Michael McIntyre

Episode 4.1 Review

Michael McIntyre compered for this opening episode, proving once again that he's easily one of the best comedians on the circuit today. Joyously enthusiastic, he skips around the stage, merrily dispensing his gags with an endearing child-like glee.

When it flies, stand-up comedy is an exhilarating experience, and this - the first of a new series of Live at the Apollo - is a spectacularly good example of the genre. It is introduced by Michael McIntyre, who minces around the stage exploding with energy ('When I smile,' he asks, 'do I look like a fat Chinese man?' Yes, Michael, you know you do). He is followed by Rich Hall, who describes how an Englishman loses his temper ('I shall write a letter!') and how he met the Queen at Buckingham Palace. And it ends with an insane performance by a Welshman, Rhod Gilbert, who has a high-octane nervous breakdown trying to buy a duvet. If even a tiny part of you enjoys stand-up, you don't want to miss this.

A new series of the brilliant comedy showcase at London's Hammersmith Apollo. It kicks off with Michael McIntyre, who was hilarious at Prince Charles' birthday show.

Archive comedy clips have never sounded so odd. Alan Carr interweaves segments from the BBC archives with his own fictional escapades. In this first show, he goes on a hen night that somehow ends up involving Les Dawson, Ross Noble, Michael McIntyre, a lamppost and plenty of cling film.

Get Angus Deayton to chair it, get David Mitchell and Lee Mack as team captains and Bob's your uncle. Or is he?

Tonight's possible whoppers in what is very sadly the last in a howlingly successful series include the notion that when David was little he used to dress himself as an 18th century nobleman.

Possibly even funnier is his rant at team-mate Michael McIntyre for inadvertently helping the other side by asking the wrong sort of questions.

They've also cunningly managed to shoe-horn in an astounding clip of the oddball art of bottom reading. It has very little to do with anything but it's so funny, who cares about details like that?