Matt Kirshen

50 funny podcasts to make you feel much better

Has your daily walk become an endless trudge to nowhere? These podcasts, chosen by comedians, podcasters, Guardian writers and readers, are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Fringe: 25 of the all-time funniest jokes

These are some of the best jokes and one-liners we've heard at the Edinburgh Fringe over the past few years.

100 of the best ever jokes & one-liners from the Fringe

For a taste of what to expect, we've put together a rather epic list of some of the best jokes and one-liners that have had audiences giggling in the Scottish capital over recent years.

This series has been described as "like parachute jumping where you can't remember if you're wearing a parachute", with comedians asked to improvise a routine based on a subjects presented on a screen, which they're seeing for the first time while onstage. Tonight, taking up the challenge are British stand-up Matt Kirshen, American comedian Eddie Pepitone and Robin Williams, doing continued penance for Patch Adams and a host of similarly excruciating films. This format transports him back to his roots.

'Asking a comedian to improvise an entire stand-up set is like asking a magician to do actual magic.' So say the creators of this fully improvised stand-up show of which this, the second episode, doesn't disappoint.

Comedy purists will love the pared-back nature of it - watching comedians in a dingy club, their fear palpable, sweating as they think on their feet. You'll gain a new admiration for comics too, as it exposes the finely-honed craft of a performer's routine. As Rufus Hound sagely comments: 'As long as you're hilarious, nothing can go wrong.' No pressure, then.

This week, American comedian Eddie Pepitone goes first, creating skits by responding to subject matter posted on a screen behind him. He doesn't fare too badly, though quick-witted Matt Kirshen, who follows him, nails it. Luckily, he's on before Robin Williams, who's such a presence and a pro that he'd captivate an audience of wild baboons. Expect to see the likes of Drew Carey and Ross Noble in upcoming shows.

Matt Kirshen: Jokes about Muslims

That's how many jokes about Islam there are: some of them are hack, up there with cats and dogs, airline food and the line, "He knows what I'm talking about".

10 Edinburgh questions - Matt Kirshen

Impish charmer Matt Kirshen is back at the Fringe after last year's absence, you can catch him at the Underbelly where hopefully he will have finished of this sneeze.

Matt Kirshen: 'It's good to own your embarrassment'

Atlantic-hopping stand-up Matt Kirshen tells SSP's Andrew Mickel about his new Edinburgh show, owning his shame and the joys of American chat shows...

After a two year gap since the first series went out, series two of the Pozzitive Productions sketch show Bigipedia began this week - and for me it has been worth the wait, as this is one of my favourite radio shows.

For those not familiar with the show, Bigipedia is a parody of Wikipedia featuring all sorts of odd articles, debates and features. The last series ended with Bigipedia enslaving 88% of the human population and creating a gigantic hive mind in the Philippines, but the new upgraded 2.0 version has reportedly gotten rid of these problems.

Before I go on I should point out that other than the great quality of humour in this show, I have other reasons for liking Bigipedia, namely that I have helped co-writer Matt Kirshen with matters relating to Wikipedia and Bigipedia. I tried to get myself credited as a consultant on the show - I didn't, but it was worth a try none the less!

Bigipedia still retains some of its original features, such as its sponsor, the nightmarish wine-like drink Chianto (the only drink which is the antidote to itself), a new range of Bronson's baby products (such as diving bells), and children's section Bigikids which offers some unusual and disturbing advice on how to avoid being attacked by sharks.

Among the articles which featured in this week's episodes include Plinky, a 1960s educational children's show about wildlife that was so confusing nobody had any idea what animal Plinky was and therefore the show had no educational merit. There was also Elvis Presley's segmented pip worm, which was the real reason behind his famous singing voice.

However, for me, the best sketches in Bigipedia are the "Disambiguation" pages. The format for these sketches is very simple, but it pays off. You simply come up with a term, which helps serve as a punchline for a series of jokes later on. For example, the disambiguation page on "Circus complaint" has articles linking to a self-made spandex millionare, and the stamp of cannibal quality.

One cannot help but admire the writing that goes into this show. There is so much content that you cannot let your concentration slip for a moment. A show which grabs your attention so much has to be good.

This is a comedy, about computers and their systems for finding out anything and being often slightly wrong. It's also about commercial broadcasting, in that it's sponsored by Chianto, a beverage that grows more noxious with every announcement, and ghastly contests between rock bands. But it's the first late-night comedy in ages that has made me laugh, about computers and why I'm scared of them, about vile TV shows and meaningless commercials. Written by Nick Doody and Matt Kirshen, performed with zest by a sparkling cast. Bound to become a cult.