| It's August. We hope you're having a good one. We're in Edinburgh getting rained on... but there's some great comedy to be had here too! |
| Latest Comedy News |
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BBC Two gets mystery comedy Stag from The Wrong Mans team
BBC Two has ordered Stag, a "Cluedo-esque" comedy series, from the production team behind The Wrong Mans. Read
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Joanna Scanlan to star in C4 comedy No Offence
The cast for Paul Abbott's new police comedy, No Offence, has been revealed. Joanna Scanlan, Will Mellor, Alexandra Roach and Colin Salmon are amongst the stars. Read |
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Susan Calman gets Radio 4 sitcom with Hat Trick
Scottish comedian Susan Calman has been given her own Radio 4 sitcom, whilst producers Hat Trick also confirm a new radio show for Robert Newman. Read |
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Benidorm star Kenny Ireland dies
Actor Kenny Ireland, best known for his 1980s association with Victoria Wood and latterly as Benidorm's Donald, has died. Read |
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ITV2 signs up internet comedian Dapper Laughs
Internet star Dapper Laughs is to front a new TV format. ITV2 has ordered comedy/reality show Dapper Laughs On The Pull. Read |
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Comedians to play darts for Comic Relief series
Various comedians will take part in a special pro-celebrity darts tournament, for a BBC TV series linked to Comic Relief. Read |
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| Also of interest... |
Here are some pages on other websites that you might also be interested in...
- Dick Emery's daughter talks about her womanising father. "My dad was awful... and I didn't like him". Daily Mail
- There's speculation that Simon Pegg is involved in the new Star Wars movie. Digital Spy
- A results of a worldwide poll which asked people to name those they associated with UK culture features Mr Bean in top 10. The Telegraph
- Congratulations to Johnny Vegas, who has been made a honorary doctor in literature. Liverpool Echo
- Charlie Brooker has launched a new production company. "We'll produce fun in all its guises". Press Release
Found these links interesting? For more like this each evening follow us on social media, or visit our website:
   
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| Features |
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Edinburgh Fringe 2014
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is underway. We have comprehensive listings for all 1,700+ shows being performed. We've also lots of interesting articles and more - too much to list in this email, so click through to our Fringe site now. View |
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Almost Royal interview
An interview with Georgie and Poppy, the stars of E4's new show Almost Royal. Read |
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Siblings interviews
Charlotte Ritchie and Tom Stourton talk about taking on the lead roles in new BBC Three sitcom Siblings. Read |
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Steve Hall: I'm resisting the allure of Edinburgh
Stand-up Steve Hall explains why he's resisted the urge to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, and how The Phoenix Fringe is recreating some of that buzz in London. Read. We've also got a Phoenix Fringe blog from Jarred Christmas. |
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Latest Fringe reviews
We're collecting up all the reviews about the live shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, from all the publications. See how all the comedians are doing (some painfully - ouch!). Latest |
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| TV Listings |
Here is a guide to the new British comedy on TV this week...
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Horrible Histories
Monday, CBBC, 9am
11pm tonight marks exactly 100 years since Britain entered the First World War. This commemorative special reveals how Girl Guides were used to pass on secret war-time information; tells of the terrors of trench life; and hears a frustrated captain try to explain the not-so-simple reasons for Britain joining the war. Guide |
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Virtually Famous
Monday, E4, 10pm
In the third episode of the latest new panel show to be pumped to your telly screens, Kevin, Seann and Chris are joined by James Acaster, Alex Brooker, Jameela Jamil and Kimberly Wyatt as they face questions and challenges to put their knowledge of the Virtually Famous to the test. Guide |
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Don't Drop The Baton
Monday, BBC One Scotland, 10:40pm
The second, concluding edition of this two-part sketch show in which Susan Calman and Mark Nelson poke fun at sporting events in Glasgow. Volunteers Pam and Tam work out what a velodrome is; the police hunt down a ticket tout; and Susan competes in the rhythmic gymnastics. Guide |
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Set List: Stand-Up Without A Net
Monday, Sky Atlantic, 11:15pm
Ross Noble, Rob Delaney and Richard Herring feature in a selection of unseen moments from the improvised stand-up show. Guide |
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The Alternative Comedy Experience
Tuesday, Comedy Central, 11pm
Tonight's episode of the "connoisseur's stand-up show of choice" features Tony Law, David Kay, Susan Calman, Michael Legge, and musical storytellers Ginger & Black. Stewart Lee speaks to some back-stage. Guide |
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The Mimic
Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm
Feeling he needs a stable family for Steven to return to, Martin proposes to Harriet. He's also got his first stand-up show to prepare for. Guide |
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Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy
Thursday, E4, 10pm
Noel gets Fantasy block (a weird strain of writer's block). If he doesn't overcome this and write an ending to the show, Terry, his only viewer will be killed by an asteroid. Guide |
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Cuckoo
Thursday, BBC Three, 10pm
Series 2 of the sitcom starts. Ken is looking forward to an empty nest now Dylan's got into University, but a painful operation and a mysterious stranger conspire to make life a lot less simple. Guide |
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Siblings
Thursday, BBC Three, 10:30pm
There's a very rare thing happening this week - the launch of a brand new British sitcom on TV; and on BBC Three, no less. Starring Charlotte Ritchie - Fresh Meat's Oregon - and Totally Tom's Tom Stourton, Siblings focuses on inept brother and sister Hannah and Dan. In the first episode, Hannah has trouble at work... Guide |
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Walter
Friday, BBC One, 9pm
