Daniel Sloss

Interview: Daniel Sloss

An enfant terrible of the comedy circuit since the age of 16, his 20th birthday last year seems to have brought about a change in Daniel Sloss as he grapples engagingly with questions of history, religion, patriotism, cultural differences, and the widening generation gap between old and young.

While it comes across as far more scripted than Jonathan Ross's show, there's still much fun to be had from watching Brydon perform his shtick in the company of a live audience and willing celebs. Tonight's main guest is "the king of the maracas", Stephen Fry, who amiably revisits one of his better entries in the new word definitions round of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue: "Countryside, which is to kill Piers Morgan." Seasick Steve and fresh-faced stand-up Daniel Sloss also appear.

It's good to see that this chummy chat show is offering a regular slot for new young comedians. This week it's the turn of promising 20-year-old Daniel Sloss, who is sure to come armed with some good gags about the teen years he's just left behind. Seasick Steve provides the music but the main event is Stephen Fry, who is doing the rounds following the release of the latest instalment of his autobiography.

Interview: Daniel Sloss

Turning 20 means slightly more to Daniel Sloss than most teenagers, after all the unique selling point that frequently adorned his posters and press releases is now redundant.

The besuited funnyman's stand-up showcase returns. McIntyre himself divides opinion - he seems to be almost as unpopular with critics as he is beloved by audiences - but there's no doubting his infectious energy as he hauls his sparkly set around six large theatre venues. The tour begins at Glasgow Theatre Royal, where our host is joined by teen prodigy Daniel Sloss, hairy Canadian Craig Campbell, punning surrealist Milton Jones and headline act Kevin Bridges, a fast-rising raconteur who'll be cheered in his home town.

No amount of digital remastering would have improved the pilot episode of The Adventures of Daniel, just some top-to-bottom rewriting. Not unlike the BBC's other new sitcom, Grandma's House, The Adventures of Daniel revolves in sub-Seinfeld fashion around a comedian playing himself, in this case the teenage Scottish stand-up Daniel Sloss. He seems like an engaging and talented lad, but he was ill-served by some gruesomely unfunny material, all constructed around the notion that his (Scottish) girlfriend's (English) dad didn't care for him, but thought that his (Scottish) girlfriend's (English) sister's (Scottish) boyfriend was the bee's knees. As the (Scottish) girlfriend's (English) mother, looking faintly as though she had wandered into the wrong rehearsal room, was Imogen Stubbs.

Some of the previews of this pilot were decidedly enthusiastic. One of them even featured the emotive word "funny". So maybe I was alone in finding it, on the whole, as funny as gastroenteritis. Coincidentally, trawling through the channels not long after watching it, I happened on a superannuated Scottish stand-up, Billy Connolly, on one of his world tours, and was reminded what "funny" really is. But then not everyone is tickled by Connolly, either. What "funny" is more than anything is subjective, so let me just say that The Adventures of Daniel might be your thing, but on this early evidence it certainly isn't mine.

The Adventures of Daniel review

A confident performance by Daniel Sloss in an otherwise less-than-great pilot that becomes lost in trying to decide what it is.

Teen stand-up Daniel Sloss gets his own Fisher-Price Seinfeld. Although it looks and smells just right, giving a 19-year-old - however beguiling - a sitcom about being 19 can only really appeal to children. (Bearing in mind that 19-year-olds have little interest in watching things about other 19-year-olds; did you read Just 17 magazine when you were 17? Or when you were 12?) In this episode, Danny tries to get his girlfriend's dad to like him. It's like a CBBC show which includes copious references to rubber johnnies and "doing it". So, confusing on the whole.

I thought TV show offer was a wind-up, admits Sloss

Daniel Sloss looks and sounds like a typical teenager. At 19, he still lives with his mum and dad and is obsessed with all the important stuff in life such as his Xbox and facial fluff.

What's a little bit different is he is also the star of his own TV show, The Adventures Of Daniel - on BBC Three tonight.

Nineteen-year-old Daniel Sloss from Kirkcaldy - a comedy circuit 'veteran' of three years - makes his annoyingly young debut as a sitcom star this week. The Adventures Of Daniel takes elements from Sloss's real life and fictionalises them, but less self-consciously than Simon Amstell's awkward Grandma's House. It feels like the pilot has been thrown together, which is not necessarily a bad thing but the supporting characters - mum (Imogen Stubbs), friends, girlfriend and her family - are all lightly sketched, more ideas than fully formed characters.

He's an engaging screen presence though and while there are a few too many teenage clichés, it's already better than many of BBC 3's attempts to be down with the youf.