Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 4th January 2021 |
Christmas may not yet be technically over (it's only the eleventh day), and covid may still be making its presence felt, but we know many of you are back at your desks tomorrow, if not today, so here's all the latest from the world of British comedy, set to put a real smile on your face.
Comedy Awards
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Latest comedy news
John Bishop joins Doctor Who for next series
Comedian John Bishop has joined the cast of Doctor Who as filming on its thirteenth series is underway.
Blankety Blank most-watched new TV comedy in 2020
Blankety Blank was the most-watched new British comedy on TV in 2020. 5.2 million viewers tuned in to see the comic game show's revival on Christmas Day. The Graham Norton Show and ITV sitcom Kate & Koji also got over 5 million viewers last year.
Comedy actors receive New Year honours
Actors Sheila Hancock, Toby Jones, Lesley Manville and Nina Wadia have been recognised in the New Year's Honours list.
Mackenzie Crook moots Detectorists revival
Mackenzie Crook has stated that his cult-hit, critically acclaimed sitcom Detectorists could be revived for a new series.
Features
2021 Quiz
How much do you know about what's coming up, comedy wise, in 2021? Put yourself to the test with our latest quiz.
Staged Series 2 cast interviews
The cast of lockdown hit Staged talk about returning to the format for eight more episodes. If you love the show, you can now pre-order a DVD of both series.
30 years of The Brittas Empire
We celebrate 30 years of leisure centre sitcom The Brittas Empire, which marked its anniversary yesterday.
Comedy Rewind: The wild world of The Mighty Boosh
Comedy Rewind turns to the surrealist 2000s cult hit, The Mighty Boosh.
10 new TV shows to look out for in 2021
We take a look at ten new TV comedy series that will be appearing on screens in the year ahead. For example, have you heard about Chivalry and The Witchfinder?
Tony Law on Festive Past, Present and Future
Tony Law swapped Christmas gigs for streams with Phil Nicol - online streams, that is. It's cold out there.
Comedy Chronicles: Freddie Frinton's Dinner For One
A once much-loved British comedy sketch has acclaimed cult status on the continent whilst fading into obscurity in its home nation. This is the story of Freddie Frinton and Dinner For One.
Random 8: The Delightful Sausage
Back with a gleefully gruesome podcast special, The Delightful Sausage reveal a bewildering tattoo, Amy's Toyland crush and the trucker cab of terror.
TV listings
Staged
There're eight new episodes in this second series - a new one will be broadcast each Monday and Tuesday. Tonight, a work opportunity for Michael and David turns sour.
QI
Sandi Toksvig asks questions on animals beginning with the letter R, with Tom Allen, Ed Gamble, Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Alan Davies trying to come up with interesting answers - while avoiding the most obvious ones.
The Big Fat Quiz Of Everything
Jimmy Carr is joined by Rob Beckett & Roisin Conaty, Nish Kumar & Katherine Ryan and Oti Mabuse & Rob Brydon as they go head to head to see who knows the most about, well, everything.
Scot Squad
Series 6 of the cop comedy. The traffic cops make a big noise to salute the key workers, while the rural officers handle a massive marrow bust-up at the horticultural show.
Would I Lie To You?
Return of the comedy panel show. Taking part in this first edition of Series 14 are Les Dennis, Richard Osman, Alice Levine and Lou Sanders.
Not Going Out
Series 11 begins. When Lee accidentally opens a parcel for one of his neighbours and sees what is inside, the simple task of uniting the package with its rightful owner proves to be impossible.
The Graham Norton Show
David Mitchell and Robert Webb appear on the show to talk about their Channel 4 comedy Back. Also Jimmy Fallon, Regina King, Anya Taylor-Joy and Olly Alexander.
Paul Sinha's TV Showdown
A new comedy panel show based on the classic Telly Addicts format. Paul Sinha hosts, as team captains Rob Beckett and Fay Ripley are joined in episode one by Denise Van Outen, Adil Ray, Catherine Tyldesley and Josh Widdicombe.
Happy Birthday Mr Bean
A celebratory documentary looking back at the thirty (one) years since comedy legend Mr Bean landed on our screens, including an interview with Rowan Atkinson.
