Avatards close to being commissioned

Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong's new production company are close to securing their first production deal. Their company, which is now called Various Artists, is close to signing a six-part deal for their pilot of a gamer comedy called Avatards written by Jon Brown.

Jesse Armstrong to write HBO drama series Succession

Succession stars Brian Cox as Logan Roy, the tough, powerful, and aging patriarch of the Roy family and head of a family-controlled international media conglomerate. Jesse Armstrong will serve as showrunner, writer, and executive producer on the series.

Top 40 TV Shows of 2016: #29 Fresh Meat

As usual, these six episodes were wince-inducingly familiar for anyone who's every sat through a terrible job interview, thrown a half-arsed party or embarked on an ill-advised relationship, touched with moments of real pathos as the gang said one final farewell to their student home.

Saying goodbye to our favourite students from Manchester Medlock University was always going to be hard but we felt that writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong did an admirable job in wrapping up the stories of Fresh Meat's six primary characters. What Bain and Armstrong did particularly well in our opinion was to capture that feeling of doubt about what's next to come after uni but did in a way that was both funny and touching. The characters all had their own separate stories whether it be Kingsley's affair with an older woman, Vod's struggle with crippling debt or Oregon's reign of terror at the student union. But it was when the characters all came together that Fresh Meat shone the most which was best exemplified when the housemates were all trapped in their cellar as their abode was ransacked. Overall we felt that Fresh Meat was given a fitting conclusion and gave all six characters a great send-off.

Is satire dead? Comics on why there are so few laughs

It's hard to poke fun at politicians in an era when they're held in contempt and every joke is policed for offence, say top television writers.

Fleabag: a hilarious sitcom about terrible people

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's sitcom is full of people who are defeated and unlikable - including her own character who masturbates to Barack Obama speeches. But it's utterly riveting.

The final round of Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong's comedy has been all about moving onwards, upwards and hopefully not downwards, as the six housemates approach graduation. JP and Kingsley take the coach down to London for interviews, the former on the way to his brother's company, the latter headed to the hallowed ground of 6Music, while Howard tags along in order to scope out the local environs of Ordnance Survey. More perfectly pitched comedy and perfectly pitched drama from this exceptionally good series.

The last-ever series (boo) of Fresh Meat told us that comedy on C4 might never get better. Eleven weeks away from finals, one night off. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asks tequila Josie of the supine JP, and therein awaits an entire ocean of stupidity.

The naming of JP's brother as "Tomothy", and JP's explanation, was quiet genius, as has been the strength of Jack Whitehall, and writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, all along.