The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio

The week's comedy on TV and radio.

Sunday March 4

BOB MONKHOUSE: MILLION JOKE MAN: This three-part tribute, fronted by Paul O'Grady, was originally made for Dave, but gets its Freeview debut tonight on Yesterday. Contributors include comedy writer Colin Edmonds, the man who was bequeathed Bob's famed joke books, Jimmy Tarbuck, Russ Abbot, Tim Vine, Steve Punt and Jon Culshaw. Yesterday, 7pm

Monday March 5

ACTION TEAM: It's not often ITV launches a new comedy, even on ITV2. This spoof comedy action thriller series follows the exploits of a special branch of MI6 and was created by Murder in Successville's Tom Davis (who also co-stars) and James De Frond. It kicks off with a double bill. 10pm

Tuesday March 6

THE GREAT CELEBRITY BAKE OFF FOR STAND UP TO CANCER: Harry Hill and Roisin Conaty appear in the first of five special, alongside Martin Kemp, Bill Turnbull and the usual Bake Off team. Channel 4, 8pm

Wednesday March 7

CRUFTS EXTRA WITH ALAN AND CLARE: Alan Carr and Clare Balding are live at Crufts each afternoon, starting today, the eve of the big dog show. Channel 4, 3pm

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW: Joe Lycett returns with another series of his Radio 4 panel show with guests Tony Hawks, Rachel Riley and Desiree Burch in episode one. 6.30pm

Thursday March 8

NOT GOING OUT: Lee Mack's comedy - the longest-running sitcom on air - returns to BBC One for its ninth series (and he's currently writing the 10th). In this week's episode, Lee's sarcastic father-in-law, played by Geoffrey Whitehead, reluctantly allows him to clear up the builder's mess in their new kitchen extension. The series also stars Sally Bretton as Lee's wife Lucy, Hugh Dennis as pal Toby and Bobby Ball as his feckless father Frank. BBC One, 9pm

STILL GAME: The second part of BBC One's comedy double-bill is the return of another long-running series. Still Game predates Not Going Out (launching in 2002 compared to NGO's 2006), but its long hiatus means its now 'only' in series eight. In this first of six new episodes, Jack Jarvis (Ford Kiernan) and Victor McDade (Greg Hemphill) find they are no longer welcome in The Clansman as landlord Boabby (Gavin Mitchell) has ambitions to attract a better class of clientele. Click here for an interview with the creators.

THE HITCHHIKERS' GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: HEXAGONAL PHASE: Forty years on from the first ever radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Arthur Dent and friends return, in a rattling adventure involving Viking gods and Irish conmen. The new series, based on a combination of unreleased writing from Douglas Adams and Eoin Colfer's official sequel novel And Another Thing…, stars John Lloyd as The Book, with Simon Jones as Arthur, Geoff McGivern as Ford Prefect, Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox, Sandra Dickinson and Susan Sheridan as Trillian, Jim Broadbent as Marvin the Paranoid Android and Jane Horrocks as Fenchurch. The cast also includes Samantha Béart, Toby Longworth, Andy Secombe, Ed Byrne, Lenny Henry, Philip Pope, Mitch Benn, Jon Culshaw and Professor Stephen Hawking. Radio 4, 6.30pm.

Published: 4 Mar 2018