| Here are the week's comedy news, features, TV listings, new DVDs, videos to watch, and more... |
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| Also of interest... |
Here are some links you might be interested in...
- Miranda Hart interviewed in The Telegraph, plus an extract from her new book. You can pre-order the book here.
- Jack Dee opens up in an interview with The Scotsman
- Keith Lemon is to appear on a Christmas special edition of ITV dating show Take Me Out: The Sun
- Robin Ince writes about comedy and offence: Blog Post
- Les Dawson's wife and daughter reveal they're still heartbroken over the 'fat man with a face like a collapsed sponge cake': The Daily Mail
- Podcast interview with Red Dwarf star Chris Barrie: UKTV Dave
- Interview with The Boy With Tape On His Face: Giggle Beats
- The butchers van from Dad's Army has gone on sale: The Telegraph
- Billy Connolly has become a Commonwealth Games ambassador: The Radio Times
- American network ABC are developing a new adaptation of Sharon Horgan's axed BBC Three sitcom Pulling: Deadline
- Omid Djalili, who has starred in car insurance adverts, has been banned from driving... for having no insurance: The Daily Mail
More of this kind of thing every day via @UKComedyNews and Facebook
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| 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
Episode three of this anarchic talk show. Ronna & Beverly welcome funnyman David Walliams, The Good Wife actor Alan Cumming and The Flight of the Conchords star Rhys Darby onto their madcap chat show. Guide |
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Hunderby
Monday, Sky Atlantic, 10pm
Julia Davis' comedy gets darker still. As Helene continues her affair with the doctor, her past looks set to be unravelled by hunchback John Whiffin. Guide |
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Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Monday, BBC Two, 10pm
The comic music quiz returns for a 26th series. In the first show, team captains Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding are joined by guests including Olympian Greg Rutherford and N-Dubz's Fazer. Kathy Burke is the guest host. Guide |
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Citizen Khan
Monday, BBC One, 10:35pm
Mr Khan's new plasma TV provides the perfect opportunity to have his friends round to enjoy a cricket match. But Mrs Khan needs the house to be a place of complete calm as she plans to host a prayer meeting. Guide |
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Gary: Tank Commander
Monday, BBC One Scotland, 10:35pm
This Scottish sitcom returns for a third series. With the help of Jacko, Charlie and new recruit Mickey, Gary finally faces up to an uncomfortable home truth and makes a confession to his Dad and Julie - he is addicted to chips. Guide |
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Cuckoo
Tuesday, BBC Three, 10pm
BBC Three's latest new sitcom. Cuckoo stars Greg Davies (The Inbetweeners) as the over-protective father of a girl who's impulsively married an American hippie - Adam Sandberg - on her gap year. Guide |
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Shameless
Tuesday, E4, 11pm
New episodes of this comedy drama can now be found on E4, just after the Channel 4 broadcast of last week's. Consumed with guilt after the hit and run, Shane tries to makes amends by befriending the widow. Guide |
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Mount Pleasant
Wednesday, Sky Living, 9pm
The light comedy drama continues. As Lisa and Dan ride high on the excitement of their holiday, could there be more to the trip than meets the eye? Elsewhere, Denise drops a bombshell. Guide |
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Meet The Parents
Wednesday, E4, 9pm
The prank show continues. Emma has been set up by her boyfriend Wez. Will Emma endure the madness of his fake family for a full three hours in order to win an amazing holiday? Guide |
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The Revolution Will Be Televised
Wednesday, BBC Three, 10pm
The last episode of the political prank show. Dale Maily is at London's Gay Pride looking for some answers, while James and Barnaby are explaining the changes being made to the NHS. Guide |
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Russell Howard's Good News
Thursday, BBC Three, 9pm
Series 7 of the hit topical comedy show. Russell Howard returns to pore through another week's weird and wild news stories, international media events and YouTube clips. The extended-version with added stand-up is on Friday night. Guide
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Mock The Week
Thursday, BBC Two, 10pm
More topical comedy from Dara O'Briain, Hugh Dennis, Andy Parsons and Chris Addison. The guests this week are going to be Milton Jones, Josh Widdicombe and, making his debut on the show, Joe Wilkinson. Guide |
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Celebrity Juice
Thursday, ITV2, 10pm
Keith, Holly and Fearne are joined by guests including Olympic star Jessica Ennis. Will the gold medallist be able to avoid the host's lecherous ways? Guide |
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Trollied
Friday, Sky1, 9pm
The supermarket sitcom continues. News of Leighton's sacking doesn't go down well, and it's Julie who receives the brunt of the backlash. Meanwhile, the No Nonsense range comes in handy for a pregnant Sue. Guide |
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Moone Boy
Friday, Sky1, 9:30pm
Chris O'Dowd's sitcom continues. Uncle Danny arrives just in time for Martin's birds-and-the-bees talk with Mum and Dad. Sean seeks solace with other imaginary friends when Martin upsets him. Guide |
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QI
Friday, BBC Two, 10pm
The quite brainy comic quiz continues. This week Stephen Fry and Alan Davies are joined by Rob Brydon, Phill Jupitus and Australian comic Cal Wilson. Guide |
