I Guess That's Why They Call It The News

How familiar does this new comedy series sound? Two panels of two guests make fun of the news under the witty eye of a chairperson. It's impossible not to compare this to Have I Got News for You but I hope that this doesn't stop it from getting a fair chance to bed in and flourish. The pilot episode that I heard was recorded in the middle of the MPs' expenses scandal and the panel fed upon this like piranhas on a fresh bloody morsel. Fred MacAulay made an excellent chair but this show will ultimately be made or broken by the calibre and wit of the panellists.

This is the hallowed slot for Radio 4's topical comedy and it's a brave Controller who fills it with a brand new show. So best of luck to Fred MacAulay and his teams, competing to strike fresh sparks by rubbing together damp twiglets of the week's news. Rounds include What the Papers (don't actually) Say, Who's Who (who is the new who and why) and Apathy Attack (persuading a member of the audience to change his or her mind). Score warning: don't take it seriously. If the cricket runs over then it will be on FM only: Test Match Special will be on Radio 4 LW. No joke.