Paul Whitehouse

Regular listeners to radio phone-ins (not necessarily on Radio 4) can't help but nod in recognition of the cavalcade of callers ranging from the stupid and the xenophobic, to he near deranged and frankly offensive stereotypes reeled out by those cunning comics Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse, who have got their mates to call in to a spoof show, hosted by a spoof DJ. Soon to be unleashed on BBC2, this is a last chance to hear these grotesques in their natural habitat. Prepare to be appalled and amused in equal measure.

Radio 4 spoof phone-in to move to BBC2

Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson to star alongside Rhys Thomas as host Gary Bellamy.

Paul Whitehouse guests in a magnificently silly office redundancy sketch, while dance duo Jonny and Lee Miller prance about to Enya's Orinoco Flow in an otherwise comedically flabby instalment. The similarity of Mathew Horne's informercial man to Martin Kemp is distracting, though.

Right from the off, Rockton Manor Studios (Radio 2) was funny. This new sitcom, written by David Cummings (Fast Show, Happiness) for his first radio commission, and starring Paul Whitehouse, is set in an ailing recording studio run by a former roadie. Early on, you could feel the sitcom staples easing into place - the hapless protagonist; impending change of circumstances; tangled family relationships - but pleasingly these didn't veer in expected directions.

It is also perfectly pitched for the Radio 2 audience, with music gags aplenty, and biographical landmarks told through songs and bands ("a Teardrop Explodes tour I was on"). Mostly, though, the pleasure lies in the performances from Whitehouse as the former roadie, and Mark Benson as his best friend. Whitehouse has great fun with railing against modern music, or any music that's not his mouldy old "canon of enduring quality".

Benson, though, almost stole the show with exquisite comic timing. His explanation of why he turned to selling houses ("I wanted to give something back") was as ticklish as his successive interruptions ("Who wants a Twiglet?") of a major family conference.

Ruddy Hell, It's Harry and Paul was distinctly patchy, but the re-titled Harry and Paul showcased some of the best stuff the pair has done for years.

The first series of new Paul Whitehouse and Harry Enfield sketches, which bore the prefix Ruddy Hell!, was so flabbily disappointing that expectations were low for the new run. That's worked in their favour because series two has been surprisingly good, with Mr I Saw You Coming, the ageing rap DJs and the posh scaffolders all hitting the spot.

After some time out, the pair have joined forces again for a show that I can only describe as 'quite enjoyable'. I know that doesn't seem like much, but it's about right. You see, some of the new characters created by the pair are really fun to watch, although, not laugh-your-lungs-up funny.

Sadly, for each sketch I enjoy, there's one to irritate. The posh builders drive me stir-mental, with their alarming predictability. As jokes go, it's pretty one-dimensional.

I have a deep and abiding love for Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse, but the first series of Harry and Paul left me deeply underwhelmed. It had its moments, but I was left with the feeling that the pair were trading upon their reputations.

So rejoice to the news that series two is clever, inventive, imaginative, frequently inspired and the funniest programme currently on TV.

Their Dragon's Den pastiche in episode one was fabulous, but even greater joys were to come the following week with the Liverpool Capital of Culture running gag which saw various giants of the performing arts - including Matthew Bourne, Simon Rattle - conduct sweaty, Steven Gerrard style post-match interviews.

I let me baton do the talking. Cheers! droned Rattle, in thickest Scouse, before snatching a bottle of celebratory champagne and departing mid-question.

This sketch show - which lurches constantly from humorous to frustrating - gets off to a great start again this week with a skit involving hoodies stealing a three-seater bicycle and then terrorising little old ladies at double-speed, Goodies-style. Other sketches, however, fall way wide of the mark, and those that rely on character study as much as jokes can leave you feeling rather more bemused than amused.

Ruddy hell! It's not Ruddy Hell! It's Harry and Paul. It's just Harry and Paul now. How confusing. Were you confused by the original title? Me neither. Maybe it was just too long for the Sky EPG.

Anyway, they're back: Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse, former young Turks of comedy, are once again on primetime BBC1, shoring up old comedy and helping to showcase new talent.

But as always, the question is, are they funny?

Surprisingly, yes. Okay, some of the sketches fall quiet flat. There are far too many returning characters that have stretched a once-good joke too far. And the absence of comedy goddess Morwenna Banks is sorely felt.

But we did sit there laughing for a good portion of the show. The multi-lingual football manager was a fun opener. The 'cool old guys' were pretty entertaining. Okay, the Dragons' Den impressions were poor and where was Caaan!!!, but the general accuracy of the sketch was good. And, praise the Lord, the talented Laura Solon is still there with her Polish coffee shop attendant.

Maybe a little too traditional and too much like the first series at times, and given the rapid fall off in quality of the first series, it might not be a good idea to make it a permanent fixture in your diaries. But still far more hits and misses than is normal for a BBC1 comedy show. Anyone doubting that should have stuck around for The Armstrong and Miller Show afterwards...