Shop
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ABC Nights In - Don't Go Away, I Could Do With A Bit Of Cheer Right NowOne of five surprise releases just hours before Christmas, these 'Nights In' collections each consist of around four hours of classic programming from the ABC television archive, ranging from comedy to magic and thriller to variety, presented as a delightful back-to-back line-up complete with contemporary adverts and new introductions by original ABC man David Hamilton. This collection includes: Here's David Nixon; The Lion, The With And The Wardrobe; Never Mind The Quality, Feel The Width; Dial 999; Big Night Out; Howerd's Hour; Candid Camera Classics; Armchair Theatre; and The Eamonn Andrews Show. |
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The Jeeves Collection: P.G Wodehouse Volume 1Stephen Fry says "thanks to the good people of Audible, a selection of some of my very favourite Wodehouse". The Jeeves Collection contains twenty-one short stories featuring Jeeves - the ultimate Gentleman's Gentleman - and his master, Bertie Wooster; plus three full length novels of the pair's hilarious adventures. Together, it's almost 41 full hours of sublime comic mastery from the pen of P.G. Wodehouse. |
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Johnny FrenchmanRenowned farceur Tom Walls stars alongside French cinematic icon Francoise Rosay in this heart-warming comedy drama from Ealing, newly remastered in high definition and available on Blu-ray for the first time anywhere in the world. Made as World War Two was coming to an end but set during its opening months, Johnny Frenchman follows the age-old rivalry between the Cornish and Breton fisherfolk. Harbourmaster Nat Pomeroy holds a particular grudge... not just for the Bretons' incessant poaching, but for the harbour dues he loses in the process! |
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Mischief At Christmas - Peter Pan Goes Wrong & A Christmas Carol Goes WrongDouble-bill of BBC television comedy specials from the acclaimed, multi-award-winning Mischief Theatre production company. Peter Pan Goes Wrong: The Olivier Award-winning Mischief Theatre brings Peter Pan Goes Wrong to the small screen. As part of a commitment to community theatre, The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, an amateur dramatics group, has been commissioned to recreate the JM Barrie classic as part of the festive season programming. But can they pull it off? A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong: Blacklisted by the BBC after ruining Peter Pan, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are not taking their ban lying down and force themselves back on the BBC by hijacking the jewel of the Christmas schedule, a 'live' production of A Christmas Carol staged by a professional cast. |
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Easy MoneyClassic comedy about four people who dream of winning the football pools in austere post-war Britain. A superb cast includes Jack Warner, Bill Owen, Jack Watling, Petula Clark and Mervyn Johns. With a story by Arnold Ridley (Private Godfrey from Dad's Army), this comedy consists of four stories that show the down side to high living. Britain in 1948, and a win on the football pools was a way out of post-war austerity. The football pools was a huge industry employing 25,000 people and saw 10 million punters putting their crosses, 1s and 2s into the little boxes on their coupon. It was everyone's dream to win the pools and most Britons did not view it as gambling but as a traditional British past-time. |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
Zooming with Boris
Katerina zooms with her "bae" Boris, discussing their latest plans for a holiday in Dubai.
The Last Leg - James Acaster swears at Lorraine Kelly
Piers Morgan is furious about this clip from The Last Leg's New Year's Eve broadcast, in which James Acaster reacts in the only reasonable way to Lorraine Kelly's praise of the broadcaster.
Petrichor
All four episodes of this great web series about a clueless man trying to make a short film are now online. There's lots of familiar faces making cameo appearances in it.
100 Reasons To Hate 2020
2020, a year to forget! Comedian Ian Smith has a whole list of reasons we never want to see that year again.
Ghosts - Series 2 Bloopers
Some bits cut out of the second series of the hit BBC One sitcom.
The Impostor
Robots are looking to kill all humans...
Spotlight
Kat And The Band
This independent British feature was filmed three years ago now, and saw a low-key digital release through certain streaming platforms in the summer. It stars Ella Hunt (Anna And The Apocalypse, Cold Feet, Dickinson) as a teenager who dreams only of making it in the music business, and sets out by signing a small but promising local rock band, Dollar Days, to be managed by her. With a confidence far beyond her years, she pushes them to see far beyond local pubs and clubs, but things quickly begin falling apart as she attempts to take the group on tour. Real life pop-rock star, McFly's Dougie Poynter co-stars as the band's front man and lead guitarist, in a cast that also includes Rufus Hound and Katherine Kelly. Stream it now.
Thanks for reading
Jonny King won last week's BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition, which was about new year's resolutions:
This year I'm giving up drinking, smoking and gambling. I would give up overeating as well, but I've already got a lot on my plate.
Meanwhile, the winner over Christmas was Jack Kelly with this quip on the topic of family:
People talk about family values but I didn't get much for my Nan at Cash Converters.
Thanks for reading! If you haven't already, do please click through to vote in our awards.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
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