TOAST THE HOST: Comedy chat shows

All Round To Mrs Brown’s (9.10pm, BBC1) features Brendan O’Carroll’s creation interviewing celebrities in her home. Here are a few of our favourite spoof chat shows and their faux hosts… The Day Today.

The Mrs Merton Show Outrageous OAP Mrs Merton (below, left), played by the late Caroline Aherne, got her own show in 1993. A big hit, it ran for four series, until 1998, with Mrs M travelling to Las Vegas for three specials in 1997; there, she got her nylons in a twist interviewing Tony Curtis, Engelbert Humperdinck and Bo Derek. Knowing Me Knowing You This was the 1994 TV chat debut of Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan, centre) – a character already familiar as the sports presenter for spoof radio current affairs show On The Hour (1991-92) and its TV successor, After some 20 years as a radio host in Norwich, Alan is soon to make his TV comeback. Watch this space… The Keith Barret Show Everyone’s favourite lonely cab driver (Rob Brydon) got this Mr & Mrsthemed show in 2004. Keith was a genial host, interviewing guests such as Richard and Judy, plus Ronnie Corbett and wife Anne. Man To Man With Dean Learner Richard Ayoade’s self-styled adenoidal playboy was first seen in 2004 horror parody Garth

Marenghi’s Darkplace. In this 2006 chat show, Dean interviews fictional celebrities (who are played by Garth Marenghi cocreator Matthew Holness) from the comfort of his London penthouse.