Friday Night with Ross

Back for a ninth series - funnier and more entertaining than Parkinson and more intelligent than the rest - Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, the only "chat show" worth watching... His guest lists are always impressive, this 2nd show including Gerrard Depardieu, Kanye West, Franz Ferdinand and the charming Alan Whicker, legend of British broadcasting. The Frenchman in particular was priceless, not understanding at least half of Ross' quickfire quips, sparking up an illicit fag halfway through, only to stub it out on the carpet when prompted to put it out, and explaining the best way to cook a hedgehog (you have to put a bicycle pump up its arse apparently)! The format is as fresh as it was in series one - Edinburgh Festival visitors Four Poofs and a Piano still provide camp musical links for each guest, much to the bemusement of many overseas visitors, Ross still interjects a bit of scripted comedy and observation between each main course, and the night always ends with a live performance to rival any you'll see. But it is the interviews that really matter - often incisive, sometimes embarrassing and confrontational, but more often good natured irresistibly funny. I can think of no one better at revealing the true character of their guests than JR and I look forward to the rest of the series enormously. Top Telly. Kx