Weekly Newsletter |
Tuesday 2nd April 2024 |
Latest comedy news
Susie McCabe wins Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award
Stand-up Susie McCabe has been named as the winner of this year's Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award.
Motherland has ended
Diane Morgan has confirmed that BBC sitcom Motherland will not be returning for another series.
Extraordinary, Juice, Rob & Romesh and Black Ops win RTS Awards
Extraordinary, Juice, Rob And Romesh Vs, Black Ops stars Gbemisola Ikumelo and Hammed Animashaun, and Big Boys writer Jack Rooke won at the Royal Television Society Awards 2024.
Laura Smyth, James Acaster and Frank Skinner amongst ARIAS nominees
Forth At The Fringe, Help I Sexted My Boss, IM1: A New Hope, Laura Smyth, James Acaster's podcast Springleaf, Tell Teresa, Frank Skinner's Absolute Radio show, The Skewer and Kathy Burke's Where There's A Will, There's A Wake are the radio shows and podcasts nominated for the The Radio Academy's 2024 Comedy Award.
Sam Campbell pilots Channel 4 guerilla film series 'Make That Movie!'
Sam Campbell is piloting Make That Movie!, a Channel 4 comedy series with the Don't Hug Me I'm Scared team in which he is challenged to make films from scratch, based upon ideas suggested by members of the public.
The Dad's Army Radio Show announce 2024 tour dates
The Dad's Army Radio Show is to tour again, with May and June 2024 dates now announced.
Daniel Foxx to release Bedtime Stories For Privileged Children book
Comedian Daniel Foxx has written Bedtime Stories for Privileged Children, a book based on his TikTok videos satirising the rich.
Jerry Sadowitz plans online version of his 1990s TV show
Controversial comedian Jerry Sadowitz is planning to launch an online version of his 1990s television series The People Vs. Jerry Sadowitz.
Greg Davies returns to stand-up with new show Full Fat Legend
Greg Davies is setting off on a 55-date tour in January 2025. Full Fat Legend will include a date at The Royal Albert Hall.
Stewart Lee announces new live show, The Man-Wulf
Stewart Lee is to tour a new show titled Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf.
Advert
The WeGotTickets Musical Comedy Awards are back for their 16th year, celebrating the creative collision between music and comedy. Previous alumni include top acts such as Rachel Parris, Abandoman, Mae Martin and Jazz Emu. This year's Grand Final takes place at London's Bloomsbury Theatre on April 13th, where 12 of the UK's best emerging acts will compete for the prestigious musical comedy crown. There will also be a headline set from 'Eurodance sensations' Fjord (featuring Giants duo 2017 MCA winner Will Hislop and Barney Fishwick). Limited tickets available here
Features
Three shows missing from the archives
A look back at three lost shows: Morecambe & Wise's Running Wild; Tony Hancock performing H.G. Wells; and Hugh Lloyd and Terry Scott in Jimmy Perry's sitcom The Gnomes Of Dulwich.
Comedy Rewind: Ev'rybody down! - The Navy Lark at 65
Now less celebrated than a number of its contemporaries, we revisit long-running, wildly popular service sitcom The Navy Lark, with a host of big-name stars.
Grubby Little Mitts / Smutty Letters / Mekkin Roff / Richard Brown - Bobby Carroll's Glasgow Festival Diary
Bobby explores some of the alternative spaces performers are making their own in Glasgow: a dilapidated music hall, an intimate cabaret venue and a bar with heart and soul.
First Gig, Worst Gig: Kuan-Wen Huang
He's MCing this year's LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year competition, but why is Kuan-Wen Huang keeping clear of Coggeshall?
Win tickets to see Paul Smith in Liverpool at On The Waterfront
We have five pairs of tickets to give away to On The Waterfront, the Liverpool festival in June that will feature comedians including Paul Smith.
The Jungle Comedy Lock-In launches in London this April
The Jungle Comedy Lock-In, a late-night stand-up format which has a bar on stage, will run at London's Arts Theatre on Fridays and Saturdays this April.
Caroline Rhea / Casey Patmore / George Anderson / Eddie French - Bobby Carroll's Glasgow Festival Diary
"Glasgow you took me by surprise." Rain? Who knew? Bobby watches a blast from the past damp and drenched, enjoys some promising up-and-comers and explores being an outsider with Eddie French.
British Comedy Quiz #299
For no particular reason, here are a bunch of questions themed around the topic of time. How quickly can you answer them (correctly)?
TV listings
William Gaunt And Marcia Warren Remember... No Place Like Home
William Gaunt and Marcia Warren reunite for a look back at No Place Like Home, the BBC sitcom that made them two of the most popular TV stars of the day. The first episode follows at 8:30pm.
QI
Sandi Toksvig is joined by Maisie Adam, Daliso Chaponda, Jack Dee and Alan Davies for a look at some underthings.
Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable
Rafe Spall reveals how he managed to evacuate both his bowels and a swimming pool, Carol Vorderman spills the beans on her bad behaviour at a wedding, and Dan Tiernan confesses to some criminal misdeeds.
Wreck
As the past comes back to haunt him, Jamie goes rogue and makes a terrifying discovery in this third episode. The fourth episode is tomorrow at 10pm.
Mandy
Two more episodes of Diane Morgan's comedy. There's a psychic in the first, and then a very long ladder in the second.
Taskmaster
Greg Davies has to find a way to award points after watching Nick Mohammed sheath a water bottle with a sock, Joanne McNally tie a noose for a soft toy, and Steve Pemberton repeatedly express a hankering for pancakes.
