Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 25th October 2021 |
It's almost Halloween and some much-anticipated new TV series start this week - don't miss our features or schedules, below.
Latest comedy news
Frankie Boyle to make stage debut in Beckett's Endgame
Frankie Boyle will make his stage acting debut in a new Irish production of Samuel Beckett's Endgame in February.
Dating No Filter returns for Series 2 and Christmas special on Sky Max
Sky's comedy dating show Dating No Filter, in which pairs of comedians watch and commentate upon real-life blind dates, will return for a second series and hour-long Christmas special.
Christy Coysh wins Musical Comedy Awards 2021
Saturday evening saw Christy Coysh crowned the winner of the Musical Comedy Awards 2021.
David O'Doherty to front cycling series featuring comedians
David O'Doherty is to lead a Channel 4 comedy entertainment series in which Richard Ayoade, Mel Giedroyc, Joe Wilkinson and Grayson Perry join him on cycle routes.
We Are Lady Parts wins at Edinburgh TV Awards
We Are Lady Parts, Rob And Romesh Vs, Joe Lycett's Got Your Back and O-T Fagbenle have won in the Edinburgh TV Awards 2021.
Josh Widdicombe to present The Funniest Adverts On The Planet
Josh Widdicombe is to present The Funniest Adverts On The Planet, a new series for Comedy Central mocking adverts from around the world.
Alan Carr to host The Royal Variety Performance 2021
Alan Carr is to host The Royal Variety Performance 2021, with comedians Judi Love, Bill Bailey, Chris McCausland and Josh Widdicombe set to perform as part of the show.
BBC Wales launches Festival Of Funny season
BBC Wales is launching Festival Of Funny, a season that showcases Welsh comedy talent across TV, radio and BBC iPlayer.
Remaining Morecambe & Wise shows to be released on DVD
The final unreleased episodes of The Morecambe & Wise Show are to be issued on DVD in time for Christmas, almost 40 years since they were made.
Features
Jamie Demetriou on the return of Stath
Jamie Demetriou talks about his character preparing to become a father in the third series of his sitcom, Stath Lets Flats.
The Comedy Of Errors director Phillip Breen on whether Shakespeare is funny
As The Comedy Of Errors prepares for a run in London, we sat down for a fascinating chat with director Phillip Breen about staging the play, whether Shakespeare is funny, and more...
Comedy Rewind: On patrol with The Thin Blue Line
Rhianna Evans dons her police helmet and luminous jacket to go on the beat with Gasforth Constabulary's finest.
The Outlaws interviews
Stephen Merchant introduces his new comedy drama, and Christopher Walken explains how he was convinced to come to the UK to star in the show.
Punching up: the famous fighting genes of James McNicholas
The grandson of a world champ, James McNicholas took heart from a modern boxing icon to help him back on stage when a weird condition struck. His boxing show is now a new book - but is the comeback complete?
British Comedy Quiz #176
Turns out there's a few questions about double-acts in this week's list of things to answer.
Random 8: Benjamin Alborough
Halloween gigs, holiday hermitage and the heirs to Hellzapoppin' - Weirdos' Benjamin Alborough takes the ten-question test.
TV listings
The Goes Wrong Show
In the first of a two-part story to end the series, Chris asks each cast member to put on their own performance in order to head off a coup.
The Outlaws
Stephen Merchant comedy drama following seven people serving community payback in Bristol. You can find character guides by clicking through to our website.
Frankie Boyle's New World Order
Frankie Boyle returns to BBC Two with his New World Order to help make sense of the bewildering times we live in. No news on the guests joining him yet... but you can expect a mix of familiar faces.
Sandylands
Series 2 of this lovely comedy plays out tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday. After waking up on a deserted beach, Emily and Les arrive home to find her estranged mother standing in the lounge.
Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Maisie Adam, Rag'n'Bone Man and Ms Banks join captains Noel Fielding, Daisy May Cooper and regular panellist Jamali Maddix, as the music quiz hosted by Greg Davies continues.
Question Team
Making up Richard Ayoade's self-quizzing collective are Nish Kumar with a round about movies, Rosie Jones on dictators and Maisie Adam on driving tests. Plus, Mat Ewins reinvents the history quiz.
Stath Lets Flats
Series 3 starts. Stath is faced with rescuing the family business, Michael & Eagle, and his relationship with Katia, while expecting his first child by Carole.
Rob Beckett's Undeniable
Rob Beckett invites guests Eamonn Holmes, Seann Walsh, AJ Odudu and Larry Dean to bring as many brilliant facts as they can in an attempt to impress everyone and hopefully get on Rob's coveted Wall of Facts.
Brassic
Mr and Mrs Bishop are back and the gang are once again caught up in their bitter divorce battle.
