Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 29th March 2021 |
With Easter coming up this weekend, here's the latest from the world of comedy - not much new TV to enjoy though, sadly!
Latest comedy news
Shappi Khorsandi writes novel about teen sexual abuse, Kissing Emma
Shappi Khorsandi has written her second novel, a modern tale of sexual abuse that reimagines the life of Emma Hamilton, Lord Nelson's mistress. Kissing Emma, the stand-up's first young adult book, aimed at 12-15 year olds, will be published on 2nd September.
Jerk Series 2 begins filming
Filming has started on Series 2 of Jerk, the BBC Three sitcom starring Tim Renkow.
Chortle Awards names Legends Of Lockdown
Fergus Craig, Mark Watson, Tim Key, Alex Horne, John Robertson, Marcus Brigstocke, Rachel Parris, Richard Herring, Robin Ince, Stevie Martin, Alistair Green, Janey Godley, Mark Olver, Archie Henderson, Catherine Bohart, Toussaint Douglass and Munya Chawawa are amongst those named Legends Of Lockdown in the Chortle Awards.
Comedian Leo Kearse to run for Scots Parliament
Award-winning comedian Leo Kearse is to stand for election to the Scottish Parliament in Glasgow, in protest at the SNP's "vague" and "authoritarian" Hate Crime Bill.
Billie Piper and Andrew Scott to star in Catherine, Called Birdy
Billie Piper and Andrew Scott have joined the cast of Lena Dunham's medieval comedy film, Catherine, Called Birdy.
Emily Atack Show returns for Series 2
Emily Atack's self-titled sketch and stand-up series is to return to screens for a second series later this year.
The Skewer wins at BBC Audio Awards
The Skewer, The Musical Life Of..., David Threlfall, Christopher Douglas and Fraser Ayres were amongst the comedy-related winners in the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2021.
Motherland to be re-made in America
A project is underway to re-make BBC sitcom Motherland for American audiences.
Staged to arrive on BritBox with extended length episodes
The second series Staged is due to be published on streaming platform BritBox on 1st April with additional material included.
Trying to return to Apple TV+ for Series 3
Trying, the Apple TV+ comedy series starring Rafe Spall and Esther Smith as a couple planning to adopt a baby, is to return for a third series. Meanwhile, the second series will be available to stream from 14th May.
Ken Dodd comedy drama in the works for ITV
Doddy, a comedy drama centred around Ken Dodd's 1989 trial for tax evasion, is in development for ITV.
Worzel Gummidge episodes filming this summer
Mackenzie Crook's Worzel Gummidge is resuming filming this summer.
James McNicholas to publish The Champ & The Chump book
Comedian James McNicholas is to publish The Champ & The Chump. Based on his hit live show, the book tells the real-life story of what happened when he retraced the footsteps of his boxing champion grandfather.
Bob Mortimer is to publish his autobiography
Bob Mortimer will publish his memoirs in September. And Away... is described as "warm, profound, and irrepressibly funny".
Douglas Adams archive book to be published
A book featuring extracts from Hitchhiker's Guide creator Douglas Adams's archive is to be published.
Julian Clary to publish autobiography The Lick Of Love
Julian Clary is to publish the second instalment of his memoirs in October, The Lick Of Love: How Dogs Changed My Life.
Advert
On Friday 2nd April, Karl Spain's Comedy KARLnival is live from 2 venues, in 2 cities (Galway & London) on 1 livestream show - with both venues sharing a virtual front row audience on big screens in front of their respective stages. Shappi Khorsandi, Angela Barnes & Barry Castagnola will be streamed live from a studio in London, and host, Karl Spain, will be joined in an empty Róisín Dubh, Galway by Emman Idama. Info & Tickets
Features
Comedy Rewind: Horrifying tales with Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
Join Garth Marenghi and his colleagues as they ward off evil at Darkplace Hospital...
First Gig, Worst Gig: Tim Key
He graced the Best Medicine Gala on Saturday and has birthed a lovely new book, but why did Tim Key once go Bubka-like in Kilkenny?
