Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 24th February 2020 |
If you're looking for just one thing to read this week, our Comedy Chronicles article about Wilfrid Brambell makes for a fascinating throw back to less tolerant times.
Latest comedy news
Jethro announces retirement
Cornish stand-up comedian Jethro, who has been performing comedy for over 50 years, has announced he is to stop touring.
Soho Theatre adds comedy specials to its streaming service
Soho Theatre, in partnership with NextUp, have released four more stand-up specials on its streaming platform. The shows star Jen Brister, Shappi Khorsandi, Lazy Susan and Aditi Mittal.
BBC Scotland orders Billy Connolly series and The Scotts sitcom
BBC Scotland has ordered a new documentary series with Billy Connolly and a full series of its new sitcom The Scotts. They are also in talks about a second series of Guilt.
Peter Kay returns with new Dance For Life dates
Peter Kay is to return with new dates for his Dance For Life charity discos. He'll be DJing in Manchester, Liverpool and London in April and May.
Eric Rushton wins Leicester Mercury Comedian Of The Year 2020
Eric Rushton has won the Leicester Mercury Comedian Of The Year 2020 competition. The new act contest is known for recognising future stand-up stars.
Shaun The Sheep moves to Netflix
A new sixth series of Shaun The Sheep will start on the 16th March, however the show will move from the BBC to Netflix.
Man Like Mobeen shortlisted for social impact award
Guz Khan's comedy Man Like Mobeen has been shortlisted in the Best TV Show of the Year category at the Visionary Honours 2020.
Miriam Margolyes, Julia Deakin and Simon Day join The Windsors
Miriam Margolyes will guest star as Queen Victoria in Series 3 of The Windsors. Meanwhile Julia Deakin and Simon Day will play Carole and Mike Middleton.
ITV announces Cold Feet hiatus
ITV has confirmed that there will be a tenth series of Cold Feet - but possibly not for a number of years, as the comedy drama goes on hiatus.
Advert
Soho Theatre and streaming platform NextUp have recorded four full-length comedy shows from critically acclaimed artists Jen Brister, Shappi Khorsandi, Lazy Susan and Aditi Mittal. They're available to view on demand now: Watch Now
Features
BCG Pro
As you may be aware, Radio 4 Extra runs a topical sketch show called Newsjack, which anyone can write for. On our BCG Pro website you'll find advice for how to get on the show from script editors Ed Amsden and Tom Coles.
Tom Durant-Pritchard on joining The Windsors
Tom Durant-Pritchard talks about playing Prince Harry in the third series of The Windsors.
Jon Richardson & Lucy Beaumont interview
Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont talk about showcasing their home life in their sitcom Meet The Richardsons. "We've said some horrific things to each other on camera."
Comedy Chronicles: Wilfrid Brambell: A brush with the law
In the days when homosexual acts were illegal in Britain, Steptoe And Son star Wilfrid Brambell faced a criminal trial that could have destroyed his career.
First Gig, Worst Gig: Grace Campbell
She grew up in the corridors of power, but which modern political bigwig caught Grace Campbell's most recent show?
Dogs at comedy shows
A series of stand-up comedy gigs are taking place in which dogs are invited to be in the audience, and sometimes onto stage.
British Comedy Quiz #89
We start this week's quiz with a question about a proper classic sketch.
Random 8: Stevie Martin
Cinema selfies, a robot tortoise and Banana Island: Stevie Martin gives an octet of random answers.
Podcasts
In the latest RHLSTP, writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce tells a great story about how The Queen came to be involved in the Olympics opening ceremony. Head to our site for other podcasts too.
TV listings
This Country
This week the vicar takes Kurtan and Kerry for a driving lesson, but leaving the village proves tricky - especially when local vagrant Len goes missing.
Inside No. 9
World-famous magician Neville Griffin is extremely protective of his secrets, but student journalist Gabriel is determined to get his interview nonetheless. Griffin actually believes that stealing a magic trick is probably worse than murder. How would he know that, exactly?
The Stand Up Sketch Show
The return of the programme in which routines by stand-up comedians are reconstructed as sketches. Judi Love, Seann Walsh, Russell Kane and Emmanuel Sonubi are amongst those performing.
The Windsors
The start of Series 3. The older royals are disheartened when nobody seems to notice that they're striking, so Charles tries to persuade Wills to join forces.
Home
The strain on Peter and Katy is beginning to show as they are reduced to taking out their frustrations on each other. John, by contrast, has never been happier.
Hypothetical
Josh Widdicombe and James Acaster return with hypothetical scenarios for Angela Barnes, Guz Khan, Tom Davis and Harriet Kemsley.
The Russell Howard Hour
It's the final episode in the series. But, good news for fans, a fourth series was ordered quite some time ago so this isn't the end of the topical comedy format.
Meet The Richardsons
The start of the new sitcom in which real life couple Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont offer a fictional view of their marriage.
Intelligence
Two more episodes of the new sitcom, which looks set to be a hit for Sky. The NHS servers have been hacked in the first episode. In the second, cryptanalyst Mary gears up to see her ex-boyfriend for first time in 40 years.
The Last Leg
This Country siblings Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper are set to be amongst the guests appearing on the show this Friday.
Frankie Boyle's Tour Of Scotland
Resuming his trek, Frankie Boyle travels from Dunoon to Bannockburn, the site of Robert the Bruce's most famous battle.
