Emma Perry

Frank Skinner is going to regret this episode for the rest of his life. Days after the announcement of the comedian's impending fatherhood, he puts "children" in the bin. OK, so he's aided and abetted by Alistair McGowan, who made the suggestion in the first place, but this is going to become top-class emotional leverage for Skinner Junior later on in life.

McGowan does warn us that he's morphed into a latter-day Victor Meldrew, but it's surprising just how angry he seems (perhaps the wind changed when he was filming Grumpy Old Men). Skinner's other guests are Dragon Hilary Devey and singer/songwriter Josh Groban, who can't compete with McGowan's glower.

Four episodes in and the panel format is working so well it's hard to remember Room 101 in its previous incarnation. Frank Skinner's consummate ease with a one-liner helps. And it's Skinner's quick-witted to-and-fro with Ross Noble that propels the show as the panel discuss Noble's beefs with folk dancing and health and safety measures: "The reason we have danger is to get rid of idiots," claims Noble.

Also up for dissection are Jamelia's dislike of text speak and Germaine Greer's hatred of computer pop-ups and fun runs: "Why don't they just write a cheque?" she asks. We think she has a point, but will Skinner agree?

Stephen Fry and his contestants don colourful scarves for a festive edition of the highbrow quiz show that loves a bit of low humour. Brian Blessed gets into the spirit on the subject of ice with some windy anecdotes about the Yeti and his love of husky dogs.

Sean Lock and Ross Noble are the quick wits riffing on Icelandic banking and prawns, while host Fry adopts his stern headmaster persona whenever his "class" seem to be having too much fun.

Like many teachers in the old-fashioned mould, though, he finds his own enjoyment peeking at the sight of one of his boys being humiliated... tonight, it's Lock falling off a chair.

Channel 4 is showing the shindig for a second year running, with Jonathan Ross at the helm. After Gervais's attention-grabbing turn at the Golden Globes this year, Ross might have to raise the rudeness bar.

Last year we had Brian Cox warning us that a big bit of space rock was going to fall to Earth, while Miranda Hart received a hat-trick of gongs and was overcome by the presence of Simon Le Bon.

With the cream of Britain's comic writers and actors all together in one room, we watch with the expectation of spontaneous laughs and off-the-cuff wit, even if we have to sit through the boring thank yous. That's if Ross lets them get a word in edgeways...

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.