Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 15th April 2019 |
Here's what's going on in the world of comedy, including TV picks for this coming Bank Holiday Easter weekend.
Latest comedy news
Union JACK Radio commissions new comedy shows
DAB radio station Union JACK has commissioned a weekly stand-up show; topical comedy series Josh Berry's Fake News; and a strand called Pundays.
Filming begins on BBC One comedy Scarborough
Filming has begun on Scarborough, the new BBC One sitcom written by Benidorm creator Derren Litten. Stars include Jason Manford, Catherine Tyldesley and Stephanie Cole.
Katie Pritchard wins Musical Comedy Awards 2019
Katie Pritchard has won the Musical Comedy Awards 2019 competition.
Stephen Mangan and Kara Tointon to star in The Man In The White Suit
Stephen Mangan and Kara Tointon will star in a new stage adaptation of classic Ealing comedy The Man In The White Suit.
Arthur Smith presented with Bath Plug Award
Arthur Smith has been presented with an award by Bath Comedy Festival. The Bath Plug Award acknowledges significant achievement or contribution to comedy.
BBC Three to launch Threesomes sketch strand
BBC Three is to launch a short-form strand called Threesomes, publishing seven sketch and sitcom series across each year. The first are Hunter, Oi, Pussy! and Fully Blown.
Enterprice Series 2 confirmed
BBC Three has ordered Series 2 of Enterprice, Kayode Ewumi's sitcom about two entrepreneurs running a delivery service.
Dennis The Menace musical to launch
Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! The Musical is to launch on a UK theatre tour in 2020.
Sky orders Alan Carr panel show There's Something About Movies
Alan Carr will host There's Something About Movies, a new Sky One panel show based around films.
Derry Girls returns for third series on Channel 4
Channel 4 has ordered a third series of hit sitcom Derry Girls following record ratings for the second series, which finished airing this week.
Fawlty Towers tops Radio Times greatest British sitcom list
Fawlty Towers has come out top of a list of the greatest British sitcoms, compiled by Radio Times magazine.
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Features
Clement & La Frenais interview
Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais talk about their extensive career as two lost episodes of The Likely Lads are recovered, and released with a new restoration of the hit film adaptation.
Big Funny Fest launches 'dad joke' competition
The inaugural Big Funny Fest, which is set to take place on Father's Day Weekend in Richmond, has launched a competition to find the top 'dad jokes'.
Ghosts cast interview
Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond introduce their new haunted sitcom.
Daisy Haggard interview
Daisy Haggard talks about creating, writing and performing in Back To Life, which she describes as "a mysterious, dark comedy drama about an adult beginner".
First Gig, Worst Gig: Joanne McNally
She had a big First Gig and her Worst Gig may have kick-started a divorce: Joanne McNally jogs some memories.
British Comedy Quiz #45
In To The Manor Born, how did Richard DeVere make his money?
Christopher Bliss: Spaghetti On The Catwalk
An exclusive story from genius writer Christopher Bliss. Spaghetti On The Catwalk focuses around a top fashion show in Italy.
Random 8: Chris McCausland
Scouse expressions, senseless journeys and Genghis Khan: Chris McCausland takes the eight-question test.
BCG Pro features
For features and news related to creating comedy, see the Inside Track section of BCG Pro. It includes interviews with some of those behind the latest TV shows, plus news of the BBC's plan to set up something called The British Comedy Foundation.
Podcasts
Peter Lord and Morph are on RHLSTP with Richard Herring, whilst Sitcom Geeks has advice for anyone looking to send their script to the BBC. The Worst Writer in the World continues too.
TV listings
Back To Life
This sitcom starring Daisy Haggard as a woman looking to rebuild her life after a stint in prison is available now in full via BBC iPlayer. Or, if you like watching on normal TV, it'll be on weekly on Mondays after the News.
Not Going Out
Series 10 of the gag-packed sitcom. Toby organises a sponsored parachute jump to raise money for a children's ward in his hospital. Supportively, Lee, Lucy, Anna and the grandparents all agree to take part, but once airborne will everyone pluck up the courage to jump?
Ghosts
A new comedy about a group of ghosts inhabiting a crumbling country manor named Button Hall. It's from the team who starred in Horrible Histories and Yonderland.
Don't Forget The Driver
Episode 2. Kayla endures her first day of work at the Snack Shack and Joy is visited by a community nurse, who is worried about the deterioration of her health.
