The BBC's Funny Festival has been a bit of a mixed bag so far, lobbing in some repackaged documentaries and old stand-up shows but not doing that much in the way of championing new comedy.

That changes this week with Funny Festival Live, featuring comedians filmed doing live gigs at the Bedford Pub in Balham, London (gateway to the south, as our old readers might put it).

From tonight (Sunday) until Thursday there are five showcases featuring the best in stand-up talent, with newers acts introduced by a more established name.

First up is one of the hardest comics in showbiz, compere Jason Manford, fresh from teaching Shaun Ryder how to tell jokes onstage in Stand Up and Deliver. He has a much easier task tonight, introducing a bunch of comics who clearly know what they are doing.

There is powerhouse Jayde Adams (pictured) and force of nature Judi Love, who seems to be very much in demand at the moment. Meanwhile rising star Toussaint Douglass explains why he hates cats and quirkier Irish newbie Michael Stranney gives us an insight into his unusual family life

There are more great line-ups during the week. Monday's host is Sara Pascoe. Other names lined up include Nabil Abdulrashid, Rosie Jones, Dane Baptiste, Jo Brand, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Darren Harriott. 

Each episode is filmed at a Covid-secure comedy club in front of the production team, with a virtual audience tuning in from home. If you are wondering how they had an audience during they were members of the production crew who were not needed in their jobs at the time of recording. They were there simply to react to the comedians' jokes, to allow the comedian to understand if their delivery was working. In most cases the people in vision were trainees.

Funny Festival Live, From Sunday, 9.45pm, BBC Two. Until Thursday at 10pm each night.