Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 10th July 2023 |
Latest comedy news
Alexandra Haddow wins West End Comedy Club bursary
Alexandra Haddow was announced as the winner of the West End Comedy Club's bursary aimed at supporting working class comedians attending this year's Edinburgh Festival. Louise Atkinson, Jodie Mitchell, William Stone and Lachlan Werner also received cash bursaries.
Edinburgh Comedy Awards secures multiple sponsorship deal
The Edinburgh Comedy Awards will return to the Fringe this year after securing emergency sponsorship from no fewer than three separate external partners.
Thanyia Moore shares reason for truncated Fringe run & reveals TV pilot
Thanyia Moore has revealed the reason for her truncated Edinburgh Fringe run last year, explaining in interviews how she has turned a trauma into her latest live show, August. The stand-up has also revealed that she is adapting her live show Bully into a television pilot.
Extraordinary wins at Broadcast Digital Awards
Disney+ comedy Extraordinary was named Best Comedy Programme at the Broadcast Digital Awards 2023. Don't Hate The Playaz, Big Zuu's Big Eats and Kiell Smith-Bynoe's Red Flag also took home trophies.
Sex Education to end with Series 4
The trailer for the forthcoming fourth series of Sex Education confirms the hit comedy will end after this series.
Radio 4 announces six topical comedy specials
Radio 4 has announced six topical comedy specials to air in its Friday night slot this summer.
Open All Hours stage play to open
A new stage adaptation of BBC sitcom Open All Hours is to be performed in September.
Amy Webber named Dabbers Next Top Bingo Caller 2023
Comedian Amy Webber has won the Dabbers Social Bingo competition, to be their Next Top Bingo Caller.
Julian Clary to head out on Wild West themed 2024 tour
Julian Clary will tour his new Wild West themed stand-up show A Fistful of Clary between April and June 2024.
Jill Scott named new A League Of Their Own captain
Footballer Jill Scott will be the new team captain on sports-based panel show A League Of Their Own.
FYI
Natalie Haynes Stands Up For The Classics renewed to Series 10; Mrs Brown's Boys star Brendan O'Carroll has new TV show ideas; Stewart Lee to re-write Macbeth for Royal Shakespeare Company; and CBBC developing animated comedies.
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Features
Comedy Rewind: Welcome to 1959, campers - Hi-De-Hi!
Running for eight series, two stage shows, and making household names of its stars, we look at the enduring popularity of hit 1980s' comedy Hi-De-Hi!.
Cool as ice - a chat with The Iceman
As his book Melt It! is published and he launches an exhibition of his artwork, we chat to Anthony Irvine, better known as The Iceman, who was something of a legend on the alternative comedy circuit.
First Gig, Worst Gig: Chris Grace
He's taking on the Fringe as Scarlett Johansson - but will it be Chris Grace's Endgame?
British Comedy Quiz #261
This quiz features topics including Harry Hill's TV Burp, My Hero, The Kumars At No. 42, The Infinite Monkey Cage and more.
Random 8: Luke Rollason
Danger plugs, Blu Tack fails and a priest flirtation: Luke Rollason takes the eight question challenge.
TV listings
Guessable?
The regulars welcome Glenn Moore, Amy Gledhill, Ria Lina and Scarlett Moffatt to play another round of absurd guessing games.
Wonders Of The World I Can't See
In the final episode of the series, Liza Tarbuck joins Chris in Canada to experience Niagara Falls, with Chris especially excited to experience a wonder that actually makes a noise.
Gyles Brandreth Remembers... Hinge & Bracket
Following the recent death of George Logan, Gyles Brandreth remembers the comedy and musical duo Hinge & Bracket. An episode of their sitcom Dear Ladies follows at 7:45pm.
Murder On The Blackpool Express
First shown on Gold in 2017, this star-packed comedy whodunnit comes to the BBC on Wednesday. Its sequels follow in subsequent weeks, and you'll be able to find them on iPlayer from Wednesday too.
A League Of Their Own
To mark the World Cup in Australia, this one-off special sees Jill Scott guide Maisie Adam and Katherine Ryan through what it takes to be a world-beating footballer.
CelebAbility
Snoochie Shy leads a group of three friends looking to win prizes by defeating Katherine Ryan, Indiya Polack, Luke Kempner and Rickie Haywood-Williams.
Not Going Out
A bit of a different episode... Lee wakes up inside a coffin and can't remember how he got there. A series of video calls are required to discover his exact location and work out how to escape.
Then You Run
Episode 2 of the new comic thriller. Ruth looks after Tara as she struggles to sleep off the drugs, while Stink happens across the rest of Orin's stash.
Queen Of Oz
At an official dinner, Georgie fails miserably in her attempt to drum up business for Australia, leading to scathing criticism from both the media and the public.
The Last Leg
Rosie Jones, Babatunde Aléshé and actor Brian Cox are set to join the show for a look at the week's news stories.
The Stand Up Sketch Show
Finlay Christie, Suzi Ruffell, Ray Bradshaw, Axel Blake, Glenn Moore, Jessie Cave and Huge Davies have their stand-up routines recreated with actors.
For a complete list of TV and radio broadcasts, including repeats, see our full schedule.
