Weekly Newsletter	Monday 15th June 2015

We bring news of some sitcom recommissions...

Latest Comedy News

Morwenna Banks and Rebecca Front to star in Radio 4 library sitcom Radio 4 has given the greenlight to Shush!, a sitcom set in a library. The show is written by and stars Morwenna Banks and Rebecca Front. Click through to see the non-broadcast TV pilot. Read Professor Brian Cox to host new BBC Two panel show pilot BBC Two is to pilot Six Degrees, a new science-based comedy panel show. Professor Brian Cox will act as the host. Read Episodes to return for Series 5 American broadcaster Showtime has ordered Series 5 of Episodes, starring Matt LeBlanc, Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan. Read CBeebies orders new comedy series Go Jetters and Spot Bots BBC channel CBeebies is making Go Jetters and Spot Bots, two animated series which aim to teach children via the medium of comedy. Read E4 gives Drifters the green light for Series 3 Drifters, the E4 sitcom about three young women struggling to find good jobs and boyfriends, is to return for a third series. Read Raised By Wolves gets second series Channel 4 has ordered a second series of Caitlin and Caroline Moran's sitcom Raised By Wolves. Read

Also of interest...

Here are some pages on other websites that you might also be interested in... - Romesh Ranganathan to film Sri Lanka travel series: Romesh's website - Marcus Brigstocke has castigated the creators of new TV show If Katie Hopkins Ruled The World after being approached to feature on it: Digital Spy - John Cleese answered some questions on Twitter. On our Facebook page, we've selected a couple of highlight quotes: Facebook - Lenny Henry has said he is 'very chuffed' that he will receive a knighthood: BBC News Found these links interesting? For more like this each evening follow us on social media, or visit our website:

Features

Fergus Craig talks about filming Hoff The Record What's it like to work with David Hasselhoff? Here's a blog in which Fergus Craig talks about filming Hoff The Record. Read The similarities between mind reading and comedy Forensic mind reading performer Colin Cloud explains how the worlds of 'people reading' and comedy are quite similar. Read Julie Bower talks about creating sitcom So Awkward Julie Bower, the creator of new CBBC sitcom So Awkward, talks about how the show was developed. Read 10 things to check on a first date (and how to do it) Maddy Anholt provides a checklist of the top ten things you need to know about your possible future spouse. Read Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast Richard Herring's hit podcast show is back. Bob Mortimer is the first guest - people have been loving this episode, so do check it out. Listen Roisin Conaty interview A swift interview with Roisin Conaty, who performs a guest spot on Russell Howard's Comedy Central show this week. Read

TV Listings

Here is a guide to the new British comedy on TV this week... Horrible Histories Monday, CBBC, 5pm We follow Napoleon as he rises from humble beginnings to be the Emperor of France, bashing most of Europe along the way, and ultimately meeting his Waterloo at, well, Waterloo! See our guide for a dance video. Guide Vicious Monday, ITV, 9pm The gang join Ash and Jess at a ballroom dancing class. Nimble on his feet, Stuart quickly becomes teacher's pet, leaving Freddie in a huff. Guide It's A Funny Old Week Monday, ITV, 9:30pm A new series in which Jason Manford presents stand-up comedy on what's been going on across the last seven days. If you saw his Funny Old Year specials you'll know what to expect. Guide Virtually Famous Monday, E4, 10pm Kevin McHale is joined by Made In Chelsea's Spencer and Binky as part of reality show's E4 takeover night. Seann and Chris are also joined by Russell Kane and David Morgan. Guide Episodes Monday, BBC Two, 10pm Matt learns his father has had heart failure. Sean and Beverly find themselves dragged along to the hospital to support him during his day of familial hell. Guide Man Down Monday, Channel 4, 10pm Dan is sent on a diversity course after alarming headmistress Miss Lipsey (the ongoing target of his clumsy advances) with his complete lack of political correctness. Guide Undercover Tuesday, Dave, 9pm A new sitcom. It's a high stakes action comedy about an undercover police officer who is hopelessly out of his depth when he infiltrates an Armenian crime family. Lots more information and a preview clip on our site. Guide Brotherhood Tuesday, Comedy Central, 9:30pm Dan falls hard for Blanka, from the local Polish delicatessen. Trouble is, Blanka doesn't speak a word of English. Meanwhile, Toby and Jamie engage in some serious sibling rivalry. Guide Bob Monkhouse... The Million Joke Man Wednesday, Gold, 9pm In the final episode of this documentary series, Paul O'Grady charts Bob Monkhouse's reinvention as the elder statesman of British comedy from 1994 to his death in 2003. Guide Russell Howard's Stand Up Central Wednesday, Comedy Central, 10pm Russell Howard explains the many ways his mum embarrasses him, and answers a question on bad Christmas presents. His guests are Roisin Conaty and Sean McLoughlin. Guide Doll & Em Wednesday, Sky Atlantic, 10:10pm A chance encounter with Ewan McGregor takes Dolly by surprise, while Emily lands a film role that could threaten the future of her off-Broadway play with Doll. Guide SunTrap Wednesday, BBC One, 10:35pm The fast-talking new BBC sitcom continues. This week Woody goes undercover to find a thief at the island's gangster-owned casino. Look out for guest stars Keith Allen, Michelle Collins and Martin Marquez. Guide Hoff The Record Thursday, Dave, 9pm A new sitcom in which David Hasselhoff plays a fictionalised version of himself. All signs point to this being a hit - Channel Dave (or 'David' as it will re-brand itself as for one day) has already ordered Series 2. Guide Mock The Week Thursday, BBC Two, 10pm Dara O Briain and the team return for another episode of the topical comedy. This one features guests Rob Beckett, Milton Jones, Josh Widdicombe and show newcomer Ellie Taylor. Guide A League Of Their Own Friday, Sky1, 9pm Presenter Amanda Holden joins Freddie Flintoff and Jack Whitehall on the blue team, while Jamie Redknapp lines up alongside Aisling Bea, and his former Liverpool midfield partner John Barnes. Guide 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown Friday, Channel 4, 9pm Sean Lock and Vic Reeves take on special guest captain Lee Mack, with Sara Pascoe. Alex Horne and the Horne Section join with Susie Dent, while Rachel Riley takes care of the numbers and letters. Guide Sarah Millican: Home Bird Live Friday, Channel 4, 10pm A TV broadcast of the third live show from Sarah Millican. This is an edited version of the 2014 DVD release of the same name. Guide The Graham Norton Show Friday, BBC One, 10:35pm Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to the couch. He's joined by Emilia Clarke (Daenerys from Game of Thrones), Oscar-nominated Jake Gyllenhaal, model and actress Cara Delevingne, and music star Tinie Tempah. Guide The John Bishop Show Saturday, BBC One, 9:45pm This episode of the variety show features stand-up comedy from Hal Cruttenden, Jimeoin and Tanyalee Davis. Meanwhile Vikki Stone sings a funny song about Professor Brian Cox. Guide For a complete list of broadcasts, including repeats and radio comedy, see our full schedule.

