Sarah Millican

Sarah Millican's BBC WC pass

Comic Sarah Millican admits she was chuffed when she finally got her BBC pass - so she could use their toilets while out shopping.

No question, Sarah Millican is an excellent, deservedly award-winning stand-up.

And what does TV like to do with an excellent, deservedly award-winning stand-up?

Yep, it likes to give them their own chat show.

The Sarah Millican Television Programme starts tonight at 10pm on BBC2, with guests including Chris Packham and Tracey Cox (oh behave).

Like most of her material, Sarah Millican's new series doesn't exactly push boundaries; although putting her on the sofa and her guests behind the desk is an intriguing if unexplained inversion of chat-show tradition. But it's a perfectly amiable half-hour of observational comedy, this week built around the TV genres of dating shows and wildlife docs. Guests Chris Packham and Tracey Cox are decent if unadventurous choices and play along gamely. But the 'Millicam' is a pun in need of a purpose, a webcam chat with her dad is an indulgence and an ineptly staged dating masterclass sends the show out on a low after a strong opening. Even so, if format and host can settle down and Millican can strike the right balance, there's potential here.

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Observational comedian Sarah Millican has been a regular face on panel shows ever since she won acclaim for her Edinburgh Festival show in 2009. Now she gets her own star vehicle. Millican performs trademark warm but sharp monologues about what's on TV, and chats to stars from the small screen. First up, on the themes of wildlife and dating, she's joined by naturalist Chris Packham and "sexpert" Tracey Cox.

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TV'S hottest new comic Sarah Millican and her boyfriend of six years are house-hunting - but not together.

Sarah Millican: I might write a sitcom one day

Award-winning stand-up comedian Sarah Millican tells Metro about the perks of fame, the worst gig of her life and spills the beans about her brand new comedy show on BBC2.