Outsiders
It's the Outsiders' penultimate day living together in the wild and all three pairs are under increasing pressure. Cracks in their relationships start to appear as they take pot shots at one another in a hunting challenge...
Taskmaster
Desiree attempts to affix tennis balls to gaffer tape, Victoria tries to construct a rudimentary pulley system, while Alan finds out how many circles he can carry.
The Russell Howard Hour
Another hour featuring the host's take on the week's news, plus interviews, and a guest stand-up slot.
The Emily Atack Show
This time it's comedy sketches on the theme of modern life, poking fun at situations such as sending a naughty picture to the wrong person and being addicted to posting motivational quotes.
Complaints Welcome
Tom Allen, Jessica Knappett and Munya Chawawa join forces to assemble a "complaints committee" of viewers who have plenty to say about the television shows that are getting the nation talking.
Have I Got News For You
Bill Bailey will guest present Episode 4 of this series. Joining him on the panel will be comedian Fin Taylor and Labour MP Dawn Butler.
Mrs. Brown's Boys
A brand new special, broadcast live. It's Halloween in Finglas and everyone is getting into the spooky spirit of things.
The Last Leg
Bill Bailey is set to be amongst this week's guests on the topical comedy show.
The Graham Norton Show
Barack Obama is a 'big name' guest appearing this Friday. Also: Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Salma Hayek, Tinie Tempah, Bruce Springsteen and Jesy Nelson.
Spitting Image
A spooky episode of the puppet show. This is one you can watch even if you don't have BritBox, as it will be on ITV at 9:30pm.
Blankety Blank
Bradley Walsh hosts as Judy Murray, Rickie Haywood-Williams, Shappi Khorsandi, Rob Beckett, Ellie Taylor and Peter Andre play the game.
The Jonathan Ross Show
The host is joined on the sofa by global singing superstar Ed Sheeran, who also performs in the studio. Former Liverpool and England footballer John Barnes, Strictly star and comedian Judi Love, and actor Will Poulter also drop by.
The Larkins
It's strawberry picking season and the Larkins and many of the villagers including Pauline are off to pick fruit.
The Ranganation
Romesh and his panel of brilliantly British eccentrics look across a penultimate week's news for Series 4.
Celebrity Juice
Nick Grimshaw, Jordan North, Maisie Smith and Maya Jama join captains Laura Whitmore and Emily Atack for gruesome games, spooktacular fun and plenty of scares in this new Halloween special.
The Deirdre O'Kane Show
Deirdre O'Kane welcomes online comedy sensation Emma Doran and the stand-up comedy force of nature that is Jason Byrne to the stage along with her regular house band, Abandoman.
Sorry, I Didn't Know
In the final episode of the series, Paul Chowdhry, Miles Jupp, Tom Moutchi and Sukh Ojla join Chizzy Akudolu and Judi Love to answer questions about black peoples' history.
The new series to listen out for on Radio 4 this week are Date Night (Thursday, 11pm), God Squad (Friday, 11:30am) and The Now Show (Friday, 6:30pm). For a complete list of TV and radio broadcasts, including repeats, see our full schedule.
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David Crump - Fred Karno: The Legend Behind The LaughterFred Karno: The Legend Behind The Laughter, tells for the first time the true story of this complex man: a genius of comedy, a mentor to the 20th Century's greatest comedians, a goliath of the music hall, and a man whose rags to riches, back to rags, story is surely one of the most extraordinary theatrical tales. "If in doubt fall on your arse." That was the mantra of Fred Karno: acrobat, comedian, writer, music hall impresario, film producer and the undisputed king of slapstick. From his famous nursery of nonsense, the 'Fun Factory', the Guv'nor conquered the world, built an empire, made millions and lost the lot. In the process he discovered and trained the early twentieth century's greatest comedians: Will Hay, Robb Wilton, Sandy Powell, Syd Walker, Frank Randle, Max Miller, Billy Bennett, The Crazy Gang, and most significantly of all Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin. He pioneered physical sketch comedy and developed the raw material that Hollywood later fashioned into the finest comics of silent film. The phrase 'It's like Fred Karno's Army' entered the lexicon to describe any chaotic situation, but his extraordinary legacy is largely forgotten, lost in the mists of time and sullied by a tarnished personal reputation. This book tells the remarkable story of the man behind the myth and reveals Karno's huge contribution to comedy and popular culture - an impact that still resonates today. |
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Morecambe & Wise At ThamesThe best-loved double act that Britain has ever produced, Morecambe and Wise were a staple part of British television for three decades and their festive specials as much a part of Christmas as turkey, tinsel and terrible pop songs! The shows they made for Thames Television in the late '70s and early '80s were top-flight light entertainment, showcasing their mildly anarchic humour, impeccable sense of timing and keen eye for the absurd. Guest-starring Terry Wogan, Hannah Gordon, Dave Prowse, Deryck Guyler, Gemma Craven, David Frost, Glenda Jackson, Donald Sinden, Judi Dench, Leonard Rossiter and Alec Guinness, among many others, these fast-moving skits and musical parodies have lost none of their warmth and humour over the decades. This six-disc set contains all 26 editions of The Morecambe And Wise Show alongside all seven specials made for Thames Television - most of which have not been seen since their original transmission. |
