| Your weekly guide to what's been going on in the world of British comedy, and what's coming up... |
| Latest Comedy News |
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Cardinal Burns to return for second series
Recent E4 sketch show Cardinal Burns, starring Seb Cardinal and Dustin Demri-Burns, looks set to move to Channel 4 for a second series. Read
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Sir Ian McKellen stars in mockumentary pilot The Academy
Sir Ian McKellen, Frances Barber and Sylvester McCoy are amongst the cast for The Academy, a mockumentary pilot set around a creative arts venue. Read |
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BBC Two sitcom 'Episodes' given a third series
Episodes - the UK-US co-produced sitcom starring Matt LeBlanc, Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan - has been given a 3rd series. Read |
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Channel 4 orders a second series of I'm Spazticus
Channel 4 has ordered another series of I'm Spazticus, the prank show involving disabled cast members. The network has also confirmed the return of Bad Sugar. Read |
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UKTV Gold and Dave announce comedy shows
UKTV has confirmed details of shows including Dave's One Night Stand, The Comic Strip, Alexander Armstrong's Big Ask, Yes, Prime Minister and School Of Hard Sums. Read |
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| Advert |
Fresh from winning a Fringe Media Network Award at the Edinburgh Festival, 'wobbly' comedian Francesca Martinez is off on tour. What happens when you're branded 'abnormal', in a world obsessed with normality? This show is Francesca's defiant, insightful and fascinating answer. Tour Dates |
| Also of interest... |
Here are some links you might be interested in...
- James Corden got married at the weekend in a star-studded ceremony: The Sun
- Whilst Corden's fellow Gavin & Stacey star Joanna Page has announced she's pregnant: The Daily Mail
- The shortlist for the Writers' Guild Awards 2012: Tony Roche (Holy Flying Circus), Phil Bowker (PhoneShop), and Simon Amstell & Dan Swimer (Grandma's House) are in the TV comedy category: Writers' Guild of Great Britain
- In a move that has got a lot of support from fans, Sarah Millican is boycotting certain venues due to their excessive ticket booking fees: The Stage
- Jennifer Saunders is urging fans not to buy the 'ghastly' new unauthorised biography about her: The Daily Express
- An article in which Charlie Brooker tries to answer questions from university freshers: The Guardian
- Channel 4 bosses reportedly want to sign up Adam Hills to the channel following the success of his Paralympics show: The Sun
- Is Vic & Bob's Lucky Sexy Winners coming back for a full series? This studio ticket booking link suggests the answer is 'yes'. If you're in London there're lots of shows recording at the moment. See our free tickets page.
- And, to finish this section, links to some interesting interviews:
Rob Brydon,
Mick Miller & Jimmy Cricket,
Sean Hughes and
John Bishop
For a dozen or so links like this each day follow us on Twitter and/or Facebook |
| Features |
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| TV Highlights |
Here is a guide to some of the things on TV this week...
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Ronna & Beverly
Monday, Sky Atlantic, 9pm
The guests on the spoof chat show this week are Sue Perkins, Life's Too Short and Harry Potter star Warwick Davis, and Arrested Development and 30 Rock actor Will Arnett. Guide |
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Burnistoun
Monday, BBC Two Scotland, 10pm
It's the final episode in the series of the Scottish sketch show. The legend of King Arthur springs to life when a Burnistoun man pulls the magic sword Excalibur out of the pavement. Guide |
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Hunderby
Monday, Sky Atlantic, 10pm
The dark comedy starring Julia Davis continues. With time ticking on and still no sign of an heir, Edmund announces to his congregation that he and Helene are to leave Hunderby for a new life in Fiji. Guide |
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Citizen Khan
Monday, BBC One, 10:35pm
Mr Khan is determined to be the impresario behind the new call to prayer at the Sparkhill mosque and sets out to hold his own X Factor style auditions. Guide |
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Bad Education
Tuesday, BBC Three, 10pm
Fraser's on professional suspension after an unfortunate incident involving a projector. It's the last in the series, but it'll be back again for another run next year. Guide |
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The Rob Brydon Show
Tuesday, BBC Two, 10pm
In the last show of the series, Rob meets actor Ray Winstone, Professor Brian Cox, and there's music and chat from Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones. Guide |