The Big Narstie Show
Sara Pascoe has been booked to appear this Friday. Louis Theroux, rapper Kano, and social media star Stevo the Madman are amongst the other guests due on the show.
My Left Nut
This three-part coming of age comedy drama, about a teenager who ignores the lump on his testicle, will be available on BBC iPlayer from Sunday.
Last Tango In Halifax
The comedy drama continues. Celia is quick to apologise for causing a scene, but with Alan seeking excitement outside the bungalow.
For a complete list of broadcasts, including repeats and radio comedy, see our full schedule.
Shop
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The Battle Of The Sexes - Dual Format EditionPeter Sellers stars in this 1959 feature, newly restored and remastered by the BFI, and available in HD for the first time with this dual-format Blu-ray/DVD release, out in April. When American businesswoman Angela Barrows (Constance Cummings) is sent by her company to Edinburgh to look into potential export markets, she meets Robert MacPherson (Robert Morley), a company manager who has just inherited his father's textile business and wants her advice on updating it to modern standards. Before long Angela is introducing all sorts of new-fangled ideas and the employees, scandalised that they have to work under a female boss, turn to Mr Martin (Sellers), who promises to lead the fight against the interloper. Extras include a fully illustrated booklet about the film. |
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Worzel GummidgeThe brand new BBC adventures of Worzel Gummidge, starring, written and directed by Mackenzie Crook. Inspired by the classic books of Barbara Euphan Todd, Worzel Gummidge is the treasured tale of a witty, mischievous scarecrow who mysteriously comes to life. Now reimagined for a modern audience and with CGI technology bringing the characters back to the screens, Worzel Gummidge is a comedic, magical fantasy for all ages. Gummidge returns for two new adventures, The Scarecrow Of Scatterbrook and The Green Man, which were broadcast to acclaim at Christmas. Perfect family viewing. |
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Joe Lycett's Obsessions - Series 2Joe Lycett returns for a second series of Obsessions, the comedy chat show that celebrates our weird hobbies and eccentric passions. Featuring an exciting array of obsessive celebrity guests and members of the public, Joe uncovers what really makes the great British public tick. |
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Alfie DarlingSixties icon Alfie Elkins makes a ribald return appearance in this sequel to the classic comedy-drama that shot Michael Caine to stardom. Alan Price stars as the Jack-the-Lad with an over-active libido alongside Jill Townsend, Hannah Gordon, Rula Lenska and Joan Collins. Alfie Darling is presented here as a brand-new high definition transfer from the original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Alfie makes a good living driving huge trucks across Europe, with a girl hidden away in every place he visits - as well as some along the way! Then he meets cool, aloof Abby, who resists his charms - but Alfie was never one to shy away from a challenge. |
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Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators - Series ThreeThe third series of the hit BBC daytime comedy drama. Combining corpses, comedy and cracking mysteries, this quirky crime drama has won the hearts of over 200 countries. Now that Lu has passed her private investigator exams and Frank's tidied himself up a bit, there's no stopping them. But murder, kidnap, blackmail and infidelity still abound in the pretty tourist town of Stratford-upon-Avon. An ageing heavy metal star with a pact with the devil. A Shakespeare museum full of deadly secrets. A King Lear story set in a carpet warehouse. Welcome to the birthplace of the Bard, where low-life criminals get caught up in deliciously high drama. The first two series are already available to own and delight in again and again. |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
M.O.T.H.E.R Knows Best - Thought
Comedian Phil Nichol guest stars in the latest episode of this dystopian web series. He plays the test subject for a new mind control device.
This Country - Deleted Scene: Kurtan's New Friends
A scene from last week's episode of This Country, which was cut from the show. Kurtan has found some like-minded local friends and has a few things to get off his chest.
How To Date A Magical Creature - How To Date A Zombie
Clive and his zombie boyfriend boyfriend Greg are like any other loving couple: they go to couples' therapy. As their session unfolds, they rediscover the love they thought was lost.
Friday Night Dinner - Series 6 Trailer
Hello bambinos! Friday Night Dinner is back for a sixth series in March. Here's the trailer.
Is Instagram bad for your health?
Footage of a viral disease that only affects Instagrammers...
Transaction - Liv Is Accused Of Theft By Consumption
The web sitcom about a transgender supermarket worker continues. This week: a trip to the manager's office and Liv inventing a pregnancy to get out of trouble.
Feel Good - Trailer
This new comedy about love and addiction starts in March. Stand-up Mae (Mae Martin) is single, in recovery, and sleeping on a fellow stand-up's sofa. When she meets previously heterosexual George, they embark on a whirlwind romance.
The Trouble With Maggie Cole - Trailer
The trailer for the ITV comedy drama starring Dawn French, Julie Hesmondhalgh and Mark Heap. It starts next week.
Spotlight
Derek Nimmo
Actor, writer and wit; ecclesiastical sitcom star when Dawn French was just a young girl; perfect P.G. Wodehouse player; and Just A Minute icon; today marks 21 years since the early death of the wonderful Derek Nimmo, aged just 68. Born in Liverpool, he forged a hugely popular screen career in a string of well-spoken but naive, often upper class roles. As the star of BBC sitcom All Gas & Gaiters, he played a pivotal role in early TV satire of the great establishments (in that case, the Church of England); followed with similar popularity by indirect spin-off Oh Brother! and its sequel, Oh Father!. Not to mention a starring role, alongside Peter Ustinov, in British-made Disney film One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing. See some more of his career highlights in our Profile of this great performer.
Thanks for reading
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