Rob Brydon

His Master's Voice preview

"There's no great satire going on," says Rob Brydon, who expertly voices both characters in His Master's Voice. "But it was done with aplomb. I suppose in that time somebody being cheeky to authority was very appealing."

The Trip is such a pleasure to look at - from the meals to the wine and the sweeping Italian vistas - that it's easy to forget just how unusual an idea it is. Part improvised comedy, part foodie travelogue, all built around the testy charms of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing heightened versions of themselves, outdoing each other with impressions of Michael Caine and Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight, or Parky. They've redefined the idea of what a half-hour sitcom can be, with non-stop gags, and just a hint of drama around the edges - Coogan's son, Brydon's dalliances - to add a touch of pathos in the Italian sunshine.

Is there anything Rob Brydon can't do?

Sometimes it seems like Rob Brydon is everywhere in the comedy world. And that's a good thing.

Whilst I initially thought that 50 Years of BBC 2 Comedy might be a serious insight into some of our most loved comedies, instead it was a whistlestop tour of everything that the BBC's second channel has done right over the past fifty years. In fact at times the show was too self-congratulatory for my liking and there was no admissions over some of the channel's more questionable comedies such as Heading Out and It's Kevin. Instead the series saw the channel take credit for airing the first sitcom that didn't include a comedian, that being The Likely Lads, and for giving us classic characters like Alan Partridge and David Brent. Indeed, the documentary really let Gervais talk about how excellent both The Office and Extras were but unsurprisingly Life's Too Short didn't get the same treatment. Additionally there were some questionable inclusions throughout the course of the two hours most notably The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy which I personally never classified as a sitcom. The programme also took time out to demonstrate how many BBC One sitcoms started on the channel whether it be the first series of Ab Fab or the pilot for Porridge. I personally was annoyed that, while the first series of The Royle Family got a mention, there was no room for Craig Cash's equally impressive Early Doors. Later, the documentary focused on BBC Two being the channel that aired Seinfeld and The Larry Sanders Show not mentioning that they gave both fairly bizarre places in the schedules. The one thing I was happy about was the inclusion of Rob Brydon's excellent Marion and Geoff, a programme that definitely deserves a large amount of praise. But predictably the most praise went to Fawlty Towers, the sitcom that many still hail as one of the best British programmes of all time. Ultimately, while it had some humorous moments, 50 Years of BBC2 Comedy was too long and featured far too much back-slapping for my liking.

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon Q&A report

The Q&A, screened live to over 180 cinemas across the UK, saw the pair talk about their Mediterranean jaunt, re-uniting with Michael Winterbottom, their relationship on and off set, growing old gracefully and more.

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon to host live Q&A in cinemas

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are to host a live Q&A at cinemas across the UK on Wednesday after a feature-length screening of their BBC comedy series, The Trip To Italy.

Radio Times review

There's something acutely charmless about The Guess List. Add the merest touch of desperation and look what you've got - a Saturday-night game show. Host Rob Brydon works tremendously hard to keep the thing pelting along as he gently, and often not so gently, insults a panel of celebrity guests who this week include Nick Hewer, Helen Skelton and Eamonn Holmes.

Inevitably there's plenty of ribaldry when the guests are asked to pinpoint an embarrassing first date.

The Trip to Italy: A Popular Postmodernism

"Did you ever hear of a good sequel?" asks Rob Brydon, in the postmodern improvisational joy that is The Trip to Italy.

Radio Times review

The unlikely but lovable sitcom winds up its second series in reflective mood. There are more smiles than belly laughs as Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan's Italian travels reach Naples and they are joined by Steve's son Joe and his pregnant PA Emma.

But before the others arrive, Steve and Rob have a moment at some catacombs stacked with skulls ("It's like being at one of your gigs..."). Steve trots out the "Alas poor Yorick" speech from Hamlet and the references to a dead jester ("Where be your gibes now...?") leave Rob looking distinctly troubled.

As usual, on the surface The Trip is about seafood, wine and Roger Moore impressions; underneath it's something else altogether.

The Trip to Italy: worth the return journey?

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's food-fuelled journey through Italy has an undercurrent of despair beneath the impressions. Would you join the pair on future trips?