Jason Manford

Though the prospect of Jason Manford hosting an X Factor-style competition for 10 amateur standups sounds more like Saturday night light entertainment, this turns out to be a meatier proposition, not least because watching people cold-sweat their way through a sudden attack of the unfunnies makes for painfully gripping television. Alan Davies and Kate Copstick are the fairly devastating judges; now that The Apprentice is over, get your fix of schadenfreude here.

Manford: I'd tell jokes if comic was in a sex scandal

Jason Manford has admitted he would have been the first to crack jokes if it had been another comedian caught up in his Twitter hotel sex shame.

Pretty soon, it seems, the only primetime programmes on ITV1 will be talent shows, celebrity challenges and soaps, with occasional dramas and news bulletins grudgingly thrown in to keep the regulators happy. This latest X Factor wannabe focuses on comedy, with host Jason Manford - no mean comedian himself - going out on the road with a gaggle (or should that be a giggle?) of ambitious stand-ups who feel certain they could be the next big thing in British comedy. From fresh-faced newbies to never-quite-made-it pros, the top 10 contestants have their ability to get audiences rolling in the aisles put to the test over six weeks, in which they tour the country to perform for a variety of tough crowds (hospital patients, squaddies, secondary school pupils and rugby players, among others). They'll also take on a range of other mirth-inducing challenges, each episode culminating with the judges - regulars Alan Davies and comedy critic Kate Copstick, plus guests including such well-known comics as Jo Brand, Johnny Vegas and Ross Noble - deciding who's made the cut. The final is a live show at the Hammersmith Apollo for a prize that's certainly not to be laughed at: £100,000 cash, a nationwide tour and a DVD.

Tonight, the contestants are in Liverpool, where they'll perform a gig in front of an all-female audience; the guest judge is Liverpudlian Jimmy Tarbuck.

Jason Manford: I thought about retraining as plasterer

Life as a comedian isn't always a barrel of laughs. Jason Manford, the stand-up who became a presenter, says he nearly packed it all in after his One Show debacle.

Jason Manford to display his talent for singing

Comedy star Jason Manford is aiming to get revellers in Manchester smiling - by showing off his hidden talent for singing.

This now long-running Channel 4 panel game has seen some changes over the years. In this series, Jon Richardson has replaced Jason Manford as team captain; the opening round, "What Are You Talking About?", also now only covers the top three most talked about things in Britain as opposed to the original five. The other major change is that the total scores are no longer mentioned, with host Jimmy Carr now simply saying who's won, rather like Mock the Week.

The one major problem I have with 8 Out of 10 Cats is that almost every time there is always one guest who you'd rather not have on the programme. I went through the panel before the show began thinking to myself: "Russell Kane - established, award winning comic and deserves to be on. Josh Widdicombe - a relatively unknown comic who can use this appearance as his big break. Rachel Riley - well, as someone who regularly co-presents Countdown she has experience of quiz formats. Alex Reid - oh, damn!"

However, having said that, I did enjoy the fact that Reid didn't take himself too seriously, taking part in some pretty self-deprecating humour. However, the guest comics, as to be expected, did perform better; Kane's story about a woman he accidentally offended on a train was a particular highlight.

The comedy panel show is in rude health, there's no doubt about it. Friday night's are when BBC1's genre stalwart Have I Got News For You airs, and now it's joined by three rivals-two of which are new to the airwaves. First there's old-hand 8 Out Of 10 Cats, which is fuelled by statistics and opinion polls compiled about the week's news and gossip. There's been no significant changes to the show's format since it began, although team captain Jason Manford's now been replaced by comedian Jon Richardson.

The show itself can be one of the funniest panel shows around, on a good day. While many contemporaries have to balance jokes with a serious satirical agenda, Cats is as trivial as the lists it uses as its source of information. Headed by three comedians who are presently active on the circuit, it's more obviously an excuse to deliver jokes and amusing observations about topics the nation's chattering about. There isn't much in the way of thought-provoking insights and incisive satire, just pub-level joshing and quips with a topical theme. Team captain Sean Lock's found himself the ideal format for his brand of comedy, too-as I don't care for his stand-up but he seems to thrive in this panel show environment. Having some enforced structure and banter with guests appears to give him a boost.

In many ways Cats reminds me of Mock The Week in its approach to skewering the week's news, but there's a much more pleasant atmosphere to it. Mock often feels like six comedians scrambling to outdo each other in a competitive environment, but those involved with Cats are more gracious to their fellow panelists. Plus, in allowing non-comedian guests (here, cage-fighting fame-whore Alex Reid and Countdown's mouthwatering Rachel Riley), it's more fun seeing them poke fun at people who are in the room-as Mock often feels quite cowardly.

Stay away from the new series of the dependably funny comedy panel show if you only watch it for team captain Jason Manford, because he's gone. In his seat is former 6 Music presenter and comedian Jon Richardson. The neurotic comic is one of the finest on the circuit. Still, it's only recently that he's made big enough waves to bag slots on Live at the Apollo, plus various guest spots on quiz shows. Richardson will almost definitely jell with host Jimmy Carr and fellow captain Sean Lock. But even if he doesn't, you'll eat up his cynical observations and snigger at his obsessive-compulsive tendencies. And the fact that he lives in Swindon.

Bradley Walsh & Jason Manford interview

TV Times magazine talks to Bradley Walsh and Jason Manford about the new series of ITV1's Odd One In and why it's never been tougher to make it in comedy...