Your Face Or Mine
This time Ryan and Simi will be forced to judge all kinds of faces for the chance to win thousands of pounds.
Urban Myths: Andy & The Donald
A comedy imagining the 1984 meeting between businessman Donald Trump and artist Andy Warhol.
The Comedy Bus
Joel Dommett and his comic friends visit his home town in Gloucestershire. They'll be staying in Joel's family home and recreating some old school memories by getting Joel's school band back together.
The Hangover Games
Matt Richardson challenges a group of friends from Barrow to play The Hangover Games - but things don't go to plan. After just a couple of hours sleep, can the pals shake off their hangovers?
Dead Pixels
Meg starts live streaming from Kingdom Scrolls but flatmate Alison worries she won't make a living from it.
Celebrity Juice
An Easter special of the panel show. Keith Lemon hosts as captains Holly Willoughby and Paddy McGuinness are joined by Bebe Rexha, Sair Khan, Johnny Vegas and birthday boy Will Mellor.
Lee And Dean
When Lee finds himself with nowhere to live, Dean invites him back to the flat - but it's a very different place now with Dani there. Things go horribly wrong at Terry's will reading.
Scot Squad
Sparks fly when PC Jack McLaren and his partner PC Sarah Fletcher offer a helping hand at the scene of a fire, and Acting Sergeant Ken Beattie gets a shock as he solves a murderous cold case.
Porters
It's the annual Hospital Emergency Simulation Incident Day, but after being accidentally knocked out Simon wakes up in the middle of a real disaster.
Frankie Boyle's New World Order
Frankie Boyle is back for another week. No one quite manages to summarise what is going on the same as he does - political figures should brace themselves for some strong words.
Al Murray's Great British Pub Quiz
Al, aided by barman Shaun Williamson and captains Andy Parsons and Ed Byrne, oversees the clash between The Chase from Nuneaton and The Duke of Cambridge from Battersea.
Comedians Watching Football With Friends
The Gogglebox-like format continues, as more comedians tune in to the week's biggest fixtures.
Joe Lycett's Got Your Back
This time the celebrity guest is Shirley Ballas, who assists Joe as he dishes the dirt on unhygienic takeaways and sends holiday booking sites packing.
Have I Got News For You
Steph McGovern returns as guest presenter. Joining Ian Hislop and Paul Merton as panellists are journalist Ash Sarkar and comedian Josh Widdicombe.
The Comedy Years
A new four-part documentary series looking at how TV comedy shows portrayed society in 1979, 1984, 1998 and 2003 runs across this Easter weekend. One episode on each night.
The Graham Norton Show
Jodie Comer, returning as Villanelle in Killing Eve makes her first appearance on the show. Meanwhile Daniel Radcliffe, Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson return for another chat. With music from Mabel.
All Round To Mrs. Brown's
Agnes and the family are joined by Jake Wood, Nicola Adams and Lorraine Kelly, and Foley's bar is pumping with music from Irish boyband, Westlife.
The Jonathan Ross Show
News reporter Emily Maitlis is an interesting and perhaps slightly unexpected booking for this weekend's show. Also: 24 star Kiefer Sutherland, supermodel Winnie Harlow; and Olly Murs.
8 Out Of 10 Cats
Team captain Rob Beckett and guest team Katherine Ryan are joined by Angela Barnes, Paisley Billings, Lloyd Griffith and Tom Read Wilson to discuss and dissect topics in their quest to uncover the nation's most popular talking points.
Sara Pascoe Live: LadsLadsLads
On Bank Holiday Monday, BBC Two offers up this stand-up comedy special from Sara Pascoe. Also new today, more from Not Going Out and Ghosts.
For a complete list of broadcasts, including repeats and radio comedy, see our full schedule.
