Kevin Eldon

Radio Times review

As the series that forms the BBC's sole bastion of alternative comedy continues, Lee deconstructs the idiocy of false nostalgia and knee-jerk xenophobia by examining Ukip's fears that Britain is about to be "swamped" by Bulgarian immigrants.

While observing that the Bulgarians are merely the latest scapegoats in an eternal stampede of small-minded cultural hysteria, he takes familiar bigoted arguments to their absurd conclusions. It's typically audacious stuff: when was the last time you found a reference to the ancient Beaker People in a stand-up comedy routine?

Meanwhile, hostile interrogator Chris Morris takes the crumpled comedian to task over his disingenuous methods and dwindling sense of purpose. Morris simply shaking his head in mute dismay is one of the funniest moments in the whole episode.

And watch out for a truly bizarre filmed epilogue starring those twin titans of cult character comedy, Kevin Eldon and Paul Putner.

Radio Times review

Were you part of the club? Kevin Eldon's sketch show was a huge favourite among comedy nerds, and among the nation's top performers, most of whom had a guest role in it. But, dispiritingly when good new sketch shows are so hard to come by, nobody tuned in to see Eldon lovingly turning the format inside-out. He brought his impeccable timing and faint air of menace to a pile of brilliant, weird ideas, led by him imagining Hitler talking with the voice of Beatles producer George Martin: "Where did it all go wrong? I'm sure you've heard a lot of people say it was when the Japanese became involved..."

If there was a funnier labour of love on TV this year, we missed it. Kevin Eldon and chums reconstructed the Pistols' infamous appearance opposite 'fucking rotter' Bill Grundy in uncanny detail, but replaced Rotten et al with people in beards, bonnets and straw hats.

Radio Times review

The thinness of the series' premise is exposed in this week's two stories. It's always a delight listening to Rebecca Front and Kevin Eldon weaving their magic in the reader's chair, but their tales aren't particularly inspiring. Toby Davies's story of what happens when a writer of erotic thrillers finds a lost Shakespearean manuscript in his attic feels forced, while Eldon's parable about gratitude plays like a menacing Mr Men and is graced by a performance by The Thick of It's Alex Macqueen - the very personification of Mr Uppity.

Review: Daniel Kitson & Guests, Hackney Empire

One downer of the evening was the fact that David Baddiel had pulled out due to a back problem. But when Daniel Kitson introduced his replacement, Kevin Eldon, there was a relieved cheer.

This week's new live comedy

Previews of Francesca Martinez and Kevin Eldon.

Radio 4 panel games come and go. In some cases they come, then stick around for decades after you wish they'd disappeared. But not this one, which might still be the best of the bunch. Nicholas Parsons, Paul Merton and other regulars are back for the show's 66th series - and in the first episode, fans will be holding their breath for 60 full seconds as Graham Norton achieves the rare feat of speaking for a minute without hesitating, deviating or repeating himself. Pam Ayres and new BBC2 sketch-comedy star Kevin Eldon round out a great panel.

In truth there's a fair bit of filler in this week's episode. This isn't uncommon in sketch shows nearing the end of their run, and Kevin Eldon's filler has ten times more care and imagination funnelled into it than anyone else's. If you're still on board, you won't mind a bit as Eldon sings a song all about how the scraping part of "bowing and scraping" must annoy kings, or fast-forwards through his own show to preview bits that will not in fact appear.