Russell Brand

The idea of a "revealing, behind-the-scenes" documentary about Russell Brand is quite an odd one - his whole persona, after all, is one of a person happy to expose and riff on, ad nauseam, his many failings. Here, Frank Skinner inter-views a post-"Sachsgate" Brand, a man who has evidently put in work recently to try to understand and intellectualise his compulsions. More interesting is Brand's sheer drive. Could it be his hair that is responsible? "Without fame," says the comic, "this haircut just looks like mental illness."

There's something of the sexy, oversized pixie about Russell Brand, a filthy imp who's infamously priapic yet desperately romantic, profoundly literate and articulate, yet mucky-mouthed. And he loves trouble. Brand hides nothing in this documentary as he talks to Frank Skinner of his former addictions to heroin, crack, cannabis and alcohol and of his realisation that they were killing him. "I used to like being smacked up, out of my mind... it was the annihilation of the self... there was nothing... [Being an addict] was demanding, debilitating and lonely."

I won't apologise for the fact that I love Brand; he's a magnetic, fearless performer with a brilliant wit. But it's when he's at his most introspective that he is at his most interesting. Revisiting his home town of Grays in Essex, he speaks for everyone who ever came from somewhere dull when he says: "My identity was formed by not being part of it."

The world would be a sadder place if Russell Brand quit the public eye - he's scarily intelligent, supremely funny, startlingly honest and can't last a day without pushing buttons. In this documentary, ex-alcoholic Frank Skinner interviews Brand about his wild career, drug addiction, relationship with the media and even his dandy image, which Brand makes sense of using Simpsons creator Matt Groening's maxim that 'good cartoon characters are recognisable in silhouette'. A fascinating account, interspersed with early and recent performance footage.

After a certain pre-recorded Radio 2 programme generated a record amount of complaints after being eviscerated by the Daily Mail, Russell Brand jumped before he could be pushed and has been fairly quiet on British television screens since. This hour-long programme could spell the start of his rehabilitation, mixing elements of his live stand-up routine with some behind-the-scenes footage and, more importantly, a revealing interview with Frank Skinner.

Russell Brand: 'Sachsgate worked out well for me'

Asked if he had put 'Sachsgate' behind him, Brand replied: "I would have done nothing differently. I think it worked out really well."

The Second World War pilots finally meet their match when they eye up a couple of comely lady air force personnel. "You see her, clocking my unit and all this... These girls are class though, isn't it?" But after a ham-fisted approach, the boys are in for a surprise. It's the last episode in the series, so I'll be sorry to say goodbye to the pilots and to archly filthy Brabbins and Fyffe (imagine Flanders and Swann crossed with Russell Brand) who tonight try to prove what swingers they are by singing a song about being gay. As for the new characters... well, some of them work and some of them don't. Hapless, clumsy historian Dr Dennis Lincoln-Park is a small joy, but the patronising Dr Tia is just a twerp. But the Public Information Film spoofs have been fun. Tonight's will strike a chord in anyone whose childhood was tormented by dire warnings about the dangers of abandoned fridges.

Still on the love-hate theme, here's Russell Brand Doing Life (Channel 4[/z, Saturday). Obviously again it's mainly hate, since that's the correct thing to think about the dirty snake after what he did to poor Manuel from Barcelona. And actually I think all men hate Russell Brand because they think he might sleep with their womenfolk. He's probably doing so already - with yours, yours, yours, mine ... Hmm, I wondered why she was looking so bloody excited and ever-so-slightly guilty when she went off to "work" this morning.

The man is a ridiculous peacock, of course, with less emphasis on the pea part of the word. He's obsessed with it, constantly putting his hand down there, to draw attention. And the way he stands with his hips pushed forward, at the business end of a thrust, that's his default position. He's like a longbow, primed for action, and we all know what his arrow is, and where he wants to fire it. Eurghh.

Of course he talks a lot of gibberish, a big vomit of camp narcissism, it just pours out of him. Me me me, sleep with me me me. Then he says something about the exaggerated way people in shops look away when you do your pin number (7263 in his case), like Duran Duran: Wild Boys, Wild Boys. And it's impossible not to laugh.

Then he wonders if, for Macaulay Culkin, Michael Jackson's Neverland was Michael Jackson's Sometimes Land. I know puns haven't been funny for about 30 years, but he's found the exception to the rule, and I'm laughing again. And he keeps it up for an hour ... no, not like that! But yes, like that too I imagine, just ask your girlfriend. Or mine. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him.

Rory Bremner and pals lampoon the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Russell Brand in a new series of the sketch show. What with the PM's manic YouTube grin, the meltdown of Britain's banking system, a couple of twerps making abusive phone calls to Manuel off Fawlty Towers and greedy MPs buying Whiskas with our hard-earned wages (eight out of 10 voters said their cats were utterly disgusted), you can't say Rory and the two Johns will be short of material for this three-parter. Superbly written and performed, this is subtitled The Last Show Before the Recovery. Oh, if only that were true.

Rory Bremner lampoons Russell Brand

Rory Bremner becomes Russell Brand, cheekily grinning by a microphone and looking uncannily like the long-haired comedian as he made his prank calls to Andrew Sachs, in his new show.

This is seriously funny. Lee is an absolute master of stand-up, his brilliantly measured delivery enabling him to weave gold from even the most unpromising material. Tonight, in the first of six themed shows, he's talking about books - and, in particular, celebrity autobiographies. If you're Chris Moyles or Russell Brand, I'd advise you to look away now.