Weekly Newsletter	Monday 19th January 2015

As usual, here's some news, features, TV listings, DVD recommendations, and funny videos...

Latest Comedy News

Stephen Mangan to play pregnant man in new Sky show Stephen Mangan is to play a pregnant man in Birthday, a comic drama for Sky Arts based on the sell-out 2012 Royal Court play. Read Channel 4 confirm final series of Fresh Meat Channel 4 has confirmed it has ordered eight more episodes of university-based comedy drama Fresh Meat. Series 4 will be the final series though. Read Al Murray's Pub Landlord to stand for Parliament against Nigel Farage The Pub Landlord - aka Al Murray - is to stand as an MP in the Kent constituency of South Thanet, against UKIP leader Nigel Farage. Read Chris Ramsey and Channel 4 developing new weekly comedy show Chris Ramsey is working on a comedy show for Channel 4 called Too Much Information, based around the endless stream of news and trends on the internet. Read

Also of interest...

Here are some pages on other websites that you might also be interested in... - The Thanet Gazette talks to Al Murray about his bid to become their MP. "My biggest opponent is voter apathy": Thanet Gazette - A campaign is underway to try and get Les Dawson an OBE. Writing on Twitter Johnny Vegas said: "Dear Les Dawson fans, here's a petition requesting the posthumous OBE our National Treasure so richly deserves." 38 Degrees - David Walliams is now the UK's best selling children's author. His books made £7m last year: BBC News. He's now writing a book for Comic Relief, called The Queen's Orang-utan. - In this frank interview, John Cleese talks to The Big Issue about topics including cats, Cambridge, romance and Americans: Big Issue - Steve Coogan is to star in a new US sitcom, Happyish, which is about the search for happiness: Coming Soon - Stephen Fry has married his partner, stand-up Elliot Spencer: Sky News For lots more links, see our social media profiles (buttons below) or check out our website. e.g. here's a big list of live comedy press links.

Features

Vote in the Comedy.co.uk Awards 2014 Have you voted in our annual awards yet? It's a chance to name the best and worst TV and radio shows of the previous twelve months. The form closes on Friday. Vote Catastrophe interview Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney talk about how their new Channel 4 show - a sitcom which offers 'an unromantic look at a romance' - was conceived. Read Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival 2015 preview 100s of comedians will take part in Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival 2015 (4th and 22nd February). Here's a preview, with a link to win a VIP trip too: Read Podcasts There's lots of new things to hear in our podcast section. Richard Herring chats to Sue Perkins; Stuart Goldsmith interviews Katy Wix; Carl Donnelly & Chris Martin are in the Alps; Brendon Burns visits the Al Fateh Mosque in Bahrain; and the new series of Pappy's Flatshare Slamdown continues with guests including Adam Buxton. Listen

TV Listings

Here is a guide to the new British comedy on TV this week... Backchat Monday, BBC Two, 10pm Join Jack Whitehall and his father, Michael, for a jam-packed edition of their comedy chat show. Filling the sofa this week are supergroup McBusted, and star of Pointless, Richard Osman. Guide Drunk History Monday, Comedy Central, 10pm More inebriated storytelling. Tom Rosenthal talks The Great Fire of London, Andrew Maxwell on graverobbers Burke and Hare, and Rob Beckett on Queen Victoria's unwanted cheese. Guide Catastrophe Monday, Channel 4, 10pm A new sitcom starring Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan as a couple who make a 'bloody mess' of falling in love. See our guide for an interview, preview clips and positive press reviews. Guide Blue Go Mad In Ibiza Tuesday, ITV2, 9pm The show in which boyband Blue are pranked by comic actors continues. The guys take JC out to celebrate his birthday at a local bar. Guide Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled Tuesday, Dave, 10pm Alan Davies is joined by gag-loving guests Stephen Mangan, Sarah Millican, Zoe Lyons and Hal Cruttenden for some high quality unrehearsed comic chat. Guide Cockroaches Tuesday, ITV2, 10pm The post-apocalyptic sitcom continues. When Tom is elected the new boss of the survivors' camp, he finds leadership harder than expected. Guide Count Arthur Strong Tuesday, BBC One, 10:35pm Arthur goes into politics this week. Spurred on by sleepless nights and noise pollution on his street, he decides to run for local elections. With the help of his friends, can he become a political force that cannot be ignored? Guide Up The Women Wednesday, BBC Two, 10:05pm Series 2 of the suffragette sitcom created by Jessica Hynes, now on BBC Two. This opening episodes sees Gwen disrupts the group's hunger strike with cheese. Guide Room 101 Thursday, BBC One, 8pm Note: This week's episode is on a different day and at a different time due to Manchester United playing in the FA Cup on Friday. Alexander Armstrong, Dame Kelly Holmes and Henry Blofeld are the guests. Guide Birds Of A Feather Thursday, ITV, 8:30pm Dorien's Book Group is convening to discuss Crime and Punishment - which turns out to be rather applicable to the events that unfold in Tracey's household. This episode sees the acid-tongued nemesis character Melanie Fishman return. Guide Monty Python's Personal Best Thursday, Sky Arts 1, 9pm It's the UK premiere of this series filmed in America a few years ago. This episode sees the five surviving Pythons pay tribute to Graham Chapman. Guide Crims Thursday, BBC Three, 10pm Luke's life is still not going well in prison. This week he's horrified when his girlfriend Gemma reveals she is still living with the un-seen Roger, and they are now considering getting a dog together. Guide Benidorm Friday, ITV, 9pm Liam's mum and Les's ex Gloria arrives in Benidorm to lure Liam back to the UK. Meanwhile Kenneth is after a cure for Joyce's mystery illness. Guide 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown Friday, Channel 4, 9pm Reginald D Hunter and Aisling Bea join team captains Sean Lock and Jon Richardson, while Holly Walsh joins Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner, and Joe Wilkinson 'assists' Rachel Riley again. Guide QI Friday, BBC Two, 10pm Jo Brand, David Mitchell and Colin Lane are the guests for the final episode in Series L of the show (although there are highlight episodes still to come). Landmarks is the theme. Guide The Last Leg Friday, Channel 4, 10pm Kathy Burke joins Adam Hills and co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker to review the main talking points of the week. Who will the host pick to rant about this time? Guide Comedy Central At The Comedy Store Friday, Comedy Central, 10:30pm Stand-up. James Acaster is 'excellent at competitive yoga', Sara Pascoe is scared of spiders, Brett Goldstein is agitated by Kevin Bacon, and Mark Watson likes a drink. Guide The Graham Norton Show Friday, BBC One, 10:35pm With guests Sir David Attenborough, football presenter Gary Lineker and Oscar winning actress Jessica Chastain. Plus music from supergroup McBusted. Guide The Jonathan Ross Show Saturday, ITV, 9:20pm Series 8 of Wossy's ITV chat show. Actors Colin Firth and Taron Egerton join him to talk about their new film. There's also Caroline Quentin, and stand-up Katherine Ryan. Take That join Jonathan for a performance. Guide Still Open All Hours Sunday, BBC One, 7:30pm There are mysterious sightings in the shop and Granville is convinced the place is haunted by Arkwright. How can he prove it to the locals? Meanwhile a surprise visitor from the past gets the whole street talking. Guide Last Tango In Halifax Sunday, BBC One, 9pm The comedy drama continues. Caroline is relieved to find that Greg is a natural with Flora and a positive influence on Lawrence. Guide For a complete list of broadcasts, including repeats and radio comedy, see our full schedule.

