Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 12th May 2025 |
Latest comedy news
Adam Buxton releasing debut music album, Buckle Up
Adam Buxton is releasing his first solo music album, a collaboration with Metronomy's Joe Mount called Buckle Up, which will be released in September by Decca Records and has been described as tonally "in the uncanny valley of funny and sincere".
Jason Cook pens Elaine Paige retirement sitcom
West End legend Elaine Paige is making a sitcom with comedian Jason Cook. Retirement comedy Take A Bow seeks to emulate late-in-life Netflix hits Grace And Frankie and Man On The Inside.
Alma's Not Normal wins at BAFTA TV Awards 2025
Alma's Not Normal, Would I Lie To You?, Joe Lycett, Ruth Jones, Danny Dyer, Chris McCausland and short form pilot Quiet Life were amongst the winners at the BAFTA TV Awards 2025.
Outnumbered and Derry Girls the musicals?
Outnumbered executive producer Jimmy Mulville has revealed that he's been approached to turn the hit BBC sitcom into a musical, and that he doesn't believe Derry Girls is finished, while sharing his side of the cancellation of the Father Ted musical.
Michael Sheen to star in The 12 Days Of Christmas film
Michael Sheen will star with Eva Longoria in The 12 Days Of Christmas, a film based on the novel The 12 Topsy-Turvy Very Messy Days Of Christmas, about a widower who starts receiving strange gifts.
Frank Skinner picks up legend trophy at Golden Lobes Podcast Awards
Frank Skinner, Harry Hill, Amy Gledhill, Harriet Kemsley and This Paranormal Life were amongst the winners at the inaugural Golden Lobes Podcast Awards.
The Museum Of Curiosity closes its doors on Radio 4
The Museum Of Curiosity has been cancelled by Radio 4, with creator John Lloyd revealing that "the BBC in its wisdom decided that it needs to be retired. I think it's sad, it's a mistake, because it's a good show."
Griff Rhys Jones to star in 'Yes, Prime Minister' West End show
Griff Rhys Jones and Clive Francis will star as Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey Appleby in I'm Sorry, Prime Minister, a 2026 West End stage show written by Yes, Prime Minister co-creator Jonathan Lynn.
Will Mellor & Ralf Little return for more Should Know Better episodes
Will & Ralf Should Know Better has been recommissioned by U&Dave for a second series. Across six episodes Will Mellor and Ralf Little will take on challenges such as trying stand-up comedy and staying at a haunted pub.
Glenn Moore to tour 'Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore?' show
After a run at the Edinburgh Festival, stand-up show Glenn Moore: Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore? will tour from September 2025 to February 2026.
Shaun The Sheep 3 in development
Aardman Animations have revealed that new film Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom will be released in 2026.
Scott Bennett sitcom in the works for the BBC
Scott Bennett is developing his own sitcom for the BBC, as well as adapting his stand-up show Blood Sugar Baby for a Radio 4 special and book.
Rosie Jones announces I Can't Tell What She's Saying tour
Rosie Jones will tour new stand-up show I Can't Tell What She's Saying from September.
Becoming Victoria Wood documentary to air on U&Gold
TV channel U&Gold has ordered Becoming Victoria Wood, a feature length documentary celebrating the life of Victoria Wood. The 90-minute programme will explore never-before-seen archive material and previously unheard audio recordings.
Adam Dorr wins West End New Act of the Year 2025
The winner of the West End New Act of the Year 2025 competition was Adam Dorr. Madeleine Brettingham and Jim Hooker were named runners-up.
FYI
Adrian Scarborough offers signed Gavin & Stacey call sheet for raffle; The Horne Section TV Show Series 2 launches Thursday 22nd May; Brassic stars guest in Mr. Bigstuff Series 2; Hold The Front Page axed after two series; and LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year 2025 semi-finalists confirmed.
Advert
BBC New Comedy Awards is back for 2025, and we're looking for the next big thing! Think you're funny enough to be on TV? Enter now!
Features
Comedy Rewind: Buckle up and Smack The Pony
In this week's Comedy Rewind, we revisit Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips's sketch show Smack The Pony.
First Gig, Worst Gig: Karen Dunbar
Currently taking on all of Scotland, Karen Dunbar talks karaoke digs, DJ kicks and dour soccer stars.
Scott Bennett: "The catharsis is more important than me feeling a bit uncomfortable"
Scott Bennett's latest stand-up show, Blood Sugar Baby, tells the story of his infant daughter Olivia falling ill with a rare genetic conditionm. Here, he talks about finding the humour in such dark moments, how Wayne Rooney came into their lives and the sitcom that he's currently working on for the BBC.
British Comedy Quiz #356
Topics this time include Still Game, Birds Of A Feather, Paul Merton and Debbie McGee. Good luck!
Advert
Rosie Jones (Live At The Apollo, The Last Leg) and Sam Campbell (Would I Lie To You?, Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner 2022) headline at Stratford East, London (Zone 2) in COMEDY ROYALTY on Thursday 15th May hosted by Eshaan Akbar (QI, Live At The Apollo) and featuring Sharon Wanjohi (Stand Up Sketch Show, Comedy Central Live). Book now as a handful of comedy's biggest names are on their way to Stratford East for one night only, and it promises to be an incredible evening of comedy.
TV listings
Silence Is Golden
Episode 2 of the format in which the studio audience must not laugh if they want to win cash. Those aiming to bring the money down this time include Joshua Robertson, Jazz Emu and Thanyia Moore.
