Weekly Newsletter	Monday 31st March 2014

Something witty here about tomorrow being April Fools day?

Latest Comedy News

Jason Donovan to voice animated CBeebies comedy Jason Donovan is to provide his voice for Boj, a new animated comedy series for the CBeebies channel. Read Miranda Hart to star in Hollywood spy comedy Miranda Hart has signed up to star in a Hollywood movie. She will appear alongside Jude Law in a film from Bridesmaids director Paul Feig. Read Sky denies Ruth Jones comedy Stella is to end Sky TV has denied the reports that Ruth Jones' comedy drama Stella will end after the next series. It says it is in talks about a fifth series. Read Filming starts on Series 2 of Psychobitches Production is underway on the second series of Psycobitches, the Sky Arts sketch show featuring performers including Rebecca Front. Read Results of the Chortle Awards 2014 The results of the stand-up awards run by the website Chortle have been announced. Bridget Christie won in two categories. Read Keith Lemon goes Through The Keyhole for Series 2 Keith Lemon will go Through The Keyhole again later this year in a second series of the rejuvenated comedy panel show. Read Hebburn axed by BBC Two BBC Two sitcom Hebburn, starring Chris Ramsey, Kimberley Nixon, Vic Reeves and Gina McKee, will not return for a third series, creator Jason Cook says. Read Omid Djalili signs autobiography deal The first volume of actor and stand-up comedian Omid Djalili's autobiography will be published later this year. Read

Also of interest...

Here are some pages on other websites that you might also be interested in... - An article featuring the greatest lines from the UK's funniest classic comedians: The Express - Ouch! Jason Manford started his gig late, so he offered the audience a free drink. Here is the picture he took of his bar receipt: Twitter - There are accusations of serious failings in an investigation into the death of a teenage boy allegedly groomed by a well-known but un-named comedian: Daily Mail - No wonder Michael McIntyre is always smiling. He has reportedly just cashed in £9m from his tour: Daily Mail - Mark Steel blogs about a rather bad gig. "There's not one of those minutes I wouldn't gladly swap for a week in Guantanamo." Blog - Radio 4 panel show Britain Versus The World will be hosted by Ed Byrne. The team captains are Hal Cruttenden and Henning Wehn: British Comedy Guide - Ricky Gervais said "I love writing interesting female characters because usually they're props, particularly in comedy". Radio Times - Steve Coogan says "It's myopic and self-centred to only have opinions on things that affect you directly". Huffington Post Found these links interesting? For more like this each evening follow us on social media, or visit our website:

Features

Alexei Sayle podcast Alexei Sayle talks about being expelled from school, why Guildford is funnier than Hatfield, getting Christmas cards from a man who has played chess with death, and more: Listen Also in our podcast area: hear how you can help bring back As It Occurs To Me; and there'll be a new No Pressure To Be Funny uploaded in the next 24 hours too. Monty Python's 5 best comedy songs With a new Monty Python music album on the way, it seems like a good time to re-live some of the comedy group's classic songs. Read

TV Listings

Here is a guide to the new British comedy on TV this week... London Live - various shows Monday & Tuesday, London Live The new TV channel for London has various comedy shows on it. Tonight there's a stand-up show hosted by Alex Zane, and comedy drama Brothers With No Game. On Tuesday there's new sitcom The T-Boy Show; and the TV premiere of web sitcom All About The McKenzies. Watch out for repeats like Misfits and Spaced. My Mad Fat Diary Monday, E4, 10pm Last in the series. Rae finds herself in a dark place without the gang and her mum for support. She's alienated everyone and now a crisis with Chloe leaves her feeling helpless. It's down to her to save the day but is she really strong enough? Guide Rev Monday, BBC Two, 10pm Adam signs up for a course on how to save his church - led by Roland Wise (guest star Hugh Bonneville). Turns out he is the only one taking the course though. Funny stuff. Guide The Michael McIntyre Chat Show Monday, BBC One, 10:35pm Joining Michael for an exclusive chat is TV cook and author Nigella Lawson - as has already been reported in the papers, she talks about her difficult year. Gary Barlow and Bear Grylls also appear. Guide Dara O Briain: School Of Hard Sums Tuesday, Dave, 10pm Mathematics minus all the boring bits. Guests Josh Widdicombe and Peter Serafinowicz hope to have the winning formula as they join Dara outdoors for some al fresco arithmetic. Guide 8 Out Of 10 Cats Tuesday, Channel 4, 10:10pm Adam Hills, Phil Spencer, Henning Wehn and Carol Vorderman join Jimmy Carr, Jon Richardson and Sean Lock to look at the what people have been talking about this week. Guide W1A Wednesday, BBC Two, 10pm The satire on BBC management continues. Ian Fletcher's salary comes under intense scrutiny in the press - why should the BBC's Head of Values be paid more than the prime minister? Guide Impractical Jokers Wednesday, BBC Three, 10:30pm It's a ruthless fight to finish in the series finale of the show in which there are no winners, just a loser. Dares this time include trying to get strangers to remember a fictional meeting at a bizarre nonsensical event. Guide Alexander Armstrong's Real Ripping Yarns Thursday, BBC Four, 9pm In this one-off documentary, Alexander Armstrong explores the literature that inspired Michael Palin and Terry Jones's classic comedy anthology series. The first episode of Ripping Yarns itself follows as BBC Four begins a repeat run. Guide Celebrity Juice Thursday, ITV2, 10pm Keith, Fearne and Holly return for more topical celebrity jokes and games. Guests this time include X Factor winner Sam Bailey, TV presenter Alex Brooker and diving hero Tom Daley. Guide Some Irish People With Jokes Thursday, BBC Four, 10:30pm It's not just Irish eyes that are smiling when some of the Emerald Isle's finest exports tell their favourite jokes. Guide Have I Got News For You Friday, BBC One, 9pm It's back for a 47th series. Chaired by Jennifer Saunders this time, the show sees Ian Hislop and Paul Merton return to pick over the week's news. The guests are Sadiq Khan and Richard Osman. Guide Alan Carr: Chatty Man Friday, Channel 4, 10pm Ahead of the biggest horse race in the world - Saturday's Grand National - Alan Carr presents a special horse-themed episode of his celeb-fuelled show. Featuring Frankie Dettori, Enrique Iglesias, Will.I.Am, and Ruth Jones. Guide The Trip To Italy Friday, BBC Two, 10pm After a long wait, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are back for a second series of their semi-improvised comedy series. This time Rob, tired from the responsibilities of being the father of a young child, is looking for some adventure. Steve, who has been living a life of abstinence in Los Angeles, is up for fun too. Guide The Graham Norton Show Friday, BBC One, 10:35pm Graham Norton returns for a new series of his award-winning chat show to point out to McIntyre and Carr that he is still king when it comes to the ratings. And guests. He's lined-up Russell Crowe, Cameron Diaz, Kylie Minogue and Richard Ayoade to ensure it's a fun-filled chat. Guide Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Saturday, BBC Two, 10:15pm Last in the series of the stand-up show, but the good news for fans is that the BBC committed to a fourth series at the same time as ordering the third - so he'll be back... albeit not for a while. Firstly though, there's stand-up on the theme of marriage. Guide Off Their Rockers Sunday, ITV, 7:30pm This comedy show, in which OAPs prank the younger generations, was a huge ratings hit for ITV last year (over 5m tuned in), so there's no surprise it's now back for another series, in a better time slot too. Guide For a complete list of broadcasts, including repeats and radio comedy, see our full schedule.

