The 11 O'Clock Show

Iain and Daisy left for the most recent series, leaving many previous fans unhappy with the new content and presenters. Despite what can only be described as a wobbly start, new presenters Jon Holmes and Sarah Alexander, to my mind, improved upon previous series.

The all new writing team tried to keep away from gratuitous swearing, and did so, to a degree, but had to keep some traditions to appease the post-pub audience. New features such as The Style W***ers and Bulla were as good as anything the show had previously offered, but some parts were so bad it was painful. Gratuitous Wood - stories told out by sex toy puppets, The Windsor Tapestry - a Bayeux Tapestry set around the royal family, and Waugh on Sport, none of them worked. But regular spots from stand up comedians were a welcome addition, as was Jon Holmes' gig guide. A feature that Holmes has been doing in various guises for some time, it has been honed to it's blatantly crude perfection.

So, fans of Iain Lee's annoyingly smug delivery may have lamented his leaving, but for those of us less enchanted by his demeanour, it can only be classed as a complete improvement.

I love this show. But I must admit, it as faltered a bit since the departure of regular presenters Iain Lee and Daisy Donovan. The new hosts now are Sarah Alexander and Jon Holmes, and although they do their best, you always think there is something missing. The show has spawned the likes of Ali G, Ricky Gevaise, and now there a few new ones, Will Smith Posh Boy, which is OK, but not really funny, Susan Waugh, in which Alexander herself dresses up as a some kind of bimbo interviewing various celebs. But the one that stands out in this new wave, is the heavy in Prison (the name escapes me now), but it is superbly played by Comedian Ricky Grover. I would still recommend this show to people. It is witty and amusing, but just a shame it's two original presenters are no longer with the series.