Will You Be Watching 'You Have Been Watching'?

Tomorrow night sees the return of Charlie Brooker's channel Four TV panel show You Have Been Watching to our screens. And it's about time too! This week's show sees Charlie picking apart Doctor Who among other things with a panel of guests. This week, joining Charlie in the living test card that is the YHBW studio are David Baddiel, Liza Tarbuck and Kevin Bridges.

Guaranteed to make any TV fan "rofl" (a phrase that Charlie would beat me for using, no doubt) I cannot tell you how excited I am to have this show back on our tellyboxes. Charlie has proved that he is a very accessible and accomplished host who, despite his interspersed misanthropic rants, holds an audience with witty and jovial commentary on all things "telly".

But if you want more Brooker then you're in luck! Charlie will be joined by guests (including David Mitchell) for a special Election Night Special program on the night of May 6th. That's bound to be a great one to watch, isn't it? Like the alternative election show! That's where I'll be learning the result, and no mistake! Sorry, I turned into Russell Brand for a moment there, another thing Brooker would berate me for! Apologies, Charlie, if you're reading - which I doubt!

Anyway. Don't miss You Have Been Watching, Channel 4, tomorrow night that's April 15th) at 10pm. And I'll be ripping it apart here soon after, in a good way no doubt. You can learn more about this TV gem by clicking here and visiting the YHBW Channel 4 site. Enjoy!

You Have Been Watching... Charlie Brooker

First things first. I love Charlie Brooker. I think he is witty, likable and quite charming (despite his angry, misanthropic way - it's all an act!). He is also, nine times out of ten, absolutely spot on when it comes to "giving an opinion".

Okay, he's had his fair share of "Oh, he didn't say that, did he?" moments (Not least the wholly over-exaggerated "let's assassinate Bush" non-story that earned him death threats from all corners of the world!) But that's what he does. If you've never had the joyous pleasure of reading his Guardian newspaper columns or seeing any of his "-wipe" TV shows (a kind of dissection of TV and News reports, bringing the more hypocritical, unbelievable aspects to our attention) then I urge you to seek them out.

Yes, a very competent critical journalist he is, with a surprisingly, admirably strong moral standpoint! But he's also a pretty damn good writer too! Anyone remember Nathan Barley (Channel 4) - the under-the-radar masterpiece about a twenty-something upper-middle-class buffoon carving a sickening track through London pop-culture-journalism?

It was amazing! Brooker co-wrote that with Chris Morris! And that Brass Eye Special, he was on the writing board for that too! And Dead Set (E4) - zombies in the Big Brother house?! Him! He's awesome! He should write more stuff. His words just pour off the page and dance about looking glum. Brilliantly cynical and strangely touching.

BUT! He's not just a good journalist and a good writer! No, no! He's also a pretty damn good TV Game/Chat/Panel Show host! Which is why I'm very excited about the return of Channel 4's awesomely hysterical, sometimes tasteless "You Have Been Watching". It's a bit like a cross between "Newsnight Review" and "TellyAddicts" - although that's not giving it the credit it deserves. It stars again on April 15th at 10pm on Channel 4. I urge - no, BEG - you all to tune in! If you don't laugh until your pancreas bleeds then I will eat my cat... HAT! Eat my HAT!...

If you want to get more of Charlie then go here for his Guardian columns, or here to follow the sod on Twitter. @YHBW is the official Twitter page for the new series of, well, "YHBW". It's also worth a follow... It's more than worth it actually, I promise. That is all. You may now go to sleep. Bye.