Mark Benton

New comedy, Mr Blue Sky (Radio 4), is about Harvey Easter, an eternal optimist. He walks to work one morning, and gets shot. "I suppose it's better than being stabbed," he chirrups.

Andrew Collins's comedy makes you smile rather than guffaw, but is full of warm, nicely observed lines. Harvey (Mark Benton) is maddeningly upbeat, and Rebecca Front plays his exasperated wife well. A neighbour repeatedly lights bonfires in the garden ("What are you burning," she yells, "Edward Woodward?"). Harvey looks on the bright side: "At least he's not burning tyres." And relations with his teenage son are improving: "I think he respects me now I've been shot."

Personal Affairs doesn't seem to know what it's supposed to be. Combining elements of comedy, mystery and romance, but without ever being funny, intriguing or romantic, Personal Affairs' heroines are five go-getting gals working as personal assistants in a high-powered City brokers firm.

Episode one introduced itself with a flurry of Ally McBeal-style fantasy sequences, but these quickly and inexplicably petered out once the main characters were established.

Storylines comprising varying degrees of idiocy followed soon after, the most prominent of which was the disappearance of ultra efficient PA Grace which, in my opinion, was a very smart move on Grace's part.

Personal Affairs clearly imagines itself to be frothy fun in the spirit of Sex and the City, but it produces all the effervescence of an autopsy. The acting is pantomime posturing, the script is a wit-free zone and the lead characters chronically underwritten. Even the ever-reliable Mark Benton looks bad in it.

Lark Rise To Candleford was cutting-edge social commentary compared to Clash Of The Santas, the latest in Robson Green and Mark Benton's buddy-bonding adventures as mates Colin and Howie. Come on, you must remember their comedy classic Christmas Lights. No? Lucky you.

This time around the bickering duo found themselves doing battle in the Santa World Championships in Lithuania, which at least offered the sight of turkey bowling, surely destined to be a Setanta special. But what set itself up as a defence of the true spirit of Christmas - Santa's bulging sack screamed Family Values - got buried under an avalanche of stereotypes and misogynistic gags that were about as funny as leftover Brussels sprouts.

This is as fluffy as the trim on Santa's costume and as daft as the idea that an overweight middle-aged man could ever squeeze down your chimney. But let's not quibble, because this one-off comedy drama, the latest spin-off from Christmas Lights, reunites the popular Robson Green and Mark Benton as competitive brothers-in-law.

This time they're taking part in an international Santa competition in Lithuania. By the time they've had a go at the likes of turkey bowling and mince pie munching, there's barely time to get home to their families for Christmas. The storyline is thinner than gravy in the Scrooge household, so just think of this as a vehicle for Green and Benton to be lovable chappies against a festive backdrop of Santas and snow.

You know what to expect when Robson Green and Mark Benton get together for one of these shamelessly lightweight comedy-dramas - especially when, as was the case when they first paired up to play these warring brothers-in-law Colin and Howie, the storyline is centred on Christmas.

This latest outing finds them heading off to Lithuania (well, why not?), where Howie has been asked to represent England at the World Santa Championships - the snag being that he happens to hate Christmas and all it stands for. Colin, on the other hand, still believes it's a magical time of year, and is more than a little aggrieved that he hasn't been offered the role himself.

Robson Green and Mark Benton star in this Christmas comedy caper. Body shape can play a large part in determining people's talents, so Willie Carson made for a perfect jockey, Michael Phelps is part-fish, and Mark Benton is just right to play Father Christmas. Which annoys Robson Green no end as Mark's asked to represent the UK in Lithuania at a Santa Claus convention. But if you ask anyone - go on, anyone, apart from him, as he's a bit odd - they'd agree Mark fits the bill better. Come on, Robson, at least you've got a natty elf costume to wear... Seasonal fun full of cheer.

Edge Falls, your out of town retail Mecca, the comic brain child of Paul Barnhill and Neil Warhurst, returns. Mark Benton plays Mick, hapless head of security. Frances Barber plays the ingenious promotions manager Sonya, raising a giant pink inflatable love heart over the shops to bring in the pink pound. And all the staff has to be gay friendly too, but only to friendly gays (nothing ostentatious). We're gay for the day, says Sonya, before she spots what she thinks is a bit of hanky panky in the carpark. The spoof commercials are a treat, though.

ITV to air Harry Hill soap spoof

Hill will play a pub landlord called Arthur Buttons in the new show, and has made a pilot co-starring Liza Tarbuck (as his mum), Mark Benton and Kate Robbins. It has now been commissioned for a series.

The BBC describes Edge Falls - written by Paul Barnhill and Neil Warhurst, and starring Mark Benton and Sarah Lancashire - as a five-part comedy. But the line between that and tragedy has rarely seemed so thin.