Weekly Newsletter	Monday 16th November 2015

Plenty of news this week - and a big story today to share. What do you make of potential sitcom revivals?

Latest Comedy News

BBC to revive sitcoms including Keeping Up Appearances BBC One is reportedly looking to revive sitcoms including The Good Life, Are You Being Served?, Up Pompeii!, Keeping Up Appearances and Porridge. Read BBC to produce new Porridge spin-off The BBC is to revive classic sitcom Porridge. A new pilot episode will focus on Fletcher's loveable rogue grandson, who is also in prison. Read Warren Mitchell dies aged 89 Warren Mitchell, the comedy actor best known for playing Alf Garnett in Till Death Us Do Part, has died aged 89. Read Drunk History returns for Series 2 Comedy Central has ordered a second series of Drunk History, the comedy show in which comedians attempt to recall true historic stories whilst heavily inebriated. Read Hugh Dennis to front The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread Hugh Dennis will host The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread, a new panel show pilot in which guests will put forward their answer to that question. Read ITV2 to air end of year show with impressionist Luke Kempner ITV2 is to air The Luke Kempner Show, an end-of-year review programme hosted by impressionist Luke Kempner. Read Michael McIntyre to host another BBC Christmas special Michael McIntyre is to present another festive comedy and music special for the BBC. Michael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show will be shown on BBC One on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, John Bishop's festive show will also return for another year. Read Jimmy Carr announces Netflix special Jimmy Carr has announced he is recording a Netflix stand-up special, proclaiming "DVD is dead". Read

Features

Noel Fielding interview In a series of video interviews with BCG, Noel Fielding talks about his live show, missing Never Mind The Buzzcocks, whether The Mighty Boosh will come back, and more. Watch Hal Cruttenden interview How stressed was Hal Cruttenden about his latest Live At The Apollo appearance? Pretty stressed. Probably a good job he didn't make it to the RSC after all then. Read Want to be a Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival judge? Fancy being a judge at the 2016 Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival in February? Here's how you could get involved. Read @TechnicallyRon interview An interview with comedy writer Aaron Gillies, better known as Twitter user @TechnicallyRon. He talks about how he gets work, how his new book came about, and more. Read Podcasts There're lots of funny things to listen to in our podcast area, including the latest episode of RHLSTP, which starts with Robert Popper making a prank phone call. Listen

