Jason Manford

Jason Manford interview

Jason Manford presents new comedy/music show on ITV1.

Jason Manford rocks the comedy circuit

He's one of the hottest names in comedy, so it seems surprising that 28-year-old Jason Manford is already thinking of retirement.

After the high of last week's hilarious opener, I thought this episode was very flat overall. None of Sean Lock's flights-of-fancy left the ground, Jason Manford seemed to struggle for material, and the choice of guests wasn't very good. I'm not a fan of young standup Jack Whitehall, and while I find Josie Long strangely beguiling (it's her grinning, just-rolled-out-of-bed cuteness), she wasn't very funny here.

Peter Jones from Dragons' Den was subdued to begin with, but he warmed up in the second part - and in doing so gave comedy ammo to the others about his millionaire lifestyle anecdotes. Fay Ripley wasn't a total loss because she got involved, but this episode was definitely slack and its content has already melted from my memory. You know it's a weak episode when a clip from the US version of Wife Swap (an irritating fat kid being denied junk food by his "swapped" mom) proved to be the highlight.

8 Out Of 10 Cats is rapidly becoming the best panel show around, isn't it? I think a big part of that is how everyone seems to genuinely enjoy the experience. Half the guests on Have I Got News For You look scared out of their wits, or spend their time walking on eggshells, while Mock The Week has always been very competitive and male-dominated, with guests often left to flounder amidst the regulars...

There's just a more pleasant atmosphere on 8 Out Of 10 Cats nowadays, and I really respond to that. Team captains Jason Manford and Sean Lock openly laugh at each other's jokes, Jimmy Carr appears to have toned down his cattiness, and this episode's non-comedians (EastEnders' Charlie Clements, presenter Claudia Winkleman, popstar Jamelia) didn't embarass themselves.

In fact, it appears that producers everywhere have realized Jamelia's TV gold with her ill-informed opinions and, well, good-natured stupidity. Can you believe she home-schools her kids?! She was better value than Iranian comedienne Shappi Khorsandi in this first episode, too. Shappi fell into the trap of mostly sitting on the sidelines and smiling at everyone else's gags, unless that was just very unfortunate editing. Also, am I alone in finding Sean Lock absolutely hi-larious on this show? The strange thing is, I find Lock's standup rather dull and tedious.

The topical panel show returns for a new series. Host Jimmy Carr, who delivers his pre-scripted waspish remarks with perfect timing, is joined by team captains Sean Lock and Jason Manford, with pop singer Jamelia and the perennial quiz show guest Claudia Winkleman.

Cats are supposed to have nine lives and if that really is the case, time could be running out for the smuggest man on the telly - because Jimmy Carr's comedy panel show is nine series' old today. Well, technically it will be nine whole series old in six weeks' time, at the end of the latest run. But that would ruin the intro to this preview!

As usual, each show sees the teams - captained by Sean Lock and Jason Manford - guessing what the British public thinks about the week's most talked-about subjects. And as usual, being correct will come second to who can give the funniest answers.

Comedy is undeniably a booming business again. Though it may never reach the fever pitch of rock n'roll, a legion of related book and DVD releases and a plethora of live tours suggest that it's in rude health. It may be too rude for some at times but 2010 promises no let-up.

Laura Solon and Dan Antopolski both hit the road this month. Solon, who won the Perrier in 2005, will air her 2009 Edinburgh show, 'Rabbit-Faced Story Soup', a tour-de-force of characterisation and tightly-written one-liners. Antopolski is no slouch when it comes to one-liners either and he'll be aiming to show that he has more to offer than the hedgehog joke ("Hedgehogs - why can't they just share the hedge?") that won him, via a public vote, Dave TV's Funniest Joke of the Fringe Award this year.

The ever more recognisable The Thick of It and In The Loop star Chris Addison goes on tour in February with his first brand new show for five years. Mock the Week host, Dara O'Briain has announced a massive 60-date nationwide tour from March to June culminating in dates at the Hammersmith Apollo. And, though he once told me that he didn't fancy the idea of "Leamington Spa on a Tuesday evening", the Irish comedian, and a former Edinburgh comedy award nominee, Andrew Maxwell is finally going to be unleashed on UK audiences for his first regional tour from April. Though many up and down the country will already know this dexterous comedian from his club sets, this will be the first time that his full-length excellence will have been witnessed outside of Edinburgh or of his native country where he has always been guaranteed large turnout.

Other tours to watch come from Mark Watson (from October) who recently gave a good account of himself in the chair of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, sketch troupe Pappy's and Jason Manford from June. And, watch out, the comedian that people love to hate, Frankie Boyle starts his 'I Would Happily Punch Every One Of You In The Face' tour at Glasgow's Kings Theatre in March. Perhaps he'll seal the gig with a kiss.

Jason Manford Interview

Jason Manford talks about Christmas: "Whoever decided to include sausages wrapped in bacon was a big fat heart-attack-waiting-to-happen".

Bafta-nominated comedy-fest, Live At The Apollo, returns for a fifth series and it opens with a bang. Northern funny man Jason Manford hosts with special guest, 2009's comedy sensation, Michael McIntyre.

McIntyre's most recent telly series Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow pulled in a huge five million viewers a night and it's easy to see why. He has an astonishing talent for turning the humdrum into the hilarious, with a laser-sharp eye for everyday silliness.

There aren't many people, even comedians, who could have you weeping with laughter over hoovering techniques, the charade of ordering restaurant wine or the contents of your spice rack. And you'll never watch a snooker game in quite the same way again. It's an added plus, in this cynical day and age, that his humour is also entirely humane.

Manford copes gamely with his man-of-the-moment guest and provides plenty of laughs to match.

My one complaint - what possessed the people in suits to cut the show to a mere half hour? Still, well worth watching. Even if you haven't had a rubbish week, it'll cheer you up no end.

Michael McIntyre, eh? He does a lot of observing, doesn't he? And he's quite pleased with himself, isn't he? You know when you go to France and see posters for stand-up comedy and they look like clowns? That's what his pictures look like. He exudes over-the-top ludicrousness. So much so, some people might find it irksome. Still, he's very popular. Partly because he's benefited from the huge ratings of Live At The Apollo, which gives stand-ups longer to build routines rather than spit out one-liners in bearpits like Mock The Week. Anyhow, the reason to watch this is host Jason Manford, one of our favourite comics, a lovely, sensible man when you meet him, who has exceptional taste. He's going to give up stand-up to start writing soon, so catch him while you can.