British Comedy Quiz #146
We predict you're going to get a score of 6 out of 10 this week? Let's see if we're right...
Random 8: Sarah Pearce
Comedian, therapist and co-founder of the Best Medicine Festival, Sarah Pearce talks triffids, trains and the origin of takeaways.
BCG Pro
Our website for writers, performers and producers will celebrate its second birthday on Thursday. Across the last 24 months we've helped many members brush up their skillset, and generated many opportunities for them to have a stab at. If you've not discovered the platform yet, now's the perfect time to find out more.
Podcasts
A grumpy Jeremy Paxman appears on RHLSTP. There's also more from other podcasts we support, including The Worst Writer In The World, Sitcom Geeks and The Comedian's Comedian Podcast.
TV listings
The Stand Up Sketch Show
Luke Kempner, Rachel Jackson, Russell Kane, Dane Baptiste, Luke McQueen, Steen Raskopolous, Lily Phillips and Tom Parry appear in the last episode of the series.
Hypothetical
Sue Perkins, Sara Pascoe, Dane Baptiste and Sindhu Vee are set to appear in this episode. It's another show finishing up this week.
Taskmaster
Lee Mack takes on an audacious hammer throw, Sarah Kendall makes sitting down memorable and Jamali Maddix forgets his passport.
Dating No Filter
Mica and Jake meet for the first time and take up a spot of aerial yoga for their first date. What could go wrong? Tom Allen, Suzi Ruffell, Judi Love and Munya Chawawa are on hand to find out.
Would I Lie To You?
This must be the smallest TV section we've ever had in our newsletter - just five new shows this week, plus this new highlights episode showcasing the best rounds from the most recent series.
The Graham Norton Show
Frank Skinner is set to appear this Friday. Also Intelligence stars David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed, promoting the forthcoming second series. Plus Sharon Stone, Octavia Spencer, Melissa McCarthy, Michelle Visage and pop group Steps.
For a complete list of TV and radio broadcasts, including repeats, see our full schedule.
Shop
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Nish Kumar - It's In Your Nature To Destroy Yourselves Part 1Recorded live at the Duchess Theatre, London on 12th December 2016, this is Actions Speak Louder Than Words... Unless You Shout The Words Real Loud, the show that Nish Kumar performed in Edinburgh and then on tour that year, culminating in this performance. It's about gentrification, history and the rise of the far right, and what happened to him on Brexit vote night. Released last week as an audio download, the stand-up album entered the official album download charts over the weekend at #21. A second volume is also available. |
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Matt Lucas - My Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Silly Book Of PranksA "hilarious" new book of pranks from multi-award-winning actor and comedian Matt Lucas, with laugh-out-loud artwork from Sarah Horne, illustrator of the bestselling Charlie Changes Into A Chicken. The publishers boast: "Do you love to make your friends and family laugh? Thought so! There is nothing like a prank for putting smiles on everyone's faces. So come on and get creative ... Discover super silly pranks to play at home, clever pranks to play when you're out and about, the most hair-raising hoaxes of all time, epic prank fails, the world's greatest pranksters ... and much, much more. Look no further for hours of family-friendly fun and creativity!" |
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Blithe SpiritThe new feature film adaptation of Noël Coward's much-loved play. Best-selling crime novelist Charles (Dan Stevens) is struggling with catastrophic writer's block and a stressful deadline for his first screenplay, whilst his picture perfect second wife Ruth (Isla Fisher) is doing her best to keep him focussed in the hope of fulfilling her dream of heading to Hollywood. Charles's desperate search for inspiration leads him to invite Madame Arcati (Judi Dench), a medium recently exposed as a fraud, to perform a séance in their home. However, they all get more than they bargained for when Arcati accidentally summons the spirit of his deceased first wife: the fiery and jealous Elvira (Leslie Mann), who embarks on a mission to kill Charles so she can spend eternity with him - leading to an increasingly comical and deadly love triangle! |
