BCG Daily Monday 19th February 2018
News
Press clippings
TV review: Sun will set fast on John Cleese comeback
Between the sitcom cliches, including jaunty music and folk forever bursting through the back door, characters did things they only ever do in TV comedies, such as repeating themselves.
Alison Rowat, The Herald, 19th February 2018Jack Whitehall's 5 tips for presenting an awards show
Comedian and actor Jack Whitehall is making his debut as presenter of the 2018 Brit Awards. The Fresh Meat star offers up his five tips for presenting an awards show.
Jack Whitehall, BBC, 19th February 2018Becky Fury proposes marriage while chatting to me
Yesterday's blog was about my first stage appearance at Martyn Sadler's new comedy club in East London. Malcolm Hardee Award-winning comedian Becky Fury had performed there a month before - on its opening night. I had tea with her at a branch of Pret a Manger yesterday afternoon. I thought we were going to talk about the new club - and we started on that - but then the subject changed unexpectedly.
John Fleming, John Fleming's Blog, 19th February 2018Left-wing comics 'are not voices of ethical resistance'
The idea of left-wing comedians being a powerful voice of ethical resistance is largely a myth. That's according to academic James Bassett, who claims the general liberal consensus among comedians only reinforces the 'neoliberal' status-quo.
Chortle, 19th February 2018How Northern comedians get pigeonholed
The stereotype of a 'Northern club comedian' reinforces an 'us-and-them' society that serves to holds back working-class people. And the idea that such stand-ups are usually seen as overweight is a way for the ruling elite to justify their 'disgust at the working class' through their 'their disgusting bodies'. That's the provocative view of academic, poet and comic Kate Fox - who was outlining details of her recently-completed PhD thesis into class and comedy at the Leicester Comedy Festival yesterday.
Chortle, 19th February 2018Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho, VAULT Festival review
We are Thatcher's children after all, and Mummy loves us.
Gregory Forrest, The Play's The Thing UK, 19th February 2018Review: Ahir Shah's Control
Ahir Shah's new show deals with Brexit and Trump, with the rise of fascism across the world and the decline of kindness. Big tragic hypocrisies and insidious, personal ones. All the thorny stuff.
Fortunately Control is more than up to the task. It's true the lolz are frontloaded in the show. The final third becomes more reflective, the earlier mix of personal and political shifting in favour of the latter. It's far from uneven, though. By the end of the show, Control is an equal mix of comedy and poetry, Shah's fired-up invective landing like Kate Tempest dropping bars. Control's not light-hearted -- not remotely -- but the energy of Shah's anger and defiance, and the deftness of his delivery keeps it buoyant.
Lydia Manch, Londonist, 19th February 2018Finding Your Feet review
Imelda Staunton goes from country pile to council flat in an amiable later-life comedy.
Emma Simmonds, The List, 19th February 2018Jodie Mitchell interview
I didn't start gigging properly until I was older, but I guess I got started quite young, without really realising it.
Funny Women, 19th February 2018Jack Whitehall talks about hosting the Brits
He's had his own Netflix stand-up special, chat show and a host of notable acting roles. Now Jack Whitehall is taking on a new challenge - hosting this year's Brit Awards.
Annabel Rackham, BBC, 19th February 2018Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit: series 3, episode 2 review
This week Josh Widdicombe and The Sky at Night's Maggie Aderin-Pocock join the regulars for some fun and games - which are reportedly edited for our benefit.
Ian Wolf, On The Box, 19th February 2018Review: Ahir Shah's Control
Ahir Shah's new show deals with Brexit and Trump, with the rise of fascism across the world and the decline of kindness. Big tragic hypocrisies and insidious, personal ones. All the thorny stuff.
Lydia Manch, Londonist, 19th February 2018Videos
TV & radio
To Hull And Back
Series 3, Episode 1 - Last Chance SalonRecently qualified hairdresser Sophie is knocked over by a car. The driver, Alison, offers Sophie a disused salon by way of compensation. Will Sophie make a success of it?
Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed!
Series 1, Episode 24 - I, ClawdiaWhen the gang's sausages go missing, and they discover gnashed bicycle wheels and one of Gnasher's teeth, it seems like there's only one suspect. But Dennis refuses to believe that Gnasher is to blame. Gnasher realises he's being set up by Clawdia, Walter's ultra sneaky cat, and has to find a way to prove his innocence.
Just A Minute
Series 80, Episode 1The 80th series of Just A Minute gets off to a fine start with Nicholas Parsons and regular guest Paul Merton challenging Josie Lawrence, Jenny Eclair and Tony Hawks to speak for a minute on such diverse topics as Musical Theatre, Office Politics and Napoleon.
Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit
Series 3, Episode 2Josh Widdicombe and scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock join the regulars to play five video games: Defender, Love You To Bits, Football Manager 2017, Battlezone VR and special endgame Cock Oh Van in a bid to become this week's Go 8 Bit Champions.
Two Doors Down
Series 3, Episode 4 - Fish FridayBeth's birthday treat - lunch out with the family - is hijacked by a very drunk Colin, another uninvited guest and an alarmingly intimate photograph.