Telly Today: crystals, music and comedy

Today’s telly top picks with ATV Today Editor Doug Lambert.

Friday televisual treats brings us comedy talk, crystals and music.

BBC One screens Ben Elton with The Ronnie Barker Comedy Lecture. (10.35pm)

Ben Elton, comedian, novelist, playwright, film maker and classic sitcom creator of the likes of The Young Ones, Blackadder, The Thin Blue Line and Upstart Crow, delivers the inaugural The Ronnie Barker Comedy Lecture.

Recorded at the BBC’s Radio Theatre in London, in front of a star-studded audience from the world of comedy, Ben Elton delivers his lecture in which he discusses the craft, legacy and importance of the studio sitcom. Sir David Jason introduces the talk with a personal forward about Ronnie Barker and Ben Elton.

The lecture is named in honour of the late, much loved comedy writer and performer Ronnie Barker OBE, star of The Two Ronnies, Porridge and Open All Hours. Ben discusses not only his love for the studio sitcom, its heritage and its importance but also his own first meeting with Ronnie and how the two became friends.

ITV has the third edition of Teach My Pet To Do That. (8pm also STV and UTV). Entertaining, informative and charming this production celebrates the hidden intellectual potential of our nations pets.

This week animal lover, comedian and presenter Alexander Armstrong opens the doors of his multispecies pet training school, to welcome Bailey a Golden Retriever and Boo a rescued battery hen so they can attempt to learn the trick of wipe their feet on command.
 
ITV’s star pet is Mr Bean a horse that can not only play catch but can also dance in perfect synchronicity with his devoted ex-ballerina owner. And our trainers hit the road to help train Loki a young Border Collie, to drive a remote control car and hand out gifts to strangers on Brighton Pier.
 
The Teach My Pet, Pet School is a place where domesticated pets of all shapes, sizes and species enroll to be taught tricks that enrich the lives of animal and owner. 

Channel 4 tonight finally airs the none-celebrity version of The Crystal Maze. (8pm).

Richard Ayoade guides members of the Watson family through the Aztec, Medieval, Industrial and Future zones, inviting 22-year-old captain Catriona, her mother Fiona and three others to tackle a range of skill, mystery, physical and mental challenges to win some all-important crystals.

The players need gain as many crystals as possible in order to maximise the amount of time they can spend within the legendary Crystal Dome for their final foil grabbing quest. Once inside, they attempt to collect as many fluttering gold tokens as possible, which can be exchanged for prizes.

BBC Four keeps the music flowing with BBC Proms 2017 – Charles Mingus Revisited. (7.30pm)

Prom 53: An evening dedicated to the celebration of the life and music of jazz giant Charles Mingus, a legendary composer, bandleader and bass-player who influenced artists including Joni Mitchell, Elvis Costello and Debbie Harry.

Celebrated conductor Jules Buckley and his Metropole Orkest are joined by an exciting line-up of soloists including saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, trumpeter Christian Scott and singer Kandace Springs.

Comedy talk on BBC One tonight at 10.35pm