News Roundup
Here's some of the comedy stories you might have missed over the last couple of days...
The Wall
Mighty Boosh star Noel Fielding has been named as one of the three presenters who will host BBC3's new Friday night live-style entertainment strand The Wall. Meanwhile the much anticipated third series of The Mighty Boosh starts on BBC3 on Thursday 15th November.Friday Ratings
The Green Green Grass proved a hit on its return on Friday night pulling in an impressive 6.4 million viewers - a million more than After You've Gone managed the week before. BBC1 experienced a very good Friday thanks to the big Eastenders storyline - Have I Got News For You was up to 6.3 million viewers, while The Armstrong and Miller Show picked up 4.5 million.Seven Second Delay
ITV has confirmed they are likely to drop Seven Second Delay, a sitcom project they had in development which was due to star Chris Langham. Last month the comedy actor lost a legal attempt to reduce his ten-month jail sentence for downloading child pornography.
Seven Second Delay, produced by Granada, has already had a pilot filmed. It starred Chris Langham as a radio talkshow host, while Sally Phillips co-stared as his neighbour, a barrister who is in the throes of a divorce. At the time, Langham explained: "Seven Second Delay is about that window of opportunity which allows us pause to think clearly, weigh up the pros and cons - and then make the wrong decision."
Dr Who
Simon Pegg has ruled out playing the next Doctor Who. The star of Spaced, who played the Editor in a 2005 episode of the sci-fi drama told The Sun: "I'm too much of a fan to actually play the Doctor. I think my head would explode."
David Walliams
Little Britain star David Walliams has admitted he would be a transvestite if he did not already get to wear women's clothes for the comedy show. In an interview for RadioTimes he said: "I embraced my feminine side and wanted to be Wonder Woman in the playground."In the same interview Walliams has revealed that he believes hit show Little Britain was perhaps 'over hyped'. He said: "We'd have been happy to be less successful. We were hyped, and that means you have an in-built shelf life. It's pleasing to be part of the zeitgeist, but worrying because we were overexposed. People see so much of you they want to laugh at something else."
Walliams and fellow comedian Matt Lucas are currently working on a US version of their sketch show, which is due to be broadcast on cable channel HBO next year.
Would I Lie To You?
BBC1 panel show Would I Lie To You? has been severely told off for broadcasting a 'pungently personal' joke about Sir Jimmy Savile.
In the offending episode, broadcast in July 2007, host Angus Deayton said: "Sir Jimmy is quite keen on seeing how blue mouldy bits develop – that's why he stayed with his mum so long after she died. The blue bit in cheese is in fact a living fungus that smells slightly off and serves no useful purpose - much like Sir Jimmy himself nowadays." (this segment can be seen on YouTube, including team Team captain Lee Mack voicing his objection to the joke)
The BBC's editorial complaints unit said: "The scripted remarks, which focused on Sir Jimmy's age and stories which had been current at the time of his mother's death more than 25 years ago, were out of keeping with the tone of the preceding material and more pungently personal than warranted by his position in the public eye."
The section will be deleted from any subsequent broadcasts. A second series of Would I Lie To You? is currently in production.