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Mount Pleasant
Wednesday, Sky Living, 9pm
While Pauline and Charlie put their pasts behind them, Kim makes Lisa an offer she can't refuse. Plus, Barry hopes to find a way to ease Sue's irritations. Guide |
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Meet The Parents
Wednesday, E4, 9pm
The prank show in which a boyfriend meets who he thinks are his girlfriend's family but are in fact actors, continues. Sam has been set up by his girlfriend Amy. How far will he go to impress Amy's fake relatives? Guide |
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The Revolution Will Be Televised
Wednesday, BBC Three, 10pm
In a brave stunt, this week the pranking duo head to Lincolnshire to help rebrand the local police... without their permission. Also, Apple's Nevada team come to launch the new iDodge app. Guide |
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Shameless
Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm
The comedy drama continues. Marty befriends a Brazilian housemaid and determines to rescue her from her life of servitude in the first of two episodes on Wenesday. Switch to E4 if you want to see Episode 4 a week early. Guide |
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Russell Howard: Right Here, Right Now
Thursday, BBC Three, 9pm
A TV broadcast of the 2011 stand-up show from energetic Russell Howard. Guide |
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Mock The Week
Thursday, BBC Two, 10pm
Dara O'Briain, Hugh Dennis, Andy Parsons and Chris Addison analyse the week's news with the help of Greg Davies, Gary Delaney and Jo Caulfield. Guide |
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Celebrity Juice
Thursday, ITV2, 10pm
Keith Lemon presents another episode of the the topical showbiz panel show with Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton. The guests include chart-topping rap artist Example and, once again, Chris Ramsey. Guide |
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The Revolting World Of Stanley Brown
Friday, CBBC Channel, 5:30pm
A new science-based kids' sitcom about a naturally inquisitive 12-year-old. It's a 12-part series for the CBBC Channel. Guide |
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In With The Flynns
Friday, BBC One, 9pm
The Flynns must all make personal sacrifices when they cannot afford to repair their broken boiler - but will Liam be able to give up his cable sports package? Last in the series for the BBC sitcom. Guide |
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Trollied
Friday, Sky1, 9pm
Good intentions backfire when Leighton does his bit to combat global warming... by turning down the freezers. It is one mishap too many and Lorraine decides to fire him. Guide |
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Moone Boy
Friday, Sky1, 9:30pm
This new show from Chris O'Dowd has won over all the newspaper critics. This week, using the battle for the bathroom as an opportunity to catch extra zeds, Martin falls foul of Sinead's pranks. Guide |
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QI
Friday, BBC Two, 10pm
The 'smutty' return of QI wasn't so liked by the press last week. This week's episode is particularly interesting though because, in breaking with the seemingly usual panel show convention, all the guest panellists are female. Guide |
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Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Friday, Channel 4, 10pm
Another packed sofa. Alan Carr is joined by Doctor Who star Matt Smith, stand-up turned sitcom star Jack Whitehall, and the cast of Fresh Meat. Plus Kelly Osbourne, Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock and rapper Example. Guide |
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Fool Britannia
Saturday, ITV1, 6:55pm
Dom Joly continues in his attempt to fool an entire nation. We just wish they'd turn off the needless and patronising voiceover commentary. Guide |
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Comedy World Cup
Saturday, Channel 4, 8:15pm
The new quiz show where the questions are about comedy. Joining David Tennant this week are Alan Carr, Sara Pascoe, Clive Anderson, Micky Flanagan, Kevin Bridges and Stan Boardman. Guide |
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The Thick Of It
Saturday, BBC Two, 9:55pm
Things are hotting up as the show's story arc becomes apparent. Stewart Pearson is running 'Thought Camp' at a remote country house hotel. Then all political hell is let loose when an unexpected and tragic news story breaks. Guide |
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The Jonathan Ross Show
Saturday, ITV1, 10:25pm
Jonathan Ross's guests this weekend will include John Bishop and actors Michael Gambon and Emily Blunt. They'll also be music from indie rockers FUN. Guide |
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Big Fat Quiz of the 90s
Sunday, Channel 4, 9pm
