BCG Daily Tuesday 10th March 2015

Jason Manford queries BBC over panel show announcement

Comedian Jason Manford has called the BBC's decision to "ban" all-male panels on comedy shows "brilliant", but said it should not have been made public.

Info about "Face the Funny" sketch

This Friday the nation's best-loved celebrities will be joining forces for a must-see sketch to decide who has done enough to win the title of National Treasure 2015.

Radio Times review

Paul Whitehouse, David Cummings and Esther Coles's accomplished Radio 4 comedy, which engaged intelligently with mental health issues, has here been sensitively rescaled for the small screen.

Coles plays a community nurse meeting an array of characters (some new and mainly played by Whitehouse). They include Billy the agoraphobic ex-con, Herbert the ageing rake and - probably most memorably - the morbidly obese Graham who is engaged in a terrible, co-dependent relationship with his obsessive mother and her revoltingly unhealthy cooking.

There are nose-snortingly outrageous laughs aplenty as we'd expect from any Whitehouse stable. But, thanks to the judiciousness and ebullience of the writing and the tenderness and skill of the performances, they never detract from the narrative's essential humanity and warmth.

Radio Times review

Keith Allen cameos as dying Uncle Frank, whom he plays as a sort of cockney pirate. "You remind me of Hail Mary," he rasps gleefully at young Errol. "We woz in the Falklands together. 'E was built like an anorexic flamingo 'n' all."

Of course, cash-strapped Andy isn't visiting out of the kindness of his heart, but because he hopes to find his estranged uncle's fortune buried in the garden.

Sexism in comedy

+ a cripple, a lesbian, two ethnic minorities and a spaceman.

Room to Write plays for laughs

'It was such a massive challenge for us to pull it off and we are so proud of it,' says Laura Marks from her base in Glasgow.

The young producer is talking about Room to Write, a partnership between BBC Comedy and Writersroom to find a group of promising writers who might be able to create the next wave of Scottish comedy shows.

Review: Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense

Overall, a positively spiffing night out. Not intellectually challenging, but quite breathtaking in its pace and visual humour, it is well worth catching on the current tour.

Video: Paul Whitehouse on mental health comedy Nurse

Paul Whitehouse is known for his larger than life characters, catchphrases and 25 year partnership with Harry Enfield.

This week, he returns to our screens - but his new series takes on an issue that's no laughing matter.

Nurse follows the life of an overstretched community mental health health worker, played by Esther Coles, as she does her daily rounds.

Five things you might not know about John Shuttleworth

The polo-necked Yorkshireman hits the road with A Wee Ken To Remember.

5 reasons why you should tune in for Nurse

Here are 5 reasons why you should tune in when the series kicks off tonight...

Fin Taylor interview

Fin Taylor returned to XS Malarkey last week to present his reliably brilliant, anti-self-indulgent wears to a happy Manchester audience. Afterwards, I talked to him about Edinburgh, finding a comedy style and knowing an audience.

John Bishop on Comic Relief's impact in Africa

The comedian said 'everyone here has a story about malaria, traumatic birth or HIV, so it's great to see your cash pay to build them a new clinic'

Nurse, BBC2 - TV review

No punchlines, no catchphrases, just Paul Whitehouse tugging at our heartstrings.

My comedy hero: Gary Delaney on Adrian Juste

One-liner comic Gary Delaney shares memories of a radio influence.

Is new comedy 'Nurse' too sugary sweet?

The jokes have been made already ('Goodness, this is a long Aviva car insurance advert') and the comparisons to Ricky Gervais' Derek have been posted well in advance. And it's true that Paul Whitehouse's bittersweet new sitcom for BBC Two, about a hard-pressed Community Psychiatric Nurse, does bear an unfortunate and uncanny resemblance to both. But here's the rub - the Aviva adverts are funnier. And it's so soppy that it makes Derek look like a Michael Haneke film.

Room to Write - 3 lessons

Kim MacAskill sums up what she learnt from Room to Write and passes on some great advice in 3 Lessons.

Nurse, review: 'a beautiful bedside manner'

Paul Whitehouse's well-observed comedy came from the heart, says Michael Hogan.

TV review: Nurse

There's no shame in incurring a broken ankle because you fell, or having flu because someone sneezed beside you on the train, so why should there be shame if you develop anxiety following a period of stress, or depression following a bereavement?

Nurse is touching, funny and important

The new comedy from The Fast Show star tackles mental illness sensitively and authentically - but with plenty of laughs, says Ben Dowell.

Dylan Moran on the horrors of IS and Candy Crush

On his first UK tour for four years, Dylan Moran addresses the horrors of IS and Candy Crush.

Al Murray solves London's problems

As the Pub Landlord runs for parliament and prepares to go head-to-head with Nigel Farage in Kent, we put the concerns of real Londoners to him.