Vic & Bob’s Big Night Out
BBC TWO, 9.00PM
Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer return for this one-off festive edition of their sketch show, 27 years after it first aired as Vic Reeves Big Night Out. Fans will be pleased to hear that age has not dimmed the comedians’ energy – in this half-hour they bounce around the studio in the same vein as their younger selves, which gives the show a rapid-fire pace.
The pair’s chemistry is undeniable and they frequently make each other laugh, as well as a raucous studio audience. There is a sense that Reeves and Mortimer are now improvising much of their material, which may explain why some of the jokes here are a touch below par. But many of the sketches are excellent, such as their parody of Channel 4 dating show First Dates. In another, Reeves sells wigs made of body parts.
Nostalgia comes in the form of a cameo from Matt Lucas, forever associated with his George Dawes character in Shooting Stars, and the revival of character Graham Lister (played by Bob) in the talent show parody sketch Novelty Island.
This brief return reminds us that, with their corny jokes and surreal sense of humour, there’s nobody quite like Vic and Bob.