New Products

House Of Fools - Series One PRE-ORDER. Stand by for unadulterated daft fun in this warm and wonderfully original sitcom written by and starring iconic comedy duo Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. Set in Bob Mortimer's home, each episode sees Bob frustrated by the uninvited lodgers, visitors and guests who constantly fill his house. A second series begins soon, so this release on 2nd Feb is your chance to catch up. Details The Lady Vanishes OUT NOW. One of cinema's greatest auteurs, Alfred Hitchcock's six-decade career generated an unmissable run of suspense-packed thrillers, strongly characterised by macabre plots and twist endings. Made in 1938, this classic comedy-thriller was arguably his most popular and significant pre-war feature, featuring a disappearing governess aboard a transcontinental express train. Details Still Open All Hours - Series One PRE-ORDER. It'd be difficult for us to exaggerate the success of this revived, refreshed comedy series. Viewing figures seem to grow every week: well over 7 million viewers tuned in to yesterday's episode - figures that are otherwise near unheard-of these days. Suffice to say we expect another series to be on the way. This DVD also includes the 2013 Christmas special that launched it. Details Pride PRE-ORDER. Highly-praised on its Autumn release, this film is based on a true story. It's Summer 1984 and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of striking miners. Sadly, the bigoted union doesn't want their help... Blu-ray Details & DVD Details Toast Of London - Series 1 & 2 OUT NOW. We bet you've heard plenty about this bonkers, cult-hit sitcom from Channel 4 by now. But just in case you've not caught up with it yourself yet, the two series to date (a third is now being made) are available here on DVD, starring Matt Berry as rubbish actor and all-round oddball in a sea of even odder-balls, Steven Toast. If you like silly, you'll love Toast. Details For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.

Comedy Videos

Tripping via Google Glasses Google has announced it is to end selling its interactive glasses (at least in their current form). Probably for the best, as this short horror comedy by Jonathan Brooks helps to highlight the dangers of modern technology. Watch Morph - Episode 14: Chas Express Another new web-based installment from the classic character. This time Chas takes Morph for a ride. Watch The Keith Lemon Sketch Show Take a first look at one of Keith Lemon's sketches from The Keith Lemon Sketch Show, starting on ITV2 in Feb. He plays a rather different version of Kim Kardashian. Watch Drunk History - Tom Rosenthal He may have had a lot to drink, but that doesn't stop Tom Rosenthal trying to tell the story of The Great Fire of London. This is the full video, so even those without Comedy Central can enjoy the tale. Watch Peter Pilbeam - Hotel Review In this well-scripted sketch, Britain's most outspoken critic speaks out about his trip to a hotel. Watch Asylum - Trailer The trailer for Asylum, a new sitcom for BBC Four which follows the story of Dan and Ludo, a duo who are forced to take asylum in an embassy. Watch

Guide Spotlight

Ideal Are you a fan of this cult hit BBC Three sitcom, starring Johnny Vegas? It bowed out in 2011 after an impressive 7 series on the digital channel, and celebrated its 10th birthday just last week - doesn't time fly! The entire series take place almost exclusively inside Moz's flat. He's a small-time dealer, prolific low achiever, and happy with it. Girlfriend Nicki, however, aspires... Guide

Thanks for Reading

Don't forget to vote in our awards please. We're hoping every fan will get involved to make it the most accurate and reflective set of awards in the industry for another year running - and don't forget to tell your friends! The British Comedy Guide

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