some thoughts on the first two shows

Two shows down, four to go. The first show with Paul, Graham Norton, Pam Ayres and Kevin Eldon was terrific, up to the standard of last season. Pam is a special favourite of mine, with an entirely unique and thoroughly endearing style. She isn't as competitive as some, but whenever she talks it is magic. I'd like to have her on the show more often. Graham  is obviously on the show more regularly, and just gets better and better. He doesn't need to do JAM these days to get his name out as others do, so he must enjoy it and I think it shows. He's splendid. And Paul was just great. He (almost) always is.

On the other hand, the show with Tony Hawks, Gyles, Fred MacAulay and Roy Walker never really got going somehow. Gyles was at his best - he is a great player these days. The days when he returned regularly to the same jokes and routines are well behind him now. But he's a splendid second banana, he can't carry the show, and Tony wasn't up to the challenge either. It's just not the show for Fred. And despite the affection for Roy Walker from the audience, he wasn't up to it either. On the broadcast show I wondered if he was going to become the third man to get no points at all (the other two were Peter Jones and Christopher Timothy) but he finally did get a point, sixteen seconds from the end of the last round. Nicholas announced he did have an earlier point, but it must have been edited out.

I hope Tony in particular is in better form in the second show.

Paul, Gyles, Russell Kane and Richard Herring tomorrow!