Lauren Laverne

Channel 4 must have faith in 10 O'Clock Live, considering that it got quite a bashing during the first series.

It suffered from many problems; chief amongst them was the hype surrounding the first series with people comparing it to The Daily Show, which was suicidal given how hugely successful and respected The Daily Show is.

However, the second series has come around with almost no fan fair at all. The regulars are still the same. Jimmy Carr's still filling the role of gag-man newsreader; Charlie Brooker's still filling the role of grumpy man who looks at the TV; David Mitchell's still filling the role of grumpy man who interviews people; and Lauren Laverne's still filling the role of the sensible token northern woman that leaves people asking, "Couldn't they find a female comedian instead?"

While there were some laughs, much of the show was still below par. One routine, which featured Jimmy Carr as Vladimir Putin wearing a fake padded muscle suit and wrestling a man in a bear costume, just didn't grab me at all.

It's nice to see that the channel still has some faith in the programme, but I just don't think it is going to work.

A second series for the live comedy and current affairs show hosted by David Mitchell, Charlie Brooker, Lauren Laverne and Jimmy Carr. The recommission must have been touch and go, but the strand just about warrants persevering with. The first run was inevitably patchy and Laverne seemed underemployed in comparison to her male counterparts. But it got enough right in a lively enough style to merit another go. Weirdly, it managed a few scoops too; 10 O'Clock Live was the first show to announce both Alan Johnson's resignation and the UN's commitment to a No Fly Zone in Libya. By its very nature, live satire is probably doomed to miss as many targets as it hits. But, given the current volatility of world events, this might be a show in the right place at the right time.

This patchily brilliant news satire show returns for its second series, still live and still at 10 o'clock - even though these are two factors that might have contributed to the disappointing ratings for series one.

Surely, there's a fair chance that anyone who's genuinely interested in current affairs might be watching the real news over on ITV or the BBC in the same time slot?

Other than a slightly pruned running time and a move to Wednesdays, it'll be interesting to see what other tweaks have been made. A much clearer role for Lauren Laverne would be nice, for instance. But we look forward to seeing who out of funnymen Charlie Brooker and David Mitchell will win the battle of the erudite, ­eye-bulging rant, plus Jimmy Carr sails ever closer to the wind during another of his ­fancy dress news monologues. "Too late. It's live, what can you do?" he shrugged innocently after one gasp-inducing joke about Saudi Arabia.

Channel 4's 10 O'Clock Live does show some signs of structural adjustment, which, coincidentally or not, address objections made by reviewers of January's opening programme.

Critics complained, for example, that the content was relentlessly verbal - with Jimmy Carr, Charlie Brooker and David Mitchell delivering exaggerated rants in rotation - and, in the progress to last Thursday's 12th edition (of a scheduled first series of 15), the visual material has progressively increased. Carr's opening monologue is now illustrated with punningly captioned pictures, and the comedian also performs more and more dressing-up sketches.

Two flaws, though, are stubbornly consistent. Lauren Laverne, whose original duties amounted to little more than introducing the boys, has not been permitted much evolution, and the first show's unrelieved liberal agenda continues: the four main performers, the majority of the guests and most of the audience seem to be on the same side over most of the issues.

Even so, I think this show can justifiably claim to have suffered at the beginning from the seeming eagerness of some journalists, bloggers and tweeters to see Carr, Mitchell and Brooker flop: late-night satire shows have generally launched newcomers, and there was a slightly smug sense of a celebrity benefit concert about this one. But, three months on, 10 O'Clock Live maintains a high gag rate and, last week, a terrific bust-up over phone-hacking between John Prescott and a News of the World journalist.

Lauren Laverne is coming out of her shell

10 O'Clock Live presenters have relaxed into their roles, improved their material and best of all, learned to read the autocue.

Ten O'Clock Live, Channel 4, week 6, preview

Six weeks in, the satirical news show presented by David Mitchell, Jimmy Carr, Charlie Brooker and Lauren Laverne is now halfway through its run and the team seem to have finally settled into their stride.

10 O'Clock Live: an alternative (comedy) view

"Lauren Laverne: It's 10 O'Clock. We're live on Channel 4. Welcome to 10 O'Clock Live! This is one of the few times you'll see me this evening, so make the most of it."

Audience members are 10 O'Clock Live's real weakness

10 O'Clock Live saw Silvio Berlusconi and Cameron's Big Society come under fire as Lauren Laverne slipped into the background once again.

Lauren Laverne interview

"Ageism is wrong. TV is unfair. Equally true, unfortunately."