Matt Lucas

If the 90 per cent empty auditorium in which I saw this film earlier this week is any guide, TV comic Harry Hill has not struck gold, but something much smellier, with his graduation to the big screen.

Maybe it's Marmite, for people either love or hate his brand of comedy. As with Marmite, if you don't have the taste for it, it's not easily acquired, and it won't be acquired here.

Like Russ Abbot and Freddie Starr, before him, Hill revels in the adjective 'madcap', and there is certainly a strong madcap element to this tale of the ever-genial Harry and his nan (an exceedingly game Julie Walters) taking their apparently terminally-ill hamster (in fact, a cuddly toy) to Blackpool.

On the way they run into Jim Broadbent, playing a three-armed female cleaner in a nuclear power station, and Sheridan Smith, who plays the princess in a nautical tribe of shell people. Meanwhile, they are pursued by two villains dispatched by Harry's evil identical twin Otto (Matt Lucas).

Hill has attracted some top-notch British talent. Whether they read the script first is open to question.

Otto is cross because he was given up for adoption to a group of Alsatians in Kettering, and from that you get a hint of the kind of humour that prevails.

It's surreal, for sure, but the kind of surrealism that makes you sink lower and lower in your seat, wondering whether to make a dash for the exit.

If you do sit it out, though, there's some enjoyment to be had in spotting the comedy references - to The Goodies, The Lavender Hill Mob, even Charlie Chaplin's City Lights.

But I'm afraid that serves mainly to remind us what good comedy is, and what this isn't.

A festive edition of Matt Lucas's comedy awards ceremony, where comedians nominate awards to be handed out in daft categories. Tonight's nominators are Jo Brand, Alan Davies and Rhod Gilbert, who will determining the awards before passing over judging duties to a celebrity panel. A loose term, perhaps, as the panel comprises perky dancer Bonnie Langford, bum-chinned funnyman Ted Robbins, 80s ventriloquist Bob Carolgees and Spit the Dog, chef Jean-Christophe Novelli and former footballer David Ginola.

Matt Lucas has had his mum on his show, so comedians bringing a parent on board to share the presenting load is not entirely unprecedented. And the son-and-father team of Jack and Michael Whitehall has already been successfully road-tested on Million Pound Drop and live comedy shows. But a chat show is a tough act to pull off, so it will be interesting to see if the pair's fractious but affectionate relationship works its magic and gets their guests to open up. First to submit to a Whitehall grilling are Jeremy Paxman - on the receiving end for once - and new EastEnder Danny Dyer.

James Arthur apologises to Matt Lucas

James Arthur has apologised on twitter after being accused of singing homophobic lyrics.

This comedy panel show often comes off as a pale imitation of Room 101 but Matt Lucas has scored a coup tonight: he's signed up puppet legends Sooty, Sweep and Soo as guest judges. Genius!

Guests Rhys Thomas, Susan Calman and Andy Parsons may as well resign themselves to playing second fiddle as they ponder categories including Most Deluded Group Of People.

England fans? Talent show singers? The list is endless...

There's something a bit odd about these spoof awards, which return for a second series. They are hosted by Matt Lucas, who awards prizes in "unrecognised comedy fields". It used to be on radio, and worked much better there; the TV format is gimmicky. Tonight's guests include Robert Webb, Ardal O'Hanlon and Adil Ray.

Little Britain's Matt Lucas returns to hand out another batch of tubby-tummied gold statuettes to celeb guests.

First on Lucas's sofa are Ardal O'Hanlon, Robert Webb and Adil Ray who take it in turns to nominate candidates for random categories.

Tonight's gongs, awarded by a trio of judges - Olympic bronze medallists Anthony Ogogo, Kate Walsh and Alex Danson - are for such achievements as Least Comprehensible UK Accent and Most Miserable Day Of The Year.