Paul Merton

The final programme marking Galton and Simpson's 60-year writing partnership is a new version of one of their most famous works. Originally written for Tony Hancock, The Blood Donor is regarded as a comedy classic, so it's a brave man who would step into Hancock's shoes and take on what is pretty much a perfect piece of comedy writing.

Here Paul Merton takes the Hancock role and, despite seeming a little un-easy at times, comes about as close to anyone as carrying it off.

The script has been tweaked a bit to bring it up to date, but none of the memorable lines have been lost. And in an affectionate nod to the past, Suzi Aitchison takes the role of the nurse - a part played by her mother June Whitfield in the original 48 years ago.

This short comedy season, celebrating the 60-year writing partnership of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson by putting on a quartet of old scripts with new performers, ends on a bold note. Paul Merton recreates The Blood Donor, written for and performed by Tony Hancock in 1961, the classic where our self-important hero answers the call and gets a few surprises. It's bold of Merton to attempt this as, try as he may to present himself as a curmudgeon, everyone thinks he's a nice guy because, unlike Hancock, we feel we know his personality through panel games.

When Paul Merton performed in some rejigged Galton and Simpson comedies on ITV in the late 1990s, he did attempt some of the classic Hancock's Half Hour/Hancock episodes, but wisely steered clear of the classic Blood Donor. No such luck here, as possibly the most well-known episode of Tony Hancock's sitcom stars Merton in the last of this series of radio adaptations. All in all, it's been an odd series - the delivery and content often sounding antiquated and jarring with some of the contemporary updates.

Radio Head: David Mitchell

And David Mitchell's periodic clashes with Paul Merton have to stop. They meet on Just a Minute: the incumbent ruler (Paul) sees that he is being challenged by a younger chimp (David).

The challenge is unworthy of his mighty chimp rule; rather than rising to it, he just becomes grumpy. Nicholas Parsons is powerless to leaven the atmosphere. It is ruining everything. I think the short answer is a leave of absence for David Mitchell. Or maybe start him somewhere he can't do so much damage, like The Archers, or From Our Own Correspondent.

Will Radio 4 Please Stand Up?

Did they crack it? Well, Paul Merton might not need to be afraid for his job but at least they didn't die a death. It would have been lovely to see the process on television though - they didn't sound very frightened, though maybe you could have seen the fear in their eyes if they had been onscreen.

I did, however, feel that the programme was a tiny bit disingenuous. Of course stand-up comedy is different to their day jobs, but I couldn't help sensing that they had more of a natural aptitude for it than, say, miners or chefs. Maybe a gig at the dainty Drill Hall theatre in front of a R4 partisan crowd wasn't quite the dragon's den that midnight on a raucous, lager-fuelled Saturday at the Comedy Store would have been. Why not give them a real challenge and send them there? That might have really taken this bunch of softies out of their comfort zones.

Everybody has a favourite Morecambe and Wise sketch - including those too young to see the shows when they first aired.

Thanks to repeats and tribute shows such as these, even babies are familiar with the 'Andrew Preview' music sketch and the time newsreader Angela Rippon got her pins out for the boys.

Both pop up in this homage to the great comedy duo, hosted by lifelong fan Paul Merton.

It's lovely watching a presenter who genuinely cares about the subject. He's joined by people who worked with Eric and Ernie, including Angela, Bruce Forsyth, conductor Andre Previn and writer Eddie Braban - who provided acres of material for the duo and wrote many of their famous Christmas specials.

Watching the footage again, you realise just how pants today's sketch shows are. Who will remember Tittybangbang in 30 years' time, let alone pay tribute to it?

Paul Merton introduces this tribute to the comedy duo. We'll be honest - we could quite happily spend the entire festive period eating dark chocolate Digestives and watching these two muck about with Angela Rippon and prepare breakfast to The Stripper. So, we're ever so excited - even more than if Baileys flowed from the taps - that Paul Merton's uncovered rare material of the duo in action for this tip-top celebration of the best British double act who didn't share the same first name. What a treat.

Things started badly for TV comedy in 2008, with ITV1's Paul Merton-fronted series Thank God You're Here. Based on an Australian show, it involved celebrities having to improvise their way around a comedic scenario that would always begin with the eponymous phrase. Merton seemed slightly out of place here and the standard of humour frankly wasn't that high.

8 Out Of 10 Cats always feels like it's going to be terrible - awful set, appalling title sequence, a guest booking policy that seems to be no more sophisticated than get who was funny on Buzzcocks last week, appalling editing that renders half the show inaudible - but it always turns out to be good fun, thanks no doubt to Sean Lock, the best panel game participant in Britain. Nobody, even Paul Merton in his prime, is as good at going off on tangents and gently mocking the sheer pointlessness of news-based satire.

Arguably the best-loved comedy duo of all time are given due reverence in this celebration hosted by fan Paul Merton. All the usual clips will be present and correct, but there's also some early material thrown in, alongside fond recollections of the mighty pair's comedy mastery from fans and colleagues. Morecambe and Wise: always a pleasure, never a chore.