Charlie Brooker

Charlie Brooker: Future of the NHS? Cough up, fleshbags

Introducing competition to the health service will, so the theory goes, improve it. And it doubtless would, if businesses behaved like selfless nuns.

Charlie Higson interview

The Fast Show star Charlie Higson talks about why he wants to scar children for life with his books, his old career as a punk rocker and how Charlie Brooker got him into running.

Black Mirror: the complete first series, DVD review

Ed Cumming reviews Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror trilogy, which explores the impact of new media and technology on our lives.

Charlie Brooker neurotic over baby

Charlie Brooker has been stressing over his wife Konnie Huq's pregnancy.

Charlie Brooker interview

Ahead of the release of Black Mirror on DVD, we spoke to writer Charlie Brooker about his work on the series, future episodes, and what he's up to next...

Channel 4 must have faith in 10 O'Clock Live, considering that it got quite a bashing during the first series.

It suffered from many problems; chief amongst them was the hype surrounding the first series with people comparing it to The Daily Show, which was suicidal given how hugely successful and respected The Daily Show is.

However, the second series has come around with almost no fan fair at all. The regulars are still the same. Jimmy Carr's still filling the role of gag-man newsreader; Charlie Brooker's still filling the role of grumpy man who looks at the TV; David Mitchell's still filling the role of grumpy man who interviews people; and Lauren Laverne's still filling the role of the sensible token northern woman that leaves people asking, "Couldn't they find a female comedian instead?"

While there were some laughs, much of the show was still below par. One routine, which featured Jimmy Carr as Vladimir Putin wearing a fake padded muscle suit and wrestling a man in a bear costume, just didn't grab me at all.

It's nice to see that the channel still has some faith in the programme, but I just don't think it is going to work.

The jury's out on whether this news satire effort will take off but, despite dodgy ratings, it's bagged a second series - and David Mitchell and Charlie Brooker are always good for a well-aimed barb.

This patchily brilliant news satire show returns for its second series, still live and still at 10 o'clock - even though these are two factors that might have contributed to the disappointing ratings for series one.

Surely, there's a fair chance that anyone who's genuinely interested in current affairs might be watching the real news over on ITV or the BBC in the same time slot?

Other than a slightly pruned running time and a move to Wednesdays, it'll be interesting to see what other tweaks have been made. A much clearer role for Lauren Laverne would be nice, for instance. But we look forward to seeing who out of funnymen Charlie Brooker and David Mitchell will win the battle of the erudite, ­eye-bulging rant, plus Jimmy Carr sails ever closer to the wind during another of his ­fancy dress news monologues. "Too late. It's live, what can you do?" he shrugged innocently after one gasp-inducing joke about Saudi Arabia.

Despite ratings plummeting during the first series, this satirical show has been given a second go. It's a talented team - including Jimmy Carr riffing on news, Charlie Brooker ranting on hypocrisy and David Mitchell ruminating on the personalities within. Lessons have evidently been learnt from the less than overwhelming feedback from series one - hopefully the shorter running time will create a snappier format - but it could be some time yet before this hits the US heights of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

Charlie Brooker interview

Charlie Brooker talks about Black Mirror, Ten O'Clock Live and this 'Wipe franchise'...