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Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Friday, Channel 4, 10pm
Alan Carr is joined by Jessie J, One Direction and architect presenter Kevin McCloud. Plus, there's music from US singer Alicia Keys. Guide |
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Fool Britannia
Saturday, ITV1, 6:45pm
Dom Joly continues in his attempt to fool an entire nation. Armed with a truckload of hidden cameras and disguises, Dom unleashes a whole host of brand new characters across the UK. Guide |
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Comedy World Cup
Saturday, Channel 4, 8pm
David Tennant asks more questions about comedy. Team captain Johnny Vegas and team mates Josh Widdicombe and Mick Miller take on Phill Jupitus, who is joined by Roisin Conaty and Barry Cryer. Guide |
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The Thick Of It
Saturday, BBC Two, 9:45pm
With Nicola Murray safely on a train to attend a party event in far-flung Bradford, Malcolm is free to launch his latest plot against the leader of the opposition. Guide
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The Jonathan Ross Show
Saturday, ITV1, 10:35pm
Jonathan Ross welcomes gloriously grumpy Jack Dee, popular magician Dynamo and Harry Potter star Emma Watson. Plus Gwen Stefani rejoins her No Doubt bandmates for a live performance. Guide
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The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year
Sunday, Channel 4, 9pm
Jimmy Carr hosts the third and final of the special decade editions. Why did the US briefly rename French Fries? How did the Crazy Frog cause controversy? And what on earth was Touch the Truck? 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.
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| New DVDs |
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Citizen Khan - Series One
There are a few episodes of Citizen Khan, BBC One's latest family-friendly sitcom, left to broadcast. However, the first series DVD is now available to pre-order before release in mid October. The series has come under criticism from some quarters, but it's just pretty gentle comedic fare really. Note that if a second series is commissioned, this release may be postponed. Pre-Order |
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Moone Boy
We're only two weeks into Chris O'Dow's new part-autobiographical sitcom for Sky1 so far, but reviews have been pretty broadly positive and it's not hard to tell why. With engaging characters and recognisable (if not slightly unhinged) plots, the Moone Boy world of late-1980s Ireland is as charming and heart-warming as it is funny. If you've not got Sky, don't miss out: Pre-Order |
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Cockneys Vs Zombies
This new British comedy/horror is currently in cinemas, and reaction has been ... mixed. The plot sees builders unwittingly open a vault in London's east end. Sealed during the 1666 Great Plague, it's now packed with rather peckish zombies - a gang of armed bank robbers, led by Michelle Ryan, must save the country. Includes cameos from Honor Blackman and Richard Briers. Pre-Order |
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A Touch Of Cloth - The First Case
This single disc release includes the two-part opening episode of frankly fan-blooming-excellent spoof crime drama A Touch Of Cloth, written by Charlie Brooker and TV Burp's Dan Maier. Starring John Hannah and Suranne Jones, this is a straight-faced spoof very much in the Airplane! comedy mould. You'll never watch a police procedural drama in the same way again. Order |
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Limmy's Show! - Series 2
A third series of the popular sketch show from abrasive Scot Brian 'Limmy' Limond is expected to hit screens a little later this autumn, and from mid November Series 2 (first broadcast in spring 2011) will be available to own on DVD. Check out some videos from the show if you've not had the chance to catch this BBC Two Scotland series in the past. It really is something quite special... 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...
"Finnemore seems to be one of the few writers who can handle both the surreal and the good-old-fashioned-belly laugh with ease." italophile on John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme
"The slide. My word, that was a classic comedy moment if ever I saw one." Kevin Murphy on The Thick Of It
"I've recently started watching Stressed Eric for the first time in around a decade. I had fond memories its original run on the BBC - and after seeing the episodes again - I'd say that it's definitely stood the test of time." groovydude89 on Stressed Eric
"This is meant to be like Question of Sport for comedy fans, but OH MY GOD it is bad!!! The games are bland and pointless that even the good comedian captains can't make it better." Georgie777 on Comedy World Cup
"Not great at all again this week." Jonny M on QI
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| Guide Spotlight |
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Freezing
No, really! It's Lord and Lady Grantham before they were Lord and Lady Grantham. In this short-lived 2007-8 BBC sitcom, Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern star as husband and wife Matt and Elizabeth. He's a literary editor and she a Hollywood actress - but both struggling to find work. Written by James Woods (Rev.), it's his future ecclesiastical star Tom Hollander who really steals the show as Elizabeth's insanely temperamental agent, Leon. Guide
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| Thanks for Reading |
Bonjour for now, as Del Boy might say. We'll be back next Monday. In the meantime, as always, there's more on the website every day. Have a great week,
The British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk |
