Brian Boydspent a long time in a darkened room picking the best comedy DVDs. That's one job saved this Christmas. . . '
DES BISHOP
Tongues
Suffering from some form of dual cultural identity crisis, Noo Yawker Des Bishop - who has lived here for nearly 20 years - decided to go down the "more Irish than the Irish themselves" route and immerse himself in the Irish language. Basing himself in Connemara, this DVD relates Bishop's difficulties in getting his tongue and mind around the weird grammatical inflections of the first official language (there's some especially good stuff here on the absurdity of the Modh Coinníollach). This is all very well done, but what really shines through is Bishop's genuine grá for the cupla focail. Maith an fear etc.
APRÈS MATCH
Best of Après Match 2008
Risteard Cooper, Gary Cooke and Barry Murphy had a superb Euro 2008 championship, easily their best yet, and they managed to skewer all the usual suspects for their predictable, cliched, self-serving rants. There's also some truly damning material about the BBC's sports coverage. But it's not all about the garrison game - they also cast a cold eye on celebrity news programmes and display some admirable away-from-home form.
TOMMY TIERNAN
Bovinity
Early on in this, Tiernan notes that "the essence of comedy is moving away from respectability" and he's as good as his word throughout this fast-paced extravaganza that makes little concession to perceived notions of good taste. Tiernan has a rare talent: the ability to joke in an existential way. He doesn't skim subjects; he delves deep and turns them inside out, exposing their real value and worth along the way. Forget the contrived controversy about small sections of his material; this is manic street preaching turned up to 11.
JASON BYRNE
The Byrne Identity
With Byrne you never quite know how much is scripted and how much is improvised. But no matter - here he jumps from one to another so fast that you barely see the stitches. Byrne always works best off an up-for-it live audience, and there's no let-up in this turbo-charged show. It's as if Byrne is on comedy steroids as he starts off super-quick and continues to accelerate all the way through, mixing commonplace observations with demented flights of fancy.
DARA O' BRIAIN
Talks Funny
Barely pausing for breath, O'Briain is at ease here as he speed-talks his way through routines that mix a sardonic look at contemporary news items with the more abstract. The continuity is flawless as he segues his way through different sections. The gag about Boris Johnson - "London has elected a fat Andy Warhol as their mayor" works particularly well.
FRANKIE BOYLE
Frankie Boyle: Live
You probably know Boyle best for his scabrous contributions to TV panel shows. But, caught live, the Scottish comedian is a far better proposition. While TV reigns in his more transgressive work, here he lets loose on a number of hot, current topics He is always razor-sharp and on the money. Quite dead-pan and charmingly sardonic, Boyle delights in controversy and testing the audience's taste threshold. But he does it all in a clever and admirable way. Warning: not for the easily offended.
BILL BAILEY
Tinselworm
This is nothing short of a comedy masterclass. Bailey has built up an enviable reputation as a highly original comic who brings mainstream audiences to him by dint of his accessible material. He rambles all over the place here, exposing stupidity and hypocrisy wherever he finds it. Some of the best bits come from his musical gags: he takes well-known tunes, such as the Dr Who theme song, and turns them into Belgian jazz ditties. Doesn't sound brilliant on paper, but it is profoundly hilarious to hear.
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS
The Complete HBO First Season
The New Zealand comedy duo first made a name for themselves at the Edinburgh Festival with their spoof folk music group. Spotted by an American producer they were given their own HBO series, which has been a huge cult favourite. This finds them in New York, struggling to make an impression on the city's folk scene. There are loads of good musical in-jokes and lashings of dry wit. If you've never heard of them before, prepare to become a hardcore fan.
GAVIN AND STACEY
Complete Series Two
One of the freshest sitcoms to emerge over the last five years, Gavin and Stacy follows the fortune, and misfortunes of the eponymous duo, brilliantly played by Matthew Horne and Joanna Page.The real highlights here come from the supporting cast of characters, particularly Stacey's best friend Nessa and her uncle (played by Rob Brydon). You don't need to have seen the first series to enjoy this. A charmingly idiosyncratic work.
MICHAEL MCINTYRE
Live And Laughing
Straight out of nowhere, Michael McIntyre has quickly become one of the most popular comics in the UK. His appeal is simple: he's a little bit Eddie Izzard and a little bit Peter Kay. This is good, straight-up comedy. McIntyre is not an "edgy" comic but an old-fashioned act, albeit with sharp and contemporary material. He'll be even bigger next year, so get in now and take a look. There's some really good-quality stuff here: watch out for his routine about the "man drawer", that place where all our old keys, mobile phones etc live.
