant. The MPs, advisers and civil servants of the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship are now working for a coalition government yet, unsurprisingly, are no more effective at their jobs. The department has created a new digital project aimed at teenagers but spin doctor Stewart Pearson (Vincent Franklin) decides that it should be launched by the Secretary of State (Roger Allam) - a man who has not only had no involvement in its development but is also digitally illiterate. Sadly it's a Peter Capaldi-free episode but he returns next week.