New DVDs

Almost Married PRE-ORDER. Brand new British comedy film starring Emily Atack (The Inbetweeners) and Drifters' Philip McGinley. When Kyle returns from his stag-do with an intimate disease, he's left unable to be intimate with fiancee Lydia in the run-up to their wedding. Needless to say, she is not best pleased by his apparent cooling of affections for her. Details All In Good Faith - The Complete Second Series PRE-ORDER. Hoping for a fresh start and a renewed sense of purpose, the Rev. Philip Lambe (Richard Briers) has convinced his family to join him in the inaptly named town of Edendale, where he has taken up a new position. In Series 2, the well-meaning but naïve clergyman comes into conflict with a local martial arts club, and comes face to face with a gun-toting stranger... Details The Belles Of St. Trinian's - 60th Anniversary Edition PRE-ORDER. The Belles Of St. Trinian's is the original entry in the celebrated Ealing Studios series, starring Alastair Sim as both school headmistress Millicent Fritton and her brother, Clarence; plus George Cole, Joyce Grenfell and many others. Now digitally restored and with brand new extras, the film is released on HD Blu-ray for the first time to mark its 60th anniversary. Blu-ray & DVD Details Inside No. 9 - Series One OUT NOW. Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith follow up the multi-award-winning Psychoville and League Of Gentlemen with an anthology of tales of the genuinely unexpected. What really goes on behind closed doors? Be invited into six very different No 9s, where the ordinary and mundane rub shoulders... A second series will follow, so if you missed Series 1 catch up now! Details Mister Ten Per Cent PRE-ORDER. Pre-dating Mel Brooks's The Producers by a year, this 1967 comedy stars the inimitable Charlie Drake as a budding playwright whose magnum opus seems a cast-iron guarantee of box-office disaster - just what London's top producer is looking for. Featuring George Baker, John Le Mesurier, Ronald Radd and Wanda Ventham. Details For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.

Comedy Videos & Audio

Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This The first look at David Threlfall playing the iconic Tommy Cooper in ITV's new feature length drama. He does a pretty good impression! Watch The Vicar of Dibley on Thought For The Day On Saturday Dawn French presented a special episode of Radio 4's Thought for the Day in character as Geraldine Granger from The Vicar Of Dibley. Catch-up here if you missed it: Listen Dream Themes - News At 10 live intro It turns out the theme tunes on television are actually played live every night by a band - here's the footage as they prepare for The News At 10 going on air. Watch Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie The trailer for the new movie based around the hit sitcom. Mrs Brown finds herself fighting to save her market stall. Watch The Guess List - Trailer Rob Brydon hosts the new comedy entertainment show in which contestants compete for a prize which has been specially selected for them. Check out the comedy trailer. Watch Pramface - Series 3 Bloopers Outtakes from the third series of Pramface. There was a bit of a wind problem on set at one point. Watch Derek - Series 2 Preview A flavour of what is to come in the second series of this show from Ricky Gervais. The comedy drama is back on Channel 4 from 23rd April 2014. Watch

Guide Spotlight

The Missionary Fitting very nicely alongside the Boys' Own-inspired adventure yarns of Ripping Yarns (see above) comes this 1982 comedy film written by and starring Michael Palin. A similarly off-kilter take on the jolly stories of the days of the British Empire, this 1906-set comedy sees missionary Charles Fortescue returning to England from darkest Africa, and being set to work on eradicating the blight of, ahem, working girls, from the streets of east London. However, Fortescue is told he must fund the new mission by himself, and so his troubles begin... Guide

Thanks for Reading

That's all for another week. We hope you've found something here to amuse or excite! Until next time, The British Comedy Guide

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