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

Our pick of the comedy on TV, radio and streaming this week…:

Sunday May 25

DEATH VALLEY: This new Welsh-set comedy detective series from Mammoth and Trollied writer Paul Doolan revolves the unlikely crime-solving partnership between eccentric national treasure John Chapel (Timothy Spall) a reclusive retired actor and star of hit fictional detective TV show Caesar and disarming Welsh detective sergeant Janie Mallowan (Gwyneth Keyworth). The cast also includes Steffan Rhodri, Mike Bubbins and Jim Howick. BBC One, 8.15pm

THE COMIC STRIP PRESENTS: Yesterday a handful of films from this pioneering alternative comedy troupe dropped on Netflix. (Although, to be fair, a bigger selection has long streaming free on Channel 4)... but the new platform might mean a new audience for the parodies created by Peter Richardson and featuring Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Jennifer Saunders

Monday May 26

IT'S A FAIR COP: Copper turned comic Alfie Moore returns with a new, ninth, series of putting real-life policing dilemmas to the studio audience. In this week's case, Alfie tracks down the people who assaulted an elderly man at a bus stop. But what could have provoked such a cowardly crime? Radio 4, 6.30pm

Friday May 30

HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU: Roy Wood Jr – who hosts the US version of the show – is in the chair as Guz Khan and broadcaster Kirsty Wark join team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop BBC One, 9pm.

THE POWER OF PARKER: Car Share star Sian Gibson's 1990s-set comedy is back for a second series. The first introduced us to Martin Parker (Conleth Hill), a crass big-fish-in-a-small-pond entrepreneur who got his comeuppance when his mistress Kath (Gibson) and wife Diane (Rosie Cavaliero) teamed up to bring him down. The second series starts with Martin tying to get his life and reputation back together after hitting rock bottom. Gibson says: 'There’s a power shift between Martin and Diane, and Kath feels stuck in the middle of them both. Kath thinks if she can sort out Martin and Diane's problems then everyone will be happy, and they can all live happily ever after. Unfortunately, her interfering doesn't go to plan and she manages to make everything worse, throwing them all into chaos.' BBC One, 9.30pm - with all episodes then available on iPlayer'

Saturday May 31

FAWLTY TOWERS: A VERY BRITISH COMEDY: This show focusses on the supposed controversies around the sitcom, with the blurb insisting the show 'only exists in a re-cut, sanitised, edited form, with some of the original scenes deleted'... Though really it's only a racist rant from the Major that is rarely aired these days - the show is repeated like no other from its era, with the exception of Dad's Army. Still, this programme – which had the working title The Cancellation Of Fawlty Towers will play to the 'you can't say anything these days' brigade… Channel 5, 9.30pm

Published: 25 May 2025