Brand new police comedy drama pilot about a world-weary father who is also a detective. Adrian Dunbar stars as the titular DI Walter Gambon, struggling to avoid complete bankruptcy, raise a teenage daughter, taking over a dead colleague's cases, and finding a colleague who's gone deep undercover. Guide |
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The Last Leg
Friday, Channel 4, 10pm
The boys return for the second week of their new series. Adam Hills and regular co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker are joined by Noel Fielding this time. Guide |
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A Touch Of Cloth III: Too Cloth For Comfort
Saturday & Sunday, Sky1, 9pm
Sky's gag-packed, rip-roaring police comedy returns for a third (and possibly final) case. Showing in two parts over Saturday and Sunday evening, DCI Jack Cloth's brother, Terry, has been killed. The pair weren't close, in fact, they were estranged, but, you know, it still hurts. Guide |
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Psychobitches
Saturday & Sunday, Sky1, 10pm
We're eagerly anticipating the second series of this madcap and hilarious sketch show from Sky. In the meantime, straight after each instalment of A Touch Of Cloth this weekend, you can catch a selection of the best bits from Series 1 of the show about history's most famous women - and their therapist. Guide |
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The Committee Meeting
Saturday, BBC One Wales, 10:30pm
Produced as one of last year's iPlayer Comedy Feeds shows, this pilot comes to TV this week. The chairman and caretaker of a small Welsh working men's club worry that actor Colin Baker, whom they have booked to attract more members, will be lured away by the Conservative Club thanks to their middle-class snacks. Guide |
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Almost Royal
Sunday, E4, 10pm
The new comedy-reality series in which Ed Gamble and Amy Hoggart travel across America pretending to be distant descendants of the Royal Family. It's fun. Guide |
For a complete list of broadcasts, including repeats and radio comedy, see our full schedule. |
| New Products |
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Part-Time Wife
PRE-ORDER. 1961 comedy film from the Danziger brothers. Part Time Wife follows young couple Tom, Jenny, and his old army pal, Drew. Tom and Jenny are struggling on modest finances, whilst Drew is living the bachelor life running his overseas-based uncle's car-hire firm. But with said uncle due to visit, Drew's in need of a 'wife' so that he might inherit the business himself... Details |
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A Touch Of Cloth II - Undercover Cloth
PRE-ORDER. Case III is due on screens this weekend, but Case II has still yet to be released on DVD. Last time, the hit crime thriller parody saw DI Jack Cloth (John Hannah) and DC Anne Oldman (Suranne Jones) reunited as Cloth went undercover.
With the City of Town menaced by a vicious gang of armed robbers, the police are determined to bring them to book. Details |
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Bad Education - Series Two
PRE-ORDER. Bad Education - written by and starring Jack Whitehall - returns with a second series.
Mathew Horne, Michelle Gomez and Sarah Solemani reprise their roles in this series. They are joined by new cast additions including Harry Enfield, Samantha Spiro, Greg McHugh, Frances Barber and Jake Canus. Details |
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Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy - Series 1
OUT NOW. Noel Fielding made a welcome return to screens last week in the long-awaited second series of his Luxury Comedy, and now the hyper-surrealist first series is available to own on DVD. A psychedelic character based comedy show half filmed and half animated, it received a bit of a mixed reception, as Noel acknowledged in the first episode of Series 2. Details |
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Carry On Jack
OUT NOW. Eighth entry in the Carry On series.
Able seaman Poop-Decker (Bernard Cribbins) signs up for adventure on the high seas with the wicked Captain Fearless (Kenneth Williams). Those swabbing the decks include Juliet Mills, Charles Hawtrey and Donald Houston. One of the first Carry On films to be made in colour, this brand new HD Blu-ray edition is out now. Details |
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The Liver Birds - Collection Two
OUT NOW. The smash-hit female-centric 1970s Liverpool sitcom returns as its entire third series is now available on DVD. Starring Polly James as Beryl and Nerys Hughes as Sandra, two flatmates with ever-differing views and a deep and hilarious friendship, they're now in a bigger and nicer flat, but have to deal with many similar challenges! Details |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon. |
| Comedy Videos |
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| Message Board Posts... |
Here are some quotes from our message board...
"I don't understand how this show isn't much more popular. It's brilliantly performed and very very funny." lofthouse on Radio 4 sitcom Party
"First watched this last year. Sat down to my box set and ended up hooked, watching it all over one long weekend. Love it, cast changes and all." fustidious on Still Game
"Having heard the comments from the other recordings, it looks like this will be a cracker of a series, and if the recording I went to turns out to be the last ever recording of NGO, I'm glad I went to watch it." Luke Frost on Not Going Out
"I dug out the box set of this last night and watched a few episodes. I'm always amazed by how Renwick manages to weave all these plots together so intricately and then strike though with a vein of pathos which never feels forced." Ben on One Foot In The Grave
"I think moving it toward more of a narrative is the right thing to do, but last night's episode wasn't very funny." blahblah on Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy
"This is such a shame, Donald was such a good character. He'll be missed in the new series." WarmWasp on Kenny Ireland
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| Guide Spotlight |
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The Lovers!
The fantastic screen pairing of Paula Wilcox and Richard Beckinsale as Manchester's young lovers continues in this popular big-screen spin-off from Granada's hit early 1970s TV sitcom. Written by Jack Rosenthal, the film tells a very similar tale to the TV original: can these two young lovebirds ever reconcile their differences? Guide |
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| Thanks for Reading |
Thanks for scrolling all the way to the bottom. If that wasn't enough, there's more on our website to read and watch every day - including plenty of updates from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The British Comedy Guide
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