James Corden

"We've got our own show!" declares James Corden excitedly at the start of this sketch escapade from him and Gavin & Stacey partner in crime Mat Horne. The pair are a genial if somewhat puerile duo, and could do with extra writing expertise to polish their material. At present, this is like watching two pals indulge in a spirited muck around.

Interview

They are the hot young stars of TV, having presented last month's Brit Awards and earning plaudits for the offbeat sitcom Gavin & Stacey. Now Mat Horne and James Corden have been given their own sketch show, featuring comedy superheroes and camp presenters.

Mathew and James Interview

Mathew Horne and James Corden, the stars of Gavin & Stacey have graduated to their own comedy sketch show. They talk about how the series is the most 'gay friendly' around plus the critic's response to their hosting of The Brits.

Next week national comedy treasures, Gavin & Stacey wunderkinds James Corden and Mathew Horne, serve up a gay war reporter played by Horne, who greets viewers with a "Hiya", notes that the war "is mental, it's all going off", that it looks like "we're winning", that he's about to go and do karaoke outside Fallujah, our boys are being "well looked after", and then the camp, screechy signoff: "Don't do anyone I wouldn't do.";

In another sketch, mocking a fashion advertisement, the two men breathily enter a near-naked embrace. They open their lips to kiss. The screen freezes. No kiss. They can mock the idea of gay romance, but no tongues. That would be too 'gay'. Imagine the justifiable outrage if blacks or Asians or women were treated so insultingly on TV now. But homophobia, gay stereotypes, anti-gay humour and backchat - unlike racism and sexism - has become acceptable. It isn't.

I partied too hard: James Corden

Since hitting the headlines as the star and writer of hit comedy Gavin & Stacey, James Corden has become an unlikely pin-up.

James: I've got Horne for Matty

Gavin and Stacey stars James Corden and Mathew Horne are set to shock fans by sharing a full-on snog. The lads play best mates in the hit sitcom - but take the friendship to another level in their new sketch show.

James Corden: Worth his weight in gold

If 2008 was the year comedy actor and writer James Corden's career took off, 2009 will see it go stratospheric.

The problem with Gavin and Stacey - other than James Corden's penchant for making a prat of himself at awards ceremonies - is not that it's terrible. It isn't. It's overrated but it can actually be rather sweet, albeit with self-consciously saucy bits (An old lady talking about drugs! How risque!) and an irksome jarring inauthenticity. Still, like the mint Baileys that so beguiles Bryn (Rob Brydon), Corden and Ruth Jones's comedy is something of an acquired taste and one acquired by rather a lot of people.

This hour-long special is destined to become a classic - as James Corden and Mathew Horne confirm they'll be making another series.

The whole tone is perfect, crammed with great character acting and brilliantly observed humour, as the entire Barry contingent converge on Billericay.

The devil is in the detail - with the merits of Mint Baileys, EastEnders, Battleships, and talc all discussed. Watching Smithy singing along to Feed The World breaking into bouts of road rage is hilarious. While his attempts at coping with a future without Ness, his baby, and his best mate are genuinely touching.

Gavin and Stacey ready to return

Gavin and Stacey co-writers James Corden and Ruth Jones have announced there will be a third series of the hit comedy show. They made the announcement live on stage in Barry Island, where Jones was hosting an open-air edition of her BBC Radio Wales show.