Review by Steve Bennett

The always watchable Addison again expands on his favourite the theme of Englishness for this year's show - this time concentrating on our relationship with other nations.

However, the hour seems less coherent than last year's fine show, with some routines and observations only loosely connected to the core arguments.

Also, the topic is becoming increasingly popular among comics, impelled to comment on the wider issues as race riots, Euro membership and asylum-seekers dominate the headlines.

And while Addison commendably never steps on other comedians' material, it does seem increasingly difficult to navigate his way round themes discussed by others.

However, he does generate some splendid ideas (his analogy for the English attitude to immigration and his devastating one-line dismissal of Euro sceptics being particularly fine) and, yes, plenty of decent jokes.

It's just that the whole is no more than the sum of its parts - lacking that extra special something that pulls everything together to create a great show, rather than a good one.

Addison has always been a likeable, accomplished but somewhat underrated comic, and this is unlikely to change any of those adjectives.

Review date: 1 Jan 2001
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett