Walliams & Friend

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There was a time when David Walliams was everywhere, and it was not a particularly good time. When a celebrity becomes "flavour of the month" and is pushed at us relentlessly things becomes wearying, no matter how good they might be. Years back Walliams was in sketch shows, sitcoms, took on various presenting roles and did the rounds of the chat show couches as a children's author. The Walliams mania has mercifully died down and perhaps he has now subsided to being a camp Christmas thing.

In this new series he appears in sketches with a "friend." There'll be a different one each week and tonight it's comedian Jack Whitehall. It kicks off with a scene which borrows so heavily from the Monty Python "nudge nudge wink wink" sketch that you can see the punchline coming a mile off. Other targets for the mild jokes include Cumberbatch's Sherlock and embarrassing dating gameshows.

David Walliams interview

David Walliams has said he "almost lost sight" of his comedy career ahead of his first sketch show since Little Britain ended eight years ago.

We know who Walliams is, appearing in this new sketch show, but who's the friend? That'll be Joanna Lumley, who radiates such professionalism - whether playing herself, leading a troupe of Lumley-decoys, or a Hollywood-besotted Mary Berry ("A woman of my age knows her way around an eclair, Paul"; "I master-bake thinking of you") - she tosses armfuls of pixie-glitter into every crevice. Highlights include a rude tanning salon, a boy band with an incongruous member, and Walliams's unique take on Oscar Wilde.

Walliams And Friend review

Overall the show is an effective one-off that will surely lead to David Walliams being paired up with more friends in the future.

Here's one that will make you feel really old: it's 10 years since the final series of Little Britain aired on BBC One. The show that made David Walliams a bona-fide star served as a launchpad for a career that has seen him take on a judging role on Britain's Got Talent, undertake jaw-dropping charity work (his Thames swim remains a crowning glory), and become a successful children's author.

Now he's going back to his comedy roots with a one-off Christmas TV special. Titled Walliams & Friend, it sees the comedian return to the type of sketches that helped make his name - and his 'friend' is a very special guest indeed. It is, of course, the absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley, who remains a brilliant comedic presence.

By its very nature sketch comedy is hit-or-miss, but Walliams & Friend is thankfully more of the former - from a hilariously terrible gameshow contestant played by Walliams, to a meeting between Joanna Lumley and her own personal team of, erm, other Joanna Lumleys.

And then there's the Bake Off sketch - you'll never look at Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry in the same way ever again.

The 40-minute special is daft fun - and likely to be even funnier after a few Christmas Eve sherries. Here's hoping for more Walliams & Friend episodes in the future with a different guest star each time.

Review: Walliams & Friend, BBC1

It's about time David Walliams got round to doing some proper comedy.