BCG Daily Tuesday 29th December 2020

Frankie Boyle calls Gervais lazy for trans people jokes

"I would like him to have the same respect for trans people as he has for animals".

Doon Mackichan interview

For Two Doors Down star Doon Mackichan, a hobby she started when she was growing up in Fife became her lockdown saviour. Every day, no matter the weather, she has gone cold water swimming in the sea near her home in Hastings, describing it as "a mental health game-changer".

Habits of Highly Effective Writers #2: Listening

Ingest more books. Make time to read them. Listen to them. Buy some decent wireless headphones and listen to more proper books.

Billy Connolly: It's Been A Pleasure review

Billy Connolly: It's Been A Pleasure was special, not just because of the calibre of talking head - Paul McCartney, Dustin Hoffman and Elton John don't often do this sort of thing, let's face it - but because they nearly all had something intelligent to say.

Billy Connolly: It's Been A Pleasure review

In a 75-minute special called Billy Connolly: It's Been A Pleasure, sporting a voluminous white beard that made him look suspiciously festive, he called it quits forever.

Jack Docherty interview

Cops and bams alike love Chief Commissioner Cameron Miekelson and Jack Docherty is looking for the Scot Squad star to get a spin-off series.

Boyle accused of hypocrisy over trans jokes

Frankie Boyle has slammed Ricky Gervais over his jokes about trans people. But his comments provoked an immediate backlash among the After Life creator's fans - who accused Boyle of hypocrisy given his track record on transgressive jokes.

Billy Connolly: It's Been A Pleasure review

Yes, at 78, he won't be on stage and more, and yes, there were a few emotional minutes at the end where that loss was noted - with Connolly especially touched when the tributes were shown to him.

ITV miss point: Billy Connolly would be cancelled today

A primetime farewell to the retiring comedian made no mention of the subversive jokes that saw him picketed by Christian evangelicals.

Peep Show star suing for £200,000 after breaking back

Claudia Winkleman's actress sister is suing for more than £200,000 compensation after breaking her back in a car smash.

Lady Sophie Winkleman, 40 - married to Prince Michael of Kent's son Lord Frederick Windsor - has not worked full-time since the accident.

Death To 2020: mockumentary proves comedy's demise

2020 has been a brutal year, but one that offers huge potential for humor. However, Death To 2020's tepid, establishment-friendly take on the past 12 months feels like the final nail in the coffin of true comedy.

David Walliams wants to write the next Bond film

He has conquered the worlds of TV and kids' books - but now David Walliams has set his sights on Hollywood.

He is not exactly aiming low, either, because he wants to be the next scriptwriter for the James Bond movie franchise.

Deepfake queen prompts 200-plus complaints to Ofcom

More than 200 people have complained to the UK's media watchdog Ofcom about Channel 4's alternative Christmas message, which featured a deepfake of the Queen.

Preview: Pandemonium - Christmas Special 2020, BBC One

It seems a bit presumptious that this one-off comedy is billed as a Christmas special on the BBC website. It makes it sound as if it is following on from a hit series. But on the positive side Pandemonium feels so instantly accessible and so well-rounded that it could easily be following on from a hit series.

Mike Doyle on returning to the stage

Welsh comedian Mike Doyle has opened up about the impact of coronavirus on his personal and professional life.

Death To 2020 review

Of course, some will argue that we shouldn't be laughing at the horror-show in which we're all so inextricably mired, but I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. Chances are, you will to.

The Watch review: Making fantasy fun

This adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels is a comic journey into dystopian ideas.