Hugh Bonneville

David Walliams is joined by Hugh Bonneville for a Christmas special, with the Downton actor playing a grammar-obsessed vicar, a toothsome gameshow host and a yoga guru with anger issues. To his credit, he hurls himself into this sorry business with vim, but even with sketches featuring, in one case, the combined heft of Biggins, the Chuckle Brothers and Bob Carolgees, the material just isn't up to snuff.

Pushed back in the schedules due to a last-minute George Michael tribute at 10pm, this extended episode of Walliams And Friend, is a Christmas special, as well as being the last in the series, star of Downtown Abbey and W1A, Hugh Bonneville, partners with David Walliams for a variety of comedy sketches.

Hugh demonstrates his comic versatility as he plays roles as diverse as Alan Sugar, dishing out the hardest ever Apprentice tasks, and even the Countess of Grantham in her new commercial.

In addition, Hugh and David pair up to play smarmy game show hosts of the completely baffling "Double Or Nothing", the world's most embarrassing dancing dads (pictured) and even Bruce Wayne and his loyal butler Alfred.

Also features mini festive episodes of Middle Class Jeremy Kyle and Celebrity Slammer.

Radio Times review

Radio Times Top 40 TV Shows of 2015, #36:

TV continued to eat itself in 2015, as the BBC's satire on the BBC returned for a second, hilarious series. It was certainly bold. A month after Jeremy Clarkson was sacked by the Beeb, the first episode dealt with the Top Gear furore by portraying the Corporation as having banned Clarkson's name. Elsewhere, it was business as usual as marketing speak and the BBC's own talent for creating nebulous job titles were skewered with rapier wit. Hugh Bonneville headed the cast as Head of Values Ian Fletcher, but the ensemble was so strong that all should be praised equally.

Radio Times review

Ian Fletcher, the BBC's head of values, knows how to set aflame the hearts of his female colleagues. In Twenty Twelve, as head of Olympic deliverance, he was the object of his secretary Sally's silent devotion.

Now he's taken the fancy of brutal Anna Rampton (Sarah Parish) and personable, sensible Lucy Freeman. Both women cast covetous glances at the hapless chap in the final episode of John Morton's knowing sitcom.

Ian's (Hugh Bonneville) well disposed to Lucy (Nina Sosanya) but there's little time for romance when a perfect storm of nonsense involving a BBC London weather man and a female presenter blows up and threatens to engulf the management team. It's all Siobhan's fault, of course.

What could happen in series three of W1A?

As we bid farewell to Hugh Bonneville's Ian Fletcher and his idiotic BBC colleagues, writer John Morton tells RadioTimes.com he is keen to focus on charter renewal in another series in 2016.