David Tennant

David Tennant in Uganda for Comic Relief

"When Comic Relief tells you your services are required, you take your malaria pills and get on with it."

David Tennant writes for Radio Times about the suffering he's witnessed in Uganda - and the joy Comic Relief donations have brought to children there.

Alan Carr is so keen-as-mustard, so effervescently eager-to-please, he has rushed out this New Year's Eve special two days early. And it's a classy edition to round off the series: Carr is joined by the brightest twinkling star of this year's Christmas television, David Tennant, who will be discussing his performance in his final episodes of Doctor Who, though no doubt remaining resolutely tight-lipped on the plot details. Davina McCall also drops by to discuss the last-ever Celebrity Big Brother (coming soon - be warned) and music comes from Spandau Ballet.

Catherine Tate's Nan, a ruthlessly truthful creation, is best taken short. Nan's Christmas Carol (BBC1, Friday), longer than usual and later than usual because of Nan's language, cast her as a combatative Scrooge making three ghosts and her deceased husband sorry they were born. Or died. The most eye- catching ghost was David Tennant, who bore a striking resemblance to Russell Brand.

A Christmas Carol has seen many film and TV incarnations over the years. But this is perhaps the most bizarre and clever of all a comic retelling with Catherine Tate's acid-tongued Nan as Scrooge.

The writers have taken some bleedin liberties with the original story (Tiny Tim is a dog and the ghost of Christmas Present wears skinny jeans) but its a laugh-fest from beginning to end.

The three ghosties are played by Ben Miller, Roger Lloyd Pack and an almost unrecognisable David Tennant, who all attempt to convince Nan to swap her miserly ways for some seasonal cheer.

Oddly enough, Jessica Hynes also wrote and starred in Learners (BBC1, Sunday), and roped in another star in spectacles, David Tennant. This worked much better as television, though it was so slight that you could have - you were positively tempted to - poked a small hole in it with your little finger.