BCG Daily Thursday 8th January 2015

Ian Hislop on the attack on Charlie Hebdo

"I am appalled and shocked by this horrific attack - a murderous attack on free speech in the heart of Europe."

James Corden brilliant playing himself - a total dick

It's precisely because Corden is so infuriating that The Wrong Mans was so blindingly brilliant.

Babylon: jarring reality, doused with humor

The British series Babylon, a complicated and darkly satirical comedy about law enforcement and its discontents that runs on the Sundance Channel starting Thursday, is eerily timely for American viewers. It touches on issues from pensions to prison privatization, but the story is built around two questionable police shootings. One, of a young black man, leads to riots that escalate because aggrieved police officers refuse to leave their stations.

Radio Times review

"I find nothing more relaxing than making scented candles," is the claim Adrian Chiles reads from his card to start the show. It's a splendid image - the football presenter dabbling with hot wax and perfume - and even better, it kicks off a heated dispute about what exactly candlestickmakers sell, which gets Lee Mack, Rob Brydon and David Mitchell barking at each other in a surreal shouting match.

Otherwise it's an episode held together by Mack's artful embroidery - right up to the point where guest June Brown almost collapses the whole format by replying in an exasperated tone, when asked if she thinks a story is true, "I don't see why it's so important!"

Radio Times review

Luke (Elis James) finds himself banged up for a two-year stretch in a young offenders' institute after his girlfriend's idiot brother Jason (Kadiff Kirwan) shanghais him into a bank robbery. Guess who's his cellmate.

This isn't Porridge. It's a sitcom set in a prison, yes, but it's younger, less weary and, frankly, less funny. Yet it's not without its charms. Luke isn't the only innocent in this prison, with proceedings having the childish air of the playground, rather than terrifying air of the exercise yard. Emphasis is on the youths, not the offenders. It's a deceptively clever approach to a difficult subject, and is perfect for Elis James's laconic, put-upon schtick.

Radio Times review

Comedian Bridget Christie has done two Edinburgh shows and now two Radio 4 series on the state of feminism in Great Britain today. Her tone is vituperative as she acknowledges the shtick she takes for not changing the subject matter of her shows -- has the lot of women now so improved that sexism does not need questioning any more, she demands?

Her material ranges from new takes on the classic comedy sketch format to borderline rants. But her points are well made and what's not to like about her own, personal rape fantasy -- apparently all we women have them -- "more prosecutions and longer sentences"?

Why new BBC Three sitcom Crims is worth your time

On the surface, Crims is full of the kind of gross gags that The Inbetweeners was famous for. But thanks to Elis and Kadiff's onscreen chemistry, there's warmth here as well.

Interview: Emma Barton from One Man, Two Guvnors

"I put so much pressure on myself but I'm absolutely over the moon to be a part of it. It's one of the best pieces of theatre I've seen, let alone worked on. It's been an honour."

Terry-Thomas played the cad to perfection

Terry-Thomas, who died 25 years ago, was a man who makes today's rotters look an absolute shower.

Obituary: Jeremy Lloyd

As one half of an era-defining writing partnership with David Croft, Jeremy Lloyd dominated British television comedy in the 1970s and 1980s with two long-running hits reviled by critics but revered by audiences.

Tony Law, Soho Theatre - comedy review

Tony Law's show, Enter the ToneZone was a fast-paced romp of oddball comedy, taking in subjects as diverse as the Trojan Wars and the death of his sausage dog, Cartridge Davison.

Interview: Richard Gadd

Muswell Hill comedian Richard Gadd's fictional family tale explores real life themes of struggle and isolation.

Comedy docudrama What a Drag to screen in Manchester

Amanda Fleming's latest short film What a Drag is showing at an exclusive private screening in Manchester this weekend.

Comedian to ban women from his next Edinburgh show

A comedian says he'll ban women from the audience of his next Edinburgh show. Mark Silcox says women have 'made my life miserable' - and wants to explore his relationships in a 'safe space' that only an all-male crowd can provide.

London protest planned for famine comedy at C4 HQ

A demonstration will be held this month outside of British TV station Channel 4's London offices in protest of a proposed comedy series about Ireland's Great Hunger.

Doc Brown to star in Ricky Gervais's 'Life on the Road'

The rapper - otherwise known as actor Ben Bailey Smith - will star with the former office manager in the spoof rock documentary.

Elf Lyons: duck flu, Barbarella & a dog in a gimp suit

"I came up with this world..." she told me. "This sitcom idea. I got really excited, then realised all the tangents and all the character layers couldn't really exist in a one hour play, so I've written lots of different episodes. And I'm doing the first 45-minute pilot, as it were, next Thursday for three nights at the Etcetera Theatre in Camden."

Russell Brand documentary will open SXSW 2015

A new documentary about Russell Brand, Brand: A Second Coming will open 2015's South by Southwest Film Festival.

QI biggest TV turn-on in Yorkshire

Yorkshire viewers have been surveyed by TV Licensing to see how what a potential partner watches on the box affects how attractive they are, with QI topping the chart of TV turn-ons.

Opinion: what is a comedian?

I wouldn't claim to know every gigging comedian by any means. But when it was announced in the press that Stephen Fry was to marry stand-up comedian Elliott Spencer my ears pricked up. I'd not come across Spencer and couldn't find any mention of him on any reputable comedy websites. Is it possible that he had slipped under my radar?

Preview: Robin Ince, Blooming Buzzing Confusion

Edinburgh regular Robin Ince returns with his latest brain-squeezing show.

Crims review

Based on one episode, which is always tricky for a sitcom where characters are not yet established, Crims feels like a sitcom that doesn't fulfil its potential, but has more positive indicators than negative ones, and will be worth a second look.