Stand-up comic and panel-show regular Frankie Boyle sees his latest creation Tramadol nights released on DVD this month and with a title that suggests the relief of pain, its ironic just how excruciating this stand-up come sketch show really is.

Boyle's penchant for shock and distaste is a well known Modus operandi but here its obvious they work better in the bite size portions we're use too in his appearances on tv shows like Mock the Week and Nevermind the Buzzcocks, where his crude and direct yet poignant observations come as welcome momentary injections.

Unfortunately the transfer of this humour into the show's sketch and stand-up formula just doesn't work well. A send-up of 80's tv show Knight Rider and the movie Green Mile along with constant references to homosexual and sadomasochistic sex just aren't funny, theres nothing wrong with being distasteful but isn’t the point to of it to get a laugh? (The League of Gentleman is worth referring to here) If it wasn't for the overdubbed canned laughter during every gag, one just simply wouldn't know where you were supposed to laugh.

In fact its actually quite boring. The show’s only saving grace is the occasional quip during the stand up sections where Boyle picks on various members of the audience, supposedly at random, where his fast observations and vivid analogies do entice the odd chuckle. If anything they’re a welcome break to the atrocious skits and Boyle’s regular attempts at an American accent. In summary it doesn’t live up to expectations. Frankie please quit while you’re ahead and stick to what you know.