Tom Basden

In some instances, there might be a studio audience but they are the best crowd of all: forbidden to heckle and required to laugh. All things considered, it should the easiest gig of their lives. So why do they make it feel like such hard work?

Mark Watson's Live Address to the Nation on Radio 4 was a case in point. We already knew the show was live, since the title told us as much, though just in case we had forgotten, Watson kept shrieking "We're live!" and "This is a shambles!" and remained in a state of heightened panic throughout. His hysteria was slowly transmitted to his co-hosts Tim Key and Tom Basden, whom he kept urging to talk faster, thus removing the wind from their comic sails. Watson had a certain puppyish energy, but he wasn't far off the mark in his hapless assertion: "There's a risk that the show will only be funny for those who are here."

Mark Watson's Live Address to the Nation

Assisted by Tom Basden and Tim Key, Mark's back on Radio 4 to look once again at some of the qualities and character traits that make a person.

This is bold. It really is live and because of that, and the time of night, it's going to be expensive (all the behind the scenes people will be on overtime). And Mark Watson wants you to join in, too, discussing the big questions crucial to people's understanding of themselves and society, looking for big answers. There's a live studio audience who'll join in, plus Watson's two sidekicks Tim Key and Tom Basden, but your tweets and emails are requested. If it ends up sounding like that spoof, Down the Line, you've been warned.

An interview with Stefan Golaszewski

Today we have an interview with Stefan Golaszewski who, amongst other things, was the Cambridge Footlights President from 2002-2003, part of the insanely good comedy sketch group Cowards (along with Tim Key, Tom Basden & Lloyd Woolf), and writer/creator of the BBC Three series Him & Her.

T4's Rick Edwards plays an exaggerated version of himself in this Officey, Twenty Twelve-ish mock-doc about an egocentric TV presenter, written by the brilliant Tom Basden. Channel bosses rap Rick's knuckles over a "retard" remark and tell him he must present coverage of the paralympics. He has to "shadow" Peter, a Hollyoaks actor in a wheelchair leading to a brilliant comic denouement. Definitely has series potential.

Comedy in pictures - April

This month's gallery from around the circuit is dominated by Simon Munnery's revival of the noble art of wrestling women. In this case, Isy Suttie and Josie Long. Plus: Rufus Hound, Tom Basden, stripping and quizzing.

Lee Mack vs Charlie Brooker on So Wrong It's Right

So Wrong It's Right is the radio show hosted by Charlie Brooker in which his guests must try to "out-wrong each other". In tonight's episode he is joined by Tom Basden, Josie Long and Lee Mack - and it's with Lee that things get a little... heated.

I've been to a couple of rather wonderful recordings of Radio 4 comedy recently. First up was the live recording of two episodes - 1 and 3 oddly - of Party, a four-part sitcom version of Tom Basden's play that I saw up in Edinburgh (ok, and down in London) in which five young and essentially clueless idealists set up a political party in its self-appointed leader's shed (or summerhouse, as he insists). It's broader than the theatre version, certainly, but the writing's still wonderful, and the performances still pitch perfect. Jonny Sweet is especially brilliant as that disputed leader, a campus Clegg/Cameron/Blair-like lothario; and Tim Key's immaculate timing is given a great showcase as the newest member of the party, drafted in because he new dad owns a print shop (though he thinks he's there for another reason entirely).