Weekly Newsletter

Monday 16th March 2020

Rest assured we washed our hands before compiling the below news and features for you. Twice.

Latest comedy news

Plebs to return to ITV2

Plebs to return to ITV2

Plebs will return to ITV2, with filming in Bulgaria set to commence in May.

ITV declines more Timewasters

ITV declines more Timewasters

Timewasters, ITV2's sitcom about four young black jazz musicians who find themselves transported through time, will not be returning for a third series.

Lou Sanders joins 'Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable'

Lou Sanders joins 'Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable'

Lou Sanders has been signed up as the sidekick on new Dave panel show Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable.

Kiri Pritchard-McLean wins Caroline Aherne Bursary

Kiri Pritchard-McLean wins Caroline Aherne Bursary

Stand-up comedian and writer Kiri Pritchard-McLean has been announced as the recipient of the BBC's Caroline Aherne Bursary for 2020.

Roy Hudd dies aged 83

Roy Hudd dies aged 83

Comedian, actor, writer and entertainer Roy Hudd has died aged 83.

Ncuti Gatwa wins Breakthrough Award

Ncuti Gatwa wins Breakthrough Award

Ncuti Gatwa, who plays Eric in Netflix comedy drama Sex Education, has won the Breakthrough Award at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. Fleabag and The Graham Norton Show also won prizes.

Matt Lucas to host The Great British Bake Off

Matt Lucas to host The Great British Bake Off

Matt Lucas has been announced as the new host of The Great British Bake Off. He'll present the hit format alongside Noel Fielding, taking over from Sandi Toksvig.

Chris Ramsey to host Little Mix The Search

Chris Ramsey to host Little Mix The Search

Chris Ramsey has been announced as the host of Little Mix The Search, a new BBC One talent show.

Features

Ed Patrick talks about his Radio 2 show Infectious Personalities

Ed Patrick interview

Comedian and doctor Ed Patrick talks about his Radio 2 comedy show, Infectious Personalities.

First Gig, Worst Gig: Isabelle Farah

First Gig, Worst Gig: Isabelle Farah

Does acting help comedians pretend to be confident? Let's ask Isabelle Farah.

Feel Good interviews

Feel Good interviews

The cast and writers of Channel 4's Feel Good talk about making the show, and its representation of queer and LGBT relationships.

British Comedy Quiz #92

British Comedy Quiz #92

What was the name of band Ricky Gervais used to be in? If you know, you've got your first point in this week's quiz.

Win The Windsors Series 3 on DVD

Win The Windsors Series 3 on DVD

Win a copy of Royal family sitcom The Windsors Series 3 on DVD.

Random 8: Jon Brittain

Random 8: Jon Brittain

Olivier Award-winning playwright Jon Brittain always wanted to be an author, even before he knew what one was.

BCG Pro

BCG Pro

If you're writing a comedy, then BCG Pro is for you. Head into the Inside Track Library for various exclusive advice and insight articles, podcasts and videos.

Podcasts

Podcasts

With the BBC Writersroom now ready to take in new comedy scripts, Sitcom Geeks chats to those involved to find out what they're looking for. Meanwhile RHLSTP is in Manchester with Janice Connolly and Bethany Black.

TV listings

This Country

This Country

Monday 7pm, iPlayer; 10:35pm, BBC One

Kerry and Kurtan visit the local train station to welcome the vicar home from a trip to Bristol. In his absence, they have been handling lots of village admin, including looking after the parish chickens.

The Stand Up Sketch Show

The Stand Up Sketch Show

Monday 10pm, ITV2

Routines by comedians including Tom Lucy, Elf Lyons, Dane Baptiste and Lloyd Griffith are reconstructed as sketches this week.

The Trip

The Trip

Tuesday 10pm, Sky One

Steve and Rob are joined at the Hotel Grande Bretagne by Emma and photographer Yolanda, who plans to shoot the pair at the nearby Epidaurus Amphitheatre.

