| Lots to impart this week, so we won't waste time waffling in this intro... |
| Latest Comedy News |
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Radio 4 orders new David Schneider sitcom
Comic David Schneider has written and will star in Births, Deaths And Marriages, a new sitcom for BBC Radio 4. Read
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Russell Brand to star in new Eric Idle production
Russell Brand will star in a short Los Angeles production of a new musical written by Eric Idle and John Du Prez. Read
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Steve Coogan to play adult publisher in new film
Steve Coogan has signed up to play the lead role in new comedy drama film The King Of Soho, about the life of publisher Paul Raymond. Read
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BBC Four to bring Bob Servant character to TV
BBC Four is creating a three-part series called Bob Servant Independent, with veteran actor Brian Cox playing the popular Scottish character. Read
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Musical comedy duo The Rubberbandits get Channel 4 pilot
Irish musical comedy outfit Rubberbandits are to be given a broadcast pilot following the success of their videos in Channel 4's online Comedy Blaps scheme. Read
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UKTV GOLD to invest millions in new comedies
GOLD, the digital comedy repeats channel, has announced that it is to significantly invest in creating new home grown comedy formats. Read
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Tickets go on sale for Channel 4's Comedy Gala 2012
Channel 4 Comedy Gala 2012 will take place on Friday 11th May 2012. The all-star line-up includes Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Sean Lock and Jack Dee. Read
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BBC developing new social media comedy format
The BBC is developing a new live comedy format called @cuff, in which the audience 'make comedy happen' via Twitter and Facebook status updates. Read
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Ripping Yarns charity Hopathon to be held
Network DVD are planning a charity 'Hopathon' event, to mark the re-release of classic comedy Ripping Yarns on DVD. Read
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Disabled comedy ordered by Channel 4
A Comedy Lab pilot, I'm Spazticus, first broadcast in 2005, has been commissioned for a full series. Read
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Other stories you might have missed: Sky has ordered a second series of The Cafe, Ruth Jones comedy drama Stella gets a 2nd series, Comedy Central is bringing back its sitcom Threesome, Alistair McGowan is making a TV Burp style show for ITV called You Cannot Be Serious!, and E4's retail-based sitcom PhoneShop is coming back.
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| Also of interest... |
Here are some links you might be interested in...
- James Corden is not in the Brit Awards good books, after losing a batch of tickets in a taxi: The Daily Record
- Catherine Tate and Take That's Jason Orange have reportedly split: Digital Spy; whilst Russell Brand is dating a Mexican painter: The Sun
- Tim Minchin is amongst the comedy names who won prizes in the Whatsonstage theatre awards: BBC News
- Matt Rees is a name to remember. The up-and-coming comic has just added the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year title to a list of other wins. Winning the Leicester Festival prize is normally a good indication of a strong career, with a lot of A-list names amongst the previous winners. Leicester Mercury
- Can millionaire comics still connect with their fans? The Guardian
- Life's Too Short has premiered in America to a critical mauling: Such Small Portions
- Alan Carr believes Madonna won't appear on his show as he's joked about her 'dog-chew arms': The Sun
- Victoria Wood is writing a drama about British pianist Joyce Hatto: The Guardian
- Hugh Grant demands better Bridget Jones 3 scripts: Digital Spy
- Stephen Fry is to return to stage acting after 17 years: BBC News
- Interviews with Chris Addison, Steve Coogan, Josh Widdicombe, Tim Vine, Watson & Oliver, Micky Flanagan, Hugh Dennis, Nathan Caton, Robin Ince
More of this kind of thing every day via our Twitter account: @UKComedyNews |
| Features |
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Alex Horne interview
Alex Horne chats about his solo career and his foray into radio as the ringmaster of jazz/comedy mix The Horne Section. Read |
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Graham Fellows interview
Graham Fellows, the creator of characters like John Shuttleworth, talks to The British Comedy Guide about his career to date, including his teenage appearance on Top Of The Pops. Read |
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Musical Comedy Awards 2012
An update on The Musical Comedy Awards 2012. It's shaping up to be the strongest year yet for the music-based competition. Read |
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Natalie Casey interview
An interview with Natalie Casey. The Two Pints Of Lager star is now wowing audiences in Legally Blonde The Musical. Read |
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Win Foster's Fast Show props
Check out the new episode of The Fast Show here, and enter the competition to win Johnny Painter's 'Black, Black, Black' canvasses signed by star Charlie Higson. Read |
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| TV Highlights |
Here is a guide to some of the things on TV this week...
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The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff
Monday, BBC Two, 8:30pm
The ridiculous Dickensian adventure from the writer and producer of Radio 4's hit sitcom Bleak Expectations starts a three-part series, following the one-off special at Christmas. Blackadder star Tim McInnerny is great as the evil Harmswell Grimstone. Guide |
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Alexander Armstrong's Big Ask
Monday, Dave, 9pm
Alexander Armstrong hosts another new episode of the panel show in which panellists devise the questions. With guests Ed Byrne, Mark Watson and Russell Kane. Guide
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Watson & Oliver
Monday, BBC Two, 10pm
This brand new sketch show for BBC Two stars comedy duo Lorna Watson and Ingrid Oliver. The reviews have been a mixed bag, but we've largely enjoyed our previews, and the girls have great screen presence. See our guide for preview clips. Guide |
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Shameless
Tuesday, Channel 4, 10pm
Times are hard and Marty and his apprentice Aidan attempt to redirect a power line to the Gallagher house to get free electricity. Guide |
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10 O'Clock Live
Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm
Lauren, Jimmy, David and Charlie return to look over another week's news events... no doubt sparking yet more debate online as to whether this is a worthy show or a dud. Guide |
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Roger & Val Have Just Got In
Wednesday, BBC Two, 10pm
A verdict leads to a meal and an email leads to a confession, as the slow-paced comedy starring Dawn French and Alfred Molina. Guide |
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Kevin Bridges: What's The Story?
