James McAvoy

Together review

A banter-heavy display of cruelty and charm as James McAvoy and Sharon Horgan play a couple at loggerheads during lockdown.

Together is cheap and obvious pandemic piggybacking

In this tedious and excruciating film, Sharon Horgan and James McAvoy play a warring couple trapped together in lockdown.

As the title suggests, the TV quiz University Challenge frames this enjoyable and soft-centred social comedy. Set in the mid-80s, it stars James McAvoy as a working-class student settling in at Bristol University, making his way on to the gameshow team and being attracted to both posh teammate Alice Eve and rebel-spirit Rebecca Hall. It's the romance that wins through in this funny, charming, nostalgic tale.

James McAvoy is a very bad cop indeed in Baird's relentlessly grimy, brutal screen adaptation of Irvine Welsh's misanthropic novel. McAvoy's coke-, booze- and sex-addled DS Bruce Robertson is trying to lie and cheat his way up the Edinburgh rozzers' career ladder. It's a powerhouse performance and there's sterling support from the likes of Eddie Marsan and Shirley Henderson but, lacking the warmth and humour of, say, Trainspotting, it's a gruelling experience.

Radio Times review

There's a trio of mutant superheroes in the studio as the stars of X-Men: Days of Future Past (Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender) take their place on Graham's sofa.

They've all been on the show before but, judging by an online Q&A with them, when they're together there's a lot of laughter, back-slapping and fooling around. Plus the occasional send-up of their rather theatrical co-stars, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen.

Bringing a little femininity to proceedings is Eurovision hopeful Molly, who performs Children of the Universe.

Nobody adds more value to celebrity chat than Graham Norton. He creates a kind of cocktail-party feel, so his guests end up riffing off each other in unlikely ways. Anyone who saw his show where actor James McAvoy ended up in a three-way mind-reading contest with Liza Minnelli and Jack Dee will know what I mean.

McAvoy is back tonight: he tends to play sad roles (the wronged hero in Atonement, the young Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class), but can be quick-witted on a TV sofa. He'll need to be to compete with fellow guest John Bishop. Arctic Monkeys provide the music.

Graham Norton may be heaving a sigh of relief that Jonathan Ross's ITV chat show finished on Saturday, alleviating competition for guests. Tonight the Telegraph agony uncle's line-up features a strong British contingent: actress Joanna Lumley, whose Greek Odyssey is currently on ITV1, Scottish actor James McAvoy (Atonement), who voices the forthcoming animated movie Arthur Christmas; professional Scouser John Bishop, who brings the jokes; and music from Sheffield combo Arctic Monkeys.

As the US remake invades our screens, here's a chance to celebrate the more wild, more energetic, and ultimately superior original. Watch real-life lovebirds Anne-Marie Duff and James McAvoy dance a merry dance as Gallagher family linchpin Fiona and her car-nicking boyfriend Steve, and revel in David Threlfall's career-defining turn as drunken philosopher Frank, to which, as yet, Willam H Macy hasn't been able to hold a candle.

Old friends Liza Minnelli and Graham Norton have a lot of catching up to do.

She's been on his show numerous times before but the last time was on V Graham Norton way back in 2003 when she came with her then husband David Gest. A lot of water has passed under that particular bridge since then...

With a new CD to promote, Liza kicks off a tour at the Royal Albert Hall at the end of this month, with dates in Europe and Las Vegas - and she'll be singing tonight.

Joining her on the sofa is Shameless actor turned Hollywood star James McAvoy, who'll have all the goss from the new X Men movie in which he plays the young Professor X, and Lead Balloon star Jack Dee completes the line up.

When Jack Dee is only the third most interesting person on the bill, you know you're in for a good show.