Mel Giedroyc's Unforgivable and the rest of the week's comedy on TV and radio

The week’s best comedy on TV and radio.

Sunday January 31

ELVIS MCGONAGALL - FULL TARTAN JACKET: The stand-up poet, comedian and armchair revolutionary performs his satirical verse in the latest of Radio 4’s stand-up specials.Radio 4, 7.15pm

RHOD GILBERT: STAND UP TO FERTILITY: A network outing for the comedian’s entertaining yet important documentary about male fertility following its BBC One Wales outing last week. Read our review here.

Monday February 1

BRUSH STROKES: The Drama channel is showing John Esmonde and Bob Larbey's sitcom about the misadventures of a jack-the-lad painter Jacko, played by Karl Howman, from the very beginning. The show originally ran for 40 episodes on BBC One from 1986 to 1991. Drama, 5.20pm

WOULD I LIE TO YOU: The fib-based game moves from its usual Friday slot for the latest episode featuring comedians Sara Barron and Ed Gamble as well as Claudia Winkleman, the Rev Kate Bottley and regulars Rob Brydon, Lee Mack and David Mitchell  BBC One, 8.30pm

RICHARD OSMAN’S HOUSE OF GAMES: Mark Watson and Josie Lawrence are put to the test this week alongside antiques expert Raj Bisram and presenter Laura Whitmore. BBC Two, 6pm

Tuesday February 2

MEL GIEDROYC: UNFORGIVABLE: The comedian and her sidekick Lou Sanders learn the most despicable deeds of their guests in this new panel-chat show, starting with Graham Norton, Desiree Burch and Alex Brooker, who tried to ‘catch’ a girl in a Home Alone-inspired trap. Mel talks about the show here, while there's an interview with Lou here Dave, 10pm

GROUNDHOG DAY: Since today is actually Groundhog Day in the US, what better reason to watch Bill Murray at his finest… Gold, 10.20pm

Wednesday February 3

THEATRE ROYAL: Flanagan and Alan star in this once-lost 1943 film about a struggling venue trying to stave off closure. Talking Pictures TV, 12.45pm

Thursday February 4

MOCK THE WEEK: The last in the current series features Maisie Adam, Angela Barnes Ed Gamble, Glenn Moore and Ahir Shah alongside regular Hugh Dennis and host Dara O Briain BBC Two, 9.30pm.

8 OUT OF 10 CATS DOES COUNTDOWN: Jon Richardson and Sara Pascoe take on Sean Lock and Richard Ayoade, with Nick Helm in dictionary corner. Channel 4, 9pm.

Friday February 5

RAMY: It’s the British debut of this acclaimed US comedy-drama about a first-generation Egyptian American caught between his traditional Muslim family and his millennial New Jersey peers, created by and starring comedian Ramy Youssef. Channel 4, 11.05pm

THE PLANK: Eric Sykes’s slapstick comedy classic has the simple premise of two workmen trying to transport a plank from a warehouse to a building site Sykes co-stars with Tommy Cooper and Jimmy Edwards, while there are cameos from John Junkin, Bill Oddie, Stratford Johns, Graham Stark, Jim Dale, Hattie Jacques, Johnny Speight, Kenny Lynch, Roy Castle and Jimmy Tarbuck. Talking Pictures TV 4.05pm - and also 8.05pm tomorrow. 

Saturday February 6

 KING ROCKER: The film Stewart Lee and director Michael Cumming made about Birmingham post-punk band The Nightingales comes to TV, after the planned cinema release got shelved. The documentary weaves the story of the John Peel favourites with that of King Kong, a giant public sculpture that once sat in the centre of Britain's second city, until it fell out of favour with locals. Frank Skinner, Kevin Eldon, Nish Kumar, Bridget Christie, Andrew O’Neill and Seann Walsh also feature in the film. Sky Arts, 9pm

PERRY AND CROFT - MADE IN BRITAIN: A repeat of this half-hour celebration of the hugely successful comedy writing duo precedes a repeat of their greatest hit, Dad's Army BBC Two, 8pm

Published: 31 Jan 2021