Frank Skinner

Room 101: do Frank Skinner and the new format work?

The comedy show is back on a new channel after a revamp - so what do you make of its new host and format?

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Room 101: Frankly, the room's a winner

Coupled with some fine one-liners from new host Frank Skinner, Gabby Logan and the other guests just about managed to convince me that this old dog could survive its recent and radical format change.

Gregg Wallace, Sarah Millican and Gabby Roslin compete to convince Frank Skinner to consign their bêtes noires to oblivion. But Wallace brings a curmudgeonly, grumpy-old-man air to his nominations for the imaginary vault-of-loathing beneath the stage. His pet hates involve "old people in front of you at cash machines" and "all live music concerts": both ideas that tip over from admirably controversial to downright mean.

Millican rails against experts who befuddle her, Roslin trashes Olympics moaners, and there's a guest appearance from the London Vegetable Orchestra - people in bow ties playing a tune on pumpkins. It's better than you'd think.

After a five-year hiatus, this light-hearted comedy series has returned with a new format (it's now a panel show) and a new host (quick-witted Frank Skinner). Three celebrities compete to have their pet peeves consigned to the dumper. Tonight MasterChef's Gregg Wallace, comedian Sarah Millican and sports presenter Gabby Logan go head-to-head. Wallace wages war on barbecues ("I've seen a man with a sausage on fire, turning it"), Millican complains about cats who ignoreher (she mews at them to get their attention), and a worthy Logan gets on her high horse about anti-Olympic attitudes ("you don't have to love sport, you have to love... the human spirit").

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A revamped Room 101, with a tinder-dry Frank Skinner stepping bravely into Paul Merton's shoes and playing a blinder, is a winner in its new format, having all three guests there simultaneously, and categorised rounds. Robert Webb roughly won, mainly by sending Jeremy Kyle - goodness but there were some worrying clips - into the masher, though Danny Baker, with his honestly newfound if existentially confusing hatred of TV panel games - "just a Jeremy Kyle show that's been though college" - was the true hit. That's not the point. This is. During the titles of this programme, which if you've forgotten is about things we all hate, up popped the phrase "unexpected item in baggage area".

After 11 series between 1994 and 2007, Room 101, the torture chamber containing the most horrendous things in the universe, must already be pretty full.

I imagine it looking a bit like my loft - filled with all that random clutter you don't want but that the binmen won't collect either: BBC2 logos, jellyfish, Anne Robinson, people who look like cats and the year 1975, just for starters.

The revamped Room 101 sees Frank Skinner as the host presiding over three guests, each competing to have their pet hates consigned to pretend oblivion.

It's a good move, ensuring no more of those awkward pauses as guests rack their brains for more hilarious reasons why they can't stand the skin on rice puddings or novelty underpants.

Tonight Robert Webb, Fern Britton and Danny Baker battle it out before Skinner makes his final decree.

It's back, with shiny new titles, Frank Skinner in place of Paul Merton and not one but three guests competing to have pet hates banished for ever. Robert Webb, Danny Baker and Fern Britton select peeves such as homework, sci-fi, PE and punk, but it has all the awkwardness of a bad dinner party and little of the easy, intimate wit and banter of the original show; the best fun to be had is Webb's seeming disdain for the rather tedious Britton, who seems to think she's on Grumpy Old Women. Maybe future contestants - among them Alistair McGowan, Josh Groban, Sarah Millican and Alice Cooper - will make this more likeable, though they'll have a job getting laughs from the likes of Gregg Wallace, Gabby Logan and Mark Lawrenson.

Room 101 offered a new, paired down format

Room 101 was entertaining enough as new host Frank Skinner was joined by Danny Baker, Fern Britton and Robert Webb, but this was a blander, bleached version of the classic comedy show.