Ed Byrne

Chelsea Pensioner Jack Woodward followed his father into the armed forces and, later, showbusiness, becoming a BBC warm-up man in peacetime. But his last gig, in a working men's club in the north, was in 1968. And now, aged 90, he says: "My biggest problem with standup comedy is standing up." This touching little film follows Jack's progress as he prepares to open for Ed Byrne at the Hammersmith Apollo. Will he remember his lines? "I've still got what it takes to get a lady into the bedroom. A stair lift."

Ed Byrne interview

We talk to Ed Byrne, recipient of the Best Supporting Actor at the Monaco International Festival Of Non-Violent Film, about what he's up to, and his new stand-up DVD...

Video - Five minutes with: Ed Byrne

Comedian Ed Byrne talks to Matthew Stadlen about how he got started in stand-up, live performance, climbing mountains and why the inspiration for his routines is like making compost

Robert Downey Jr was last on the show in 2009, promoting Guy Ritchie's film Sherlock Holmes. He declared it "the strangest show I've ever been on" as Norton turned his back on the star and played around on his laptop for several minutes.

Downey Jr then had to use a flannel to wipe custard-pie foam off the face of fellow guest, comedian Ed Byrne, before listening to Will Young singing.

None of this seems to have put him off returning to talk about Ritchie's sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, although this time he's got his Watson (Jude Law) to keep him company, and plenty else to talk about in the form of his second child, who's due in February.

Between them Have I Got News for You and Live at the Apollo are a perfect double act. You start your Friday viewing with a light dusting of satire, a few knowing jibes from Hislop and Merton about current events, then - wahey! - at 9:30 it's time for filthy stand-up. By which time those refreshing beverages you allowed yourself earlier on will have lowered your defences enough to make pretty much anything fair game. Which is just as well.

This time it's Sean Lock, Ed Byrne and Lee Nelson who take advantage of our benevolent haze with slick, likeable routines. The great thing about Lock is that you sense he doesn't care too much if a bit of his act doesn't work. When a sequence about Madonna's dancing goes a bit flat, he pulls it back, partly by the unlikely device of having his Madonna speak in an Australian accent. And his routine on kids' pirate parties is lovely. ("In a hundred years' time will they all be dressed as terrorists?" he wonders.) Byrne does a long, clever cat-related routine. But Nelson gets the biggest laughs of all.

Ed Byrne: Can comedy really be classed as dangerous?

Ed Byrne questions whether his fellow comedians are really taking their art to risky new places when they get too close to the funnybone.

The reliably entertaining series becomes a must-see tonight as Hollywood sweetheart Carey Mulligan, comedians Ed Byrne and Ricky Gervais plonk themselves on Graham Norton's sofa.

Although between professional motormouths Ricky and Graham, we're not sure how much of a look in Carey and Ed are going to get. If they manage to utter more than a single sentence each, it will be to plug Carey's new movie, Shame, and... er, we're not sure why Ed Byrne is there.

It's certainly not to just make up the numbers, because there's another guest I forgot to mention - a certain Mr Johnny Depp (I know - major squeal alert!). Captain Jack Sparrow is there to look all dreamy. And yummy. And delicious. And... Sorry, I got a bit carried away there.

The Hollywood heartthrob is in town to talk about his new movie, The Rum Diary.

Music is from Snow Patrol.

Now this sounds like a corking line-up for the Norton sofa: Johnny Depp, Ricky Gervais and stand-up comedian Ed Byrne. With music by Snow Patrol! The always courteous and charming Depp is in town to talk about his new film, The Rum Diary, based on a novel by gonzo novelist Hunter S Thompson about a freelance journalist having problems working on a local paper in 1950s Puerto Rico.

Gervais, meanwhile, who is currently in all kinds of trouble for being offensive and bad-mannered on Twitter (an unedifying spectacle) will doubtless be talking about his new BBC2 series, Life's Too Short, about a company of dwarves for hire. Snow Patrol sing their new single, This Isn't Everything You Are.

The chat show has become much devalued in recent times, but Norton is doing his best to rehabilitate the form with his lively and watchable show (toned down from his earlier days). Tonight he has an impressively A-list line up: Johnny Depp talking about his new film The Rum Diary; Oscar-nominated actress Carey Mulligan; Ricky Gervais chatting about Life's Too Short, his new dwarf-based comedy (yes, really); and comedian Ed Byrne. Snow Patrol provide the music.

Five fun facts about Ed Byrne

Some little known facts about the Irish comic's altercations with popes, Perriers and Piers Morgan.