British Comedy Guide

Michael Hogan

  • Reviewer

Press clippings Page 32

The verbose host welcomes his last batch of guests for this series, and it's a strong line-up of Hollywood star Danny DeVito, comedian Dara O'Briain and, in a rare TV interview, Simon Cowell alongside fellow Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams. There's also an extraordinary musical turn from chart-topping grime artist Labrinth - who happens to be signed to Cowell's Syco record label.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 23rd March 2012

After a decade getting square eyes, host Hill has declined a lucrative new deal to continue this much-loved, award-winning show, meaning tonight's episode is not only the end of the series but likely to be the last ever. So expect guests, knowing gags, surprises, songs and extra silliness as the big-collared, bespectacled comedian takes one last delightfully daft look back at the week's small screen highlights.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 23rd March 2012

Harry Hill's TV Burp: top 10 gags

As Harry Hill's TV Burp reaches its final episode, Michael Hogan celebrates a joyously daft decade on air with his top 10 TV Burp gags.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 23rd March 2012

Observational comedian Sarah Millican has been a regular face on panel shows ever since she won acclaim for her Edinburgh Festival show in 2009. Now she gets her own star vehicle. Millican performs trademark warm but sharp monologues about what's on TV, and chats to stars from the small screen. First up, on the themes of wildlife and dating, she's joined by naturalist Chris Packham and "sexpert" Tracey Cox.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 7th March 2012

After last week's bombshell, the atmosphere is tense in the Stevenson household. The pair are due to attend an important dinner but Roger's (Alfred Molina) missing front tooth is causing problems while Val (Dawn French) is stressing about her job application for the position of deputy head at her school. Despite the tension, the comedy drama's warmth and homeliness are still evident - just about - along with clever dialogue which will strike chords of familiarity with just about everyone.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 28th February 2012

David Jason's new sitcom has hugely disappointed, getting panned by critics while ratings have tumbled. Beeb execs will be breathing a sigh of relief that it's already the last episode. It sees hapless security chief Guy Hubble (Jason) put in charge when the princess attends a hen night. Predictably he quickly loses her, and soon the bumbling bodyguard ends up requiring personal protection of his own. We doubt we'll be seeing a second series.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 27th January 2012

More stand-up comedy in front of the big lit-up logo at the Hammersmith theatre. Hosting proceedings is Mancunian wit and former One Show host Jason Manford, who tells anecdotes about parenting and pokes fun at boy band McFly, who foolishly sit in the front row. Manford also introduces sets by gruff Canadian Tom Stade and gentle Northern Irish observationist Jimeoin, who does an amusing line in avian impressions.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 13th January 2012

It didn't take long for the first phone hacking comedy to make it to our screens. This hour-long swipe at the tabloid scandal, written by Guy Jenkin of Drop the Dead Donkey fame, is set at The Daily Comet, where staff land stories by any means necessary. Phone hacking, entrapment, blagging... the hacks here do it all. Press baron Stanhope Feast (Michael Kitchen, playing a gruff Antipodean magnate with a young Asian wife) demands some big exclusives from his flame-haired editor Kate Loy (Claire Foy). But her moral compass went awry some time ago and it's about to cause a major scandal. The salty script is peppered with political references, while a colourful cast includes Nigel Planer and Celia Imrie.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 29th December 2011

Created by Dan Skinner, comic character Angelos Epithemiou is an anorak-clad, bespectacled, burger van-owning misfit who permanently lugs round a Sainsbury's carrier bag. He found cult fame as a panellist on recently axed BBC gameshow Shooting Stars and now moves to Channel 4 for this solo vehicle, executively produced by Bob Mortimer. Rather reminiscent of Vic Reeves or Harry Hill's early offerings, it's a surreal, cartoonish show packed with slapstick, music, magic and celebrity send-ups.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 29th December 2011

From classical stage work to Hollywood blockbusters, 77-year-old Judith Olivia Dench is our finest actress working today. This documentary charts the Dame's distinguished career via the roles she has played over the past half century. We discover how she disliked drama at school in York but "had a go" and rose to prominence in 1960s theatre. She impressed during an early small screen appearance in Z Cars, which led to later TV work including Cranford and A Fine Romance, alongside late husband Michael Williams. Her career was redefined, though, by an extraordinary run of films: whipping James Bond into shape in GoldenEye; her acclaimed turn as Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown; and the Oscar-winning Elizabeth II in Shakespeare in Love. This otherwise pedestrian programme is made by the quality of the clips which include last year's Proms tribute to Stephen Sondheim, out-takes showcasing Dench's dirty laugh and footage from the original stage production of Cabaret. Michael Parkinson, Simon Callow and Geoffrey Palmer also share their anecdotes. It's preceded at 7.00pm by another chance to see the final episode of As Time Goes By.

Michael Hogan, The Telegraph, 29th December 2011

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