Frankie Boyle

It's not a widely held sentiment but, occasionally, you could feel slightly sorry for Frankie Boyle, someone who's now more famous for being controversial than for actually being funny. Still, anyone who describes Jonathan Ross as "a £500 haircut on top of a pile of melting ice cream" can't be entirely bad, a fact you hope is borne out by this mix of sketches and live material.

Former Mock the Week regular Frankie Boyle has repeatedly courted controversy with his near-the-knuckle jibes. This new mix of sketches and stand-up is unlikely to be to everyone's taste, but let's hope it shows there's more to Boyle's acerbic comedy than merely getting laughs by causing offence.

He was known as the "dark heart" of Mock the Week. Fans of the sharp-suited, razor-tongued Scotsman Frankie Boyle think the hit BBC panel show has been flatlining ever since he quit.

So, if you've missing out on the kind of jokes that make you wince while laughing, don't miss this live extravaganza of foul-mouthed comedy from a man who loves to shock, and who readily admits to being quite happy to punch every one of his audience in the face or reach through the TV and strangle them.

You might not want to watch this with your Gran. Frankie's jokes about his homeland, modern culture, Kerry Katona and all manner of popular targets will not be for the easily offended.

Have you heard the one about vicar's son Miles Jupp?

Forget Frankie Boyle, Russell Brand and the comedy of shock. Stand-up is cleaning up its act and getting politer. A growing band of dissenting comedians out there do not tell smutty stories and crude gags - and the leading light of this new wave of niceness is Miles Jupp, a divinity graduate and son of a United Reform minister.

Continuing its post-Amstell coping strategy of a HIGNFY-style rotating host, Buzzcocks is back for a 24th series, showing more longevity than most of the popstars it has on it. The surprisingly affable Mark Ronson takes the chair and attempts to rein in returning team leaders Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding[, who get Alesha Dixon, Mollie King from the Saturdays, Tinie Tempah and Paul Foot as their guests. Future hosts look likely to include Josh Groban, Tim Westwood and Frankie Boyle. No Dappy from N-Dubz?

Frankie Boyle goes on the offensive with solo Channel 4

Late-night mixture of standup and sketches includes parody soap opera mocking BBC's reluctance to cause offence.

Frankie Boyle dismisses comedy controversy

Frankie Boyle has dismissed the suggestion that his work is truly controversial.

Kevin Bridges and Frankie Boyle on the football pitch

Up and coming Scottish comedian Chris Forbes chats to stv.tv about Michael McIntyre backstage and the Com Com football team, starring Kevin Bridges, Frankie Boyle and Fred McAuley.

Why I Hate... Mock the Week without Frankie

I never thought I'd be writing about how much I miss Frankie Boyle. Until a few months ago, I'd never even seen an episode of Mock the Week. Then a friend recommended it, and now I'm hooked.

Mock the Week review

Three cheers! The latest series is a Frankie Boyle-free zone. At last the audience can stop cringing and start laughing again.