The Windsors

The Windsors

Tuesday 10:15pm, Channel 4

Charles is taking his new role as Defender of All Faiths very seriously, so when the Highgrove village branch leader of the Church of Satan invites him to officiate a Black Mass, he accepts.

Kate & Koji

Kate & Koji

Wednesday 8pm, ITV

A very rare thing in the schedules... a new sitcom filmed in front of a studio audience! The comedy, written by the creators of Outnumbered, stars Brenda Blethyn as the owner of a seaside café, and Jimmy Akingbola as an asylum-seeking African doctor. The episode we've seen is very funny, so do give it a watch.

The Trouble With Maggie Cole

The Trouble With Maggie Cole

Wednesday 9pm, ITV

Peter is jittery about the press interest from Maggie's interview, and the online petition calling for his resignation over the scandal.

Hypothetical

Hypothetical

Wednesday 10pm, Dave

Josh Widdicombe and James Acaster challenge Johnny Vegas, Zoe Lyons, Sara Pascoe and Richard Osman to answer their hypotheticals.

Feel Good

Feel Good

Wednesday 10pm, Channel 4

A new semi-autobiographical sitcom co-written by and starring stand-up comedian Mae Martin. You can find out more via our website.

Breeders

Breeders

Thursday 10pm, Sky One

Paul, suspected of intentionally hurting his mum, begins to question if his accident-prone son's frequent injuries might actually be his fault.

Meet The Richardsons

Meet The Richardsons

Thursday 10pm, Dave

The Richardsons finally get invited to the showbiz event of the year: the Jonathan Ross Halloween party.

The Last Leg

The Last Leg

Friday 10pm, Channel 4

No news yet on the guest line-up for this week's show. If the Government clamps down on mass gatherings, they might not be able to even film it in front of an audience.

All Round To Mrs. Brown's

All Round To Mrs. Brown's

Saturday 9:15pm, BBC One

Kicking off Series 4 of the entertainment show, Agnes and Cathy welcome Caitlyn Jenner, John Barrowman and his larger than life parents, plus Danny O'Donoghue and The Script.

For a complete list of broadcasts, including repeats and radio comedy, see our full schedule.

Shop

Last Holiday

Last Holiday

Out now. Blu-ray, DVD, Download

From celebrated playwright and left-wing broadcaster J.B. Priestley, Last Holiday is a black comedy about life, death, class and happiness. It's available now on Blu-ray for the first time, in this brand new restoration.

Alec Guinness stars as George Bird, a mild-mannered salesman who's been told by his doctor that he only has a short time left to live. Determined not to waste his final days, he decides to withdraw his savings and retire to spend his last weeks in a high-end hotel on the English riviera.

Once there, he finds himself far more comfortable associating with the staff than other guests, but soon his luck is on the up: a winning gambling streak, job offers and more besides are suddenly all coming Bird's way.

The Other Man

The Other Man

Pre-order. Audiobook

Julian Rhind-Tutt stars as Travis, the 'other man' in love with a married woman, in this six-part romantic comedy.

Travis meets Grace, the woman of his dreams. But she has one fatal flaw - a husband. And Travis and Grace aren't the only people with complicated love lives - there's also Travis's brother Charlie, Charlie's ex-girlfriend Alice and Travis's not-so-secret admirer Serena. As Travis and Grace try to get their illicit affair underway, events seem to be conspiring against them, and their plans are continually thwarted.

Appointment With Venus

Appointment With Venus

Pre-order. DVD

Based on a true story, Appointment With Venus is a comedy highlighting the indomitable British spirit during World War 2 in the face of Nazi tyranny.

The Nazis occupied the Channel Islands in 1940 and amongst the population on the tiny island of Amorel is Venus, a pedigree cow, whose ability to produce high quality milk is legendary. So well-known is Venus that she has even come to the attention of Hitler who wants to send her to Germany to breed with the Teutonic herds he claims are the best in the world. To deny Hitler his prize and boost morale at home, British Special Forces - led by Major Moreland (David Niven) and ably assisted by Nicola Fallaize (Glynis Johns) and the Islanders - mount a dangerous operation to rescue Venus and return her to England.

