Live At The Apollo

Comedians always seem to open their shows by announcing they became a parent for the first, second or third time. Sean Lock was no different as he hosted the first in the new series of Live At The Apollo, declaring in the opening moments - much to the delight of the audience - that he'd 'just had another kid'.

He went on to expand on his family life, saying he often removes the child car seats and pretends he's single for a bit. It was a gag that appeared to raise a few more eyebrows than laughs in the wake of fellow comedian Jason Manford's recent indiscretions.

And the half-laughs continued to flow, as Lock didn't stray too far from the sorts of predictable topics comedians generally favour, touching upon bags for life, the Pope and disability. There was nothing new and really, nothing especially funny either.

The second half of the programme was given over to John Bishop, who began promisingly with a clever joke too blue to repeat, but he too descended into semi-funniness, with a self-deprecating run-through of his career so far.

And if his performance tonight was anything to go by, it's not hard to see why he has to be self-deprecating about his career. His routine was tame and badly paced, making his solid reputation seem unfounded.

So, it was an off-night all round at the Apollo. It's a shame for the series that it had to open with such a weak episode, but with the much darker Rich Hall taking to the stage next week, there's hope yet for a smarter, sharper show.

You know you're in good hands with the wry, lugubrious Sean Lock, who is on fine form hosting the first of a new series of stand-up showcases from London's Apollo. Sadly, he's not on long enough, and the second half of the show is given over to the ubiquitous John Bishop who will remain for me, forever, an acquired taste. But Lock is worth the price of admission, with a routine that's centred mainly on his family life, with occasional surrealist flourishes (his theory about why the Pope wears a small white cap on his head is an interesting one). There are gags about the state of his car, and his daughter's conviction that, at six years old, she has grown out of CBeebies.

The Apollo will always have a special significance for stand-up John Bishop. This gig last year ­catapulted him into the major league. Back in that ­spotlight for a new series, his routine is a confessional about that night and the nerves he suffered as he faced the biggest audience of his less-than glorious career.

A comedy routine about the job of comedy? Bishop's ­raconteurish style isn't to ­everybody's taste. He's not a gag machine like Jimmy Carr and his material is so personal you couldn't even describe it as observational either. He's more like that bloke in the pub who has a way of taking the ordinary events of an average day and shining them until they gleam.

Last year's act was all about how his new car had broken down - and he still looks like an ex-footballer who's got lost on his way to the Match Of The Day studio.

The host is Sean Lock who's also not above mining his family life for material. "My wife doesn't like me treating the kids like hecklers," he reveals.

The stand-up show has reached its sixth series and kicks off with some trusty names. Mock the Week regular Sean Lock is the host and dishes out gags about the perils of people wanting to try on your glasses and - that old topic that just about anyone can relate to - having children. He introduces Liverpudlian John Bishop, whose own comedy series was shown on BBC One in the summer. Over the following five episodes we can expect to see Dara O Briain, Lenny Henry, Jon Richardson and Shappi Khorsandi among those taking the stage.