Shop
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Mr. Topaze - Dual Format EditionPeter Sellers both directs and stars as the titular schoolteacher Albert Topaze in this 1961 film, out today in a world premiere release, in a dual-format Blu-ray and DVD set. Based on a short story by French author Marcel Pagnol, Herbert Lom, Billie Whitelaw, Leo McKern and John Le Mesurier are amongst his co-stars. The film tells the tale of a naive teacher from the provinces whose earnestness and honesty is manipulated both by the woman he loves and, soon, a corrupt politician into making him millions in contracting a service to Paris's city council. A wide selection of extras include interviews, illustrated booklet, documentaries, and - also in HD - the Goon-era short films Let's Go Crazy and The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film, both also featuring Spike Milligan. |
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Dinnerladies: A BBC CollectionDinnerladies is a classic BBC TV sitcom based around the lives of the staff of the canteen at Manchester factory HWD Components. Written by and starring Victoria Wood as Brenda, these eight classic TV episode soundtracks are brilliantly funny, where the jokes fly as thick and as fast as granary torpedoes. Along with the day-to-day feeding the faces of folk, the canteen staff Bren, Twink, Jean (and all the others!) have to contend with the arrival of a royal onsite, a Japanese-themed party complete with costumes and the controversial delivery of new uniforms. |
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Still Game - The Complete Series 9The complete ninth and final series of Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill's much-loved Scottish sitcom. Concluding the cult hit comedy, a complete box set is also available if you're not familiar with the earlier escapades of Craiglang's most delinquent residents. Despite being largely only aired north of the border, this is one of the best sitcoms of the century to date. |
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White Gold - Series 2Pre-order your copy of the second series of Damon Beesley's popular sitcom set amidst a double-glazing company in the mid 1980s, following its conclusion on BBC Two last week. Eight months have passed since Vincent Swan - Essex's most amoral double-glazing salesman - teamed up with gangster Ronnie and forced his boss to sell Cachet Windows. Now he's realised that working for a dangerous criminal isn't much fun. But business is booming, until a new rival salesman appears, stealing most of Cachet's business. But to their surprise, the team discover this salesman is actually a saleswoman. Meet Jo Field. She's ruthless in her pursuit of success. And there's one prize she values above all - Vincent Swan himself. |
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The Goon Show - Volume 34: The Moon ShowFour classic episodes of the iconic radio comedy series starring Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe. Tales Of Old Dartmoor - Series 6, Episode 21 (7 February 1956); The Sleeping Prince - Series 7, Episode 6 (14 February 1957); Robin Hood - Christmas Special (25 December 1956); and The Moon Show - Series 7, Episode 18 (31 January 1957). Goon but not forgotten! |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
Kojo gets Golden Buzzer on Britain's Got Talent
Kojo Anim made Simon Cowell laugh so much on Britain's Got Talent at the weekend that the grumpy judge reached for the golden buzzer.
How To Get To Heaven
Jack meets his maker in this latest sketch from double-act Jack & Dean.
Flaps - When You Find The Perfect Flatmate
The secret to a great house-share is having that one reliably awful housemate to moan about...
Swiped
Documentary following Jordan and his friends Ryan and Talia on a London estate. Alarmed by the detrimental effect smartphones are having on those around them, they launch an initiative, 'Swiped', which aims to make people more present... by stealing their phones on mopeds.
Break up gone wrong
A gentle let down... minus the gentle bit.
Steven Seller - Mixed Race
This is a really catchy music video (featuring some epic dance moves) from Steven Seller.
Chris Dyer Presents: Hiking with Vikings
Chris Dyer takes us around the Shetlands as we've never seen them before.
Let's Get Macho
A web series about a man who tries to reclaim his masculinity by trying out various sports.
Stay Safe Online - Cyber Crime
Rex O'Langolin's School of Web Safety (R.O.L.S.O.W.S) presents part one of a guide to web safety and the dangers of CYBER CRIME. Take note and be vigilant on the internets.
Teabag
Holly Burn summarises Fleabag in under two minutes. See also: her Line Of Duty spoof.
Spotlight
The Liver Birds
One of the BBC's lesser-celebrated, but no less long-running, important, or successful iconic sitcoms, Carla Lane and Myra Taylor's The Liver Birds marked its golden anniversary yesterday. Originating as a Comedy Playhouse pilot, it would run for nine full series till 1978, before being revived for a 10th outing in the mid-1990s. Not the earliest, but one of the most important, early sitcoms to put women front and centre, the sitcom focused on a pair of young female flatmates in Liverpool: first Beryl and Dawn, most memorably Beryl and Sandra, and later Sandra and Carol. Whilst the first series and pilot are missing from the archives, Series 2 and 3 are both available on DVD.
Thanks for reading
We hope you have a lovely Easter! We'll be back on Tuesday next week with all the latest. Don't forget to check out our site for more each day in the meantime.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
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