Julian Clary

Julian Clary: this week I'm...

The comedian and novelist shares the cultural highlights of his week.

Omid Djalili hosts tonight's comedy session, treading what he calls "the fine line between entertaining and mental illness". On the entertainment side of that line are his impressive mashup of West End musicals and his Tommy Cooper pastiche of Obama meeting former Egyptian president Mubarak.

He's followed by Reginald D Hunter with some political comedy and then Julian Clary, who does a startlingly short set - though perhaps not short enough for Olympic cycling champion Geraint Thomas, who looks very uneasy when called up on stage.

Julian Clary interview

Julian Clary has marriage on his brain. Not to his partner Ian, mind you. But to someone from the audience on his latest tour.

I felt a little uneasy as I sat down to watch Five Go to Rehab (Wednesday, G.O.L.D.), having such fond memories of the original, Five Go Mad in Dorset, which aired on Channel 4's launch night 30 years ago, The last Comic Strip offering - a "satire" on Tony Blair as a war criminal, broadcast in 2011 - did not bode well.

Such was the cultural impact of that debut Comic Strip - as well as its sequel Five Go Mad on Mescalin - that my generation grew up believing that the Enid Blyton stories had referred to "lashings of ginger beer" when in fact, as I learned from QI the other day, Blyton's phrase had been "lashings of hard-boiled eggs". Could the same team pull it off now they were in their mid-fifties? Well, I am happy to report, the answer was yes. And what was astonishing was how kind the years had been to them - even to Robbie Coltrane as the gypsy.

The conceit was that Dick, played by Ade Edmondson, hadn't moved on and was desperate to have a Famous Five reunion; had been planning it for 14 years, complete with picnics and a staged arrest involving actors dressed as policemen and baddies. But the others had grown up and now swore and said things such as "Stop being such a w-----, Dick". Tomboyish George (Dawn French) and Julian (Peter Richardson, who is actually 61) were recovering alcoholics - while shy Anne (Jennifer Saunders) was not only a strict vegetarian but also a lesbian.

While, inevitably, it lacked the shock value of the original parody, this turned out to be unexpectedly moving, such being the power of nostalgia. A good running joke was that Julian - "I hate binge drinking alone" - couldn't recall anything about their childhood adventures.

When The Comic Strip team had the idea of revisiting this comedy classic, their friends must have cautioned against it, possibly citing the train wreck that was the Carry On remake starring Julian Clary. I'm glad they ignored them. And respect to G.O.L.D. for getting it as an exclusive. But why wasn't it on Channel 4, with much fanfare?

5 things you might not know about Julian Clary

The camp comic rose to fame through appearances on The Joan Collins Fanclub and Sticky Moments.

Julian Clary interview

Julian Clary memorably kept his composure throughout the duration of the most recent show, somehow keeping his counsel between the theatrics of Julie Goodyear and the alpha-male posturings of Harvey and Co, until the very last moment... when he collapsed in a puddle of emotion on discovering he was the victor.

Julian Clary in talks to create gay sitcom

Celebrity Big Brother winner Julian Clary is hoping to make a gay sitcom set in a hotel with Coronation Street actress Julie Goodyear.

Julian Clary on winning Celebrity Big Brother

Comic Julian Clary had the last laugh as he won Celebrity Big Brother - despite admitting that signing up for the Channel Five show could be seen as "desperate".

Julian Clary wins Celebrity Big Brother

Julian Clary has been crowned the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2012.

£15,000 bet placed on Julian Clary to win Big Brother

Ladbrokes have received their biggest ever bet on Big Brother - with a £15,000 wager on Julian Clary to win the celebrity version tonight.