Jack Dee

Jack Dee, New Theatre, Oxford, review

Comedian Jack Dee directs weary indifference towards everything the modern world throws his way at Oxford's New Theatre, writes Dominic Cavendish.

Jack Dee interview

Jack Dee has been away from stand-up for six years, so why is he so eager to return to touring now? "I want to spend less time with my family," he says in that familiar, deadpan tone.

There was general and justifiable outrage when BBC2 pulled the plug on Shooting Stars. But how did Vic and Bob react? By the looks of this new show, they shrugged their shoulders and went off to C4 to do something incredibly similar. Is that enough? Well, there's no Jack Dee to have his face compared to things. No Ulrika. And Dan Skinner has reconstituted himself as John Meringue, a sort of Viking real ale enthusiast. There are skits, absurd live performances, non-sequiteurial questions and baffled guests (tonight; Eddie Izzard, Chelsee Healey and Thomas Turgoose). The resulting show will have you sniggering along, even as you contemplate the duo's bare-faced cheek. Vic and Bob truly couldn't be boring if they tried but, assuming it gets a series, this could go either way.

Our new panel show is female-friendly says Jack Dee

Jack Dee has promised that his new panel show will be more friendly to female comedians than the likes of Mock The Week.

The charity extravaganza returns for a third year, filmed at London's O2 Arena a week ago. Jessie J, coach on The Voice UK, opens proceedings with a live performance. She's followed by an all-star cast of comedians including Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Jack Dee, Jo Brand and Jack Whitehall. Once again, the two Carrs - Jimmy and Alan - will also be "hijacking" the commercial breaks. It's all in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The greatness that is Lead Balloon

I'm guessing a few of you are already sitting in front of the telly eagerly awaiting the Sunday night premiere of the new season of Sherlock on PBS. If you happen to be in the North Texas area and KERA is your local public television station, then hang out with us until 11:00pm for the premiere of Lead Balloon, starring Jack Dee.

In the final episode of the affable Scottish comedian's documentary series, Kevin Bridges takes a look at some of the issues which have inspired his funniest stand up. He plays five-a-side football with a friend who fled tragedy in Africa to start a new life in Scotland, considers the country's reputation for violence with the director and actor Peter Mullan and discusses where he might be today had he not become a comedian. Jack Dee also makes an appearance to discuss religion. Varied and absorbing.

Radio 4's long-running The Unbelievable Truth, basically an update of Call My Bluff, seems to be the exception to the panel show rule in its capacity to entertain. This isn't surprising when you consider it was devised by the same people who dreamt up I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. Granted, it has the same rotation of comedians - Jack Dee, Rufus Hound and Lee Mack were this week's guests - and is hosted by David Mitchell, a Stephen Fry-in-waiting who appears pathologically incapable of turning down work. But what it has going for it is an intellectual curiosity that this week turned up such invaluable facts as the radioactive properties of Brazil nuts, Florence Nightingale's love for her pet owl and Indonesia's 17 million boy scouts. The Unbelievable Truth wipes the floor with the competition. If only it could make the competition disappear altogether.