Weekly Newsletter	Monday 29th June 2015

It's a Monday afternoon, so time for our weekly dose of news, features and TV listings...

Latest Comedy News

Joanna Lumley developing new comedy show for Sky Joanna Lumley is working on a new show for Sky Television. Few details are currently known, however the working title has been revealed as Harmony. Read The Missing Hancocks to return to Radio 4 Radio 4 has given the greenlight for five more lost Hancock's Half Hour episodes to be re-recorded for The Missing Hancocks series. Read David Walliams working on TV talent show sitcom David Walliams is reportedly working on a sitcom based around a TV talent show, inspired in part by his work as a judge on Britain's Got Talent. Read John Thomson to present Gold archive stand-up series John Thomson, in character as Bernard Righton, will present a series on TV comedy channel Gold which will show archive footage from the world's best comedians. Read

Also of interest...

Here are some pages on other websites that you might also be interested in... - Paddy McGuinness is to become a Madame Tussauds waxwork: Digital Spy - Dapper Laughs has said that the press are harassing him: BBC Newsbeat - James Corden has said it was "overwhelming" to be awarded an OBE for services to drama: Hello Magazine - Julian Barratt and Simon Farnaby are making a feature film together called Mindhorn: Velvet Onion - Russell Brand says he's taking his Trews format on a worldwide tour, to "show the truth behind all reality": YouTube - People have suddenly twigged that The Office spin-off movie is going ahead without Stephen Merchant's involvement: Hollywood News Found these links interesting? For more like this each evening follow us on social media, or visit our website:

Features

Zawe Ashton interview Zawe Ashton talks about taking on the lead role in new Channel 4 comedy drama Not Safe For Work. She also talks about the lack of diversity in TV and her other film projects. Read The John Dredge Show We're thrilled to help launch Series 4 of The John Dredge Nothing To Do With Anything Show today. This podcast, which counts the likes of Danny Baker amongst its fans, is really silly - we think you'll love it. Listen Other new podcast episodes include the new series of RHLSTP: Podcasts Classic Comedy Year: 1979 We're going to start re-running some of our old features in these newsletters as we've recently picked up many new subscribers who might have not seen some of them yet. This one looks at the comedies that launched in 1979. Read

TV Listings

Here is a guide to the new British comedy on TV this week... Vicious Monday, ITV, 9pm After Freddie and Stuart have a falling out, Stuart moves in with Ash and Violet moves in with Freddie. Guide It's A Funny Old Week Monday, ITV, 9:30pm Jason Manford presents the topical news review show. This week he is joined by comedian Paul Sinha. Guide Episodes Monday, BBC Two, 10pm Beverly and Carol are forced to hide their friendship from an increasingly jealous Helen. Matt is caught between a financial rock and hard place: either sell the beach house or take a job as a game show host. Guide Man Down Monday, Channel 4, 10pm The sitcom starring Greg Davies continues. Dan - primarily motivated by impressing Miss Lipsey - volunteers to look after shouty kid Dennis for a weekend. Guide My Mad Fat Diary Monday, E4, 10pm Rae takes drastic action that could jeopardise her future when Chloe's parents ban her from seeing their daughter in hospital. As Rae tries to get things back on track, her A-levels and relationship with Finn hang in the balance. Guide Undercover Tuesday, Dave, 9pm The Police see the release of Ara's henchman Tommi Lylozian from prison as an opportunity to make some real headway. Guide Brotherhood Tuesday, Comedy Central, 9:30pm Dan's love life is a disgrace so Poppy decides it's time she finds him a date... easier said than done. Toby makes a new 'mate' and Jamie is on the receiving end of Auntie Debbie. Guide Not Safe For Work Tuesday, Channel 4, 10pm A new Channel 4 comedy drama about a group of highly dysfunctional civil servants forced to relocate from London to Northampton. Guide The Interviews Wednesday, Gold, 9pm Mixing archive interviews with footage from their much-loved sketch show, The Interviews presents a profile of Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker - in their own words. Guide Russell Howard's Stand Up Central Wednesday, Comedy Central, 10pm Jarlath Regan and John Robins are introduced by Russell Howard in this week's episode of his stand-up show. Robins is likely to become a star - one to keep an eye on. Guide Doll & Em Wednesday, Sky Atlantic, 10:10pm As Olivia Wilde and Evan Rachel Wood grow frustrated with Doll and Em's changes to the play, Dolly receives some unexpected news. Guide SunTrap Wednesday, BBC One, 10:35pm It's the last episode of the new fast-talking BBC sitcom. Woody starts working for a company running pirate boat parties for tourists. Guide Hoff The Record Thursday, Dave, 9pm The mockumentary continues. Hoff plans to embrace his potential for doing good in the world by becoming a UN Ambassador. Guide Mock The Week Thursday, BBC Two, 10pm Dara O Briain hosts the topical comedy show. This week the guests are Rob Beckett, Miles Jupp, Romesh Ranganathan and Tiff Stevenson. Guide A League Of Their Own Friday, Sky1, 9pm In the final episode of the current series, James Corden and Co are joined by West Ham captain Kevin Nolan, comedian Micky Flanagan and TV presenter Gabby Logan. Guide 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown Friday, Channel 4, 9pm Jimmy Carr hosts another game. This time Sean Lock and Mel Giedroyc take on guest captain Lee Mack and David O'Doherty. Adam Buxton joins Susie Dent. Guide The Last Leg Friday, Channel 4, 10pm Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker provide more offbeat commentary - here's hoping there's no technical problems this week (a video of last week's error is in our guide). Johnny Vegas is the guest. Guide The Graham Norton Show Friday, BBC One, 10:35pm Graham Norton presents highlights from the most recent series of his talk show. Guests include George Clooney, Kylie Minogue, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Chris Pratt and many more. Guide The John Bishop Show Saturday, BBC One, 9:45pm The comedy is provided by Nina Conti, Glenn Wool and Nish Kumar this weekend. Myra Dubois has an audience singalong, and there are musical performances by Rita Ora and James Bay. Guide For a complete list of broadcasts, including repeats and radio comedy, see our full schedule.

