Weekly Newsletter |
Monday 25th January 2021 |
Thank you to everyone who took part in our awards. With an unprecedented number of votes cast, we're now busy verifying all your choices and will bring you the results in a future email. In the meantime, there's plenty of news to impart.
Latest comedy news
Greg Davies's therapy comedy Safe Space gets Sky series
Greg Davies's therapy comedy Safe Space has been given a series by Sky. The comedy drama, which will co-star Raquel Cassidy and Adam James, will be on TV in 2022.
Russell Howard filming New Zealand tour travelogue for Sky
Russell Howard is making a travelogue on his New Zealand tour. Sky One will air three episodes of Russell Howard's Back To The Future Stand Up Show.
Michael McIntyre's The Wheel to return for Series 2
Michael McIntyre's game show The Wheel is to return to BBC One for a sixteen-part second series.
Only Fools And Horses van to be auctioned
One of the original vans that appeared in Only Fools And Horses is due to be auctioned on 5th March.
Peter Kay's Car Share car up for sale
It's a week for sitcom car sales as the centrepiece Fiat 500 car from Peter Kay and Sian Gibson's hit sitcom Car Share is to be auctioned for charity.
Channel 4 pulls out of Year Of The Rabbit Series 2
Channel 4 has cancelled its commission of Year Of The Rabbit Series 2, leaving producers in search of another partner, alongside US cable station IFC.
Jason Manford to host BBC quiz show Unbeatable
Jason Manford is to host 50 episodes of Unbeatable, a new game show for BBC One's afternoon schedule.
Lost Voice Guy's Ability to return to Radio 4
Lost Voice Guy's semi-autobiographical sitcom Ability is returning to Radio 4 for a third series.
Lucy Beaumont writes a "mumoir" book
Lucy Beaumont is to publish her first book in the autumn. Mummy ... Can I Stand On Your Head?: Diary Of A First Time Mum is described as a "mumoir" sharing "the unpredictable craziness of being a mum".
Brittas Empire cast to reunite for online event
The cast of The Brittas Empire are to reunite online this Thursday, to mark the 30th anniversary of the leisure centre sitcom.
Advert
The team behind The Goes Wrong Shows are returning to your screens for more hilarious improv, with Mischief Movie Night In, streaming straight to your sofa from their emergency comedy bunker! We need YOU to come up with the title, the genre and location of our improvised movie. Help us make our movie by sending us your suggestions via social media or simply sit back and enjoy with family and friends! From Wednesday until Sunday at 7.30pm this week, plus a Valentine's Day special - book now £10 per pass - every night's a first night! Info & Tickets
Features
Dead Pixels interview
Charlotte Ritchie, Alexa Davies and Will Merrick talk about returning to Dead Pixels, the sitcom based around computer game players.
Comedy Chronicles: Ill-advised revivals: The sitcom's living dead
Over the decades, television sitcoms have been revived, remade, and reimagined. Some work; but many fall far short of the much-loved originals.
First Gig, Worst Gig: Chris Betts
He's picking fights for your delight on a new podcast, but why did Chris Betts win one by emptying a bus?
The Galaxy's Greatest Comic Gets an All-Star Comedy Cast
2000AD's famous Future Shocks is getting an audio adaptation: but how did comic Nathaniel Tapley wind up working for Tharg the Alien?
British Comedy Quiz #137
What year did Lenny Henry's sitcom Chef! start on telly? That's one of this week's questions as our British Comedy Quiz draws ever nearer edition 150.
Random 8: Sarah Johnson
Queen of the Crafternoon, Sarah Johnson reveals yoga relief, dancer reverence and her Blondie regrets.
Podcasts
Fans of Rufus & Howard will be pleased to find a new The Worst Writer In The World story is now publishing on BCG, plus remastered versions of ManBuyCow have been uploaded. Meanwhile Nina Conti is on Richard Herring's podcast.
Advert
The Comedy Arcade is a podcast that's part game show, part chat show. Host Vix Leyton draws from a bingo ball of subjects - from everyday to current affairs - and invites three comics to compete to take the mic and tell the best story. This week's show features Seann Walsh, Josie Long and Julian Deane. Listen
TV listings
Staged
The final two episodes in the second series of the Zoom-based sitcom. Accepting their fate, David and Michael prepare to finally leave their homes...
Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains
Comedian and unexpected ballroom dancing star Bill Bailey, comic Tom Allen and TV presenter AJ Odudu share their embarrassing teenage stories with host Rhod Gilbert this week.
Dead Pixels
The second series of the computer-games based sitcom starts with a double-bill. After eight long months of waiting, the arrival of the new Kingdom Scrolls expansion pack is finally here.
QI
Sandi Toksvig asks questions about rocks, rolls and rock 'n' roll, leaving Bill Bailey, Katy Brand, Eshaan Akbar and Alan Davies trying to come up with interesting answers.
8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown
Sean Lock and Harriet Kemsley take on Jon Richardson and Joe Lycett in the words-and-numbers game, while Mat Ewins joins Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner.
Mock The Week
Dara O Briain hosts as Angela Barnes, Ed Gamble, Rhys James, Milton Jones and Evelyn Mok join regular panellist Hugh Dennis to take a comic look back on the latest events in news and politics.
Scot Squad
Urban cops PC Jack McLaren and PC Sarah Fletcher get their teeth into a disagreement between TV presenter Jean Johannsen and a local chippy; meanwhile Ken Beattie deals with bams while pushing a pram.
Back
This second episode focuses on one of Ellen's ex-lovers: Charismatic Mike (played by guest star Anthony Head, looking very different to normal).
Would I Lie To You?
Comedians Miles Jupp and Bob Mortimer and actresses Samantha Morton and Sarah Hadland join host Rob Brydon and regular captains David Mitchell and Lee Mack on the comedy panel show.
Not Going Out
When Lee joins Facebook for the first time and makes contact with an ex-girlfriend from twenty years ago, Lucy is less than pleased.
The Last Leg
Phil Wang will be amongst the guests joining socially distanced trio Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker this week.
The Graham Norton Show
Andi Osho, promoting her debut novel Asking For A Friend, will be talking to Graham this week. Also: Sam Neill, Billie Piper, James Nesbitt and Tom Jones.
Paul Sinha's TV Showdown
Fay Ripley and Rob Beckett are joined by celebrity guests Angela Griffin, Martin Kemp, Jessica Knappett and Jason Manford to compete head-to-head and test their TV knowledge.
For a complete list of TV, including repeats - plus everything that is on the radio - see our full schedule.
Shop
 |
Two Weeks To Live - Series 1The complete first series of Sky's apocalyptic comedy series comes to DVD. Starring Fleabag alumnus Sian Clifford and Game Of Thrones's Maisie Williams, along with Mawaan Rizwan and Taheen Modak, it follows a teenage girl, kept hidden from and naive to the world for decades after her father's murder, who is looking to avenge his death before the apocalypse that she believes is imminent. |
 |
The Gambler - Complete Series 1-2This radio comedy follows Tim FitzHigham as he embarks on recreating bizarre and amusing bets from history. The first episode opens with a bet wagered by the 4th Duke of Queensbury in 1753. The challenge: that Tim can pass a missive over a distance of 50 miles in one hour, using only the means that would have been available to a gentleman in 1753. Other episodes cover a wide range of bizarre bets including a 'gamble Anglaise' from 1811, attempting to get a cheeseboard to travel a distance of four-and-a-half miles in under 100 throws; an 18th-Century bet, attempting to outrun a racehorse over a hundred-yard dash; and trying to navigate central London blindfolded. |
 |
Andi Osho - Asking For A FriendComedian Andi Osho's new novel about three best friends who come up with a plan to solve their relationship woes once and for all. Fed up with their love lives, Jemima, Meagan and Simi decide it's time to play the dating game by their own rules, so they're going to ditch the dating apps and ask people out in real life. The catch? They can only ask out potential dates for each other. |
 |
Sailors ThreeA broad naval comedy that kept cinemagoers highly entertained during the early years of World War Two, Sailors Three was Walter Forde's last film for Ealing and Tommy Trinder's first. Co-starring Claude Hulbert and Michael Wilding, this is a memorable mix of music hall and propaganda, and is presented here in a new restoration that also marks its HD, Blu-ray world premiere. On shore leave from HMS Ferocious at a neutral South American port, three sailors have one shandy too many before re-boarding their ship. Unfortunately it's not their ship and they wake up to find they've drunkenly boarded the German pocket battleship Ludendorf! |
|
Erik The Viking - Special EditionA viking with a conscience, Erik tires of pillaging and decides to set out on a quest. When the wise Freya informs Erik that a great mythic wolf has eaten the sun, the warrior resolves to venture to Asgard, home of the Norse gods, to set things right. Before Erik can reach Asgard, he and his allies must first find a magical horn that resides in the land of King Arnulf, who, luckily for the hero, has a lovely daughter, Princess Aud. From Python Terry Jones comes this classic 80s comic adventure, now restored and available on Blu-ray for the first time. Includes 103-minute and 93-minute cuts of the film in HD, and "The Director's Son's Cut" (79-minutes) in standard definition, as well a fat array of extra features. |
For more, see our full list of new releases and items coming soon.
