Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 31st October 2022 |
Latest comedy news
Dickie Henderson celebrated with centenary book & DVD
Comedian and early TV comedy star Dickie Henderson OBE is to be celebrated with a new book and DVD set to mark his centenary.
Laura Smyth pilots BBC sitcom Launderette
Stand-up Laura Smyth has created, written and stars in new BBC sitcom pilot Launderette, set in her native East London and also starring Kate Robbins, Tori Allen-Martin and Eleanor Nawal.
Wreck to return for Series 2
Comedy horror series Wreck will return to BBC Three for a second series.
Am I Being Unreasonable? gets second series
Am I Being Unreasonable?, the comedy thriller starring Daisy May Cooper, has been renewed for a second series by BBC One.
Bonus-packed The Young Ones coming to Blu-ray
Iconic early "alternative comedy" sitcom The Young Ones has been comprehensively restored for a new Blu-ray release, which is to be packed with new and unseen extra features.
Bloods set to return for Series 3 on Sky
Bloods looks set to return for a third series on Sky Comedy.
The John Bishop Show to return to ITV
ITV has confirmed that The John Bishop Show is to return for an end-of-year special, and a second series in 2023.
Ghosts is returning for another Christmas special
Ghosts is returning for a third Christmas special, focused on a festive trip down memory lane for Pat, the creators of the hit BBC show have revealed.
Dave sci-fi comedy We Are Not Alone being piloted for series
Dave sci-fi comedy feature We Are Not Alone, by Ghosts creators Ben Willbond and Laurence Rickard, is a pilot for a potential series.
Antonia Thomas and Craig Roberts to star in Apple series Still Up
Still Up, a new Apple TV+ comedy series about two insomniacs, will star Antonia Thomas and Craig Roberts.
Da Lei wins UK Chinese Comedy Competition 2022
Da Lei, Yuchen and Gong Mo were the top three in the first UK Chinese Comedy Competition.
'Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled' to return for Series 7
Channel Dave has confirmed that comic chat show Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled is to return for a seventh series.
Spitting Image cancelled by BritBox
Spitting Image has been cancelled by BritBox, impressionist Matt Forde has confirmed.
FYI
You might also be interested in: Mo Gilligan leads voice cast of 10 Lives; James Acaster releases music single 'no, no'; Romesh Ranganathan releases Netflix doc & World Cup Rob And Romesh Vs and Seann Walsh films "breakdown" video.
Features
Comedy Rewind: Welcome to Angelo's
We visit Sharon Horgan's little-known first sitcom creation, café ensemble Angelo's, which made it to screen in 2007 after four years in development hell.
Balls Etc: Bryony Byrne's Fan/Girl gives us a Freaky Cantona Callback
Why did Fan/Girl - back for three London shows - give Balls Etc a unique freak-out at the Edinburgh Fringe? Bryony Byrne takes us back to the 90s.
First Gig, Worst Gig: The Delightful Sausage
It's the first ever First Gig Worst Gig 2 - the burpy comeback - and who better to take the plunge than the on-tour Delightful Sausage?
British Comedy Quiz #226
This one features: Al Murray's real name, Romesh Ranganathan's label, The World's End, School Of Hard Sums and two struggling actors.
TV listings
Question Team
Making up Richard Ayoade's self-quizzing collective for the final episode in the series is Dane Baptiste, Angela Barnes and Lou Sanders.
Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable
Meera Syal gets revenge with a dirty nappy, Seann Walsh tells how he evaded the police and Maisie Adam spills the beans on an illicit encounter.
Frankie Boyle's New World Order
Sophie Duker, Jamali Maddix, Rosie Jones and Ahir Shah are set to join Frankie Boyle for this week's news reaction.
The Emily Atack Show
Emily gets a terrifying glimpse into her future, meets a strange blast from the past and more. Plus, impressions of Adele, Billie Eilish, Gemma Collins and Holly Willoughby.
BBC New Comedy Awards
Josh Pugh hosts the sixth heat from The Box at FarGo Village, Coventry. Joining Fern Brady on the judging panel are Brummie comic Kai Samra and Black Country comedian Darren Harriott.
It's What She Would Have Wanted
A short comedy film written by and starring Holly Hall, the winner of the BBC New Comedy Digital Award 2021. It co-stars Kate Robbins and Fiona Allen, and asks "If someone close to you dies... is it always a bad thing?".
Never Mind The Buzzcocks
It's a World Cup football special as Greg, Daisy, Noel and Jamali are joined by Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham, Three Lions songwriter Ian Broudie and All Saints star Mel Blatt.
Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains
Rhod is joined by Shirley Ballas, Toussaint Douglass and Geoff Norcott as they travel back in time to discover who geeks out over Star Wars and who was obsessed with New Labour.
Don't Hate The Playaz
Jordan Stephens is joined by guests Munya Chawawa, Aston Merrygold, Kemah Bob and Bellah along with team captains Maya Jama and Lady Leshurr.
Live From Barry Island
Kiri Pritchard-McLean showcases the comedy of Sikisa, Annie McGrath, sketch group Tarot and Mike Bubbins.
Taskmaster
At the halfway point of the series, Dara O Briain finds himself baffled by a quantity of milk, John Kearns does some elaborate skipping, Munya Chawawa does some elaborate jumping, and Fern Brady walks too slowly.
Jamie & Harry's World Cup Challenge: Got, Got Need
A new three-part series in which Jack Whitehall challenges Jamie Redknapp and dad Harry to build a dream football team by going out and meeting players.
