Russell Brand, Jimmy Carr, Jonathan Ross, David Walliams - it was like a Who's Who of "Love em' or Hate 'em" television personalities, wasn't it?

So while Big Fat Quiz of the Year (Channel 4, yesterday 9pm) may not be the most reviewable programme (I'm afraid I have very little to say about the the direction or lighting, but please feel free to chip in!) it does give us a wonderful opportunity to have a good old discussion/argument...

So, Big Fat Quiz of the Year. It's hardly the most inventive quiz show, but then the questions and answers are not at all what the show's about. Instead, big personalities are given a really rather massive two-hour, prime-time slot to try and make people laugh - something which the contestants and host Jimmy Carr (would you believe it!) achieved with varying degrees of success.

On the first team were Jonathan Ross and Cat Deeley. Well, Cat bless her never really had a chance of getting a word in edgeways, but she was as sweet and bubbly as she always is, and Jonathan, probably for the first time in his entire life, found himself not to be the centre of attention. Himself, Rob Brydon, and Jimmy all started off major players in the show in terms of laughs per minute, but eventually were all outshone by the battle of The Squares vs. The Goths.

This was really rather interesting. On one side, we had the suited David Walliams - purveyor of hugely popular, quite safe, family comedy - and on the other we had the skinny-jeaned Russell Brand, and Mighty Boosh genius Noel Fielding. At first, everyone played to type: David and Rob made out that they were desperate to win, and Noel and Russell made up silly answers, and pretended to know nothing about anything other than hairspray and Camden Lock.

But as the show progressed, it became unavoidably clear that the audience were behind Noel and Russell - not because they were losing, but because they were simply much funnier, and much more likable. I'm going to lose a lot of friends over this, and believe me, it surprised me as much as anyone else, but Russell Brand was a revelation. That's right: Russell Brand was quick, inventive, and disarmingly endearing. And Noel Fielding was a wonderful partner for him - for the first twenty minutes or so, he was very quiet (he's never been on a panel show before, as far as I'm aware), but he quickly gained confidence, was able to banter on equal terms with the more famous contestants - and win, and he had Cat Deeley laughing her pretty little head off.

And thus The Goths triumphed - both in terms of being more successful at what they were actually there to do (make people laugh) as well as, in the end, winning the quiz itself. Next year will be the year of big hair and Chelsea boots, you mark my words. [annawaits]