Laughing matter ... Kristen Schaal. Photograph: Murdo Macleod
The nominations are in and it appears that the clouds have lifted. After two years in which the if.comedy award was won by "dark" and "edgy" comics - Phil Nichol with his show The Naked Racist in 2006 and, last year, Brendon Burns's So I Suppose THIS Is Offensive Now - this year's shortlist is comprised of a far cheerier bunch.
David O'Doherty leads the way, his musical comedy having the air of whimsy but the applied technique of a proper artist. Rhod Gilbert may be miserable about the disappointments of modern life, but the main target of his ire is a mince pie. Russell Kane, meanwhile, has political inclinations but a keen eye for the absurd, while the American double act of Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler thrives thanks in part to an innocent air of sexual tension.
In the newcomer category, too, we find Sarah Millican, praised by the judges for her "outstanding command of the audience", who calls her show Not Nice to offset the fact that she obviously is. Character comic Pippa Evans and standup Mike Wozniak round out the list, and are both themselves charmingly offbeat.
Enough musing though, it's time for your opinions on the matter. One final thought though: there's one less nominee in the main list than the last two years - good sign or bad?
