Will Self

Review - Vikki Stone: Definitely

This is all well-structured, taking in diversions into more original territory than Cowell's vacuous shiny-floor TV output - most notably a lyrical tricksy power ballad about a pretentious Will Self quote that requires all her Royal Academy Of Music training to pull off.

It was brave of creator Armando Iannucci to start a new season of The Thick of It (Saturday, BBC Two) without his expletive-spewing spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi). It was the equivalent of hoping that no one would notice if an episode of Fawlty Towers featured only Manuel, Sybil and Polly. But fear not, Tucker/Basil will appear in the second episode, as was made clear when the producers lost their nerve and included a "next week" trailer featuring him.

In this new series, the Tories, though never named as such, were the senior partners in a Coalition - and I don't know whether it was deliberate, but the Lib Dem characters were instantly forgettable.

Given that a neologism from The Thick of It was used by Ed Miliband to describe George Osborne's budget - "omnishambles" - Iannucci must feel that modern political life is copying his satirical art a little too assiduously. It might explain why his usual brio seemed to be lacking in the opening scenes.

Where were the effortless similes and casual insults? It even seemed to borrow a scene from the film Anchorman in which its dim news presenter tries to join in a conversation about love, but can't think of any examples so randomly names things he can see. I love carpet. I love lamp.

These proved to be teething troubles and it got into his stride when Roger Allam as Peter Mannion MP struggled through an excruciating and pitch perfect press launch for "Silicon Playgrounds", the Coalition's digital youth policy. After that the confidence seemed to return. My favourite line came when No 10's loquacious spin-doctor said: "What was that word I used this morning?" Mannion replied: "You used a lot of words this morning. It was like a ----ing Will Self lecture."

Vic & Bob Shooting Stars interview

George Dawes may no longer be in charge of the scores, Mark Lamarr and Will Self have departed and the Dove From Above may be going a bit grey around the edges, but there's still something very exciting about a new series of Shooting Stars...

Russell Brand: Skinned was the title of a well-conducted inquisition by Frank Skinner of the wild-haired comedian whose androgyny, priapism and former drug addiction has made him, it seems, no less irresistible to women. Brand prides himself on his love of words, but he is no Will Self. In one excruciating extract from a show, he insisted that an audience member's poster "KAT HEART U" needed an apostrophe. Nor is he as clever as he thinks he is. He jeered at a correspondent who, re Sachsgate, suggested that he had targeted the elderly actor because he was "Spanish", yet as an excuse said that when he made the notorious phone-call he had in his mind that it was "Manuel on the other end". The interview made it clear that Brand's current addiction is not to narcotics or even sex but to fame. In this, he is the perfect comic for our celebrity-greedy age.

After a seven-year hiatus - aside from last year's so-so Christmas special - the madcap quiz show returns for a sixth series. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are once again at the helm, while Little Britain's Matt Lucas returns as the ever-excitable George Dawes, the man with the scores. Joining team captains Jack Dee - who replaces Will Self from the last series in 2002 - and Ulrika Jonsson this week are The One Show's Christine Bleakley, 21-year-old pop star DJ Ironik and comedians Paddy McGuinness and Dan Skinner, the latter of whom appears in the guise of a Greek burger van owner called Angelos Epithemiou.

The show, which first aired in 1993, has always divided opinion: many have found it refreshingly quirky, while others believe it to be just annoyingly bizarre.

Certainly, the aficionados will be pleased to hear that its basic format is staying true to its roots. Sadly, though, the surreal, frenetic humour which characterised Shooting Stars in its heyday now feels a little stale - and perhaps slightly forced. Nevertheless, the show still has its moments. Reeves's shameless leering and harassment of a game Bleakley, in particular, will draw a smile. The highlight of tonight's series opener, however, is the appearance of comic newcomer Epithemiou, whose lugubrious style is such that it makes the cranky and deadpan Jack Dee seem comparatively sprightly.

Will Self on Blue Jam

This week Will Self tunes in to subversive BBC radio.