John Cleese

R4's Listen Against scripted flights of lunacy recalled the best of The Day Today. For the first time, a Satanist occupied the Today programme's Thought for the Day slot, recalling the time he sacrificed a goat and drank its blood ('That should give us all something to think about,' he concluded), while Compton Pauncefoot, controller of BBC Animal Entertainment, was questioned about offensive messages left on John Cleese's messaging service by the stars of Radio 2's The Monkey and the Parrot Show. He told presenter Alice Arnold: "As a result of this outrage, Radio 2 is to be bulldozed to the ground and in its place we're creating a spring meadow of quiet contemplation."

He might not find the arrival of his bus pass terribly funny, but as the Prince of Wales celebrates his 60th birthday, at least he can have a chortle at the stellar comedy line-up amassed here in his honour. The Prince's pulling power has not only lured reclusive comedy greats John Cleese and Rowan Atkinson onto the live stage for this one-off show, but has also enticed the brilliant Robin Williams across the pond to do his first British stand-up gig in over 25 years. And why not - Sir Robin Williams does have a certain ring to it.

He's always loved a good chuckle, has our Charlie - aka HRH The Prince of Wales.

So this comedy spectacular, recorded earlier this week, was the best possible way for the heir to the throne to celebrate his 60th birthday (other than for his mum to shift over and let him run the country for a day, and I was never convinced that was going to happen).

Also designed to help raise awareness of (and money for) The Prince's Trust, it features some all-time comedy greats, a number of whom are stepping onto a British stage (the New Wimbledon Theatre, to be precise) for the first time in yonks.

John Cleese, for example, is our Master of Ceremonies, while those performing stand-up and sketches include Robin Williams, Rowan Atkinson and Joan Rivers.

John Cleese, Petruchio in BBC2's Taming Of The Shrew, has never played in Shakespeare before and hardly has the voice for it now. Instead of competing with trained actors he lowers his voice, speaks softer, whispers, murmurs and though this is odd for Petruchio, it is rather good for television.

This theory sits Fawlty Towers (BBC2) like a tea cosy over a tom cat. Here and there but hardly. Funny foreigners, awful wives? That great whoosh of laughter as Sybil Fawlty excused Manuel, the poor dago with all the phoney warmth of an electric log fire in her voice "He's from Barcelona." It was Fawlty's finest hour.

In 'Fawlty Towers' humour takes off for the Empyrean from an airstrip firmly constructed in reality. That the wife should possess all the emotional coherence, and the husband be continually falling apart, seems to me not just an elementary role-reversal but a general truth of such power that it is only in comedy you will see it stated.

After two dull episodes, Monty Python (BBC2) was suddenly funny again, thereby ameliorating the viewing week no end. The pressure on the now Cleeseless team to be as good as ever has perhaps been a little fierce, but that's showbiz.