Great comedy and David Platt (with video)

Posted by me on October 22, 2007 6:42 AM | Permalink

FOR the next fortnight, there's a great reason to ignore commonsense and go to bed early on a schoolnight. It's called The Comedy Lab (11.05pm).

It's the sort of programme the BBC should be doing, but doesn't. The nearest other ones I've seen are the open-mic stand-up nights which the Paramount Comedy Channel screens, and more locally, Channel M in Manchester does the same.

Now in its ninth year, Comedy Lab is Channel 4's experimental strand which allows potential comedy starts of tomorrow to create a programme. Previous uncovered talent includes Peter Kay, Jimmy Carr, Dom Joly and Big Brother’s Big Mouth presenter Russell Brand (more on him in a minute).

First up tonight is Karl Pilkington, who first came to prominence when acting as producer on Ricky Gervais's podcasts. He was such a hit, playing the fool, that now he's landed this gig. Pilkington looks to find out if more intelligence and knowledge will make him happy by meeting some well-known intellectuals.

Just before Comedy Lab opens its doors again, Brand's latest vehicle is on, called Ponderland (C4 10.35pm). On for the next six nights, the premise is simple. He ponders all manner of things, assisted by various video clips and slides. From his childhood through to science, nothing is spared the Brand treatment. Few performers can ramble so entertainingly as Brand while still looking like a nutter.

Talking of nutters, Coronation Street (ITV 1, 7.30pm/8.30pm) is proving to be great fun as the story of the year, the madness of David Platt continues to unroll. There's no disputing that Jack P Shepher is a top-class young actor (he certainly knocks spots off many of the other young guns in the Street) but he has benefitted from some great scripts lately.Cast your mind back to the summer, when David started torching his GCSE papers, and you'll see that this plot has taken a while to bubble up.

Not content with 'accidentially' leaving ecstasy tablets around for his baby neice to eat, and inviting his sister's gay ex boyfriend to the wedding of his sister to the non-gay Grimshaw brother, David gets even more sinister tonight - unscrewing a bolt from scaffolding which Jason was working on.

Given that the lad's mother is Gail Platt should we really be surprised he's going round the bend? Given her track record with substitute fathers for David, he's probably just grateful to be alive. Or perhaps Richard Hillman really did inspire him.