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Little Blighty On The DownFirst aired in 1988, all five series of the political satirical soap opera set in the strangely familiar village of Little Blighty - plus Christmas specials. Little Blighty is an idyllic part of the world, with a church, a market, a small school and a pub, The Cock and Bull. Village life is pretty uneventful, though the humdrum happenings include social turmoil, economic upheaval and vicious political squabbles - all presided over by the redoubtable head of the Parish Council and secretary of the Rotarians, Mrs Roberts. This formidable lady has been running things for nine years: despite the best efforts of the leader of the opposition, Working Men's Club chairman Mr Blandish. He's desperate for his members to present a united front against Mrs Roberts, but unfortunately they're too busy fighting amongst themselves. |
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Rob Beckett - A Class ActRob Beckett never seems to fit in. At work, in the middle-class world of television and comedy, he's the laddy, cockney geezer; but to his mates down the pub in south-east London, he's the theatrical one, a media luvvy. Even his wife and kids are posher than him. In this "hilarious" exploration of class, Rob tries to understand the life he lived growing up as a working-class kid in comparison to the life he lives now. Will he ever favour a craft beer over strong lager? When did it become normal for kids to eat sushi? Is he still working class? Why does he feel so embarrassed about success? And, will it ever be acceptable to serve pie mash on a wooden board? Tackling the questions big and small, A Class Act is a "funny, candid, often moving account" of what it feels like to be an outsider and why actually that's the best (slightly awkward) place to be. |
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Off The RailsA new independently-produced comedy feature. Built around the iconic music of Blondie, three women in their 50s recreate an inter-rail journey across Europe to fulfil a friend's dying wish, leading to as many laughs and tears as the first time around. Staring Kelly Preston, Jenny Seagrove, Sally Phillips, Ben Miller, Franco Nero and Judi Dench. |
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David Walliams - Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!The new children's book from No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams - an extraordinarily brilliant and rollicking mystery adventure illustrated by artistic genius, Tony Ross, and the sequel to the much-loved and best-selling Gangsta Granny. Ben is getting used to life without his beloved granny. She was a cabbage enthusiast, a Scrabble partner... and an international jewel thief known as The Black Cat. Now, only the memory of their extraordinary adventure to steal the Crown Jewels lives on. Then something inexplicable happens. World-famous treasures are stolen in the dead of night and the clues point to none other than The Black Cat? But that's impossible...? Expect the unexpected in this "wonderfully entertaining and laugh-out-loud adventure", David Walliams's first ever sequel, which will have readers on the edge of their seats as they join Ben on his quest to unravel the mystery of the return of The Black Cat. |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
Silent Lee in... The Virus! - Video Contest winner
Lee Brace is the latest winner of the BCG Pro Video Contest. Check out his funny dialogue-free sketch here.
Squid Game Deleted Scene
A Michael Spicer sketch. It's the birthday of contestant number 268.
Brett Domino - Spook Me Up
Brett Domino's 2021 Halloween song.
Dubiously Dubbing: Little Britain
Yiannis Vassilakis dubs Little Britain into French, Spanish, Italian and Greek. Matt Lucas loved this, so check it out.
If Squid Game was made in the UK...
Munya Chawawa imagines if Squid Game was made in the UK.
Chabuddy G - Aldona
The official music video for Aldona, by Chabuddy G.
The Leaf Blowerers
A short film about 'territory, competition, combat and acceptance' starring Nick Helm and Paul F Taylor.
Spotlight
Billy Liar
Based on Keith Waterhouse's acclaimed novel of the same name about a teenage fantasist, and co-written by Waterhouse with his regular TV scriptwriting partner Willis Hall, LWT sitcom Billy Liar marks its 48th anniversary this week. Launching a full decade after an acclaimed film adaptation from the same pair (starring Tom Courtenay, Wilfred Pickles and Julie Christie), the series features future Drop The Dead Donkey favourite Jeff Rawle in the title role. The stories follow as the teen concocts an endless number of schemes to escape his humdrum Yorkshire life, job, parents and soppy girlfriend - with inevitable failure. Both series are available on DVD, and the film has previously been restored and released on Blu-ray too.
Thanks for reading
Adam Shuman has won the latest BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition on the topic of "camping":
I will be turned away from the campsite, because I was using the wrong tents.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
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