Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 19th February 2024 |
Latest comedy news
Punt & Dennis to tour live show We Are Not A Robot
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are set to embark on a nationwide tour after a decade-long hiatus. We Are Not A Robot will run between April and June 2024.
Terry Gilliam and Robert Lindsay get Slapstick Festival awards
Monty Python star Terry Gilliam picked up the Aardman Slapstick Award for Visual Comedy whilst Robert Lindsay took home the Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award.
Extraordinary's Luke Rollason stars in two upcoming films
Extraordinary's Luke Rollason stars in two films being released later this year, the BBC comedy short Quiet Life, which he co-wrote, and the largely improvised feature Two Big Feet, in which he plays a hobbyist monster hunter who thinks he's seen a sasquatch.
Andrew Fox wins Komedia New Comedy Award 2024
Stand-up comedian Andrew Fox has won the Komedia New Comedy Award competition for 2024.
Ruth Jones pours cold water on Gavin & Stacey reunion reports
Gavin & Stacey co-creator Ruth Jones has played down the possibility of the hit sitcom returning for a Christmas special, saying it was "sadly a rumour".
Radio 4 orders Chloe Petts' Toilet Humour
Chloe Petts has landed her debut Radio 4 series - about the history of the loo. Chloe Petts' Toilet Humour will investigate all aspects of humans relieving themselves, from the days of Ancient Rome right up to today's culture wars.
Lucy Porter to tour No Regrets across 2024 and 2025
Stand-up show Lucy Porter: No Regrets will tour between September 2024 and April 2025.
Kev Mud wins UK Pun Championship 2024
Stand-up comedian Kev Mud has been crowned the winner of the UK Pun Championship 2024.
FYI
Joz Norris releases Mr Fruit Salad special; Outnumbered siblings reunite for Comic Relief; Mark Nelson to film BBC stand-up special; Siobhán McSweeney makes her directorial debut with BBC comedy Spud; Unmade sketch show script from Only Fools writer to be auctioned; John Cleese challenges Eric Idle on Monty Python's finances; and Matt Lucas almost literally died laughing making Vic & Bob's Catterick.
Advert
London Comedy Allstars is back! Every month Underbelly Boulevard will be bringing you a huge lineup of the best comedy talent around. Join London's hottest comedians for a night of the biggest laughs in the heart of Soho. Next show 7 March, 7.15pm. Tickets are selling fast, get yours before it's too late! Info & tickets
Features
Comedy Rewind: Hello, my darlings! - Revisiting The Worker
Charlie Drake was once one of British comedy's biggest stars. We revisit his put-upon everyman character and popular ITV sitcom The Worker.
Darren Maskell: A life of bedazzlement
Adam Larter pays tribute to the unique talents of comedian Darren Maskell, who died recently aged 37.
Olga Koch / Gareth Mutch / Marc Jennings - Bobby Carroll's Live Comedy Diary
This month Bobby watches three tour shows in their final iterations and ponders whether structure should ever trump jokes?
British Comedy Quiz #293
A quiz themed all around fish in British comedy. The questions are more varied than you might expect. Can you reel in 10 points?
Random 8: Dina Martina
Which fast-food icon did US diva Dina Martina dream of dating? All will be revealed.
Frank Skinner, Daniel Kitson, Jessica Fostekew - Mark Muldoon's Comedy Diary
Our live comedy columnist sees Frank Skinner's West End run, Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Jessica Fostekew, and legendary uber-comedian Daniel Kitson, twice. Plus he deploys the word 'exquisite'.
Advert
Fancy a night out filled with lots of laughs, mind bending silliness, magic, mind reading and even more? Get £35 preview tickets for Mind Mangler: Member of The Tragic Circle in the West End from 14 March: Info & tickets
TV listings
Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance
On the search to help her family be more ecologically sustainable, Katherine meets activist mum Sophie who takes Katherine and Violet along to a protest against fossil fuels.
Perfect Pub Walks With Bill Bailey
A new series that is pretty much explained by the title. In the opening episode, Bill takes Alan Davies to the Peak District National Park. As they walk, they chat about the perils of ageing, the stresses of modern life and the loss of their friend Sean Lock.
Boarders
New comedy drama about five talented black teenagers who receive scholarships to a prestigious boarding school only to discover they're only there to improve the school's image after a problematic scandal.
QI
Sandi and Alan are joined by Lara Ricote, Ahir Shah and Rhod Gilbert to look at some animals beginning with the letter U.
Joe Lycett Vs Sewage
A special in which Joe Lycett investigates the mind-boggling quantities of untreated sewage that are discharged into our rivers and seas every day.
Rob And Romesh Vs
The second and concluding episode of Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan's Formula 1 adventures.
Billy Connolly Does...
From bedroom politics to the race to conquer space, Billy Connolly has more wise words on the topic of revolutions.
Horrible Histories
From the Trojan horse, to Jason and his Argonauts going to find the goldenfleece, and Zeus going on historical first dates as an ant, the award-winning sketch show presents mythical mayhem, Greek style!
Here We Go
In the fourth episode of this new series, Rachel attempts to throw Robin and Cherry the best hag do on earth.
Would I Lie To You?
Sam Campbell, Will Mellor, Kimberley Walsh and Charlene White join the show to try and work out what is true.
Fantasy Football League
Jill Scott is one of the celebrity managers joining hosts Elis James and Matt Lucas to talk about the week in football.
The Last Leg
Adam, Josh and Alex are joined this week by Jonathan Ross, Lucy Beaumont and Shaun Ryder.
The Graham Norton Show
Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet and Dua Lipa will be amongst the guests appearing this Friday.
