Michael Hogan

Comic Relief review: the agony and the ecstasy

Last night we endured the annual marathon of heartstring-tugging, tin-rattling mirth that is Comic Relief.

Comic Relief 2011: 10 funniest moments

The comedy hits of the annual telethon.

This two-part documentary received glowing reviews when it debuted recently on BBC Four. Lord Grade (whose various roles in broadcasting have included chairman of the BBC, chief executive of Channel 4 and executive chairman of ITV) looks back at the postwar golden age of variety theatre and meets an array of well-coiffed, cardigan-clad old school entertainers including Val Doonican, Ken Dodd, Barry Cryer, Roy Hudd and Janet Brown - whose memories of performing with Max Miller are particularly amusing. Grade is knowledgeable and passionate about his subject: his father was a theatrical agent, his uncle Lou a celebrated impresario and he spent much of his childhood roaming round music halls. The result is a warm, nostalgic elegy for a lost world - one ultimately destroyed, of course, by the very medium through which this lament is broadcast.

Charlie Brooker's sardonic look at the gulf between television and reality continues. This week, he uses sketches, archive footage and his signature misanthropic rants to skewer TV's ability to irritate you throughout the ageing process, from creepy children's shows to patronising twaddle for pensioners.

Just in time for its 22nd birthday, the comedy back-slapping bash gets a transfer from ITV1 to Channel 4 and a general spruce-up. This revamped ceremony is being broadcast live from London's O2 Arena and the often recklessly risqué Jonathan Ross remains as host. His traditional acerbic opening monologue - edgy enough on ITV, likely to be even nearer the knuckle now - should have station executives shifting nervously in their seats. For the first time, there's a live public vote for the year's top funny person, to be crowned "King or Queen of Comedy". Out in the crowd, the cream of the UK's comedy talent will eat, drink, be merry, then forget to pull gracious faces when they don't win. In another first, those industry types will be joined by the great unwashed, as some tickets have been on sale to viewers. Expect Michael McIntyre and Miranda Hart to lead the race for gongs. Tonight's proceedings have been heavily trailed by a week of build-up programming, so there's a lot invested in the event itself delivering both entertainment and headlines - while avoiding the phone-in scandals and voting irregularities that dogged its last years on ITV.

Channel 4 is rather pleased with itself for poaching comedy's annual awards bash from ITV and this show launches its week-long build-up to next Saturday's live event. It reveals the nominees, rewinds last year's best comedy clips and includes interviews with Miranda Hart, the cast of The Inbetweeners, Frank Skinner and Graham Norton.

Debut TV airing for this excellent, Emmy-nominated biopic of the surreal stand-up comedian turned Atlantic-hopping actor. Six years in the making and directed by Izzard's ex-girlfriend Sarah Townsend, it intimately chronicles his rise to fame, fast-cutting together family home movies with clips of his live shows, even the early unsuccessful ones, and his days as a unicycling street performer. There's fascinating footage of his backstage brainstorms as he tries to write an act from scratch. Izzard openly discusses the childhood loss of his mother to cancer, his close relationship with his father, his transvestism and his relentless drive to succeed. It's touching, inspiring and hilarious by turns.

Michael McIntyre: Hello Wembley!, BBC One, preview

Michael Hogan's analyses the appeal of stand-up comedian Michael McIntyre.

The dysfunctional flatshare sitcom, which seems to get stronger with age, settles into its seventh series. Neurotic nerd Mark (David Mitchell) tries to win back dream woman Dobby (the excellent Isy Suttie) when she starts dating a graphic designer. Meanwhile, feckless Jeremy (Robert Webb) lands a cushy job on a music website but soon makes the mistake of signing up his freaky friend Super Hans (the gloriously deadpan Matt King), whose band go under the moniker of Man Feelings.

Well-spoken wits Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller return for a third run of their Bafta-winning sketch show. Characters include the German in-laws, roadkill cooks and old-style vampires baffled by the new Twilight generation. Best of all, the street-talking Second World War pilots turn up in Normandy on D-Day. The nature of the beast is that the humour is hit and miss, but the duo have enough charm to get away with it.