Ruth Jones (I)

Ruth Jones's first solo project as writer and star was, at first glance, basically the Welsh half of Gavin & Stacey: in the small valley town of Pontyberry, the people were caring, unpretentious, slightly mad and joyfully dirty-minded. Lots of laughs there thanks to Jones's familiar, warm writing and an unfamiliar but excellent cast - on top of that, having a long series of 60-minute episodes allowed the drama to develop, as crumpled divorcee Stella (Jones herself) juggled romance, single motherhood and impending grandmotherhood. It was a pleasure to drop in on her once a week.

Anne Gilchrist joins Ruth Jones' company

BBC comedy executive Anne Gilchrist has joined Ruth Jones' indie Tidy Productions. Subscription required to view this article.

What's the Story? (But really...I don't get it)

The BBC Radio Wales panel show, produced by Ruth Jones' Tidy Productions based in Cardiff, is a sort of 'quirky' 8 Out of 10 Cats. By that I mean, all the best things about 8 Out of 10 Cats are distinctly lacking.

Will Gavin & Stacey sink or swim across the pond?

Gavin & Stacey stars James Corden and Ruth Jones stand to make £5 million when the comedy is remade in the US. While a few have been a hit over the pond, most have been surprising - not to mention embarrassing - flops.

Gavin & Stacey reunion is a long distance reality

Gavin & Stacey star Ruth Jones has put a dampener on talk of a revival of the hit sitcom - saying there are not yet any plans to bring it back.

This is the third attempt to put JAM on the box, the BBC having done it previously in 1994 and 1999. Parsons and Merton appear in each episode, with guests appearing being Sue Perkins, Gyles Brandreth, Stephen Fry, Liza Tarbuck, Graham Norton, Josie Lawrence and Julian Clary. There are also a fair number of new contestants: Jason Manford, Miles Jupp, Ruth Jones, Phill Jupitus, John Sergeant and Russell Tovey.

The format is the same, but there are some obvious changes; for a start, there's no scorer sitting next to Parsons. Instead he just has the scores on a screen, and the clock is started by a large button next to him. There's also a little bell rang to indicate they are moving into the final round.

Some things do remain the same, though. The studio is designed to look like the art deco BBC Radio Theatre, where the radio series is normally recorded. For some reason, however, the studio lights change from blue to purple when the subjects start. Why they need to do this I have no idea. I find the camerawork even more irritating. There's no need to cut from here to there every three seconds.

However, there's still much to enjoy from this show. I for one enjoy the little amusing asides that go through out each episodes. My personal favourite was in the fourth episode when the panel kept making jokes about Miles Jupp being the supposed love child of Gyles Brandreth. The jokes just kept snowballing throughout.

With regards to the TV adaptation, I know that there will always be people who will insist that it's not as good as the one on radio, but there are always people who complain about TV adaptations of radio shows. If we rejected every TV adaptation of a radio adaptation out of hand we wouldn't have had the TV successes of shows like Whose Line is it Anyway? or Little Britain.

I'd love to see more episodes of the TV version of Just a Minute; but I doubt they'll produce them. Unless they want to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary, that is, and given that Parsons is 88 years old that might be a bit dangerous.

Hit the Road Jack is on Channel 4 but it feels more like BBC Three. Even by the standards of youth programming it's hyperactively hectic. The 'Jack' of the title is Jack Whitehall, a young comedian with the looks of a boy band cutie, and the show is... well, it isn't really any one type of show. It's just an excuse to have Whitehall on screen.

Each week, he'll visit a different part of Britain - not that we'll see much of whichever part it is, because most of the show takes place in a TV studio. Last night the studio was in Wales. He began with two minutes of jokes about the country; hurtled into a skit in which he supposedly tricked Welsh rugby players into thinking he was an "alternative rugby guru"; then an interview with Welsh actress Ruth Jones that lasted all of 90 seconds; a micro-feature about "how to fit in" with the Welsh (conclusion: join a male voice choir); 25 seconds' more chat with Jones; into the ad break with five, yes five, seconds of music from guest rapper Lethal Bizzle (not to worry, Bizzle fans: at the end of the show he was allowed to play for a whole two minutes)...

Whitehall himself is likeable and amusing. "To impress you guys I decided to learn the name of that Welsh railway station everyone goes on about. Ready? 'Car... diff... Cen... tral'." Insecurely, the camera kept cutting away to shots of the studio audience hooting and cheering. Message: "Look how much these people are enjoying themselves! This man must be good!"

He is, but it's a funny thing about audiences: the more hysterically the one in the studio raves, the less the one at home feels inclined to join them.

Frittering away much of the goodwill garnered by his fine turn in Fresh Meat, Jack Whitehall's country-trotting new show embodies the issues faced by TV commissioners in showcasing stand-ups. Stewart Lee aside, it's hard to think of a comedy vehicle that really works (although plenty deliver ratings). Hit The Road Jack is a noisy, chaotic blend of feeble sketches, passable stand-up, superficial chat and hackneyed Candid Camera-style stunts with a musical turn thrown in. The only thing missing is an identity. This opener sees Whitehall riffing on Welsh traits, bantering with Ruth Jones and cameoing in Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm. The laughs are few - over-indulgent studio audience excepted. He can come back, but only once more on the off-chance it's improved.