Charlie Brooker's Year Wipe

Charlie Brooker's take on 2012 was enjoyable for many reasons, no more so than the fact it took place after the year had ended - unlike all the other comedy reviews of the year.

Another reason, of course, was because the show covered quite a lot of events that people forgot about; the sinking of the Costa Concordia in January, for example, which Brooker covered by showing the idiotic comparisons made by Entertainment Weekly between Concordia and the film Titanic, including the probing question: "Was Celine Dion playing when it sank?"

There were other decent moments too, but some of these, like the campaign against Joseph Kony and Brooker's mocking of both Kony and the strangely cult-like people campaigning against him, were covered more in-depth by Brooker himself on 10 O'Clock Live. Speaking of which, 10 O'Clock Live also appeared on the show when Brooker covered Jimmy Carr's taxes.

However, when it comes to Brooker the most interesting part is when he stops going on about how awful things are and actually finds the positive things around us. In the case of 2012 it was the Olympics and Paralympics, and while these are, on a whole, not the funniest moments, they do provide us with a glimmer of joy in an otherwise gloriously miserable show.

With more Wipe programmes coming up in February, Brooker's work is perhaps the most satirical comedy around. Other shows should be encouraged to be as cutting and thought-provoking as this is.

Charlie Brooker's 2012 Wipe - Brief Thoughts

For what it's worth, this round-up format always seems kinda rushed to me, and I'd like to see him pick a few bigger topics and do more detailed pieces.

Armchair Paralympian to Paedosavile: my words of 2012

Never mind omnishambles - my personal dictionary tells you all you need to know about the past year.

2012's been a great year for Charlie Brooker. His satirical anthology Black Mirror (which, by the way, is coming back early next year) and cop spoof A Touch of Cloth were massive hits, he was named 'Best Comedy Entertainment Personality' at the British Comedy Awards and he welcomed his first child with wife Konnie Huq.

Despite all that though, Charlie still has tons to moan about from the last 12 months in his annual Wipe programme - like the Olympic Games, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the US presidential election. Thankfully we won't have to wait another year for our next slice of Brooker grouching - a new weekly series will follow 2012 Wipe on BBC Two.

As ever in these media-saturated times, there is plenty for Charlie Brooker to sink his satirical teeth into over the last 12 months, though for once, not all of it has been bad. He'll be reflecting on the Olympics, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the jailing of members of Pussy Riot and, of course, the US presidential election in which the Republicans both scared us and added to the gaiety of nations. Limmy, Sharon Horgan and Peter Serafinowicz also contribute.

Charlie Brooker's 2011 Wipe interests 530,000

Charlie Brooker's end-of-year Screenwipe review appealed to just under 530,000 viewers last night (Friday).

The Black Mirror scribe looks back in disgust at a year in the worlds of news, TV and, as a special bonus for BBC4 viewers, video games. Brooker's eternal concern that most of his fellow broadcasters are hysterical, reductive prudes won't be short of grist, as he considers coverage of the August riots, the economic apocalypse and Pippa Middleton's regal glutes. Contributing are furious comic Doug Stanhope and conceptual documentarist Adam Curtis.

Video: Charlie Brooker talking on BBC Breakfast

Charlie Brooker talks to BBC Breakfast about his round up of the news in 2011.

As Brooker has observed in these pages, 2011 has been a grimly bumper cornucopia of events, what with Royal Weddings, the phonehacking enquiry and riots, to say nothing of Pippa Middleton's backside looming unseemly like a double moon over the media landscape. With the assistance of Doug Stanhope, Adam Curtis and Brian Limond, Brooker will be glancing back beneath arched eyebrow over the events, factual and fictional of 2011, dousing its overheated manias, controversies and moral panics with a cool and justly savage wit.

2011 has been like an end-of-season finale

This year, so much has happened it's impossible to remember it all in one go.