Rob Beckett's Smart TV
Joe Thomas, Gregg Wallace, Alan Davies and Ruth Madeley join captains Josh Widdicombe and Alison Hammond on the panel show.
Big Mood
Maggie throws her first ever dinner party to prove to her new therapist and her agent that she's mentally stable. Then there's a visit to a pagan festival in the following episode.
Have I Got News For You
The sixty-seventh series of the topical comedy format. Mastermind host Clive Myrie takes the lead for this opening episode, with Jon Richardson and journalist Marianna Spring as the guest panellists.
Avoidance
Series 2 of the sitcom starring Romesh Ranganathan and Jessica Knappett. Jonathan's attempt to win back Claire backfires when he discovers her big secret.
The Last Leg
Sara Pascoe, Munya Chawawa and Josh Pugh are all set to appear this Friday.
The Jonathan Ross Show
Michael Palin will be one of the guests on the chat show this weekend. Also stand-up comic Laura Smyth. Plus there's boxing star Anthony Joshua, singer Lulu and music by Jungle.
Paul Black: Under The Influence
A show in which social media star Paul Black hands his influencing powers over to his followers, inviting them to suggest challenges they want to see him undertake.
For a complete list of TV and radio broadcasts, including repeats, see our full schedule.
Shop
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Mrs. Brown's Boys - Series FourAgnes Brown and the rest of the nation's favourite Irish family return for the first series in a decade, with more slapstick hijinks from the loud-mouthed Irish matriarch than ever! Includes all 4 episodes, broadcast in autumn 2023. |
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A Kid For Two Farthings1955 comedy drama feature directed by Carol Reed, starring Celia Johnson and Diana Dors. In a lower-class London community of small shops, open-air vendors and flea-marketers, Joe, a small boy, lives with his mother, Joanna, who works in and rooms above the Kandinsky tailor shop. Hearing from Mr. Kandinsky the tale that a captured unicorn will grant any wish, Joe uses his accumulated pocket change to buy a kid with an emerging horn, believing it to be a unicorn. His subsequent efforts to make dreams come true exemplify the power of hope and will amidst hardship. |
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The Lavender Hill MobA glimmering new 4K restoration of The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), the enduring Ealing Studios comedy classic directed by Charles Crichton with cinematography by the great Douglas Slocombe. Winner of a BAFTA for Best British Film and an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, The Lavender Hill Mob remains today one of the finest British comedies ever made. Holland (Alec Guinness) is a shy, retiring man who works as a bank transfer agent for the delivery of gold bullion. One day he befriends Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway), a maker of souvenirs. Holland remarks that, with Pendlebury's smelting equipment, one could forge the gold into harmless-looking toy Eiffel Towers and smuggle them into France. Soon after, they gain the services of professional criminals Lackery (Sid James) and Shorty (Alfie Bass) and the four plot what they believe will be the perfect crime - which turns out to be anything but! |
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The Good, The Bad And The Unexpected - Highlights From The BBC Radio Comedy Panel ShowMark Nelson and celebrity guests separate the good from the bad, with a few unexpected twists. This lively show sees a panel of celebrities competing to share the best, worst and most hilarious anecdotes from their daily lives. Each guest is vying for the audience's vote as they try to convince Mark that their 'good' story is the most joyful, serendipitous or worthy, and their 'bad' story is the most unfortunate, outrageous or unforgivable. To keep them on their toes, they're also faced with some spontaneous surprise questions, and must rely on their quick wits to come up with snappy answers. Collected here are 39 of the finest episodes from Series 2-14. |
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Beautiful ThingDuring a long hot summer in south London, Jamie is bunking off school more than usual, scurrying back to the TV and the flat in the Thamesmead estate where he lives with his mother Sandra, whilst his neighbour Leah, who's been kicked out of school, spends her days listening to Mama Cass records. In the same block is Jamie's sporty classmate Ste, whose home life is punctuated by the regular beatings he receives from both his father and brother. One night, in a bid to escape the violence, Ste takes refuge in Sandra's flat and sleeps head to toe with Jamie. As Sandra struggles with a job promotion and her relationship with her hippy boyfriend Tony, Jamie and Ste gradually discover their affection for each other. |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
Michael Spicer: Stand-up specials are killing comedy
Michael Spicer argues that the current quality of stand-up specials is so poor that it might kill stand-up comedy as we know it.
Top tips for looking youthful
Nikola McMurtrie shares her advice for staying young... whether you follow it is up to you!
Two celebrities to start podcast - Broken News
There's astonishment as two male celebrities have announced they're to start a podcast. It's a bold and brave move. But will it pay off?
Chicken & Bacon?
This café needs to sort itself out...
Comedy Central Live - Lindsey Santoro
Lindsey Santoro has decided having a kid is not really for her, but gas and air sure is.
Spotlight
No Place Like Home
With a 10-minute retrospective and repeat run starting tonight on BBC Four, it's the perfect opportunity to take a look back at this strangely forgotten sitcom. One of the biggest hits for BBC comedy in the 1980s, it ran for 43 episodes over five series (between 1983 and 87) but has been almost completely forgotten in the decades since. Martin Clunes is perhaps the most notable of its stars for a modern viewer, but there are plenty of other recognisable faces to keep an eye out for. See our Guide for details of every single episode.
Thanks for reading
Tony Coe submitted this joke for the BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition on the topic of weekends:
My wife thought that a dirty weekend away would be good for our marriage. I guess we'll see when I get back.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
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