Micky Flanagan

What I see in the mirror: Micky Flanagan

'I've essentially gone to bed too late for the past 20 years. That takes its toll.'

Bespectacled funnyman Carr hosts a party-themed special, with guests including Jonathan Ross, comedian Micky Flanagan, and Strictly's Alesha Dixon, who proved herself fond of a tipple when she appeared on Carr's chat show a few weeks ago and later apologised for a string of indiscreet comments. Also popping up are Channel 4 colleagues Heston Blumenthal, Gok Wan and Kirstie Allsopp, while there's live music from JLS and The Ting Tings. We're promised themed sketches including a Royal Wedding spoof with Carr and David Walliams as the newlyweds.

Here's a sneering corrective if you're worried about all that enforced merriment to come. Sean Lock hosts this Christmas edition of the comic debate show. Plus there's the sight of Robert Webb, Seann Walsh, Jason Manford and Micky Flanagan acting like five argumentative, drunken uncles souring the mood at the family lunch.

Despite the debating society format, most topics dissolve into blokey, filthy banter - all right, they start out pretty blokey and filthy. You may not come away imbued with festive spirit, but at least Sean Lock reveals Santa's true appearance - a cross between the X-Men's Wolverine and Peter Crouch. Watch out for him this Christmas, kids!

Jones's cosy, retro talk show works well at Christmas. Not all seasonal programmes are festive, and not all chat shows are actually chatty, but this is both.

Bounding onto the colourful set are comedian Micky Flanagan and Lulu, no doubt full of gossip from her neck-cricking stint dancing with Brendan Cole[ on Strictly. But the best banter is sure to come from James Corden, Jones's friend and Gavin & Stacey collaborator. Since the end of their sitcom, he's had a baby and a big stage hit with One Man, Two Guvnors; she's created Stella, a G&S-ish comedy drama coming to Sky1 in the New Year. Plenty to talk about, then, and they're always good value together.

The music's not bad, either: following the release of their singles collection National Treasures, Manic Street Preachers are in the studio.

Downton Abbey, an Old Etonian government, a striking workforce and rioting on the streets - it seems that class is, once again, dominating the headlines. And class is always a fruitful subject for comedians to kick against, which is exactly what they're doing in this one-off special. Frank Skinner is joined by cockney-made-good Micky Flanagan, 'salt of the earth' Roisin Conaty and Rev's well-heeled Miles Jupp to dissect the issue with some comedy chat and experiments in front of a studio audience.

Frank Skinner takes a light-hearted look at a topic the British can never quite escape - class. He's joined by comedians Roisin Conaty, Miles Jupp and Micky Flanagan, who embark on various class-oriented missions, before bringing their findings to a studio audience. Conaty goes on a date with a man who struggles with the concept of fish fingers, Flanagan tries to get to the bottom of Modern Art, and Jupp has his home counties accent softened to see if he can fit in at the local market.

Apropos of absolutely nothing, Frank Skinner hosts a vaguely awkward cross between a televised debate and a generic comedy panel show on the subject of class. Observations are made by Skinner (not posh) and guests Miles Jupp (posh), Micky Flanagan (not posh), and Roisin Conaty (not posh, so skewing the balance quite considerably), interspersed with each guest going out and doing something that makes them feel socially awkward.

Micky Flanagan: The ragged-trousered controversialist

Micky Flanagan tells The Independent why he gave up teaching for stand-up and why he doesn't joke about Margaret Thatcher.

Micky Flanagan interview

A bona fide cockney who was born in Whitechapel and grew up in Bethnal Green, Micky Flanagan took his time to come to comedy, but over the last ten years has carved out a niche for himself on the scene and on TV...