BCG Daily Friday 30th May 2014

John Oliver bucks the Piers Morgan effect on HBO

How does a Brit get away with lecturing Americans about their socio-political shortcomings? Well, for a start, unlike Piers Morgan, Oliver doesn't actually lecture.

Radio Times review

Either actress Emily Blunt is a smart, funny person or she's unbelievably good at chat shows. If you've seen her previous appearance on Norton's show - memorably jousting with Russell Brand - you'll know she's terrific value, and the fact that she had a baby this year can only, hopefully, add to her stock of funny stories.

It says something for the show's pulling power that Blunt is probably the least starry name on the sofa. Her co-star in sci-fi thriller Edge of Tomorrow Tom Cruise returns to the show - oh yes - while Seth MacFarlane and Charlize Theron drop by to promote their comedy western A Million Ways to Die in the West. Making up the numbers on music duties are a band called Coldplay.

Radio Times review

This comedy from one of the chaps behind Curb Your Enthusiasm revels in its late 60s setting: there's the imperious telephone operator, the glum son in the corner of the pub waiting for his dad to finish up, the blithe drink-driving. There's also an icky dollop of toilet humour in its most literal sense and, inevitably, a sprinkling semantic confusion because Mr Sloane has fallen for a comely American who says "faucet" instead of tap.

In other words it's not the sharpest of scripts but that hardly matters when you have Nick Frost as your lead, doing what he does best: earnest awkwardness. He's a joy to watch.

Police called to remove heckler at Swansea club

One audience member at Swansea's Grand Theatre proved so persistent he had to be thrown out by the police.

How to survive 100 gigs as a stand-up

Sexist MCs, venues with crates for seats, sharing a bill with 20 comics ... Ellie Gibson emerges from her first months on the open mic toilet circuit to share what she's learned.

Simon Cowell's house on Through the Keyhole?

Keith Lemon says "I think he has an inherent hate for me. He always tells Louis Walsh off for coming on Celebrity Juice, as he wants them all to be taken seriously as judges."

Sean Hughes interview

'I did get offered reality TV things,' he says. 'But I would never do any of those.'

Interview: Pappy's

Hold on to your takeaway pizzas, Matthew Crosby, Ben Clark and Tom Parry return to BBC3 on June 2 for the second series of Badults.

A good pun is its own reword

From Battersea Flower Station to Blonde Dye Bleach, everyone wants to be punny. What's your favourite?

Olivia Colman and Ophelia Lovibond: Get the Look

Want that 60's vibe this spring/summer? Then look no further - here are our top tips to getting the look from Sky Atlantic's Mr Sloane...

Comedy Preview: Duty Free

Duty Free may only have run for 22 episodes, but the Yorkshire TV series remains one of the most popular sitcoms of the last 30 years. And now it's back, complete with most of the original cast, in a new stage version.

Book Review: Secret Kilkenny

If you can't make it to Kilkenny this year this is the next best thing. Heck, just reading about the antics at the annual Ireland Versus The Rest Of The World football match makes me want to drop everything and get over there.

Interview: Funny Team

New North East sketch group Funny Team - consisting of Lee Kyle, Sammy Dobson, Catherine Scott, Nicola Mantalios-Lovett and Matt Reed - make their debut at Gateshead's Jesterval Comedy Festival in June. Ahead of the show, we meet the team to talk comedy, sketch and more.

Why is the Edinburgh Fringe not on TV more?

Since then the festival has grown in size, wildly so, but the TV coverage of it hasn't. It doesn't massively surprise me. After all, the growth in comedy hasn't always seen a commensurate increase in mainstream column inches.

Valerie Hager interview

Valerie Hager is an American ex-crystal meth addict and one-time pole dancer taking a show called Naked In Alaska to the Edinburgh Festival.

Milo McCabe interview

Milo McCabe is a character comedian. He returns to the Edinburgh Fringe for the sixth time in 2014.

Ivor Dembina interview

Veteran Jewish comedian Ivor Dembina is founder and resident host of the two decades old, Hampstead Comedy Club. His popular 2013 Edinburgh show, Old Jewish Jokes, returns to the Fringe in August.

I book female comedians because they're funny

We need to change the conversation around female comics, and stop looking to panel shows for the answers.

The Milo McCabe three minute interview

Milo McCabe is a character comedian. He returns to the Edinburgh Fringe for the sixth time in 2014 with a new show based around a single character called, Troy Hawke. Martin Walker asks, "Why Troy?"