Charlie Brooker

As one of the closest election results in living memory draws near, Channel 4 have decided to adopt a satirical stance in the face of impending doom (a Tory victory) by inviting Charlie Brooker, David Mitchell and Jimmy Carr to lessen the blow. For anyone not voting Conservative it'll be reminiscent of having George Formby strumming away on his ukulele for the troops or Vera Lynn reassuring the public to "Keep smiling through, just the way you used to do/Till the blue skies chase the dark clouds far away".

Described by David Mitchell as being like "Big Brother but with posher people" you'll still be able to keep up with the results as they come in live whilst enjoying popular shows with an election twist.

Fonejacker will be making several impromptu appearances whilst Lauren Laverne, David Mitchell and Jimmy Carr share the role of compère. Most of the polls suggest its neck and neck as the three main parties race towards the finish line and some light comic relief might be exactly what this election needs before the sad reality settles in for whoever wins: it's going to be a tough couple of years and a fair while until the "skies chase the dark clouds far away".

With the advent of American-style televised debates, this election has already provided the leaders of the three main parties with ample opportunity to show themselves up. Should they have not done enough on their own, though, this "alternative" broadcast looks likely to finish the job. An ambitious four-hour live presentation, this aims to offer a satirical take on results as they emerge; David Mitchell, Lauren Laverne and Jimmy Carr present, with contributions from Charlie Brooker.

Channel 4, the rude kids at the back of the class, have decided that the only sensible approach is to go for laughs, so the likes of David Mitchell, Lauren Laverne, Jimmy Carr, and Charlie Brooker will be sitting in front of a live audience and taking the mick.

Brooker's one to watch

Never one to mince his words, Charlie Brooker has a stinging descriptions of what it's like filming You Have Been Watching: "Like having a controlled mental breakdown".

Charlie Brooker interview

He possesses the sharpest keyboard in the country, but what do you really know about writer and presenter Charlie Brooker?

Charlie Brooker returns for a second series of this wryly amusing panel show, in which he goes through a selection of topical TV clips with three guests, quizzing them on the content and generally being a cynical wit: think Harry Hill's TV Burp meets Have I Got News for You, with minimal emphasis on actual point-scoring. Tonight, Brooker's guests are David Baddiel, Liza Tarbuck and comedian Kevin Bridges.

For most TV aficionados, Charlie Brooker winning Best Newcomer at last year's British Comedy Awards was a strange one. The man whose full name is actually "The Acerbic TV Critic Charlie Brooker" has been around for a while now, but an award of some kind was fully deserved. You Have Been Watching is one of those comedy panel shows that masquerades as a quiz. Brooker invites three celebrity guests to join him as he shouts and shakes his fist at the world of telly. Points are awarded, but there are never right or wrong answers - just biting, satirical wit and surreal silliness.

Recent RTS winner Charlie Brooker returns to primetime for a second series of TV comedy quiz YHBW. The emphasis is of course on the funny, with great and/or odd clips of recent TV, and gags from guests Liza Tarbuck, David Baddiel and Kevin Bridges.

A well-deserved second series for Charlie Brooker's vitriolic panel show, which vents its spleen on the best and worst of the week's crop of telly. It's essentially a more mainstream format of Brooker's show Screenwipe - although not as mainstream as the BBC's similar effort, As Seen On TV - which was more of a projectile vomit than a TV burp.

YHBW is usually a good place to catch up with all those digital TV oddities that might have escaped your attention while you were watching Countryfile.

On this week's show Liza Tarbuck, David Baddiel and Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges will be trying to score points and attempting to work up the same head of amusing, free-flowing rage that Brooker manages so effortlessly.

The televised election debates kick off tonight on ITV1, however a more important debate occurs straight afterwards on Channel 4, as Charlie Brooker returns with a new series of telly debate/quiz show You Have Been Watching.

The first series was a bit patchy, with its success depending on the balance of both guests and clips. The quiz element didn't really work, except in the week Victoria Coren was on and got uber-competitive, although this element remains in the second series. Expect discussion over the course of the series to involve the televised political debates, Doctor Who, Ashes to Ashes, Britain's Got Talent and the best of international telly. Oh, and Lord Charlton has a horrible new haircut, but hopefully that won't stick around.