Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 9th December 2024 |
Latest comedy news
Rohan Sharma wins Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian 2024
Rohan Sharma has won the Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year 2024 title. Lianna Holston was runner-up, with Abbie Edwards coming third.
Ludwig wins Best New Comedy in I Talk Telly Awards 2024
Ludwig, Brassic, Alma's Not Normal actor Siobhan Finneran and Mr. Bigstuff stars Danny Dyer & Ryan Sampson were the winners in the publicly-voted I Talk Telly Awards 2024.
Leicester Comedy Festival announces 2025 shortlists
Leicester Comedy Festival has announced the comedians taking part in its Comedian of the Year, UK Pun Championships and Silver Stand Up contests, plus the Circuit Breakers development programme.
Fern Brady writes debut novel
Fern Brady has written High Energy Unpleasant, a novel about a woman suffering with chronic pain who tries out increasingly unorthodox treatments.
Matt Richardson to tour stand-up show Brash in 2025
Stand-up show Matt Richardson: Brash will tour between September and November 2025.
Sweetpea to return for Series 2
Dark comedy thriller Sweetpea is to return to Sky for a second series.
Ross Noble reveals Cranium of Curiosities tour
Ross Noble has announced a 56 date tour for 2025 and 2026 titled Cranium of Curiosities.
Taskmaster wins international Rose d'Or Award
Greg Davies and Alex Horne picked up the 2024 Rose d'Or Award for Comedy Entertainment for Taskmaster.
Ferdia Lennon wins Wodehouse Prize 2024 with Glorious Exploits book
Ferdia Lennon has won the 2024 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction for his book Glorious Exploits.
FYI
Matt Smith in The Death Of Bunny Munro: First-look; Tommy Cooper: The Lost Tapes to share unseen footage on Channel 5; Chump's Comedy launches 4 new regular mixed bill shows; Mike Bubbins releases debut special on the BBC this Christmas; Dr Strangelove play to be screened in cinemas; and Gladiators: Epic Pranks coming to CBBC.
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Our annual BCG Pro Performance awards final is in London this Thursday night. It's always a great show, so come along to the Museum Of Comedy for some big laughs. Tickets
Features
Comedy Rewind: George & Mildred - A classy sitcom all about class
When is a sitcom spin-off more successful than the original? When it is one of the most iconic - and enduringly popular - comedies of its age, George & Mildred.
Michael McIntyre on 25 years in comedy
Ahead of his TV stand-up special, Michael McIntyre talks about how he started in comedy, the Christmas card routine that got him in trouble, and his top tip for aspiring stand-ups.
Mark Muldoon's Comedy Diary
Our live comedy columnist Mark Muldoon witnesses the first ever live show of Richard Osman and Marina Hyde's popular podcast The Rest is Entertainment, watches Flo & Joan's One Man Musical - their spiky retelling of Andrew Lloyd Webber's life story - and wanders off to see bracing Irish comedian Mike Rice.
First Gig, Worst Gig: Amy Mason
Starting 2025 with a debut stand-up tour, Amy Mason takes us back to where it all began.
British Comedy Quiz #335
Officer Crabtree from 'Allo 'Allo! is the subject of one of the questions in this quiz. There's also a church, an alter-ego, some nuns, and more.
Red Dwarf VI retrospective: Cowboys and Emmys
The sixth series of Red Dwarf saw the show at its pinnacle, receiving not just popular acclaim but an Emmy award.
Random 8: Terry Wogan
He's back - having apparently possessed the comedian Ben Alborough - and now Terry Wogan tackles London's Soho Theatre. And our random questions.
Top 10 Christmas cracker jokes 2024
What gifts will Sir Keir get this Christmas? None, he's had enough!
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TV listings
Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains
The first new Christmas comedy special on TV this year. Rhod is joined by Mel B, Jo Brand and Alex Jones.
QI
Rhod Gilbert, Ignacio Lopez and Zoe Lyons join Sandi Toksvig and Alan Davies as QI goes viral.
Bad Sisters
Ian helps the sisters cover their tracks, bringing him closer to Eva but further into Houlihan's spotlight.
Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Joel Corry, Self Esteem and Joe Wilkinson join guest captain Sophie Willan and regulars Noel Fielding and Jamali Maddix.
Danny Bhoy: Mr Priority
A live performance from globally renowned and critically acclaimed Scottish comedian Danny Bhoy, filmed in London in 2023.
Smoggie Queens
The final two episodes of the sitcom. The gang learn that it's Stewart's birthday, but he doesn't want them to make a big fuss out of it in case his grandmother or colleagues find out he's gay.
Only Child
Richard battles medical receptionists - and a stubborn Ken - in order to secure him a doctor's appointment on the same day that he is asked to impart his acting wisdom to the local am-dram group.
Junior Taskmaster
It's the first semi-final, which means we're getting dangerously close to finding out who'll be taking home Junior Taskmaster Rose Matafeo's golden bonce.