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Skeletons In The Cupboard - Series 1 & 2Alison Steadman, Morwenna Banks and Nigel Planer star in this tale of two sisters - and a mysterious stranger. Not long after their mother's death, sisters Maureen and Lesley are packing up their family home. Then a strange man knocks at the door and introduces himself as David Johnson, a friend of Maureen's neighbour. He'd like to view the house if they are thinking of selling - which Maureen definitely is. But Lesley has other ideas and, behind Maureen's back, offers David their mother's old bedroom as a pied-a-terre. Gradually, he forces his way into the sisters' lives, turning up at inopportune moments and constantly getting in their hair. As they both become increasingly fed up with him, Maureen and Lesley put aside their differences and unite to try and find out exactly who this David Johnson is, and what he is hiding. But when his secret is finally revealed, the sisters are in for a shock. The situation is about to get really out of hand... |
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Frank Skinner - A Comedian's Prayer BookA Comedian's Prayer Book. The title is a worry, isn't it?... God is a tough audience as far as audible response is concerned, but at least you don't have to explain the references. In this collection of prayers, much-loved comedian, broadcaster and radio host Frank Skinner has tried to retain the bare candour of the rehearsal-room improvisation - to show what faith feels like, from the inside - but infused it with all the production values required to make it a passable public entertainment. In it are his convictions, his questions, his fears, his doubts, his elations - all presented in an eavesdropper-friendly form. Hell, Judgement, atheism, money, faith and the X-Men all feature: it's a bit like reading the Bible, except you only get one side of the conversation, and all the jokes are left in. |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
#NotAllWomen
There have been a lot of accusations and generalisations thrown about recently, which is why it's important to take a moment to remember that we are not all the same.
My BMI (Baby)
Ashley Frieze's song about long term weight problems.
Gently Does It
A sketch by the comedy group The Noise Next Door about a bike rider... one who is scared to get up any speed.
Self Tape Audition for Cocaine Bear
Katie Pritchard auditions to be some cocaine.
New Club Moves for 2021
What dance moves will you be seeing on the floor when clubs re-open this summer?
Every time you try and go on a website
"But, sir, I just want to look at recipes."
The Treason TV Show - Episode Four
Protest bills, Meghan and Harry, Line Of Duty returns, Icelandic volcanos and Priti Patel get the satirical treatment in this sketch show.
Adventure Brothers - Adventure Brothers and The Mountain Of Fire
Paul and James set off to complete the adventure that is The Mountain Of Fire; an unfinished, heavily plagiarised mess of a story once unsuccessfully penned by James as a child. We feel they may have stuck in some innuendo.
Who Said That? - Episode 28
Angela Barnes, Stuart Laws, Brennan Reece and Katie Pritchard play the panel game hosted by Mark Olver.
Spotlight
Doctor In The House
With yesterday having marked the 100th anniversary of star Sir Dirk Bogarde's birth, it's apposite to look at his best-known comedy work: starring in the first of the smash hit series of Doctor films. Produced at Pinewood Studios by Betty E. Box and released by Rank, the the seven films - of which Dirk featured in four - were based on Richard Gordon's autobiographically-inspired, equally smash hit series of comic novels, also adapted by LWT for a long-running series of hit TV sitcoms. The first (in books, films and TV) was Doctor In The House, with the feature co-starring the likes of Kenneth More and Donald Sinden as Simon Sparrow's fellow students at St. Swithin's teaching hospital. For various reasons none are too keen to graduate and pass into the real world, but that's about to change - with comic misadventures aplenty. A box set of all seven titles is currently just £12.99 at Amazon.
Thanks for reading
Matthew Alford has won the latest BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition on the topic of "history":
Those who do not learn the lessons of History are doomed to repeat it. Quite right. It took me three times to pass my GCSE.
We hope you have a lovely Easter break. We'll be back in your inbox on Tuesday 6th.
British Comedy Guide
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