Comedy videos
Schools Out Forever - Trailer
Trailer for a new British comedy-horror film described as Shaun Of The Dead meets Lord Of The Flies meets St Trinian's, coming out digitally next month.
Leave The Plastic On
A series of six linked sketches focused around an MC and a politician. Varun Raj and Nimisha Odedra star, and look out for Nitin Ganatra.
Jeremy Lion: Lion Bites
Justin Edwards has revived his drunken kids' entertainer character Jeremy Lion to present a series of home-schooling videos. We're not sure how accurate his facts are though.
Brassic - Series 3
Here's a first look trailer for the third series of Sky's hit comedy drama. The new set of episodes will be shown later this year.
Bloods - Trailer
Bloods - following an unlikely paramedic duo played by Jane Horrocks and Samson Kayo - launches in March. Here's a first look at the show.
Cancel my subscription
If you could call and cancel 2021, would you?
What If? With Munya Chawawa
In this three-part series for E4's online channels, comedian Munya Chawawa looks to find answers to several questions, starting with the quite topical: 'What if Dry January lasted forever?'.
Highbrow Cop Shows
Alasdair Beckett-King has created this trailer for the hottest cop shows based on literary classics.
When you forget your password
"Cool sure I'll follow the link to reset :)"
A look at the cancelled People Just Do Nothing USA
An interesting documentary video in which a YouTuber has pieced together bits of the never-seen American remake of People Just Do Nothing. It wasn't looking great.
Mother F**king Pep Talk - Rosie Jones
"You are not Brenda, you are not your mum and you are not a fish!" Some advice from Rosie Jones.
Cool tip for working from home - The Pin
Why not turn up to a work Zoom meeting with a pre-recorded message?
The Foreskin Song (100% Uncut)
Here's a comedy song from Chris Turner. As the title suggests, it might not be one to watch if your boss is around.
Falling For Figaro - Trailer
This forthcoming film starring Danielle Macdonald, Joanna Lumley and Hugh Skinner is a romantic comedy set in the fierce world of opera singing competitions.
Spotlight
Grace & Favour
Are You Being Served? is a beloved sitcom the world over, but much lesser-known (particularly here in Britain) is its sequel. Running for two series from 1992, Grace & Favour reunites the majority of the department store comedy's original characters - Captain Peacock, Mrs Slocombe, Mr Humphries, Miss Brahms and Mr Rumbold - as they embark on running a manor house turned country hotel after the shocking misinvestment of their pension fund. Sadly Mr Lucas is absent, but the local help add to the riotous goings-on. Whilst providing plenty of the kind of laughs its predecessor is known for, and a reasonable if not huge success, just 12 episodes were made. It's available now on DVD.
Thanks for reading
Maxine Jones has won the latest BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition, which was about teachers.
Teaching is the most gruelling of professions, though porridge making comes a close second.
Don't forget, you can always find more every day via our website and social media accounts. Links below.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
Join our mailing list