New Products

Tamahine OUT NOW. Starring Nancy Kwan and Dennis Price, this BAFTA-nominated comedy follows Tamahine, a half-Polynesian girl who is sent to England when her father dies, to visit his cousin, headmaster of a celebrated boys' public school. There, she has a disturbing influence on boys and masters alike, with all and sundry falling under the spell of her natural beauty and charm! Details SunTrap PRE-ORDER. Coming to a close this week is BBC One's quirky new sitcom SunTrap, starring Kayvan Novak (Fonejacker) and Bradley Walsh. It follows the sunbound adventures of investigative reporter Woody, on the run from his corrupt boss and hiding out on a small Spanish island with former mentor Brutus and the beautiful temptress Melody. Details The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel OUT NOW. The hit sequel to 2011's original Best Exotic Marigold Hotel makes it to DVD and Blu-ray today, introducing new stars Richard Gere and Tamsin Greig to the established line-up of Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, Maggie Smith, Ronald Pickup and Penelope Wilton. The film sees Sonny preparing to marry Sunaina and expand the hotel. Blu-ray Details For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.

Comedy Videos

Lee Nelson meets Kanye West For those that missed it: the moment Simon Brodkin, in character as Lee Nelson, disrupted the Glastonbury set by Kanye West. Guardian No Point - Episode 1 Wimbledon is back, so expect a few tennis sketches next week. First though, here's a sitcom about the misadventures of a hapless tennis trio as they pursue Wimbledon glory. Watch Scouse Stilettos talk about Jurassic World A pair of Scouse stilettos talk about their experience working with Bryce Dallas Howard on hit movie Jurassic World. They reveal "she's been inside us". It's a sketch by Double Diddy. Watch Learning To Play The Shenanigan We've been very impressed by Greig Johnson's daily sketches - each different, with lots of effort put in to the editing etc. This weird one sees him present a beginners' guide to playing the ancient, elegant instrument that is The Shenanigan. Watch

Guide Spotlight

The Work Experience Looking forward to ITV's repeat run of the excellent ancient Rome-set sitcom Plebs, from tonight (10:40pm)? Comments we've seen on social media suggest Ryan Sampson - slave Grumio - is the standout star of the show: quite a task alongside the significant comic talents of Tom Rosenthal and Joel Fry. Sampson also featured in this hidden-camera-reality sitcom from E4 back in 2012, as outrageous Shussi. Guide

Thanks for Reading

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