The Graham Norton Show: Series 7 (2010)

The latest series of The Graham Norton Show has come to an end, and I'll miss it! I used to watch So Graham Norton way back when it was on Channel 4 and enjoyed it muchly, but then it turned into 5 nights a week V Graham Norton and the format was stretched too thin, and the humour got a bit wearing. Since the chatshow moved to BBC2 and now BBC1 it has improved greatly. 

Graham Norton is such a natural, gifted comedian, and he's great as a chatshow host - he clearly makes his guests feel at ease and he lets them talk (take note Jonathan Ross). I particularly like the eclectic range of guests he has on, and the fact that all 3 sit together on his sofa for the entire show. This has thrown up some unusual but entertaining combinations this series. Toni Collete, Billie Piper and Shappi Khorsandi got on like a house on fire, as did Lee Mack, John Cleese and Martin Clunes a week later. These trios may not be so strange, but The Graham Norton Show really comes into its own when it gets massive American stars who come alive in the relaxed environment that Graham promotes. This series saw Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Miley Cyrus, Usher, Kelly Rowland and Katy Perry sharing couches with Alan Davies, Marcus Brigstocke, Jack Whiteall, Bill Bailey and Jason Mansford, and these team ups creating hilarious moments of TV. 

Away from the guests, Graham himself seems very relaxed with the show and his sense of enjoyment of his guests' company shines through. This series, the final item in the red chair has worked better and has been much funnier than previously, and I've loved when the star guests have got involved with it. The only downside to this series were the underwhelming selection of musical guests, though Eric Idle was a highlight! Alan Carr's Chattyman, which I've given up with since the first series, pales in comparison to The Graham Norton Show, and I'll be making appointments to view series 8 - imagine the guests he might get when Jonathan Ross' show ends!