BCG Daily Monday 3rd March 2014

Comedy review: Joe Rooney, Glasgow

Nearly 18 years on, Joe Rooney remains best known in the UK for playing the young tearaway priest Father Damo in Father Ted. So there's enjoyable irony in hearing the Irish comic muttering darkly about his own kids, though their middle-class snobbery rather than any delinquency.

Blandings, BBC One

A series about the bizarre shenanigans of a family of ludicrous aristocrats would seem an unlikely hit for 21st-century Sunday night telly.

Radio Times review

The funniest visit yet to where eccentricity isn't just welcomed but actually celebrated. It's summer 1990 and, while Martin and his best (strangest) pal Padraic build a raft for some Huckleberry Finn-ish japes, Martin's sisters are both having size issues. Mother Moone is tiptoeing around Sinead's weight gain, and Fidelma is fired from Bible readings in church for being unmarried and pregnant.

From a priestly Mexican stand-off to a bargain-basement Enya video, Chris O'Dowd and Nick Vincent Murphy's crackpot sitcom fires on all of its numerous cylinders. Joy, bottled.

Radio Times review

Rae crosses over to the dark side this week, ingratiating herself with college Queen Bee Stacey and her subservient posse. It's a welcome relief from her loneliness, but acceptance into the sanctum comes at a price; Rae must wear designer clothes, swap rock albums for the Backstreet Boys (it is 1996 after all) and poke fun at the school "losers".

"I'm a phoney," confesses an angsty voiceover as cartoon ink scrawls the words "Who are you kidding?" across the screen. Frank, affecting and superbly acted.

Review: Russell Brand at Portsmouth Guildhall

The best moment of Russell Brand's gig at the Guildhall on Friday night was undoubtedly when he first walked on stage.

Interview with John Sheehan

John Sheehan answers a few questions.

Gemma Arterton to star in Made in Dagenham musical

Gemma Arterton is to star in a musical version of Made in Dagenham.

Audio: Johnny Cochrane and Inel Tomlinson interview

Johnny Cochrane and Inel Tomlinson talk about their BBC show.

Why Stewart Lee is wrong about slapstick

In his TV series Comedy Vehicle Lee pours scorn on slapstick by berating Del Boy's fall through the bar for being voted number one in a Funniest TV Momentclip show: "Is that really what we've come to, Britain? Del Boy falling through a bar, and Trigger making a face?!" Significantly, many of the other top clips were also sight gags - Cleese's silly walks, Dawn French collapsing into a puddle... It seems that 80 years since the advent of sound technology we still favour the sight gag over the verbal. Why?

Ruby Wax: 'I played Bedlam - not many can say that'

The comedian talks about the taboo of mental illness, performing at Bethlem Royal hospital and her new show Sane New World.

How we made Wallace and Gromit

Gromit was a cat, Wallace had a moustache, and their first adventure was meant to be like Star Wars - but with cheese. Nick Park and Peter Lord on creating a British classic.

Cornish comedian Jethro joins UKIP

Jethro, whose real name is Geoffrey Rowe and who was born in St Buryan but now lives in Lewdown on the Devon-Cornwall border, once stood as an anti-EU Independent but has never previously been a member of any political party.

My Mad Fat Diary review

Sharon Rooney gives a magnificent performance in another great episode.

Richard Ayoade interview

Richard Ayoade talks about The Double, Chris Morris and his future plans.

Preview: Inside No 9: The Understudy, BBC2

This is very much Pemberton and Shearsmith's instalment and they are both brilliant, with one playing an actor on their way up, the other one on their way down.

TV review: Jonathan Creek

All in all, it was well made, great fun, totally implausible and quickly forgotten. Mention should be made of Sarah Alexander's heroic efforts as Creek's wife Polly. Wife, girlfriend, partner or chum, his female sidekick remains one of the most thankless roles on television.