Chris Addison

Dara O'Briain returns to host the topical comedy show, along with regular panellists Hugh Dennis and Andy Parsons. Though supposedly a competition between two teams (though O'Briain usually couldn't care less about sensible scoring), it's more a brutal contest of wit, or at least forcefulness of character, as comedians with little to say and no talent for interjecting are sidelined. This week the guests subjecting themselves to comedic natural selection are stand-ups Milton Jones and Seann Walsh, The Thick Of It's Chris Addison and Greg Davies, AKA the sardonic Mr Gilbert from The Inbetweeners.

The jokes may be less clever than in its big brother, Have I Got News for You, but Mock the Week can still serve up a few laughs. Now, as the 10th series begins, Frankie Boyle - the one who seems get a thrill out of reciting the most controversial jokes he can think of - has moved on. As has BBC Three darling Russell Howard, though as he is the least funny of the regular panel this is nota great loss. Dara O'Briain returns as host, with Andy Parsons and the quite wonderful Hugh Dennis still in their panel seats. They are joined by Chris Addison (The Thick of It, insurance adverts), Greg Davies (the headmaster in The Inbetweeners), and stand-ups Milton Jones and Seann Walsh.

Back for a second series, for those not aware of the show on the digital channel Dave, each episode of One Night Stand takes place in the hometown of the closing act.

These kinds of show only really use the town as a backdrop - a selling point for the show - and in this case stand-up and Direct Line advertiser Chris Addison performed in Manchester.

Also starring was Addison's co-star in his failed sitcom Lab Rats Jo Enright, who impressed with her talent for impersonation (and pigeon noises); and Craig Campbell, who was arguably the best performer on the night.

Campbell's a great storyteller, with tales of rude song lyrics, tripping on mushrooms and killing badgers. It's really quite a shame Campbell isn't British because he deserves to be the star of his own episode. Jason Cook also filmed for this episode, though his set - and an interview with Chris Addison - is only available online.

We've always like Dave's idea of having comedians perform in their home towns - it means the series produces an amusingly skewed travel guide to Britain. To kick off season two, Chris Addison (of The Thick Of It and the Direct Line ads fame) performs at the Palace Theatre in Manchester with a set that references the city's attacks by the IRA, its crappy weather and its status as the home of Britain's tallest skyscraper outside London ('on a clear day it can be seen by ten counties. And when we get a clear day, we might be able to prove that'). Canadian Craig Campbell and the titchy Jo Enright support.

Dave's stand-up challenger to Live at the Apollo returns with Chris Addison - now known as that bloke off the Direct Line adverts - returning to his home town of Manchester (which apparently you shouldn't get wet or feed after midnight in case it changes into Liverpool) to play a gig at the Palace Theatre. His rants about the internet being "the most passive-aggressive force in the universe", the stupidity of Ugg boots and people who say "the thing about me is " are both angry and incredibly funny. He's joined by hirsute Canadian Craig Campbell and the diminutive Jo Enright, who manages to get a few good laughs out of her poor Irish mammy.

King of Twitter and insurance salesman Chris Addison splits the tvBite office. Features Editor Steve refuses to follow his "middle-class mumbling" on Twitter. Other people are amorously attracted to his angel-faced charm, while our Editor can forgive him everything because he's in The Thick Of It.

Here he does his very-good-but-not-excellent stand-up, making a point of referencing Manchester a couple of times in order to remind viewers that they're not watching Live At The Apollo, they're watching Dave where comedians play their home towns. As Dave Gorman told us recently, "I didn't even know that was part of the deal until I'd signed up because they'd booked me into a theatre in Birmingham and I come from Stafford." Still, it's something on Freeview that's new, good and not on BBC.

Chris Addison on stand-up comedy

"Live at the Apollo changed absolutely everything," muses Chris Addison.

Chris Addison Interview: One Night Stand

Chris Addison is the first headline act to take to Dave's stage for the second series of its stand-up show. We spoke to the comedian to find out which part of the show we should look out for, and how Billy Connolly's aunties are involved.

Chris Addison interview

An interview with Chris Addison...

Chris Addison interview

Dave's One Night Stand, the series where comics return to their roots to play a special stand-up gig, is back, beginning with The Thick Of It's Chris Addison in his home city of Manchester...