BCG Daily Wednesday 8th February 2017

It's the 1st day of the Leicester Comedy Festival 2017

There's shows from well-known names, including Ken Dodd, Sue Perkins, Jimmy Carr and Johnny Vegas, as well as scores of brilliant upcoming acts.

Vote for your best Leicester Comedy Festival poster

Voting is now open for you to choose your favourite poster from the Leicester Comedy Festival 2017.

Caricatures of comics to be displayed in Leicester

Caricaturist George Williams has produced 10 contemporary caricatures of comedians which are now on display at The Y Theatre for the duration of the comedy festival.

Carrie Fisher: Catastrophe role 'fitting tribute'

Carrie Fisher's role in the third series of Channel 4 sitcom Catastrophe will be a "fitting tribute", say its makers.

Angelos and Barry review

The comic alter egos of Dan Renton Skinner and Alex Lowe claim to be the New Power Generation come to save us in a thin but skilfully written show.

First look: Sandi Toksvig's Silver Lining

Images have been released of Sandi Toksvig's new play Silver Lining which opens this evening at the Rose Theatre Kingston.

Preview - No Offence

With justice juggernaut Viv (Joanna Scanlan) suspended from duty after being outmanouevered by Nora Attah, the matriarch of the nototrious crime family, she risks blowing the team's case against Manni by continuing to build evidence into the Attah's complicity in the disappearance/murder of several children.

Is comedy infectious to doctors?

A white coat is often a sign of funny bones, as periodic outbreaks of medically trained comedians demonstrate.

Stewart Lee interview

It's rare that anyone should appear in the Leicester Mercury newspaper twice on one day - but Stewart Lee achieved such a feat 11 years ago.

The career of Alan Simpson

The comedy writer Alan Simpson has died at the age of 87. Genome takes a look back over his career, and the many outstanding shows he wrote with Ray Galton.

Major TV acting role for Richard Gadd

Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Richard Gadd is one of the stars in a new BBC Two factual drama entitled Against The Law.

Prevenge finds North American home at Shudder

The streaming service is planning its first theatrical release after acquiring the British star's feature directorial debut.

Prevenge will launch online and in New York and Los Angeles on March 24 shortly after its screening at SXSW.

January: Comedian Of The Month #36, Anna Mann

Colin Hoult is not a name that has gone unheard of in recent years. His stand-up shows consistently receive fantastic praise and Hoult himself is known as an ever-changing and innovative performer. Perhaps the comedian's most well-known onstage character is Anna Mann, a middle-aged actress grappling with deep loneliness brought about by her struggling career and subsequently, her mental health.

Sue Perkins takes Live! In Spectacles on tour

She may have started her career as one half of character comedy duo Mel & Sue (their MTV-style Euro VJs is still fondly recalled in some quarters), but Sue Perkins has been more recently renowned for her work on The Great British Bake Off and being falsely linked to the Top Gear hosting job. As she prepares to go solo for her Live! In Spectacles tour, we hear how she intends to deal with a live audience and how a Cambodian hermit makes his way into her show.

Paul Merton: 'Alan was my comic hero'

Alan Simpson, of writing duo Galton and Simpson, has died at the age of 87.

The pair created sitcoms including Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe And Son.

Comedian Paul Merton became friends with the pair after working with them. He explained to Radio 4's PM how they worked "writing everything together face to face". He added not only "did they make each other laugh, but they had the eye to know what would make the audience laugh as well".

The Newsjack Writers' Room

Exclusive to BBC Radio 4 Extra, Newsjack showcases the week's news stories which have been lovingly bashed, mashed and moulded into sketches and one-liners. Anyone can submit material to go into the show alongside material from the show's core group of writers. Claire Wetton explains how she made the move from submitting material to being part of the show's Writers' Room...

Sky Valentine Shorts reviews

Reviews of Sky's Valentine's themed comedy shorts.

Frankie Boyle on Donald Trump

"A man so obnoxious that karma may see him reincarnated as himself."

Jesse Armstrong to write HBO drama series Succession

Succession stars Brian Cox as Logan Roy, the tough, powerful, and aging patriarch of the Roy family and head of a family-controlled international media conglomerate. Jesse Armstrong will serve as showrunner, writer, and executive producer on the series.

Liam Williams: The trouble with satirising Zoella & co

If you're anything like me (a pale and bitter person, grown snobby before time) you've likely watched more parodies of vlogs than you have the real thing.

Traditional political satire is dead

It was through non-comedic shock tactics that populists are now surging throughout the world in the name of 'the unheard people'. For example, it would now feel more daring to actively defend the role politicians play in our society than to attack it.