Walliams & Friend

David Walliams is joined by Hugh Bonneville for a Christmas special, with the Downton actor playing a grammar-obsessed vicar, a toothsome gameshow host and a yoga guru with anger issues. To his credit, he hurls himself into this sorry business with vim, but even with sketches featuring, in one case, the combined heft of Biggins, the Chuckle Brothers and Bob Carolgees, the material just isn't up to snuff.

Pushed back in the schedules due to a last-minute George Michael tribute at 10pm, this extended episode of Walliams And Friend, is a Christmas special, as well as being the last in the series, star of Downtown Abbey and W1A, Hugh Bonneville, partners with David Walliams for a variety of comedy sketches.

Hugh demonstrates his comic versatility as he plays roles as diverse as Alan Sugar, dishing out the hardest ever Apprentice tasks, and even the Countess of Grantham in her new commercial.

In addition, Hugh and David pair up to play smarmy game show hosts of the completely baffling "Double Or Nothing", the world's most embarrassing dancing dads (pictured) and even Bruce Wayne and his loyal butler Alfred.

Also features mini festive episodes of Middle Class Jeremy Kyle and Celebrity Slammer.

Walliams's sidekick tonight is Miranda Richardson, which is obviously no problem: her turn in Blackadder II remains a pinnacle of sitcom performance. However, having a different sparring partner each week emphasises the patchiness of sketch shows; plus, this week it launches with a lazy riff on avaricious estate agents. The lawyers specialising in hurt feelings compensation feels like satire waiting for reality to catch up, though.

TV review: Walliams & Friend with Miranda Richardson

I don't know how much this week's guest Miranda Richardson cost but I did wonder how available she was as she doesn't do a great deal in this episode.

This latest comedy vehicle for David Walliams comes complete with a sidecar: each week, a special guest star dives into the dressing-up box for some knockabout sketches and endless spoofs of other TV shows. Tonight's instalment features Goodness Gracious Me veteran Meera Syal, who shines as both a bossy grandma-turned-unrelenting police interrogator and a recent divorcee tentatively getting to grips with a sexbot.

Walliams and Friend preview

David Walliams & Friend has etched its place on my retina as Friday night's comedy de rigueur.

Walliams & Friend review

With a skit called Carry On Up the Sexual Harassment Tribunal, this was a very, very silly sketch show. But the weirder things got, the funnier it all was.

Sheridan Smith is this week's guest on the defiantly old-fashioned sketch show, joining in with routines about Carry On films and knackered married couples that aren't sure if they're satirising cliche or indulging in it. The best skits are those in which Walliams and his writers cater more sensitively for what Smith can do: her solo turns as a cruise-ship singer frazzled by failure, and as a wife absurdly deluded about her husband's attractiveness, give the show more heart and heft.