TV Listings

Here is a guide to the new British comedy on TV this week... Trollied Monday, Sky1, 9pm This week in the supermarket sitcom everyone is on high alert as big Valco boss Brendan O'Connor is descending on the store. Guide After Hours Monday, Sky1, 9:30pm Sky's gentle new sitcom continues. Lauren and Ollie try to cheer up a down-in-the dumps Willow by giving him the chance to co-present the radio show. Guide Live At The Apollo Monday, BBC Two, 10pm Dara O Briain hosts this stand-up show tonight. After performing himself, he introduces Zoe Lyons and Paul Chowdhry to the stage. Guide Scot Squad Monday, BBC One Scotland, 10:35pm Volunteer Officer Ken Beattie discovers that there is more than meets the eye to a blind man he is assisting, in this episode of BBC Scotland's spoof cop-doc. Guide Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled Tuesday, Dave, 10pm This week Alan Davies is joined by Aisling Bea, Justin Moorhouse, Jo Enright and Vic Reeves to discuss all sorts of things. The episode is intriguingly titled "I'm Locked In With A Ham And I'm Not Coming Out". Guide Catastrophe Tuesday, Channel 4, 10pm Series 2 of the realistic relationship comedy continues. As Rob and Sharon celebrate what is a tainted wedding anniversary, Fran and Chris are sadly drifting further apart. Guide You, Me And The Apocalypse Wednesday, Sky1, 9pm Just 7 days to go until we're all obliterated. Jamie seriously underestimates Ariel's intelligence when the pair come face to face in uncertain circumstances. Guide Peep Show Wednesday, Channel 4, 10pm Jez's life coaching career is going well and it seems a new client could bring more to his life than just a steady income. Super Hans in the meantime is getting ready for his wedding day. Guide Josh Wednesday, BBC Three, 10:30pm In this week's episode of the sitcom created by Josh Widdicombe, the central character goes on a date with Lily, an old classmate who used to be the "hottest girl in school". Guide Toast Of London Wednesday, Channel 4, 10:30pm A new third series of the bonkers comedy starring Matt Berry. Live on chat show Lorraine, Toast tells a tale that could not only topple the US Government but also destroy the entire world. Guide Bring The Noise Thursday, Sky1, 9pm This week Ricky Wilson and rest of the regulars welcome soul-pop singer John Newman and Hurts lead singer Theo Hutchcraft to the show. Guide Drifters Thursday, E4, 9pm Meg desperately needs a plus one for a very important occasion, Laura's patience is stretched thin when Gary's best friend Maggot comes to stay with them, and Bunny takes it upon herself to do Meg a favour. Guide Russell Howard's Good News Thursday, BBC Two, 10pm Russell Howard presents another episode of his hit show. Has anyone else noticed he's started to air his personal and political views a bit more? The resultant videos are regularly going viral online now. Guide Detectorists Thursday, BBC Four, 10pm The mystery of the buried bomber is the least of Lance and Andy's problems this week, but a disturbing possibility emerges from an unlikely source that throws everything into doubt. Guide Citizen Khan Friday, BBC One, 7:30pm Note that this week's episode is on at an earlier time (to make room for an Adele special). It sees Mr Khan trying to win a Pride of Birmingham award. Guide Have I Got News For You Friday, BBC One, 9:35pm Paul Merton and Ian Hislop are joined by guest host Victoria Coren Mitchell and guest panellists Hal Cruttenden and Jacob Rees-Mogg this week. Guide QI Friday, BBC Two, 10pm Aisling Bea, Sandi Toksvig and Susan Calman take part in the quiz show. This episode was filmed before Stephen Fry decided to step down as host - so at this point Toksvig didn't know she'd be taking over the host's seat in 2016. Guide Alan Carr: Chatty Man Friday, Channel 4, 10pm Alan's guests this week include Josh Widdicombe, talking about his BBC Three sitcom. Apparently Danny Dyer has managed to write a book... so he's on the show too, to plug that. Fleur East is the musical guest. Guide The Graham Norton Show Friday, BBC One, 10:40pm Double Oscar-winner Tom Hanks is this week's big A-list booking. Peter Capaldi, now perhaps best known for Doctor Who rather than The Thick Of It, also appears; as does David Walliams. Duran Duran will perform. Guide The Jonathan Ross Show Saturday, ITV, 10:40pm Wossy continues a run of big headline guests, with One Direction, who will be chatting about how they're going to be taking a break. Michael McIntyre is another A-list name due to appear this week. Guide For a complete list of broadcasts, including repeats and radio comedy, see our full schedule.

