I’m not exactly sure when Frankie Boyle became a genuinely incisive political commentator, but my god he did. Impressively, unlike some other acts whose political awakenings have teetered into sheer polemic, Boyle has remained blisteringly funny whilst he does so. New World Order takes a refreshingly freewheeling approach to the panel show form anyway, with diverse range of regular panellists who all seem to actually care about what it is they’re discussing. Inevitably in this review of 2022, that includes the Queen’s death, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss (who?), Rishi Sunak, Kier Starmer, Ukraine - all the topics you’d expect. The thesis statement for this episode? “2022 was a great year, for anyone who got 2022 in the ‘world’s shittest year’ sweepstake”. Underneath the - still - white-knuckle barbs is both an understanding of the complexity of the world and a frank willingness to engage with and dissect it. Boyle’s closing monologue, always a highlight, includes horoscopes in his own inimitable style for each star sign, and a joke about next year’s John Lewis advert featuring Thom Yorke singing a cover version of the four minute warning, which the Radiohead nerd in me must point out is a cleverer joke than it would seem, what with the final track of the disc box extra CD of In Rainbows being “Four Minute Warning”. You’re welcome.