The John Bishop Show returns

Variety, as they say, is the spice of life – perhaps that’s why it’s become so popular on TV too.

These days, we’re often accused of having short attention spans, of constantly flicking through channels or hopping from website to website while trying to sate our appetite for change and constant amusement.

And that could explain why variety shows have enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years.

Once upon a time, from the 1950s to the 1970s, they were a staple part of the British TV schedule, a sort of small screen take on the musical hall tradition.

Sadly, these programmes fell out of fashion for a couple of decades, but are now back with a bang. Certainly Britain’s Got Talent has created a whole new audience for the kind of acts that once graced variety shows and end of the pier theatres.

And, of course, the winner goes on to appear in the Royal Variety Performance – the biggest gig of its kind.

John Bishop loves a bit of variety too, which makes him the perfect host for the format of his self-titled series. You can imagine that, around the turn of the 21st century, Bishop himself might have featured on the programme, determined to make a name for himself while still working his day job as a rep for a pharmaceutical company – a role he kept until he considered himself to be an established showbiz entertainer in 2006.

If you missed the first run, it offers a mix of light-hearted chat, stand-up routines and entertainment. It’s a project he enjoys, but it’s just another in a long line of eclectic jobs he’s taken during the past 12 months.

The Liverpudlian star has also appeared as a companion in Doctor Who and hosted a documentary in which he learned British Sign Language alongside his partially deaf son Joe; he can currently be seen in a touring production of Mother Goose alongside Ian McKellen, who popped up on Bishop’s recent post-Christmas special.

Bishop claims he’s trying to offer something a little different to the usual chat show by taking a more American-style approach to the format. Each episode is also filmed and aired on the same day.

“Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross are like the kings of chat shows in the UK, and there’s absolutely no way that this is trying to emulate what they do,” he explains. “The guests themselves are part of it throughout, there’s not one segment where I talk to the guest about what they’re doing.

“When you’re on stage, what happens happens in that moment, and that’s what this show is like; what happens on that day will be what people see on the screen, and if it works, brilliant, and if it doesn’t, it’s too late for me to fix it.”

He adds: “I was delighted with the response to the first series. It was great to give viewers a Saturday night show that offered an entertaining mix of comedy, interesting guests and topical discussion. I can’t wait to do another.”