Have I Got News For You
Stephen Mangan guest hosts, with the panels set to include Labour MP Dawn Butler.
The Last Leg
Jameela Jamil and Fin Taylor are set to join the topical comedy show this Friday night.
Breaking The News
Felicity Ward, Geoff Norcott, Josie Long and Raymond Mearns offer their own take on the last seven days.
The Graham Norton Show
Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan, appearing in the Doctor Who Christmas special, will be on the sofa. Plus Daniel Craig, Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin.
Michael McIntyre's 25th Year Stand-Up Special
Michael McIntyre celebrates 25 years of stand-up comedy with this special recording of Macnificent, his latest sold-out show.
The Story Of Panto With Gyles Brandreth
The author, broadcaster and all-round entertainer reveals some of the surprising origins of this uniquely British form of musical comedy.
Sorry, I Didn't Know
Shazia Mirza, Lucy Porter, Curtis Walker and Tyler West join team leaders Chizzy Akudolu and Eddie Kadi to answer questions about black history.
For a complete list of TV and radio broadcasts, including repeats, see our full schedule.
Shop
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When The Carry On StoppedWhen The Carry On Stopped looks at how the Carry On film series made its painful transition from one film company, Anglo-Amalgamated, to another, the Rank Organisation, during a fascinating period of change for the British film industry. In examining this little-known but compelling story, the growth of Anglo-Amalgamated is highlighted through the success of its owners, partners Stuart Levy and Nat Cohen. Levy's sudden death in 1966 encouraged Cohen to ditch the Carry Ons in favour of more prestigious feature films. Without a distributor, the series' producer, Peter Rogers, was forced to search for another, eventually finding the series a new home at Rank. However, Rank was unwilling to endorse the work of a rival and so dropped the 'Carry On' title prefix. The Carry On series looked doomed. When The Carry On Stopped also sheds new light on the careers of the Carry On stars at this critical time. |
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The News Quiz 2024 - The Complete Series 113, 114 & 115A complete collection of every 2024 series of the topical BBC panel show The News Quiz. With its brilliant blend of the silly, the serious and the satirical, The News Quiz has been a must-listen for comedy fans since it started 46 years ago. Recorded in front of an audience, these three series see Andy Zaltzman presiding over a motley crew of comedians and journalists as they trawl through the biggest (and smallest) news stories of 2024 to provide comedy, commentary, irony and irreverence. |
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Holy Flying CircusIn 1979, Monty Python's film Life Of Brian caused outrage around the world. Nuns with banners picketed cinemas, councils banned the film without even seeing it and the religious group Festival of Light organised a concerted campaign against the film, trying to get it banned. Against this backdrop Michael Palin and John Cleese found themselves facing prominent society figures Malcolm Muggeridge and the Bishop of Southwark in a television debate in front of a live studio audience to defend their film against charges of blasphemy. But who won? Darren Boyd, Charles Edwards, Steve Punt and Rufus Jones are amongst the stars of this acclaimed BBC Four comedy dramatising a very bizarre sequence of events. |
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On The Buses - The Complete SeriesA best-seller, this complete sitcom box set is a re-release featuring all 74 episodes of On The Buses, the classic 70s sitcom about a group of colleagues and rivals working at an urban bus company. Starring Reg Varney as jack-the-lad bus driver Stan, Stephen Grant as his mate, Jack, and Stephen Lewis as the long-suffering, dim-witted Inspector Blake who does his best to get the buses out in time whilst making their lives as miserable as possible, the 11-disc set also includes a smattering of extras. If you don't know the show, start with our Comedy Rewind article. |
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Suzi Ruffell - SnappySuzi Ruffell likes things snappy: her stand-up, her decisions and her suits. Suzi's brand new show is all about settling down (but not settling), becoming a mother (without becoming mumsy) and still worrying about everything - of course she is - have you seen the news? |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
Troy Hawke takes on the water companies
Troy Hawke is on duty at a water company conference in Brighton to congratulate the executives on a water-tight business model.
You're not sneezing masculinely enough
There is a solution to your sneezing worries.
My optician is down BAD
This appointment with the optician gets quite emotionally involved.
A Fistful Of Free Speech
All ten episodes of this web series in which George Vere plays a controversial reactionary podcast host are now online to watch. As the series unfolds, the layers to the character start to reveal themselves.
Spotlight
Mr H Is Late
One of a run of acclaimed dialogue-free comedy plays written by and starring Eric Sykes for Thames Television, Mr H Is Late is as star-packed as its better-known sibling, The Plank. Cannon & Ball, John Alderton, Freddie Starr and Spike Milligan are just a few of the recognisable faces to keep an eye out for as a group of undertakers attempt to transport a coffin from a tower block to a nearby church. It's available now as part of a wonderful DVD collection with four other such specials.
Thanks for reading
Graham Bretman won the Christmas party BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition:
For last year's office Christmas party our manager decided to lay on a buffet. The vol-au-vents were ruined.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
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