Fantasy Football League
Jennifer Saunders and Roman Kemp are set to talk about football this time.
The Russell Howard Hour
Environmental activist Greta Thunberg joins Russell Howard in the studio this week.
Have I Got News For You
Gary Neville hosts, with Maisie Adam and Richard Madeley set to be the guests joining Paul Merton and Ian Hislop.
The Tuckers
A double party in the Tuckers' houses leads to major revelations. Glyn starts a dog walking service and Peggy takes on more than she can handle.
I Literally Just Told You
Another episode of the comic quiz show presented by Jimmy Carr.
Mock The Week
The second of the two special episodes looking back at the 17-year history of the show as it comes to an end, featuring some of its funniest moments from recent years.
The Graham Norton Show
Richard Ayoade is on the show to talk about his new childrens' book (see below). Plus: Paul Mescal, Michaela Coel, Winston Duke, Emma Corrin and music from Loyle Carner.
Blankety Blank
Bradley Walsh is joined by Motsi Mabuse, Saffron Barker, Sophie Duker, Jimmy Carr, Matt Baker and Bez.
The Jonathan Ross Show
Harry and Jamie Redknapp appear to talk about their new Sky show (see above), plus music stars Rita Ora, Luke Evans and Paolo Nutini.
Wendy Craig: All The Laughs & More
A documentary about the star of TV series such as Butterflies. Wendy is joined by her family, friends and co-stars to look back at her roles.
The Ranganation
Oti Mabuse will be one of the guests set to join the comedy star this weekend, as he looks back on the week with the help of his mum and his Zoom-based focus group.
For a complete list of TV and radio broadcasts, including repeats, see our full schedule.
Shop
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Steve Pemberton & Reece Shearsmith - Inside No. 9 - The Scripts: Series 4-6Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's darkly comedic creations are an endlessly dazzling masterclass in storytelling. This volume of Inside No. 9 - The Scripts features every episode from Series 4, 5 and 6 of the award-winning BBC2 anthology, including the live Halloween special and an original foreword for each series from the show's creators. |
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Hamish Macbeth - The Complete CollectionEighteen episodes of the popular BBC comedy drama series starring Robert Carlyle as the eponymous hero, a police constable who is posted to the small Scottish town of Lochdubh. Along with his canine sidekick Wee Jock he uses his own unique methods to get to the bottom of many an unconventional crime and misdemeanour - but will he be able to solve the ongoing problems in his own love life? |
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Richard Ayoade - The Book That No One Wanted To ReadWhat is it that makes YOU want to read a book? Richard Ayoade's children's debut gives you all the answers in a way that's silly, funny, and thoroughly beguiling. Have you ever thought about how it feels to be a book? To be left under a whiffy pant pile or shelved, forever collecting dust? To have your pages bent backwards or your spine BROKEN? What if you don't have a sparkly unicorn or dragon adorning your cover - who will pick you out of the bookshop then? This is the story of the sadly neglected Book That No One Wanted To Read - can its destiny change when it finally meets the right reader? Spoiler alert: yes. |
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Tommy Cooper At ITVWith his uniquely chaotic blend of fluffed magic and lame jokes, Tommy Cooper was a constant and instantly recognisable presence on television for four decades. Appearing in many series and specials on television, this special set contains all the existing shows he made for the ITV regions. They feature a veritable galaxy of guest stars, including Richard Briers, Arthur Lowe, Warren Mitchell, June Whitfield, Patricia Hayes, Bernard Cribbins, Patrick Cargill, Michael Bentine, Thora Hird, Diana Dors, Eric Sykes, Liz Fraser and Ronnies Barker and Corbett! Includes the complete collections of The Tommy Cooper Hour, Life With Cooper, Cooper King-Size, Tommy Cooper, Cooper, Cooper's Half Hour and Cooper - Just Like That, plus the sole surviving episode of Cooperama and a PDF copy of the script for missing special Cooper King-Size. |
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Ghosts - Series 4The multi-character hugely successful supernatural sitcom returns for another series. The doors of crumbling country mansion Button House creak open once more, and the haphazard house share between its living inhabitants and its restless dead is settling into a strange kind of daily routine. But cash strapped Alison and Mike's plan to transform their unexpected inheritance into a bustling luxury hotel is still a distant dream. |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
Vampire Missionaries
A sketch about two elder vampires trying to tell people about how Dracula could enter their lives and about the different benefits of eternal life. They even have pamphlets...
Trick or Treat?!
A magician can't catch a break in this sketch by Quirks & Foibles.
A Hard Act to Follow
Recently dumped Lucy hires a re-enactor to workshop her failed relationship. This short film was made by a cast and crew of four in 48 hours - from conception to final delivery - as part of the 48 Hour Film Project.
Spotlight
The Tuckers
Having debuted as a pilot on this date in 2018, Steve Speirs's working class sitcom set in the Welsh valleys is currently running for a third series (see above), but is deserving of much wider attention. A joyous romp through family life on the breadline (and indeed the line of the law), the ensemble cast are unwaveringly pitch-perfect in their portrayals of the characters, and the 18 episodes from the series proper are all currently available to watch on iPlayer for free. Have a look through our guide then get stuck in!
Thanks for reading
Alice Gregg submitted this winning joke to the BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition on the topic of today's spooky festival:
I was in France last Halloween. They call it Bonjourween there.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
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