Sheridan Smith

John Bishop wrote and stars in this comedy drama, inspired by his own experiences on the pantomime circuit. He plays Lewis Loud, a Morecambe FM DJ making his stage debut as Jack the Lad in a run of Dick Whittington in Lancaster.

The production is in chaos because Lewis is romantically involved with Tamsin, a soap actress who's playing principal boy Dick (Mrs Biggs' and Gavin & Stacey's Sheridan Smith). Not only that, but old ham Johnny Darby (Michael Cochrane) is a very reluctant pantomime Dame and The One and Only 90s chart star Chesney Hawkes is a walking disaster.

Right now, John Bishop feels like the most inescapable presence on British TV. But that doesn't mean he hasn't paid his dues - this comedy drama, co-written with Jonathan Harvey probably represents the last leg of J-Bish's journey from the showbiz margins to centre stage. Fittingly, it's inspired by his own adventures on the pantomime circuit - here, he plays Lewis Loud, a Morecambe FM DJ making his debut in a run of Dick Whittington. Look out for supporting turns from the equally hardworking Sheridan Smith and the slightly less prolific Chesney Hawkes, whose career has followed an almost geometrically opposite trajectory to that of Bishop. No preview material was available as we went to press, but we'd confidently stick our money on a cheerful, rough-around-the-edges but essentially good natured romp which might well slip down easily in Christmas week.

John Bishop and Sheridan Smith interview

John Bishop and Sheridan Smith talk about serving up perfect Christmas fare from the wings of Dick Whittington.

Hugh Bonneville on playing curmudgeonly tramp Mr Stink

The Downton Abbey actor joins Sheridan Smith, Johnny Vegas and Pudsey the dog in BBC's festive adaptation of David Walliams' children's story.

David Walliams's book about a homeless man who is befriended by a lonely young girl, Chloe, was written with kids in mind, so it's stuffed with references to bottoms, belches, farts and smells. But there's some subtle moralising and tackling of prejudices.

Sheridan Smith is fabulous as a potential MP whose politics are slightly to the right of Hitler, while it was genius to cast Hugh Bonneville as the odoriferous Mr Stink and BGT's Pudsey as his canine companion. Funny and heart-warming, it even has a cameo from Walliams himself.

Chloe Crumb is that most common figure in redemptive childrens' fiction - the lonely outsider. Her mum's an unbearable aspirant MP, her dad's downtrodden, her sister's a goody-two-shoes and she doesn't have any friends. Soon, she's befriending pungent gentleman of the road Mr Stink and learning all sorts of life-lessons as a result. The underlying message - everyone's got problems and we could all use a little extra kindness - resonates with the season, even if the regular fug of CGI miasma wreathing Stink fails to compensate for the absence of Quentin Blake's wonderful illustrations in David Walliams's source book. Some of the dialogue is too trite to be entirely explained away by the target demographic - 'I realise now how important family is,' declaims Sheridan Smith as the pushy mum towards the end. But it's elevated by spirited performances from Smith, Johnny Vegas, a game Hugh Bonneville as the titular tramp and particularly, newcomer Nell Tiger Free as Chloe.

Mr Stink (BBC1, Sunday), adapted from David Walliams's kids' book, proved that winning a TV talent contest doesn't always mean immediately disappearing into obscurity. It stars Britain's Got Talent winner Pudsey - a half-decent performance, though he has a tendency to overact. The standout stars are Sheridan Smith as a slightly Nadine Dorriesy mum and the remarkably natural Nell Tiger Free (child actors have to have names like that) as young Chloe. Is that really Hugh Bonneville - Lord Grantham - in there, behind the beard and the stink?

Anyway, it's lovely - funny, warm, with a bit of a message (it's nice to be nice to people) but also some wickedness. And while so many kids and family shows are nostalgic, this feels contemporary; the nasty kids on the bus talk like real nasty kids on the bus.

No relation to the Simon Nye-scripted ITV offerings from the turn of the millennium, this John Bishop-devised comedy drama peeks behind the scenes of a provincial panto. Radio jock Lewis Loud (Bishop) is preparing for his stage debut while wooing co-starring soap actor Tamsin (Sheridan Smith), while ex-wife Gina has plans to disrupt any backstage harmony. Whatever you may think of Bishop, a cast including Samantha Spiro and (yes!) Chesney Hawkes suggests this may be a decent accompaniment to the annual search for that elusive final Quality Street fudge.

It's the motor-mouthed host's last show this year and a bumper cast squeezes onto his banquette of banter for the occasion. Ross welcomes arena-filling stand-up Michael McIntyre, actresses Sheridan Smith and Sienna Miller, plus Paralympic gold medallists Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock. Chef Jamie Oliver cooks festive food, while there's music from Charlotte Church and clowning from Broadway-wowing Russian troupe Slava's Snow Show.

David Walliams stars in this family comedy, adapted from his own children's book, joined by a weighty cast including Hugh Bonneville, Sheridan Smith, Johnny Vegas and Pudsey - not the charity bear but the dancing dog who won this year's Britain's Got Talent. Bullied, lonely Chloe (Nell Tiger Free) is ignored by her politician mother (Smith), so invites local tramp Mr Stink (Bonneville) and his faithful hound Duchess (Pudsey) to stay in their garden shed. Chloe soon discovers there's more to her aromatic guest than meets the eye. Or indeed nose.