But are there enough talented female comics to go round? It's going to be like a Chinese dating agency at the Beeb as producers fight for fanny.

Will this introduce a new wave of unseen and unheard of comedy starlets - or will Jo Brand ending up buying half of Chelsea as the busiest panellist in television history?

What I would like to see is a hard working male comic who's been doing the circuit for 10 years being pushed aside for a woman who's done one gig at Edinburgh. Because that would be both fair and cool.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 10th February 2014, 12:49 AM GMT

But are there enough talented female comics to go round? It's going to be like a Chinese dating agency at the Beeb as producers fight for fanny.

Will this introduce a new wave of unseen and unheard of comedy starlets - or will Jo Brand ending up buying half of Chelsea as the busiest panellist in television history?

What I would like to see is a hard working male comic who's been doing the circuit for 10 years being pushed aside for a woman who's done one gig at Edinburgh. Because that would be both fair and cool.

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Yes, there are enough talented female comedians.

Yes, I hope those who book the shows look for new talent rather than overly relying on the same few faces. And that's true for men as well as women.

And hard-working circuit comics get passed over for fresh male talent all the time. That's the reality of the business. You get marks for achievement, not effort.

Quote: Mr Writer Like In The Song @ 10th February 2014, 12:57 AM GMT

Yes, there are enough talented female comedians.

Yes, I hope those who book the shows look for new talent rather than overly relying on the same few faces. And that's true for men as well as women.

And hard-working circuit comics get passed over for fresh male talent all the time. That's the reality of the business. You get marks for achievement, not effort.

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Ooh, I'm genuinely fascinated now, please name these female comedians who are as good as Adam Buxton, Frankie Boyle, David Mitchell, Lee Mack and Jack Dee to name but five? - I deliberately left off Jack Whithall and Noel Fielding as they're practically women and not very funny.

I hope they book new talent as well, but based on previous panel show viewing, it ain't likely to happen.

Hard working circuit comics get passed over by the fresh wave of Oxbridge tossers with skinny jeans and bad haircuts. If we're going to bring in quotas, how about tackling that first or just having a moratorium on all comics called Russell.

What's the point? I'll name some female comics, you'll say they're shit, and neither of us will know from that whether they'll be able to cut it on a panel show.

Quote: Mr Writer Like In The Song @ 10th February 2014, 1:15 AM GMT

What's the point? I'll name some female comics, you'll say they're shit, and neither of us will know from that whether they'll be able to cut it on a panel show.

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Really looking forward to the quota now. Woo.

I think you misunderstand. There is no point in me posting my subjective list so that you can tell me you subjectively disagree.

How about you tell me your list of young Oxbridge types who dominate panel shows?

I think a few fresher newer comics whatever the gender would be no bad thing.
And if you see any live comedy there's plenty of funny lady comics and unfunny ones.
I doubt quotas would make much diference, it's more I guess talent spotting new comics per sethat's the issue.

Quote: sootyj @ 10th February 2014, 1:30 AM GMT

I think a few fresher newer comics whatever the gender would be no bad thing.
And if you see any live comedy there's plenty of funny lady comics and unfunny ones.
I doubt quotas would make much diference, it's more I guess talent spotting new comics per sethat's the issue.

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Agree with all that.

Quote: Mr Writer Like In The Song @ 10th February 2014, 1:15 AM GMT

What's the point? I'll name some female comics, you'll say they're shit, and neither of us will know from that whether they'll be able to cut it on a panel show.

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Of course it's all subjective, but it's common knowledge that there are far fewer women in comedy.
Heres's a list of The Comedy Club's top 100 comedians available for hire.

http://www.thecomedyclub.co.uk/tag/top-100-comedians.html

9% are women.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 10th February 2014, 1:24 AM GMT

Really looking forward to the quota now. Woo.

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Panel shows are landfill. What's the worst thing that's going to happen? There'll be a woman you don't like sitting on one of your shows? Even, shudder, hosting one? Not the end of the world is it. And just maybe, if women see more of their gender represented on these sort of shows being funny, more women might actually think being funny for a living is a viable option. There is no downside. There is nothing to be antsy about.

Quote: Nogget @ 10th February 2014, 5:52 AM GMT

Of course it's all subjective, but it's common knowledge that there are far fewer women in comedy.
Heres's a list of The Comedy Club's top 100 comedians available for hire.

http://www.thecomedyclub.co.uk/tag/top-100-comedians.html

9% are women.

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I don't know how that list was compiled, except as part of a fevered cheese dream. It doesn't include several women who are among the most booked live acts in the country (Susan Calman, Katherine Ryan) but does include several blokes who are largely unpaid open spots. Inadmissible evidence!

The reason lots of people think that women can't be funny is that they rarely have an opportunity to see women being funny, this will, hopefully, alleviate this problem.

The comedy circuit is full of funny women doing every style of comedy, if you can't find one out there who makes you laugh then comedy probably isn't for you.

My only worry about this BBC policy is they've not specified at least one female comedian, just one female panellist, so it may be that we see more of Jamelia, Deborah Meaden, Louise Redknapp etc.

Quote: Tony Cowards @ 10th February 2014, 9:49 AM GMT

then comedy probably isn't for you.

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Quote: Lee @ 10th February 2014, 10:46 AM GMT

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Perhaps not that comedy isn't for you, more you're possibly a bit of a blinkered bell end.

Blinkered Bell End is also the name of my Punk band.

Quote: Tony Cowards @ 10th February 2014, 9:49 AM GMT

The reason lots of people think that women can't be funny is that they rarely have an opportunity to see women being funny, this will, hopefully, alleviate this problem.

The comedy circuit is full of funny women doing every style of comedy, if you can't find one out there who makes you laugh then comedy probably isn't for you.

My only worry about this BBC policy is they've not specified at least one female comedian, just one female panellist, so it may be that we see more of Jamelia, Deborah Meaden, Louise Redknapp etc.

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Bang on with all this.