BCG Daily Monday 12th March 2018

Craig Hill review

Festival gets off to a rousing start.

Action Team is the real Bond contender

ITV2's brilliantly daft Bond parody deserves to find a bigger audience, and the show's barrel-chested lead Tom Davis should be given his own license to thrill.

Are women funny? Why are we still being asked this?

ShyGirl, a 30-something delving into the uncharted world of vlogging for the first time (and a.k.a. writer and performer Siobhan McMillan), brings her new show MIRRORS to London's Leicester Square Theatre later this month. In her first-ever blog, exclusive to My Theatre Mates, she dissects the oft-asked question: "Are women funny?"

Who was Stanley Unwin?

In 1980, I wrote an article, based on interviews, for Marvel Comics' Starburst magazine about the little-remembered 1969 Gerry Anderson series The Secret Service.

The lead role was played both by the 'real' live version and by a puppet version of eccentric performer and 'professor' of gobbledegook Stanley Unwin.

The series only lasted for 13 episodes. ATV/ITC boss Lew Grade apparently thought the Americans would have trouble understanding 'Unwinese'.

In the next two days, I will be posting my 1980 article on The Secret Service as a two-parter.

Obituary: Sir Ken Dodd

Sir Ken Dodd, who has died aged 90, earned his unchallenged accolade as clown prince of British comedy as a brilliant stand-up comedian, astonishingly energetic and inventive, and fully aware of the comic potential of his extraordinary appearance.

Although he was a huge success in theatres across Britain for more than half a century, he never quite managed to convey the essence of his work on television.

February comedian of the month #44, Rachel Parris

Rachel Parris is a comedian, musician, actor and improviser, and performs as part of the Jane Austen-inspired comedy improv group, Austentatious. I've known her name for the last few years, but this month marked the first time I saw anything from her on television.

Interview: Bridget Christie

Bridget Christie on her Glasgow Comedy Festival show about Trump, Brexit and the importance of finding common ground.

Radio Times celebrates 50 years of Dad's Army

Hats off for a genuine classic - Radio Times joins the 50th anniversary celebrations of BBC sitcom Dad's Army with a special 114-page bookazine.

My top five films: comedian Andy Zaltzman

British comedian and host of The Bugle podcast Andy Zaltzman joined Lindy and Dial M for Movies co-host Zak Hepburn to share his favourite films.

Ken Dodd was much more than a 'simple' comedian

It is a cold night in December 2015. Hour after hour, until my jaw aches, until my back seizes up, I have been watching one of the wonders of the comic world regaling his devotees with material I have barely been able to scribble down fast enough.