Vic Reeves

Vic Reeves cast in Morecambe and Wise BBC drama

He has long been compared with Eric Morecambe - particularly in the spectacles department - so it seems fitting that Jim Moir, better known as Vic Reeves, has been cast in the BBC's new drama about Morecambe and Wise.

But Moir will not play Morecambe in the feature-length BBC2 drama, instead taking the role of Eric's father George, while Victoria Wood - who also conceived the project - appears as his pushy mother Sadie.

Even at its height in the Nineties, Shooting Stars was an acquired taste: some found it gloriously surreal, others thought it annoyingly puerile. Nowadays, though, it feels dated and superfluous. Still there are some enjoyable moments, mainly involving the lugubrious scorekeeper Angelos Epithemiou. Tonight, hosts Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and captains "Ulri-ka-ka-ka" Jonsson and Jack Dee are joined by Strictly dancer Brendan Cole, cultishly incompetent football pundit Chris Kamara, war reporter John Simpson and Tulisa from pop group N-Dubz.

Vic and Bob interview

Around 20 years after first working together Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, aka Vic and Bob, are still going strong...

Vic Reeves 'drunk' on telly

Vic Reeves appeared to be drunk during a shambolic interview for Alan Carr's Channel 4 chat show.

When Shooting Stars returned last year after a lengthy hiatus, it felt tired and superfluous. Surprisingly, however, it appears to have recovered its mojo, seemingly because Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are obviously enjoying themselves a lot more. And when Vic and Bob enjoy themselves, all right thinking people follow suit.

The latest episode featured all the inspired lunacy, knowingly terrible gags and questions such as "true or false: the Dutch language started as a joke that got out of hand" that you'd want from an above-par edition of this anarchic quiz show. The sketch in which Vic appeared as a sinister hunchback with a tiny plastic horse affixed to his philtrum was one of the funniest things I've seen in ages, proving that the duo are still capable of creating unique comedy from the most inexplicable sources.

Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are back with their rather tired celebrity gameshow. Still, there are some enjoyably silly "true or false?" questions and the score-keeper, Angelos Epithemiou's dishevelled dimwit, is a funny replacement for Matt Lucas's "George Dawes". Guests tonight are pop star Example, Hairy Biker Si King, former Strictly dancer Camilla Dallerup and EastEnders actress Linda Henry.

Anyone who remembers the joyously strange experience of watching Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer's quiz show when it first appeared in the early 1990s can forgive it almost anything. And they've needed to: it grew tired and staggered on past its natural life span. Then BBC2 revived it for a Christmas special in 2008 and what should have been a museum piece worked better than expected. Now George Dawes, the "big baby" drummer/scorer created by Matt Lucas has gone, to be replaced by shambling burger van owner Angelos Epithemiou (the excellent Renton Skinner). But the blend of surreal sight gags - at one stage a pair of disembodied legs walks across the set unremarked - and daft questions remains the same. Highlights tonight include panellist Jack Dee (with "a face like a scalded sea cadet", according to Vic) having to play a toy drum every time he wants to speak and a brilliant parody of Kerry Katona's TV ads for Iceland. Look out for the sticky potato pistols.

Vic Reeves broke foot dropping EastEnders actress

Shooting Stars host Vic Reeves broke his foot - after dropping tubby EastEnders actress Cheryl Fergison on it during the show.

Vic & Bob 'proud' of 'Families At War'

"Families At War was a stupendous show... I don't think you'll ever see a show like that on a Saturday night again," Reeves told DS.

Shooting Stars interview

Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are sitting behind their desk on the set of their cult panel show Shooting Stars. Perched as I am on a chair facing them, it feels like I'm there for a job interview.