Shop
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Lil' Muffin Drops The MicFrom comedy superstar Romesh Ranganathan comes a "hilarious and heartfelt" tale that proves rap battles and baking muffins really can mix. Ever since James's dad left, he can't seem to stop worrying about everything. Luckily his favourite hobby baking is a fun (and delicious!) distraction. But no matter how many amazing cheese scones James makes, he still feels like there's a missing ingredient in his life. When James hears someone rapping in the playground one breaktime, he's completely hooked and starts writing his own raps featuring all of his favourite things - maths, his giant pet rabbit Graham and of course - cake! Then he discovers that grime artist Brukka is on the hunt for new talent and James wonders if this is his chance to share his muffins, his music, and maybe even his feelings with the whole school. If he can just find the confidence... |
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Staged - Series 3Things have returned to normal for David and Michael. They have moved on from lockdown and returned to their everyday working life, while Simon's career remains stagnant. His phone does ring, but only to ask if he can get David and Michael back together; and they've made it clear they want nothing more to do with him. But Christmas is approaching, and Simon hopes the warmth of the season might soften them to the idea of a radio version of a Dickens classic... but that's as far as Simon's plan has got! |
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The Funny Thing About DeathSix years ago, Jo Caulfield was about to go on stage when she found out that her big sister Annie had cancer. Not the best way to start a nationwide comedy tour. But the tour turns out to be a welcome distraction for both sisters. As Jo reports back from various hotels and service stations, they revisit their childhood and adolescence while navigating Annie's illness, learning through trial and error how to behave when someone you love gets sick. The Funny Thing About Death is "a hilarious memoir of two unconventional girls growing up in the 1970s". They didn't fit in at the Air Force bases they were raised on or the strict convent boarding school they were sent to. The Air Force was obsessed with communists and the nuns were obsessed with the Virgin Mary, neither of which were of interest to Jo or Annie. Annie was witty, spiky and greedy for life, rushing to be 'interesting' and experience adventures. She travelled the world and became a screenwriter and broadcaster. Jo was equally rebellious but didn't have a plan. She just wanted to be interesting like her big sister and thought it might involve eyeliner, smoking and being in a band. Like her stand-up, Jo Caulfield's "caustic wit and razor-sharp observations" make her account of life with her sister, even in the worst of times, "as entertaining as it is touching and relatable". |
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One Foot In The Grave - The Radio EpisodesAll four radio episodes adapted by David Renwick from his TV scripts, as originally aired in 1995, come to vinyl in this collectable, limited edition release. Having been made redundant from his job by an electronic box, crabby Victor Meldrew is faced with the prospect of finding his feet in an increasingly frustrating world. In these four episodes - Alive And Buried, Timeless Time, In Luton Airport No-one Can Hear You Scream and The Beast In The Cage - things hilariously go from bad to worse for Victor and his long-suffering wife, Margaret. Starring Richard Wilson, Annette Crosbie, Doreen Mantle, Owen Brenman and a full supporting cast, the two burgundy 140g vinyl LPs are presented in full-colour inner bags depicting the everyday trappings of Victor's life, housed in an illustrated wide-spine outer sleeve - complete with coffee-spilled rear. |
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The Truth About WomenThe Truth About Women (1957) is what director Muriel Box called her most personal film, revealing the complex lives of women and the assertion that women can and should be 'an equal partner in the business of life'. To a husband unable to understand his wife, an old gentleman recounts romantic passages in his life: his first love, a "fast" girl, an adventure in the East, a romance in Paris, a title-seeking American, an artist and a nurse. Finally, how he married his wife. A "witty and touching comedy" with a great cast including Laurence Harvey, Julie Harris, Eva Gabor, Mai Zetterling and Diane Cilento, the film features striking cinematography from Otto Heller and sumptuous costume design by Cecil Beaton. Newly remastered and restored for this Blu-ray world premiere, it comes complete with a range of extra features. |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
Honest trains advert
Experience the UK's railway network and get around the country in affordable style.
Pack Yer Bags - Skipton Alfie
A music video for Yorkshire Tea.
East Mode With Nigel Ng - 50 Shades of Wong
The start of a new series of the Comedy Central sketch show. One woman's visit to Mr Christian Wong's office turns into an appointment to remember.
Every quirky forensic pathologist
Alasdair Beckett-King spoofs that character you'll have seen in many a detective show.
Don't Overthink It - Crisps
The first episode of a new web series by Tom Little. He is anxious about sharing food with his girlfriend Kate. There has to be a better way.
Thermal Management
A song by Oli Frost. AI doesn't even want your job. They've got better things to do...
Comedy Central Live - Yuriko Kotani
Yuriko Kotani tells Comedy Central Live why working for your mum is the worst, and how she plans to defeat racism (by using her magic ring).
Spotlight
Terry-Thomas
A true screen legend, Terry-Thomas is a comic whose work is often mentioned, but rarely looked at in depth. Lesser known still for his contributions as a writer, his - almost entirely missing - early television comedies were hugely influential in setting out styles and forms we still enjoy today, particularly in sketch shows. Luckily most of his notable British film work has been released on DVD or Blu-ray so can be enjoyed again: if you've not seen it before, we highly recommend checking out the Franco-British production Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At! (AKA La Grande Vadrouille), which stars two of France's greatest cinema comics. Little known this side of the Channel, it's sheer joy. Click through to find that and many more titles - plus some wonderful feature articles about T-T and his career.
Thanks for reading
Dan Payne has won the latest BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition on the topic of "Elon Musk":
It's not fair that Elon Musk has SpaceX. I can't even get any on Earth.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
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