TV's lunatic fringe are back!

If you like your comedy a little shaken and stirred, you're in for a special treat this autumn.

The comic grotesques of The Office, The League of Gentlemen and I'm Alan Partridge are all back on our screens for new series.

If you missed them the first time round, or you want to know what to expect this time, here's what to watch out for:

THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN

Principal characters: Tubs and Edward the Local Shop owners, pen-obsessed Pauline, the sacked Restart officer, and her former student Mickey(love), Hilary Briss, the butcher with 'special stuff', Babs, the transvestite taxi-driver, Herr Lipp the camp German teacher, Pops, the bully-boy Greek landlord.

The last series featured murder, kidnapping, wife-swapping and a nosebleed epidemic, culminating with the villagers burning down the Local Shop.

This time round sees Pauline released from HM Clitclink prison and Judee Levinson giving up her lady of leisure lifestyle to run a beauty salon, Spit n' Polish. Watch out for new faces in geek magician Dean and cinema owner Kenny Harris, who only shows films featuring dogs. There's also a cameo from League fan Christopher Eccleston.

Memorable lines: Edward: 'This is a local shop for local people, we'll have no trouble here."

'Welcome to Royston Vasey ... You'll Never Leave'

When's it on?: Thursday, BBC2, 10pm.

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Principal characters: Office boss David Brent, unlucky-in-love Tim, demure secretary Dawn, hollow-eyed Gareth, Ricky (he's been on Blockbusters) and Donna (her dad's a policeman).

What's it about?: A painfully accurate portrait of life in the modern workplace, this one based in a trading estate in Slough, under larger-than-life boss David Brent.

The new series kicks off just as the Slough office is merged with the recently closed Swindon office - meaning a new intake and a smooth new boss over Brent and his staff. Brent feels threatened and the affront to his status makes his antics increasingly bizarre - especially when he performs a 'comedy' routine to welcome his new colleagues.

We're promised that Brent will acquire at least a drop of self-knowledge by the end of this series, and there are some potentially compelling moments ahead when the staff take part in Red Nose Day.

Memorable lines: Brent whips out his guitar and sings: 'Pretty girl on the hood of a cadillac, yeah. She's broken down on Freeway 9. I take a look and her engine's started. I leave her purring and I roll on by ... by by.

[Chorus]: Free love on the free love freeway where the love is free and the freeway is long.'

When's it on?: Monday, September 30, BBC2 , 10pm.

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Principal characters: Er, Alan Partridge

What's it about? After a five year absence from our screens, Steve Coogan is back as chat show host Alan Partridge, a veteran broadcaster who began his career on Radio Four and got his lucky break when he was given a chat show on TV, Knowing Me, Knowing You.

Alan's career took a nose dive when he punched his boss with a partridge during his Christmas special. He was consequently sacked from his TV show, and took up an early morning spot on Radio Norwich.

A recent press release from Alan himself about his new show states: People bounce back. Rolf Harris, Dennis Hopper, there are others. I'm one of them. I now have the third best slot on Radio Norwich, I do a military-based quiz show for cable TV called Skirmish and I've got a girlfriend. I think you'll want to hear all about that.' Watch this space ...

Memorable lines: 'I'll be putting the chat among the pigeons"

'If this show was a car it would be Chatty, Chatty Bang Bang'

When's it on? BBC 2, Early November, to be confirmed