Wednesday, BBC One, 10:45pm
This week Kevin Bridges goes back to his school in Clydebank to try and finally finish the spice rack he started in woodwork. Plus he chats to James Corden. Guide
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Pramface
Thursday, BBC Three, 9pm
This new BBC Three comedy series, set in Edinburgh, is about two young teenagers who are having a baby together. The BBC like the show so much they've already given it a second series. Guide |
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White Van Man
Thursday, BBC Three, 9:30pm
The sitcom starring Will Mellor as a handy man returns for a new series. This week he ends up taking on the task of building a new kitchen for a children's home. Guide |
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Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy
Thursday, E4, 10pm
More surreal live action and animation adventures starring Noel Fielding and Co. New York Cop tells the tale of the singing fish finger. Guide |
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Celebrity Juice
Thursday, ITV2, 10pm
This panel show is doing amazingly well in the ratings. Keith Lemon, Holly Willoughby, Fearne Cotton and Rufus Hound are joined by another line-up of guests to talk celebrity gossip. Guide |
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Room 101
Friday, BBC One, 8:30pm
This week Countdown host Nick Hewer, ex-Countdown presenter Carol Vorderman and nothing-to-do-with-Countdown's Rhod Gilbert try to send the things they hate the most into Room 101. Guide |
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Stella
Friday, Sky1, 9pm
The comedy drama continues. The girls head to a spa for Emma's hen weekend, while the boys embark on a camping adventure for Sunil's stag do. Guide |
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Benidorm
Friday, ITV1, 9pm
ITV's popular sitcom returns for a fifth series of fun in the sun. It is the first day of the holidays, and the Solana is in chaos, with Mateo and Les barely able to keep control. Guide |
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The Mad Bad Ad Show
Friday, Channel 4, 10pm
This week the ads are themed around smoking. Micky and Mark are joined by Jason Manford and Matthew Crosby (from sketch group Pappy's). Guide |
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The Graham Norton Show
Friday, BBC One, 10:35pm
Among the guests on Graham's sofa this week: Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg, actress Minnie Driver, and Jo Brand. Guide |
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Harry Hill's TV Burp
Saturday, ITV1, 7:35pm
Harry Hill returns with another episode of the series which pulls apart telly's weirdest moments. Not many more of these left now. Guide |
Above is just some of the new comedy that can be found on the TV this week. For a complete list, including lots of new radio shows that are starting this week, see our TV & radio schedule.
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| New DVDs |
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Cowboys - The Complete Second Series
If your kitchen should need repainting or your bathroom require renovation, you certainly wouldn't want to hire a highly dubious firm of contractors going by the name of Joe Jones Limited. Geyser, Wobbly Ron and Eric work for Joe because no-one else will employ them. Stars the recently deceased David Kelly, aka Fawlty Towers' shoddy builder O'Reilly. Pre-Order |
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Doc Martin - Complete Series Five
TV's grumpiest - and funniest - doctor achieved superb ratings for ITV late last year, and now you can enjoy that most recent series again on DVD. Pre-Order |
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Cannon And Ball - The Complete Fourth Series
The complete fourth series of ITV's hit sketch show starring Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball, with an impressive array of guest stars. If you've got a hankering for some top quality 1980s nostalgia, you can't go wrong with these boys! Pre-Order |
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Mixed Blessings - The Complete First Series
Created and written by Sid Green (The Morecambe & Wise Show), Mixed Blessings stars Christopher Blake and Muriel Odunton as a mixed-race couple struggling to placate their disapproving and constantly bickering families. Pre-Order |
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Johnny English Reborn
Rowan Atkinson returns to the role of the secret agent who doesn't know fear or danger in the comedy spy-thriller Johnny English Reborn.
In his latest adventure, the most unlikely intelligence officer in Her Majesty's Secret Service must stop a group of international assassins... Order |
For more, see our full list of new releases and DVDs coming soon.
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| Comedy Videos |
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| Message Board Posts... |
Here are some quotes from our message board...
"You can't do a panel show without a least one comedian as a guest, and you certainly can't do it with such sub par guests as tonight's episode." Sal Paradise on Room 101
"I'm all for finding positives in the show, but one half decent Brooker rant does not an hour long programme make." Renegade Carpark on 10 O'Clock Live
"Liked them a lot, a few spring to mind... The Eye Test; Hieroglyphics sketch; the Mispronunciation sketch. " walt on Best 'Two Ronnies' sketch
"A couple of sniggers but really not very good. I think I've given this a fair go and probably won't be watching again." happychef on Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy
"Just listened to Thom Tuck Goes Straight to DVD on the Comedy of Week podcast. It was really good!" Claire Hardiker on Current radio comedy
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| Guide Spotlight |
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Hot Metal
Outraged by the newspaper scandals? Got a desire for some proper satire? Perhaps you enjoyed Channel 4's Hacks at New Year, but wanted something with a bit more bite? Well check out Hot Metal, the merciless 1980s satire sitcom from David Renwick (One Foot In The Grave) and Andrew Marshall (2point4 Children). It slices, dices and rips the tabloid press and the Murdoch culture to shreds. And it's just as funny and as relevant now as it was 25 years ago. Guide
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| Thanks for Reading |
Cheers for taking the time to open this and read to the bottom. We hope you found something of interest.
The British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
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