Graham Norton

It's the night when TV's big guns mount a barrage of merriment to blast us over the finishing line of 2013. Point your remote pretty much anywhere and a party mood is guaranteed - without the need for an actual party. Graham Norton hosts more stars than can possibly fit on his couch, including the entire Monty Python team, the stars of Anchorman 2, sisters Joan and Jackie Collins, and Michael Bublé. There really is no excuse for letting the fizz in your glass go flat.

Don't tell Wossy (or Graham Norton, for that matter), but chat shows make the perfect accompaniment to late-night wrapping. If only this show aired before Christmas Day, then you could have watched the guests you like, and concentrated on the tricky shapes during the ones you don't.

Tonight's guests are John Bishop, whose autobiography you might have been wrapping, Jamie Oliver, whose gravy you might currently be digesting, and Ray Winstone, whose appearance in Sky's family drama Moonfleet you may squint at tonight, wondering why he's not swearing while hitting someone in the face.

Sir David Attenborough completes the Christmas line-up, and hopefully he'll be asked about his most offbeat hit, Tweet of the Day, which over Christmas will briefly flood Radio 4's Today Programme with glorious birdsong.

Miranda Hart interviews Graham Norton

Miranda Hart turns the spotlight on our agony uncle Graham Norton to talk work, onesies and national-treasurehood.

Or rather the British TV Comedy Awards, where sitcoms and panel shows are championed rather than pure standups - fair enough, as this talent tends to lose out at the Baftas and elsewhere. With its unsentimental yet uncynical take on the news review, The Last Leg could well edge out Alan Carr and Graham Norton's efforts in the entertainment programme category; hospital sitcom Getting On has also done well with three noms, while many will be rooting for kids' hit Horrible Histories to be named best sketch show. Jonathan Ross hosts.

You could make a case that TV comedy is having a bit of a moment right now. Go back a few years and there was a dearth of fresh sitcoms and most panel games felt tired. Now we have fizzingly funny scripted shows from Fresh Meat to Man Down. Meanwhile, Would I Lie to You? has evolved into the perfect panel game (though A League of Their Own runs it a raucous second). Graham Norton and Alan Carr cross wits for the chatshow crown. And RT's own Sarah Millican has devised a blend of stand-up and chat that works like a dream.

This and much more is likely to be up for celebration by Jonathan Ross and the assembled, well-refreshed comedy gods. Nominations were under wraps as we went to press, so we can only hope BBC2's Count Arthur Strong gets the recognition from his peers he didn't get in the ratings and that other minority tastes like Peep Show and Getting On have their moments in the sun. But whoever wins the prizes, any ceremony populated by drunken comics is bound to be a blast.

Graham Norton warned over World Aids Day ribbon

Graham Norton and his production company So Television have been reprimanded by the BBC after he wore a World Aids Day ribbon on air.

He split opinion down the middle but, to our minds, Count Arthur Strong was the comedy hero of the year. So it's good to see the BBC Two sitcom and its star, Steve Delaney, up for three awards in the Comedy Awards. One of those is best new comedy programme, the winner of which is announced live in tonight's programme, ahead of next week's awards proper. Count Arthur is up against Plebs, Psychobitches and Cuckoo. Jonathan Ross is on hand for gong duties and to give a rundown of the other 14 prizes on offer. Familiar names abound, including Ant & Dec, Graham Norton, Miranda Hart and David Mitchell, plus there's welcome recognition for the genius of Getting On.

How the king or queen of comedy is crowned

Six nominees, including Sarah Millican, Jack Whitehall and Graham Norton, are up for the top comedy award. Who will win? The answer hinges on something I call the Neediness Index.

There's no Graham Norton to challenge the Chatty Man tonight, just the small matter of Children In Need to contend with. So there are no Hollywood stars sweeping into Carr's space, just a hat-trick of TV favourites, with Derren Brown previewing his new TV caper The Great Art Robbery, comedian Adam Hills having a giggle over his debut stand-up show, Happyism, and Russell Brand discussing his Messiah Complex, out soon on DVD. And with One Direction busy on BBC One, The Wanted seize their moment to provide the music.