BCG Daily Thursday 18th December 2014

Radio Times review

A sparkly, disposable bauble that reunites 24: Live Another Day co-stars Stephen Fry and Kiefer Sutherland, but in roles that could hardly be more different. Sutherland is a suburban dad and husband who's not very good at either. With Christmas coming, red bills are piling up and his failure as head of his family is about to be revealed. He needs money. The guy next door (Kevin McNally) is a pathetically seething cuckold who has money, and wants a nasty favour in return...

Fry is the magic element in a half-hour caper with a whiff of It's a Wonderful Life. Don't invest too heavily, but the crispness of Fry and Sutherland's long scene together - and the now-rare chance to see Fry flex his comic acting muscles - makes up for the tale not amounting to much.

Radio Times review

If ratings are an indication, viewers haven't warmed to this genre-shredding satire. Once you get on Babylon's wavelength, it's a juicy picture of the Metropolitan Police as (to quote its heroine) "a perspex Death Star", a place where the vogue for transparency means the PR tail wags the policing dog.

But it's hard to get on the wavelength when Babylon is deadly serious one minute and swearily silly the next. Any series, even the blackest of comedies, where your lead character commits suicide halfway through has a hill to climb. The repercussions of that shock are still being felt as the firearms squad returns to duty and Sharon (the splendidly underplayed Nicola Walker) faces a crisis.

Making a Christmas special 'special'

"Eric Morecambe and Eddie Braben [Eric and Ernie's principal writer] used to tell me that they started thinking about the Christmas shows in January," recalls Barry Cryer.

Review: BBC Radio New Comedy Award 2014 final

As by far the highest profile of the finalists, you might question whether this contest was won by appeals on social media before a mic was switched on, but Ridley seemed popular in the room.

Russell Brand apologises to RBS worker

Russell Brand has apologised to an RBS worker for acting aggressively towards him during a recent anti-capitalist protest.

Kiefer Sutherland interview

Kiefer Sutherland is swapping high-octane thrills for a festive comedy with Stephen Fry.

How to break into radio writing

BBC Radio 4 commissioner Caroline Raphael offers some tips.

Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel chosen for royal gala

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has been selected as the next charity Royal Film Performance.

Sacha Baron Cohen vows he won't play Borat again

Sacha Baron Cohen won't be reprising his roles as Borat or Bruno - ever again - even for a £16 million paycheque.

Nick Helm review

Helm's festive outing is painful, self-pitying and aggressive, but the musical numbers provide structure and pace.

Review: Eric & Little Ern - St James Theatre, London

Eric and Ernie's are big shoes to fill, the iconic double act having shared a hugely successful career spanning three decades leading them to fondly be thought of as the nation's pride.

Robin Ince's Christmas Science Ghosts, comedy review

Most comedy gigs offer audiences something to laugh about. Robin Ince's annual Bloomsbury package also offers something to think about.

Claudia Winkleman to lead danceathon for Comic Relief

The Strictly Come Dancing presenter will be joined by a variety of famous faces at the event at London's SSE Arena Wembley on Sunday, March 8.

James Corden makes The Late Late Show debut

Craig Ferguson gave James Corden the Late Late Show seal of approval and it only has a little to do with James being made of biscuits and cake.

Playhouse Presents: Marked, Sky Arts 1, review: 'froth'

Though Kiefer Sutherland and Stephen Fry make a pleasing pair, this festive short doesn't amount to much.

Writing on Kids' Sitcoms

Nine year-old boys and thirteen year-old girls are very different creatures. Your job is to make both of them laugh.

Behind-the-scenes: Drunk History

Plying comic actors with booze? What can possibly go wrong?