Steve Bennett (III)

Review - Lewis Schaffer: You Are Beautiful

The jokes don't always land; sometimes because he seems too sincere for them to be signposted gags. And the converse is also true, he gets laughs from apparently straight lines because we don't trust that he's being honest. It remains a peculiar dynamic, and one he seems to enjoy the ambiguity of. And if you're prepared to go with that oddness, you will too.

Peep Show final episode review

'Are we going to be all right?' Jez asks in the final scene. Probably not.

MUFF review

To attempt to explain more would be counter-productive; just know that this is a wild, outrageous, rock-and-roll style of comedy, which ain't always pretty but which loves to revel in its excesses.

Hunderby returns

Sky have apparently not yet made a decision on whether Hunderby should return for another full series, but Dorothy's surely got enough evil in her to go around.

Four years after Limmy's Show ended on the BBC, DIY comedy maestro Brian Limmond is back with more selfies of the sketch comedy world. Holding his own video camera, he offers some advice for those who are spending Christmas alone, unusual diet tips and a sketch heavy with marital tension. Sometimes astute, sometimes juvenile, the quality's inconsistent, but Limmy is an unconventionally compelling performer whose quirky personality shines through.

This one seems like a sketchification of a stand-up routine as the comic mulls what a Muslim Father Christmas would be like or deconstructs the easy-to-mock lyrics of 12 Days Of Christmas. The setting is a shisha cafe which his younger brother and co-owner, played by Guz Khan (aka Guzzy Bear) is trying to make more Christmassy. There's probably more that could be done with the idea, as it seems they only scratch the surface here.

In a stand-out move, Joseph Morpurgo's short is shot as if from the video camera of a bored father being dragged along to his son's Nativity play, by his pushy mum (Cariad Lloyd). Though there are some strong performances, not least from Mike Wozniak, who can get a laugh from a pissed-off stare in the role of a fellow parent, the humour doesn't entirely do justice to the imaginative set-up.

The only real dud of the dozen, Libby Northedge and Nina Smith embraced the dark spirit of David Lynch, though aren't as funny. They seem very pleased with their weirdness, a self-consciousness at odds with other surreal acts who tend to have playful fun with the lack of boundaries. Instead, this seems to be uncomfortable for its own sake. The pair, who have an aggressive, dysfunctional relationship, are charged with getting a church ready for the Christmas Eve service, but mess it up.

A change of tone here, for a short that shelves the cynicism and actually celebrates the spirit of Christmas. Nish Kumar plays an actor who became insufferable last Christmas when he landed the part in a Hollywood film, alienating his friends (Ed Gamble, Tom Neenan and Massive Dad Tessa Coates) at their annual get-together. Twelve months later and he's been kicked off the film - revealed in a bruising meeting with his agent, played by Aisling Bea - and wonders if he can face them again. The pay-off, courtesy of Santa David Trent, might a little corny, but that' Christmas for you...

This is the stand-out of the lot, a heart-warming story based on a simple premise, some great gags, and the warmth of his performance. After a grinch steals Christmas - or, more accurately, the car containing all the presents and accoutrements for the big day - Spencer Jones stays up all night improvising gifts from what he could scavenge from the hardware shop at midnight. His character is basically 'best Dad ever', inventive, playful and prepared to do anything for his family - an optimism that rubs up against his sourpuss sister-in-law. A perfect combination of laugh-out-loud moments, including the final punchline, and a genuine feelgood spirit. More please!