Press Clippings
Film of the day: Bridget Jones's Baby
Bawdy comedy starring Renée Zellweger as Helen Fielding's titular heroine, Bridget, the car crash singleton with a fondness for Pinot Grigio, married men and big knickers.
Gareth Hargreaves, On The Box, 23rd June 2017
Ellie Taylor announces 2018 tour
Comedian Ellie Taylor is to embark on a tour later this year with her new show, This Guy. Tickets are now available for 20 dates.
British Comedy Guide, 23rd June 2017
French & Saunders receive Comedy Legend Award
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have been awarded the Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award at a special ceremony in Bristol.
British Comedy Guide, 23rd June 2017
After the silly Thailand shenanigans in The Edge of Reason, cinema's most lovable diarist returns to ramshackle London life. Renée Zellweger's Bridget is now a producer for a cable TV company; Patrick Dempsey's Jack is her new beau, but Colin Firth's awkward Darcy is still around, and Bridget has had a little accident in the birth-control department. It all makes for a good-natured comedy.
Paul Howlett, The Guardian, 23rd June 2017
Isn't it a bit early for Peter Kay to be looking back over his career? Which is, incidentally, a compliment, a way to suggest that Car Share reveals a man who, even after 20 years of success, hasn't lost his ear for the vernacular; the Alan Bennett of austerity Britain perhaps? That said, any show that features clips from Kay's shows, highlights of his chatshow jawmongering and his music videos has to be worth a look.
Jonathan Wright, The Guardian, 23rd June 2017
All sitcoms must arrive here eventually: an episode where the whole gang visit a safari park, with near-death consequences. But the Count makes everything his own by playing on the pseudo-paternal bond between the two leads. Either can be the dad and today it's Arthur (Steve Delaney), taking Michael (Rory Kinnear) on a well-meant but disastrously cheap birthday trip. As they go, comic seeds are, as always, deftly planted for harvesting later.
Jack Seale, The Guardian, 23rd June 2017
As part of a recently commissioned raft of satires across all BBC TV channels (including brand new series for Frankie Boyle and Philomena Cunk), Tracey Ullman impersonates Theresa May, Nicola Sturgeon, Angela Merkel and Melania Trump for this one-off political show dealing with the (utter) state of the world and the fallout from the most surreal general election in quite some time.
Ali Catterall, The Guardian, 23rd June 2017
Host the Week review
File alongside ITV's Nightly Show as an experiment gone wrong.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 22nd June 2017
TV review: Host The Week, C4
But I have to be honest, I'm struggling to find something good to say about this.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 22nd June 2017
Iain Stirling announces 2018 tour
Stand-up comedian Iain Stirling has announced a 2018 tour. He will perform his show U OK HUN?X around the UK between February and April.
British Comedy Guide, 22nd June 2017
Barry Humphries reviews Australian National Dictionary
A personal account of the development of Australian slang.
Barry Humphries, The Times Literary Supplement, 22nd June 2017
Tom Allen to host new show The Persuaders
Tom Allen is to host The Persuaders, a new comedy show pilot in which guests argue over appealing or unappealing options.
British Comedy Guide, 22nd June 2017
Sir Billy Connolly receives honorary degree
Sir Billy Connolly has received yet another honorary degree despite joking the closest he got to university "was to deliver coal". The Big Yin became an honorary doctor of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, just days after he was given a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
The Daily Express, 22nd June 2017
Preview - Host the Week
Channel 4 has commissioned another comedy topical entertainment show but this show - Host The Week - follows a very different set-up.
Eloise Craven-Todd, On The Box, 22nd June 2017
Channel 4 signs up Miranda Hart
Miranda Hart is to make a studio entertainment show for Channel 4.
British Comedy Guide, 22nd June 2017
Channel 4 picks up Harry Hill format The Remote Controller
Channel 4 has picked up The Remote Controller, a comedy format devised by Harry Hill. The series will star Hill, with Alan Carr as the presenter.
British Comedy Guide, 22nd June 2017
Alan Carr to present new show I Don't Like Mondays
Alan Carr is to present I Don't Like Mondays, a new entertainment show on Channel 4 in which contestants can win a year's salary.
British Comedy Guide, 22nd June 2017
The concept for this new show is that each week it will presented by a different celebrity guest. The twist comes in that they have had no rehearsals, haven't seen a script, and basically have no idea what's going on from one moment to the next. Comics and improvisers will guide said celeb through everything from their opening monologue to sketches and interviews. First up, it's Scarlett Moffatt from Gogglebox, and best of luck to her.
Ben Arnold, The Guardian, 22nd June 2017
Class Dismissed sketch initiative 2017
CBBC and BBC Writersroom recently joined forces once again in a talent search to find new sketch writers.
Usman Mullan, BBC Writersroom, 21st June 2017
Make 'em laugh: Manchester's comedy greats remembered
The performers who put the city on the map for comedy and entertainment from the 1950s to the present day.
Henry Hochland, Manchester Evening News, 21st June 2017
Ricky Gervais slammed for insenstive AIDS joke tweet
"The 80's called (and Jim Davidson shortly after) they want their prejudiced jokes back."
Attitude Magazine, 21st June 2017
Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls reveals plot and casting
Saoirse Jackson, Tommy Tiernan and Ian McElhinney are amongst the stars for Derry Girls, the new Channel 4 sitcom set around The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
British Comedy Guide, 21st June 2017
No Such Thing As A Fish take over Metro Facebook page
QI Elves Dan Schreiber and Andrew Hunter Murray will be taking over the Metro Entertainment Facebook page for an FB Live session on Wednesday.
Caroline Westbrook, Metro, 21st June 2017
Un-broadcast pilot from The Idiot Bastard Band released online
An un-broadcast musical radio sitcom pilot starring the members of The Idiot Bastard Band has been released online.
British Comedy Guide, 21st June 2017
Review: Andrew Collins on RHLSTP
The show ended with an applause-inducing onstage hug. But I haven't answered the question that all Collings & Herrin fans want to know. Will they be returning as a double act any time soon?
Andrew McHaffie, Beyond The Joke, 20th June 2017
Jon Culshaw announces The Great British Take Off tour
Jon Culshaw has announced The Great British Take Off, a 14 date UK tour with Dead Ringers producer Bill Dare.
British Comedy Guide, 20th June 2017
Comedians announce 'Lefty Scum' tour
Josie Long, Grace Petrie and musical duo Jonny & the Baptists have announced a triple-headline UK tour for autumn 2017.
British Comedy Guide, 20th June 2017
The Last Leg team launch online spin-off
Channel 4 has launched Last Leg: The Correspondents, an online series in which comedians investigate topical stories on behalf of the comedy show.
British Comedy Guide, 20th June 2017
Pictures: Cold Feet stars film in the heat
With temperatures sizzling up to 30 degrees, there was not much chance of Cold Feet for the cast of the hit ITV drama as they headed to film in Didsbury.
Manchester Evening News, 20th June 2017
Cinema premiere for actor Dean's DVD
Dean Sills has reached a major milestone with the release of his first DVD -- and is gearing up for a South Yorkshire cinema premiere.
Michael Upton, Rotherham Advertiser, 19th June 2017