BCG Daily Friday 18th December 2015
News
TV
Features
Features
Press clippings
60 fascinating QI facts
Insights on turnip ice cream, how ninjas communicated and why bad breath was bad news for Welsh husbands are all to be found in a new book.
Amanda Killelea, The Mirror, 18th December 2015Comedy in 2015: laughing in the face of adversity
A review of comedy over the course of the year, including Russell Brand interviewing Ed Miliband, Simon Brodkin pranking Sepp Blatter, and the return of Harry and Paul to the stage.
Rupert Hawksley, The Telegraph, 18th December 2015The five worst comedy acts of 2015
Including Frankie Boyle, Lee Nelson and a comedy night in support of Jeremy Corbyn.
Rupert Hawksley, The Telegraph, 18th December 2015Welsh comedy profile
One of the most interesting nights in Cardiff is 'Comedy at the Corp', a monthly gig featuring the crème de la crème of Welsh comedy.
Jo Duncan, The Bristol Post, 18th December 2015BBC commissioner Shane Allen: Not a turkey in sight
As families travel the four corners to get together, the pressure on entertaining everyone is huge and the spotlight on BBC comedy to play its part is greater than at any other time of the year.
Shane Allen, BBC Blogs, 18th December 2015The 10 best vicars
Including The Vicar of Dibley's Geraldine Granger, The League of Gentlemen's Bernice Woodall, and Viz's Paul Whicker the Tall Vicar.
Michael Hogan, The Guardian, 18th December 2015Get in the party spirit with Kurupt FM & MC Grindar
MC Grindah from BBC Three's pirate radio gang reveals the secrets of a banging Xmas rave.
Allan Mustafa, The Guardian, 18th December 2015Mackenzie Crook: my family values
The Detectorists actor talks about his solid, loving start to life and taking his children camping to interest them in the natural world.
Roz Lewis, The Guardian, 18th December 2015This week's new comedy
Previews of Freeze!, New Year's Eve and Funz & Gamez Tooz.
James Kettle, The Guardian, 18th December 2015The Custard TV's best of 2015
Including Car Share, Peep Show and Inside No. 9.
The Custard TV, 18th December 2015Can Limmy's Show! translate to an American audience?
The Glaswegian comic's show is now available on Netflix US, but will Americans be able to fathom him? We asked one to find out.
Matthew Cantor, The Guardian, 18th December 2015Peter Capaldi "won't revive Malcolm Tucker role"
Peter Capaldi has turned down requests from BBC chiefs begging the Scots actor to revive Malcolm Tucker, according to reports.
The Scotsman, 18th December 2015Time Out calls time on London comedy
Time Out is on a humourless mission. Earlier this month, the magazine announced its intention to become a "global commerce platform in the key vertical categories." We have no idea what this means, except it's the kind of lobotomised bullshit always correlated with news about job losses. As indeed was the case here: 40 redundancies across Time Out's UK and the US operations were announced in the statement. Yesterday, it emerged that London's comedy section has no part in this 'vertical' utopian vision, and is to be dropped from the Time Out 'platform' in the New Year.
Ben Venables, Londonist, 18th December 2015Kim Noble: You're Not Alone, Soho Theatre - review
A brazen, clever and deeply unsettling study of loneliness and the nature of human existence.
Marni Appleton, Everything Theatre, 18th December 2015Review - Lewis Schaffer: You Are Beautiful
The jokes don't always land; sometimes because he seems too sincere for them to be signposted gags. And the converse is also true, he gets laughs from apparently straight lines because we don't trust that he's being honest. It remains a peculiar dynamic, and one he seems to enjoy the ambiguity of. And if you're prepared to go with that oddness, you will too.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 18th December 2015Nigel Buxton - aka BaaadDad - has died
Nigel Buxton, who has died aged 91, was a Normandy veteran, former travel editor of The Sunday Telegraph and wine writer; in his later years, however, he acquired cult status as "BaaadDad", the delightfully proper septuagenarian "yoof" culture critic on Channel 4's Adam And Joe Show.
The Telegraph, 18th December 2015Pete Jackson: Christmas Present - Sober
My name's Pete Jackson. I write a Radio 4 series called Love In Recovery, set in Alcoholics Anonymous and based, in part, on my own experiences.
Pete Jackson, The Huffington Post, 18th December 2015Videos
TV
TV
TV
TV
Podcasts
TV & radio
11:30am30 min
Michael Frayn's Matchbox Theatre
Episode 4Including a couple who have just been on a street demo and cannot quite cast off their hectoring demeanour when ordering tea and buns.
1:30pm30 min
Breaking The News
Series 2, Episode 10Taking a satirical view of this week's headlines are broadcaster Kirsty Wark and comedians Phill Jupitus, Fred MacAulay and Keir McAllister.
5pm50 min
CBeebies Panto: Alice In Wonderland
A CBeebies adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic tale.
6:30pm30 min
The Now Show
Series 47, Episode 6Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by Jon Holmes, John Finnemore, Jasper Rees, Jess Ransom, Jake Yapp and Harry the Piano for a comic romp through the week's news.
6:30pm30 min
8:30pm30 min
Citizen Khan
Series 4, Christmas Special - Mr Khan's Christmas WonderlandMr Khan embraces Christmas like never before by launching his own range of traditional halal mince pies.
9pm30 min
Have I Got News For You
Series 50, Highlights SpecialA compilation of the popular news quiz that looks back at the big news of 2015. With team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop, and a variety of guest hosts and panellists.
10pm65 min
Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Series 15, Episode 15 - Kevin Bridges, Tina Fey, Gwendoline Christie, Anthony Daniels, Lion BabeAlan Carr is joined by Kevin Bridges, who chats about his latest live stand-up DVD, Tina Fey discusses her new movie Sisters; and Gwendoline Christie and Anthony Daniels talk about their roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Plus, there's music from Lion Babe, who perform Where Do We Go live in the studio.
10:30pm30 min
Sam Delaney's News Thing
Episode 7 - Saudi ArabiaSam wonders why we're still mates with Saudi Arabia, feminist icon Germaine Greer explains her views on transgender people and reporter David Hock hunts down the illegal immigrants posing as Santa.
10:35pm50 min
The Graham Norton Show
Series 18, Episode 12 - Star Wars Special: Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Kylie Minogue, David BeckhamCarrie Fisher reveals she spilt the beans some time ago on the Star Wars storyline, Daisy Ridley says the movie was emotional and John Boyega talk about Harrison Ford. Kylie says she is loved up for Christmas and David Beckham admits Alex Ferguson still has a hold over him.