The Jonathan Ross Show
Lots of comedians on this week's chat show: Noel Fielding, Katherine Ryan and Eddie Kadi. Plus Ray Winstone and music from the Vaccines.
For a complete list of TV and radio broadcasts, including repeats, see our full schedule.
Advert
Be a babe and buy a ticket for Live At The Apollo star Helen Bauer's final UK tour date at Hackney EartH on Saturday 2nd March - it's a double bill with Olga Koch! Grand Supreme Darling Princess is a love letter to all the basics who proudly identify as such. Buy a ticket for your mental health, bring your new BFF and your ex BFF for the ultimate girls night out. Info & tickets
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Changing EndsFrom award-winning writers Alan Carr and Simon Carlyle, Changing Ends is a comedy based on Alan's childhood growing up as the son of a fourth division football manager in Northampton during the 1980s. This is more than just a trip down memory lane. It's a love letter to a time and a town where things weren't always so inclusive. Told with warmth and wit, it follows Alan's journey through puberty, adolescence and finally self-discovery. Against the backdrop of Thatcher's Britain, Alan experiences sexual awakenings, battles with bullies and navigates the highs and lows of fourth division football. This is a show about school and family, and figuring out who you are when your family are Match of the Day football fanatics - and you're a little bit Miss Marple. |
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Lucy Porter - In The Family WayLucy Porter explores family life via songs, sketches and stand-up in this collection of four stand-up shows. Well known for her cheery, feelgood comedy, Lucy has toured both nationally and internationally with her one-woman shows, and her many TV and radio appearances include Live At The Apollo, QI, The Now Show and The News Quiz. In this quadrilogy of stand-up specials, she examines domestic life from the dramatic to the dreary, aided by comedian and impressionist Luke Kempner. Includes Lucy Porter In The Family Way, Lucy Porter In The Family Way... Again, Lucy Porter: Back In The Family Way, and Lucy Porter's Lucky Dip. |
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Two Doors Down - Series 7Fizzing with comic vitality and acid-tongued put downs, this seventh series of the hit comedy reminds us that you may be able to ditch your friends, but neighbours...well, you're stuck with them. The kettle's always on at Beth and Eric's as the neighbours drop in unannounced, are rude about the hospitality and almost always outstay their welcome. This series sees the return of the flamboyant Cathy, much to husband Colin's relief. Christine can't wait to share her latest ailments and undermine Beth at every opportunity. Be-joggied Alan and ever-positive Michelle go from strength to strength. While Beth's son Ian and super keen fiancé Gordon receive a few surprises! |
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Shameless - The Complete Chatsworth CollectionIn this re-released box set, enjoy every episode from all eleven series of the offbeat and often outrageous Channel 4 comic drama following the lives and loves of the anarchic Gallagher family who live on a rough council estate in Manchester. Mum Gallagher went AWOL years ago, leaving eldest daughter Fiona (Anne-Marie Duff) to look after her five younger siblings while dad Frank (David Threlfall) hit the bottle. The Gallaghers elect to improve their status upon the estate via an allegiance with local gangsters the Maguires, who, if anything, challenge the myth of a conventional family even more successfully than Frank and his kin... |
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The D'Ancey LaGuarde ReaderThe D'Ancey LaGuarde Reader is a glorious homage to the best-selling romance writer - D'Ancey LaGuarde, the creation of Alice Fraser and famously broadcast every week to millions of listeners of the trans-global satirical podcast - The Bugle. D'Ancey LaGuarde is a legend in the world of romance. A natural storyteller with a background in psychology they became a self-publishing phenomenon, dominating the supernatural romance period thriller market with millions of copies sold worldwide. Their most popular titles include The Highlands Laird's Christmas Miracle, We Made It One Night, Three's a Crowd, They Came From Above, The Femme Falcon, A Cowboy Called Home and the classic, Little Red Riding Werewolf. The D'Ancey LaGuarde Reader offers an exclusive glimpse inside their glamorous world - excerpts from their best books, their favourite book jacket designs, writing tips from themselves and other romance writers, fashion tips - including the ever-vexing question: 'what to wear when writing?'. Readers can also expect delectable answers to their most tricky romance questions, annotated lists of their top book recommendations (outside of their own books of course), and a fiendishly difficult D'Ancey LaGuarde quiz. The book will be a constant source of solace and encouragement for the D'Ancey's many fans worldwide and small enough to slip inside a Louis Vuitton clutch bag... |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
Creepy librarian
Pierce has got a new crush in this sketch from Jamaica Street.
Labour election strategy leaked - Broken News
It's the scoop of the year: there's shock as the Labour strategy for the upcoming General Election has been leaked.
Every Epic Quest
Runcorn the Wizard has a quest for you, young one.
Comedy Central Live - Ignacio Lopez
Ignacio Lopez destroys Spanish stereotypes (while claiming the best ones).
Spotlight
Lost Sitcoms
Back in 2016, as part of then-Comedy Commissioner Shane Allen's wonderful Landmark Sitcom Season, the BBC filmed three new versions of classic comedy episodes: two completely wiped (Till Death Us Do Part and Hancock's Half Hour), and one made in colour but now only existing in black and white (Steptoe And Son). Featuring wonderful casts such as Simon Day, Kevin Eldon, Kevin McNally, Jon Culshaw, Katy Wix and Jeff Rawle. With the original scripts by Ray Galton, Alan Simpson and Johnny Speight, they were a comedy treat. Sadly no more followed, but the three were released on DVD.
Thanks for reading
Tony Coe has won the latest BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition, which was on the topic of art:
I once painted a picture of myself posing in a mirror. 'Narcissism' is just one of my poor traits.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
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