New Products

The Legend Of Barney Thomson OUT NOW. Robert Carlyle directs and stars in this Glasgow-set black comedy. The film follows Barney Thomson (Carlyle), a barber working in the city's East End who unwittingly becomes a serial killer. When a heated argument with his boss results in an accidental death, Barney turns to his bingo-loving mother Cemolina (Emma Thompson) for help. Details The IT Crowd - Version 5.0: The Internet Is Coming PRE-ORDER. Special finale episode of the Channel 4 sitcom. In this instalment, a video goes viral showing Jen (Katherine Parkinson) accidentally throwing a cup of coffee over a homeless woman and Roy (Chris O'Dowd) arguing with a short barista. Meanwhile, Moss (Richard Ayoade) thinks wearing women's trousers will make him a better person. Details Hoff The Record PRE-ORDER. Shot in the style of a documentary, the semi-improvised comedy Hoff The Record follows TV legend David Hasselhoff - playing a highly fictionalised version of himself - as he arrives in the UK in an attempt to reignite his flagging career. Outrageously silly and wildly funny, a second series has already been filmed. Pick up your copy of Series 1 in time for Christmas. Details Money Talks OUT NOW. Comedy about Jewish life telling the story of an old man who is to inherit a legacy if he can prove he is in need, and who thus begins to gamble spectacularly with his life savings. But can he spend to earn - or will he ultimately come a cropper...? Details & Trailer Peter Kay's Car Share - Complete Series One PRE-ORDER. The complete first series of Car Share, BBC One's hit sitcom starring Peter Kay and Sian Gibson - which has just won three gongs at the Royal Television Society North West Awards. John Redmond (Kay) and Kayleigh Kitson (Gibson) have been thrown together in a company car share scheme, forcing their paths to cross. Each trip brings fresh insight into John and Kayleigh's lives, with twists and turns in their unlikely relationship. Blu-ray Details & DVD Details Get Santa OUT NOW. Festive comedy starring Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall and Warwick Davis. When nine-year-old Tom (Kit Connor) discovers that Santa Claus (Broadbent) has crashed his sleigh into his parent's garden shed he tries to get his dad Steve (Spall) to help him get Santa home to Lapland in time for Christmas. Easier said than done with reindeer running through London! Blu-ray Details & DVD Details For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.

Comedy Videos

The Magic of Childbirth This sketch, featuring various up-and-coming comic actors, shows that the birth of a baby is magical... literally. Watch Harry Hill on Children In Need 2015 As part of Children In Need 2015, Harry Hill presented this one-off sketch taking viewers on a whirlwind tour of the history of TV in his own inimitable style. Watch Roy Chubby Brown heckled at the bar Roy Chubby Brown has announced this year's DVD will be his last. Here is a (sweary) clip from it, in which he tells the story of how he was heckled by someone whilst standing at the bar. Watch Jenny Bede - Emoji Song A modern love story song from talented musical comedian Jenny Bede. Emoji symbols play an important part in the lyrics. Watch Frank Skinner On Demand with... Lee Mack The first episode of Frank Skinner's new web series in which he talks to people about what they're watching on BBC iPlayer. His first guest is Lee Mack. Watch The Trip - Children In Need special Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan filmed a special new The Trip meal to support Children In Need. Terry Wogan and Tom Jones are amongst those they impersonate in this sketch. Watch The Southern Servival Guide Here are some great tips for those planning to head to the southern parts of the USA. A sketch written and performed by Lead Pencil. Watch A one night stand with a twist Alice might have messed up her one night stand. This sketch from The Jest probably doesn't end as you're expecting. Watch A Gert Lush Christmas trailer The trailer for the brand new festive comedy A Gert Lush Christmas, which has been written by Russell Howard. Stars include Hannah Britland, Neil Morrissey, Sophie Thompson, Greg Davies and his sister Kerry Howard. Watch Ed Gamble on American TV Last week stand-up Ed Gamble became one of the select few British comedians who have been invited to appear on American TV show Conan. Here's his set. Watch The Assassin When you hire an assassin to carry out your dirty work, always check the terms and conditions. A sketch from The Awkward Silence. Watch

Guide Spotlight

Angelo's Produced jointly for Channel 5 and the Paramount Comedy Channel, Angelo's is a sitcom from the pen of Catastrophe star Sharon Horgan, which began 8 years ago today. Set in a greasy spoon cafe just off Trafalgar Square, it followed the small family-run establishment's staff and regulars. The rest of the cast includes Alice Lowe, Miranda Hart, Simon Farnaby, Steve Brody and Shelley Longworth. Guide

Thanks for Reading

If you're reading this on Monday, there's just still time to enter our Doc Martin DVD competition. The British Comedy Guide

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