The ensemble cast includes Kenneth More, Bernard Lee and Richard Wattis.

Inside No. 9 - Series Five

Inside No. 9 - Series Five

Out now. DVD

The fifth series of Shearsmith and Pemberton's now near-iconic, highly celebrated anthology is now available to own.

Mixing high drama, horror and comedy, these six latest episodes - plus the hit 2018 Hallowe'en special - are jam-packed with guest stars and suspenseful plotlines. Sadly, unlike the previous four series, it's not (yet) available on Blu-ray, but if you love the show as much as many do, you'll still want to add the title to your collection.

Some People

Some People

Pre-order. Blu-ray

A lively musical tale of teen rebellion, Some People stars BAFTA winner Kenneth More alongside a group of young actors on the cusp of bursting onto the Swinging London film scene.

Ray Brooks, Annika Wills and David Hemmings play the young, bored rebels "living for kicks" in this key British film from the early 1960s. Some People is featured here in a brand-new high definition transfer from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.

Young and bored, Johnnie, Bill and Bert are teenage tearaways whose only interests are motorbikes and rock music. When they are banned from riding and fined heavily, they become convinced that society has no use for them. But a choirmaster finds them playing rock on a church organ and, for some of them at least, there seems to be a way out of a no-hope situation.

For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.

Comedy videos

If Football Clubs Went Dating

If Football Clubs Went Dating

A sketch on what would happen if Premier League clubs went dating.

Killing Steves Sport Relief sketch

Killing Steves Sport Relief sketch

A sketch shown on Sport Relief on Friday. Someone is killing Steves. Sir Steve Redgrave, Stephen Fry, Stephen Mulhern, Steve Davis and even Steve McDonald from Coronation Street are all at risk!

Line Of Duty Sport Relief sketch

Line Of Duty Sport Relief sketch

Another Sport Relief sketch which you might have missed if you weren't watching on Friday night. In this 'deleted scene' from Line Of Duty, Lee Mack defends an accused corrupt copper.

Sprog - Why be a parent when you could be a sharent!

Sprog - Why be a parent when you could be a sharent!

An advert for a new series. Modern life can be so exhausting so that's why Sprög exists - an infant-borrowing service!

How To Date A Magical Creature - How To Date The Creepy Twins From The Shining

How To Date The Creepy Twins From The Shining

An improvised sketch in which The Creepy Twins from The Shining give their first ever interview.

Don't Sell The Tiger

Don't Sell The Tiger

A short film about three sisters who return to their family home after the death of their father. The squabbling siblings can't agree on the fate of one family heirloom - a mysterious bronze tiger. Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Jessica Fostekew and Hatty Ashdown star.

Stand-up comedian performs during Coronavirus self-isolation

Stand-up comedian performs during Coronavirus self-isolation

Comedian Marek Larwood, forced to self-isolate during the Coronavirus, finds a way to perform.

Red Dwarf - Special teaser trailer

Red Dwarf - Special teaser trailer

A short trailer for the new 90-minute special, coming this Easter to Dave.

Spotlight

Life With Cooper

Life With Cooper

Running for three series from 1966, this sketch-magic-stand-up hybrid represents Tommy Cooper's earliest surviving television work. Just three episodes of the 19 are missing, but the rest - plus the sole surviving edition of predecessor Cooperama - are all available on DVD, in a triple-disc set released early last year. Packing in the comic's trademark humour with wonderful illusions and a run of sketches depicting the disasters of his daily life, it remains a very funny comedy to this day - and perfect entertainment for all ages.

Thanks for reading

There's more new content on our website every day - this newsletter is just some of it - so do re-visit during the week for all the latest news, features, sketches and more.

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