BCG Daily Wednesday 14th January 2015

Del Boy chic: the rise of the sheepskin coat

From Burberry to Topman Design, the sheepie is a catwalk hit. The classic Trotter winter warmer is rightly as popular with fashion's front rows as market-stall traders.

Glasgow Comedy Festival set to let loose laughs

Jimmy Carr, Dylan Moran, Al Murray, Frankie Boyle and Rich Hall will be among the headliners at this year's Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

Radio Times review

"If there's one thing recovering alcoholics aren't short of it's stories," says writer Pete Jackson. And he should know, as this inspired and inspiring sitcom comes from his own experience of being thrown into AA meetings with a truly disparate group of people and then finding that it's more than a problem with drink that binds them together. The fact that Jackson is working with one of the finest comedy casts on radio for years helps as well.

The previous story centred on the aggressive snob Fiona, played by Rebecca Front (be sure to listen on iPlayer if you missed it). This story belongs to Julie (played by Sue Johnston), a woman who did not start drinking, or really living, until she hit 60. Paul Kaye, John Hannah, Eddie Marsan and Julia Deakin are the rest of the players and the series is set to become a classic.

I hope that Radio 4 makes much more use of Jackson over the coming months. He's a comedy writer with talent and a heart.

Adrienne Truscott: nudity inexpensive but effective

While she doesn't believe comedy should be censored - "what I like may not be what you like, but if you want freedom of speech, it all must be heard" - Truscott hoped to tackle what she describes as "lazy" comedy.

Ryan Sampson's favourite TV

Ryan Sampson on his love of Deal Or No Deal and why Spaced should return to TV.

Cockroaches, ITV2, review: 'not laugh-out-loud enough'

Jack Whitehall gave a jarring performance in this sitcom from the creators of Bad Education.

Another comic dropped for being a woman

Another comedian has revealed how she was dropped from a stand-up bill - for being a woman. Helen Keeler was booked to compere the regular Comedy Night at the ACE Centre in Nelson, Lancashire, on February 6.

Why I'm Quitting Comedy Competitions, by Tom Ward

I've seen Tom Ward in three comedy competition finals over the last year - the NATYS, the BBC Radio New Comedy Awards final and most recently the Piccadillly Comedy Club New Comedian of the Year. He has always stood out to me as one to watch and I've been amazed that he has not won any of them. Last week Ward posted a message on Facebook saying that he would no longer be taking part in competitions. I was surprised by this decision as they are traditionally a great way for a comedian to get noticed by the industry. Heck, even Daniel Kitson did talent competitions when he was starting out. Though, notably he didn't win one. Anyway, I asked Tom Ward to write this piece to explain why he had taken this decision. Here is his response.

Prof. Brian Cox to play God in Spamalot in Manchester

After a public vote, scientist Cox was chosen as the person Manchester theatregoers wanted to see play "God" in the Monty Python musical.

Want to write comedy for TV?

A workshop offering a guide to developing cross-platform comedy is coming to Newcastle.

Mark Thomas presents first Linda Smith Lecture

Comedian Mark Thomas is to present the inaugural Linda Smith Lecture at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury on May 12. The talk is being put on by The British Stand-Up Comedy Archive as part of a series of events this year.

Mark Watson: Flaws review

Exploring his own neuroses, Watson's show is both funny and edgy - and the closer we get to his demons the more compelling it becomes.

David Walliams led children's UK book sales

David Walliams made more than £7m from sales of his children's books in 2014, making him the UK's best-selling children's author.

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney interview

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney on sex, parenthood and Catastrophe.

The Spotlight on ... Tom Ward

Say hello to Tom Ward, an up-and-coming comedian of a distinctly weird and wonderful flavour.

Catastrophe preview

Right from the word go, the laughs are there. Catastrophe is funny, and funny in a way that isn't obvious or played for laughs.

Sara Pascoe interview

Sara Pascoe - comedian, actor and writer - is currently beetling about the country with her first stand-up tour show, Sara Pascoe vs History. Between her two shows at The Lowry in Salford, she very kindly agreed to loiter by the doors while I asked her a few questions.

All hail to Al: Pub Landlord in stand against Farage

With his comic creation Murray seemingly went from satirising Little England to celebrating it. But his bid for South Thanet promises to be funny, weird and combative - it might even do the nation a good turn.

Dapper Laughs signals a revival with tweet

Just three months after an apparently contrite O'Reilly appeared on BBC Two's Newsnight programme and claimed to be retiring Dapper, the character's Twitter account has been resurrected with the words: "Hello Twitter... It's been a while...be gentle!"

Paul Kaye to guest star in Doctor Who

More details have emerged around the currently filming episodes of Doctor Who featuring Paul Kaye.

Three kinds of guest character

The audience aren't as interested in the guest characters as you are. They're all about the main characters they've come to know, understand and, hopefully, love. So don't get carried away.

Armando Iannucci on Paris and Sony Attacks

Armando Iannucci talks about the Paris and Sony attacks, Rupert Murdoch's tweet and self-censorship fears.

Mark Watson interview

Mark Watson is a naturally funny man. To prove the point, the stand-up, who is the father of a newborn baby, begins our chat by telling me how shattered he is.

The League of Gentlemen feature

I distinctly remember the first time I watched the show, also being the first time it aired in America, premiering on Comedy Central sometime in 1999. I was into British comedy even then and was excited at what appeared to be a new, unique looking show. But I was not prepared for what I was about to see. Monty Python or Mr Bean this was not.