Marcus Brigstocke

Marcus Brigstocke to play Arthur in touring Spamalot

Comedian Marcus Brigstocke is to appear as King Arthur in the forthcoming touring production of Monty Python's Spamalot.

As pretty much every comedy show apart from The Office has discovered, British humour, like strong cheese, is something that doesn't travel well. Pity British comedian Phill Jupitus, then - not easy words to write, to start with - but he's agreed to undertake a comedy swap with US comedian/actor Eugene Mirman. For Mirman, a veteran of Flight of the Conchords, there awaits a trip to Britain, and a deluge of appearances on panel shows involving Marcus Brigstocke. For Jupitus, there's a sense of deja vu as he returns to standup, and some testing times, in New York comedy clubs. This show may well be what the phrase "tears of a clown" is all about.

Marcus Brigstocke - Radio 4's adenoidal prince of light comedy - returns for a third series of this half-decent celebrity chat show, in which each guest is compelled to try five things they've never done before. (Actually it's the fourth series if you count last year's BBC Four TV version, but it seems the BBC has chosen to forget this ever happened.) This week's guest is Sanjeev Baskar, whose experiences include watching Sex and the City, reading PG Wodehouse and visiting a Pentecostal church on men-only night which, he says, was "like a really bad audition".

Round 3.6: I AM the Equaliser!!!! Sort of...

In my last blog I vowed not to lose another show this series, but I realise now, after 6 shows, that's starting to sound about as believable as John Terry saying he's developed an allergy to ladies' front bottoms, and will, from now on, be known simply as 'that footballer with the impeccably classy family of law-abiding citizens.'

Round 3.4: A very sexy defeat

Last night I had some brilliant topics, some great material, and I was paired with Sean Lock. Victory should have been easier than in a 'Who Smells The Nicest? competition' against Pete Doherty. How could I lose?

This new comedy quiz show is based on the premise that some news stories are so preposterous that they might as well have been made up. A group of comedians and celebrities are locked away for four days in a media-free "bubble", without access to phones, TV, newspapers or the internet. Oddly enough, there was no shortage of volunteers. When they emerge, the host David Mitchell confronts them with reports, headlines and images, some real and some invented. They have to distinguish one from the other. Frank Skinner and Victoria Coren are the contestants tonight, while future guests include Marcus Brigstocke, Clive Anderson, Sue Perkins and Germaine Greer. Already a big success in Israel and Poland, the quiz looks likely be a lot of fun.

Round 3.2: One all - the Brigstocke's back!

Porsha and Stacey helped illustrate the argument 'A threesome is better in the imagination than in reality' which considering the men on stage - myself, Jimmy and Rufus - is like watching Wayne Rooney, Peter Andre and Dappy from N-Dubz debate the drawbacks of winning the Nobel Prize for literature. But even less likely.

Marcus Brigstocke interview

A regular voice on Radio 4, yet a regular face on laddish channel Dave. Marcus Brigstocke can be seen in drag on CBBC, while touring intellectual show God Collar. "Most jobs I get offered I'm like, 'Are you kidding? Why would they want me to do that?'" he chuckles.

Dave's top original show - recently selected for the honour of a rerun on BBC2 - finishes off the series with a best-of compo. So it's a bit funnier, although it still has the problem of mixing autocued speeches that feel too scripted with improvised banter that feels rudderless and underpowered. Sean Lock and Frankie Boyle are the pick of the many guest debaters. They join regular captains Rufus Hound, who strips naked at the end, and Marcus Brigstocke, who doesn't. Cuddly chairman John Sergeant links the clips.

Nerdy, middle-of-the-road comedy show with nerdy, middle-of-the-road comedians Marcus Brigstocke and Dominic Holland. And the extremely annoying Lee Hurst. It's an attempt to dumb up quiz shows a bit, and it's not half as bad as it should be, though maybe tvBite was a trifle easy on it, after just watching another execrable, script-free ep of Beautiful People.