New Products

The Keith Lemon Sketch Show OUT NOW. Brand new on DVD today is the first series of Keith Lemon's huge hit sketch show, as seen earlier this year on ITV2. We can't recommend this DVD enough to fans of the series: alongside all six episodes a wonderful selection of extras. There's a half hour behind-the-scenes documentary, almost a whole seventh episode of cut sketches, and plenty of out-takes. Details The Delivery Man PRE-ORDER. We loved this new ITV sitcom, broadcast recently by the channel as it ramps up its return to the comedy scene. It stars Darren Boyd as Matthew, a man who's left his job as a police officer to find a more 'fulfilling' role as a male midwife. The show co-stars Aisling Bea, Fay Ripley, Paddy McGuinness and Alex Macqueen. Fingers crossed for a Series 2. Details The Jessie Matthews Revue - Volume Three PRE-ORDER. Now largely forgotten, Jessie Matthews was a huge star both in the UK and US in the 1930s, a leading light of British cinema who featured in multiple box office hit musicals. This two-film collection includes one comedy, 1933's The Man From Toronto, in which Leila and Fergus - who have never met - must marry within a year to jointly inherit a huge fortune. Details Sands Of The Desert OUT NOW. Charlie Drake plays a misunderstood larger-than-life travel agency clerk, Charles Sands, who is sent to the desert to supervise the opening of one of his firm's famous holiday camps. What Charlie doesn't know is that a ruthless Arab sheikh wants the land on which the camp is being built, because he believes there's oil in the dunes. Details Man Down - Series 2 PRE-ORDER. It barely feels like it's returned at all, but by the end of the day Man Down will already be mid-way through its second series on Channel 4. Written by and starring Greg Davies, the sitcom has only seems to get better every week. If you're a fan, the Series 2 DVD release can be pre-ordered now. Details Spitting Image - The Complete 11th Series OUT NOW. A milestone in television comedy, Spitting Image lifted satire to a new level through the 1980s and '90s. No target was safe from its gunsights: politicians of all persuasions, even the Royal Family and the Pope could find themselves up for a ribbing on any given programme. Often defining the public perceptions of those it mocked, the complete 11th of 21 series is available now. Details For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.

Comedy Videos

The Keith Lemon Sketch Show extras Are you a fan of the Keith Lemon sketch show? If so, here are four bonus clips not seen on TV. Watch. They're taken from the new DVD: Win a copy Greig Johnson videos We featured Greig Johnson last week, but he's in our newsletter again as he continues with his plan to publish a unique character-focused video each day this month. Watch Mock The Week - Commercials that never made it to air If you missed it last Thursday, here's James Acaster, Matt Forde, Katherine Ryan and Josh Widdicombe suggesting some commercials that never made it to air. Watch My Mad Fat Diary - Series 3 Trailer The final series of My Mad Fat Diary starts next Monday. Here's a trailer: Watch Phil Tippett: Dinosaur Supervisor Jurassic Park. The Lost World. Jurassic World... Call it what you like, there's only one man for the job! Meet Phil Tippett: Dinosaur Supervisor. Watch

Guide Spotlight

Blackadder Famously voted Britain's second best ever sitcom in a 2004 poll, today marks an incredible 32 years since the first episode of Blackadder - aka The Black Adder - was broadcast. Elevating the likes of Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson from upcoming comics to true stars, its popularity and legacy are of course inarguable. See our website for a plethora of detail on all four series and every special: Guide

Thanks for Reading

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