Rob Brydon

The return of the standup show in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital, something you may need to bear in mind as you resentfully endure the comedy stylings of Chris Moyles. He's joined, however, by Sarah Millican, Dara O'Briain, Jack Dee, Lee Evans and Jonathan Ross. There are musical contributions from Dead Cat Bounce and those young scamps N-Dubz, as well as video appearances from Lady Gaga, Russell Brand, Whoopi Goldberg and Patrick Stewart. Rob Brydon also chips in.

Q&A: Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon

This world loves bickering buddies. From Laurel and Hardy to Jay and Silent Bob, there's plenty of fondness for comedies built around caustic and amusing back-and-forths between two people that, at the drop of a hat, either want to kill each other or cuddle. Michael Winterbottom, the man responsible for "Welcome to Sarajevo" and the harshly-and-unjustly-criticized "The Killer Inside Me," saw gold in the relationship between his star Steve Coogan ("24 Hour Party People") and friend/comedian Rob Brydon and amplified their personalities for "Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story." The result was a riot, and things went so well that the three reunited for "The Trip," a BBC2 series and movie.

The Rob Brydon Show needs YOU!

Rob Brydon's chat show is back and he's looking for funny people to banter with via the medium of audience participation.

Comic Rob Brydon fools DJ Ken's Radio 2 fans

Listeners were left baffled by the erratic behaviour of Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce today - until it emerged the show was being hosted by comedian Rob Brydon.

Audio: Rob Brydon impersonates Radio 2's Ken Bruce

Regular listeners to Ken Bruce's Radio 2 show on Friday morning might have noticed that the presenter's smooth Scottish tones were perhaps a little 'lighter' than usual.

Double acts: Today's comics & their vintage lookalikes

Nice to see you... Rob Brydon may say to a young Bruce Forsyth, for the Welsh funnyman looks remarkably like the television veteran in his younger years.

The return of cuddly comedy

The nominations for Saturday's British Comedy Awards are full of comics you would happily introduce to your grandmother. How refreshing.

Season's greetings from Auntie's Reckless Nostalgia department, where Ronnie Corbett is sitting in a corner, tweaking his glasses as he panic-knits gags for this 80th birthday bun-fight. Intended as a celebration of the minute octogenarian's career, it's a peculiar affair, with famous guests (Richard Wilson, Rob Brydon, Catherine Tate) scattered like novelty pencil toppers among wilting sketches about dongles and trapped wind. Still, there's an air of genuine affection to proceedings, and Corbett's way with a one-liner remains one of light entertainment's most enduring marvels. "I have my own treadmill at home. I'm only doing widths at the moment . . .")

The BBC is onto a good thing by celebrating this comedy legend while he's still very much alive and kicking. National treasures are usually whored out by broadcasters until every last drop of funny (and money) has been squeezed out of them, or ignored until they've passed away.

With its subject still in the land of the living, the mood of the programme was celebratory and jovial, with Corbett himself appearing as the star talking head. Of course there was plenty of retrospect as he looked back over his career, but the fact remains that Ronnie has clearly retained all his faculties and is still a very funny man.

For those who enjoy analysing and dissecting comedy - as opposed to merely laughing at it - it was a sweet little study of what makes this man so funny. His height (or lack thereof) is, of course, a major factor, but his natural talent is undeniable.

Corbett looked back fondly and honestly on his long career, with the help of more fashionable comedians like Stephen Merchant and Rob Brydon. Happily, given the many programmes the BBC is dedicating to him over Christmas, he suffers neither from the startling arrogance, nor from the false modesty that seems to afflict so many stars.

It's true that his particular style of comedy isn't to modern tastes and the old clips will look like camp variety acts to young eyes, but with everyone from Miranda Hart to Bill Bailey claiming to have been inspired by The Two Ronnies, it's hard to deny their appeal.

Given the insight promised by the title Being Ronnie Corbett, it's tempting to make a Ronnie-esque joke about what the weather's like down there for the vertically challenged comedian, but I won't. That doesn't count...

There are only two legitimate excuses for not watching The Trip over Christmas. The first is that you've already seen it, and the second is that you spent Christmas Day eating to such a relentless degree that the sight of food completely repulses you. If you don't fall into either of those categories, then a viewing is mandatory. The promos might have made this BBC series look like one long self-indulgent Michael Caine-off, but there's so much more to it than that. Steve Coogan gives a layered, pathos-drenched career-best performance - as himself, admittedly - and Rob Brydon proves to be his perfect foil. And Michael Winterbottom manages to make the Lake District look more beautiful than ever. It's extremely funny, too. Quite possibly the best TV series of the year.