The second of three decade-related specials of the panel show. Jimmy Carr is joined by Phill Jupitus, Jack Whitehall, Alan Davies, Claudia Winkleman and Denise Van Outen to look back at the 1990s. Guide |
Above is just some of the new comedy that can be found on the TV this week. For a complete list of shows, plus radio comedy, see our full schedule. |
| New DVDs |
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...And Mother Makes Five - The Complete Third Series
Wendy Craig (Butterflies) stars in this third series of the hit Thames sitcom, a follow-up to the equally popular ...And Mother Makes Three. Now married and adjusting to life with her own two sons and the daughter of husband David, this series sees Sally struggling to let the children grow up, and attempting to settle into suburban domestic bliss. Pre-Order |
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How Not To Live Your Life - The Complete Collection
One of the more cruel and misguided of BBC Three's recent spate of comedy cancellations, How Not To Live Your Life is a witty and often laugh-out-loud hilarious sitcom following the life and romantic misfirings of troubled twentyormaybeventhirtysomething Don Danbury. The first three series had a few slow moments but it's all worth it for the fantastically hilarious final Christmas special. Pre-Order |
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The Larkins Family Album - All Six Series Complete
This may very well be the earliest British TV sitcom that exists in its entirety. Originally broadcast by ITV for 6 series from 1958 to 1964, the family comedy focusses on the Larkins clan: Alf and Ada Larkins, son Eddie, daughter Joyce, and her American husband Jeff - once a GI, now a writer of comic books. The final two series see Alf and Ada establishing a small café and B&B. Pre-Order |
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Casanova '73
You might've seen this sitcom discussed on Channel 4's new panel game show Comedy World Cup on Saturday night? If so - or even if not - it's a fantastic curio of early 1970s comedy, and comes from no less than the writers of Steptoe And Son and Hancock's Half Hour, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Screen legend Leslie Phillips stars. Go on, you know you want to... Pre-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...
"Watched some of Series 7 yesterday, on Dave, and they weren't as terrible as I remember them being." Nil Putters on Red Dwarf
"Second episode watched; really charming series, go look for it. Great Coogan in this second one." Matthew Stott on Moone Boy
"Have been watching Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads quite alot recently on GOLD. It was never one of my favourite sitcoms but it's really starting to grow on me." Stephen Ryder on The Likely Lads
"The best thing I can say about this show is that it makes Mrs. Brown's Boys (which comes right afterwards) much more tolerable to me." Gordon Bennett on In With The Flynns
"It was great seeing the old team back and the chemistry was top notch. Tony Gardner is a great comic actor, so I hope he'll be featured more and more. Of course, the gravitas and acting chops brought by Malcolm Tucker / Peter Capaldi is always mesmorising and he really is the show in my eyes." Renegade Carpark on The Thick Of It
"Well, I've just watched the first couple of episodes on catch-up and it has a phenomenal hit-rate for a sketch show." swerytd on Burnistoun |
| Guide Spotlight |
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The Valley Express
Starring The Liver Birds' Nerys Hughes, David Baxter (both pictured), obligatory Welshman Richard Davies (Please Sir!) and Goodie Graeme Garden, this Comedy Playhouse pilot was first broadcast in 1969. Baxter and Davies played Stan and Reg, colleagues at a small newspaper nestled somewhere in the Welsh valleys, who, to alleviate their boredom, begin making up wild stories to sell to the national press. When their tall tales start being taken seriously, however, all hell looks set to break loose. Although not commissioned, Garden and Lloyd would reunite and together pen a 1971 Comedy Playhouse pilot, Equal Partners. Sadly both episodes are missing believed wiped - but it raises a question as to why the remainder of the Comedy Playhouse archive isn't yet available on DVD? Guide |
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| Thanks for Reading |
Thanks for reading. Keep an eye on our website for more new stuff every day. Things coming up this week include various interviews with comedians, a feature looking at Margaret Thatcher's influence on British comedy, and an article about how comedy can challenge views and stereotypes.
The British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
P.S. Audible are offering a free trial, in which you can get a totally free audiobook (Alan Partridge, Michael McIntyre or 1000s of others to pick from). You can even keep it if you cancel the trial. Find out more here: visit Audible
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