Joe Lycett's United States Of Birmingham
Joe's voyage to all the Birminghams finishes in Birmingham Alabama, the biggest US Brum of the trip.
Taskmaster
The contestants are released from the Taskmaster grounds to explore an old abbey, but Fatiha El-Ghorri is concerned about the aggressive waterfowl.
Man Like Mobeen
The final two episodes. Istanbul offers many distractions and Mobeen struggles to keep the gang focused on their mission to rescue Aqsa.
Zoners
A sitcom pilot. Brothers, flatmates and polar opposites Samir and Nikhil find themselves on an adventure when they accidentally steal a package from their maniac neighbour.
Have I Got News For You
Stephen Mangan has been confirmed as guest host for this episode, his 16th time on the programme. Chloe Petts will be among the panellists.
For a complete list of TV and radio broadcasts, including repeats, see our full schedule.
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Ivo Graham - Yardsticks For FailureAfter coming last by quite such a distance on Taskmaster Series 15, and seeing his emotional frailties laid bare in a series of memes of him with his head in his hands, Ivo Graham is adapting to an increasingly irreversible reputation as a man better known for his chaos than his comedy. Yardsticks For Failure is an exquisite map of the brain behind the breakdowns; a deep dive into the various facepalms of Ivo's recent past, and a live diary of his unravelling present, where his solution to the general bedlam of his life has been to pile his plate higher than ever before. Longer-term resolutions of rest and relaxation can wait; in the meantime he's trying to host the greatest club night of all time, run a Sub-3 marathon while pushing a wheelchair, and put his heart on the line in a show unlike anything he's ever done before. Can these dreams become a reality, or will they just become more yardsticks for failure? This is a unique self-examination from "one of the most eloquent writers and worriers of his generation". Ivo almost certainly won't achieve everything he sets out to, but it's going to be a hell of a ride. |
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Bridget Jones: Mad About The BoyTwo-time Academy Award winner Renée Zellweger returns to the role that established a romantic comedy heroine for the ages, a woman whose inimitable approach to life and love redefined an entire film genre. This fourth film in the hit series finds Bridget widowed with two young children and navigating a relationship for the first time since Mark Darcy's death. A complete collection of all four films is also available on both Blu-ray and DVD. |
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Suzi Ruffell - Am I Having Fun Now?: Anxiety, Applause And Life's Big Questions, AnsweredDoes peaking in high school ruin you for life? Was Miley Cyrus right, is it all about the climb (when it comes to building a career)? And what - scientifically - is the best way to mend a broken heart? Comedian Suzi Ruffell is considering life's big questions. In this "brutally honest, funny, and often moving" memoir, Suzi winningly tells her life story, and asks a host of experts to answer the tricky questions it prompts along the way. Diamond life advice comes from the likes of Elizabeth Day, Dolly Alderton, Charlene Douglas, Laura Bates, Dr Kirren Schnack, and more. From masking anxiety with musical theatre and struggling to find her groove at school, on stage, and in her love life, to (eventually) coming out, falling in love, and becoming a parent, Suzi lays her life bare with trademark wit, verve and style. |
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Bhaji On The BeachGurinder Chadha's debut feature Bhaji On The Beach is an empowering and cultured comedy about the bond between women regardless of age and background. A group of women, led by Simi (Shaheen Khan), leave their lives in Birmingham for a day out in Blackpool. Initially, the women seem not to have much in common due to their age gaps and different beliefs but by the end of the day, they learn of the bond they share and the significance of each other's company. Director Chadha and screenwriter Meera Syal infuse a precise and slightly critical eye as well as a welcome warmth into this charming and funny story. |
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Johnny Ball - My Previous Life In Comedy: Part One Of My AutobiographyBall explains: "From an idyllic childhood in Bristol, with my gag-a-minute dad inspiring me to become a comedian, to dreadful teenage years in Bolton where education overlooked me, and all I learnt was how to be funny. My first job gave me a taste of success and confidence, followed by my real education in the RAF. Butlins gifted me an enduring smile, and in Liverpool, I worked with the less fortunate while crossing paths with future stars. Then came seventeen wonderful years of stand-up comedy, which took me across the UK and abroad, entertaining the British Forces, before a TV career began in failure, only to rise from the ashes with Di, the love of my life, and a new career in Maths and Science. Packed with wildly funny tales, this book isn't half a good story - or is it? Well, yes it is, as the sequel will follow shortly!" |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
Horrible Science - Behind-the-scenes
A 13 minute video going behind-the-scenes on the filming of Series 1 of Horrible Science.
Green Wing cast on the Channel 4 comedy's 21st anniversary
The cast of Green Wing, including Tamsin Greig, Stephen Mangan and Michelle Gomez, visit BFI Southbank to talk about the sitcom's legacy.
Is AI a good thing?
A debate about whether artificial intelligence is good for the human race. A sketch from The Exploding Heads.
Comedy Central Live - George Lewis
A stand-up story involving the relaxing atmosphere of chicken grease aroma and panpipe Spice Girls remixes.
Spotlight
The Last Of The Baskets
Arthur Lowe starred in two series of this Granada sitcom from 1971, at the height of Dad's Army's popularity over on the BBC. Also starring Ken Jones and Patricia Hayes, it concerns the inheritance of a once-grand aristocratic estate and title that goes with it. Lowe leads as the expiring Earl's last servant, who is aghast to discover who his new master is to be. Although as-yet unreleased, a small handful of episodes have surfaced on YouTube in recent months.
Thanks for reading
Barry Dunstall won the monster-themed BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition:
People say a monster flies round London at night but I think that's just an urban moth.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
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