John Bishop (II)

It would make an interesting study to count how many times the BBC has used the once-fashionable word "edgy" to describe a comedy programme in the 18 months since the Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand "Sachsgate" row touched ground. My bet is that you'd be able to count the instances on one hand. Instead, the Corporation has taken to producing industrial volumes of feel-good, night-out-with-your-mates-style comedy. This new bright and breezy entertainment show, hosted by Liverpudlian stand-up John Bishop, is a case in point. Bishop takes on a different theme in each of the series's six episodes - family, growing up, holidays, etc - and gives it a stand-up treatment, interspersed with contributions from celebrity guests, cheaply produced sketches and interviews with the general public. Puzzlingly, no specific information about tonight's first episode was available at the time of going to press, but I was able to watch a taster DVD for the series in which Bishop discussed the pros and cons of love and marriage in front of a studio audience. It was funny, in an easy, unchallenging sort of a way - and about as edgy as a Victoria sponge.

There's a golden rule of comedy that says the less contrived the humour, the funnier it will turn out to be. Admittedly, this is a golden rule that I made up myself, shortly before I began typing the previous sentence, but that doesn't make it any less true.

Host John Bishop, Liverpool's latest big stand-up star, may be the one whose routines bind this new series together, but many of the laughs come from the clips inbetween, where members of the public simply relate their real-life experiences.

Each of the shows (also featuring sketches and celebrity guests) will tackle a different theme, such as marriage, work or holidays. "If you walk into a pub," says John, "these are the topics people talk about. It's the stuff that makes us who we are."

John Bishop interview

Since his appearance on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow last year, John Bishop's status as one of our leading comedians has been stratospheric - and now he's landed his own show.

BBC orders John Bishop series

The BBC has ordered a 6 x 30 minute series of John Bishop's Britain following a successful pilot.

John Bishop's Britain

BBC One are welcoming Liverpudlian comedian John Bishop to Saturday nights - he's going to host his own show called John Bishop's Britain.

The famous comic you've never heard of

He is headlining Wembley and a BBC One show. His name is John Bishop . . . and he doesn't know any jokes.

Interview: John Bishop

Are you middle-aged? Stuck in a life you didn't choose? John Bishop is, or at least he was until he found he had a knack for making people laugh.

For this two-hour bonanza in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, Channel 4 recently assembled 24 of Britain's best comedians to perform in front of a live audience at the O2 arena in London. So - deep breath - Jack Dee, Andy Parsons, David Mitchell, Fonejacker, Jack Whitehall, Jo Brand, James Corden, Jason Manford, John Bishop, Kevin Bridges, Kevin Eldon, Lee Evans, Mark Watson, Michael McIntyre, Noel Fielding, Patrick Kielty, Rich Hall, Rob Brydon, Ruth Jones, Sean Lock, Catherine Tate and Shappi Khorsandi take turns on stage to make it the biggest live stand-up show in British history. If that's not enough for you, Alan Carr and Bill Bailey perform with Stomp and Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Johnny Depp provide additional sketches.

Channel 4 Comedy Gala at the O2 Arena, London SE10

It was billed as "the biggest live stand-up show in UK history". But although this show in aid of the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children featured 30-odd comics performing to 15,000 people, with more on video clips, in many ways it conformed to the usual rules of the charity gala. Some acts reminded you why they are stars (Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Jack Dee). Some were good enough to win a lot of new fans (Mark Watson, Kevin Bridges, Patrick Kielty, John Bishop, Rich Hall, Sean Lock). Some did their thing and did it well (Noel Fielding, Jo Brand). Barely anyone died a death. And, though the O2's 11pm curfew forestalled the usual overrun, cor, did Evans, the headliner, strike a chord when he imagined what we were thinking: "Pleeeeease, finish!"

Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford was a one-off end-of-the-pier ­special that simply wasn't cut out for telly. This is the 21st Century, where we ­expect short sharp punchy scenes and fast editing. As opposed to a guy from Liverpool doing 10 continuous minutes of stand-up.

OK for a night out. But on a night in... a ­definite no-no. Jason's amusing enough in a gentle sort of way. Jo Brand's a reliable old warhorse. And with throwaway lines like "My granddad was an Elvis ­impersonator - but there wasn't much call for that in 1938", squeaky Joe Pasquale had me laughing out loud.

Some Northern ­comic called John Bishop seemed to believe that blokes don't send text messages. Tell that to Ashley Cole.

All too old-fashioned. Despite contributions from up-to-date ­popsters Scouting For Girls and Pixie Lott, the entire production was like something from a bygone age.

Friday night not at the Palladium.