BCG Daily Tuesday 4th March 2014

Prunella Scales suffering from mild Alzheimer's

The husband of Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales, actor Timothy West, talks about wife's condition in a More4 documentary.

David Brent announces new tour dates

Ricky Gervais's comedy character will take to the stage again later this year in Oxford and London.

Theatre review: Not Now, Bernard

David McKee's classic children's book gets a fantastic staging with a great performance from Rhys Rusbatch that leaves the audience buzzing.

Big Mouth Comedy Club is spreading its wings

With five successful years under its belt at Middlesbrough Town Hall, the Big Mouth Comedy Club is now spreading its wings to Redcar and Guisborough.

Comedy big guns join Gilded Balloon party at Usher Hall

From flyers, posters and large signs outside the pop-up Fringe stop, The Gilded Balloon is one of the main hubs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe attracting a wide range of shows throughout August. Now the name is back in town five months early to join in the Usher Hall's 100th birthday with a Gilded Comedy Gala.

Interview - Doug Segal: I Can Make You a Mentalist

Britain's top comedy mind reader talks about quitting the 9-5, using his 'powers' and the challenges of audience interaction.

Radio Times review

The problem-solving series returns to strike terror into the hearts of the trigonometrically challenged. This opener lures you in with some frolicking, manly banter about eight-dimensional kebabs and the fluid dynamics behind a Roberto Carlos free kick. But the problem with the format is that it's very difficult to play along at home. So there are lots of shots of things being arranged on tables and students saying "Hmm" into their marker pens, but we have little idea how any of them are doing until adjudicator Marcus du Sautoy wades in to make everyone (apart from Dara) feel a bit thick.

Comedians Kevin Bridges and the terrific Peter Serafinowicz are the guests. The latter, in particular, makes little attempt to disguise his bafflement throughout.

Radio Times review

Pramface's central couple have to be mismatched - it's at the heart of the "comedy" - but does Laura have to be quite so whiny and annoying and does Jamie, the father of her baby, have to be such a gormless man-child? He's an eager-to-please simpleton who is duped once again when a chancy painter and decorator recruits him to do some casual work. This involves Jamie removing his shirt and wearing revealing cut-off jeans. Poor Jamie, he's merely eye-candy for leering middle-aged ladies.

Passive-aggressive Laura, meanwhile, is stomping around her dad's flat as he undergoes a midlife crisis and starts dating a much younger woman.

The best comedy in London this March

There's an overwhelming number of comedy shows to choose from in London. Our advice? Buy tickets to any of the ten shows we recommend and you'll have a cracking time.

Daniel Kitson: standup's restless, theatrical polymath

Did you hear the one about the comedian who was as good at avant-garde theatre as he was at cracking gags?

Billy Connolly to present documentary series on death

Billy Connolly will explain how he wants to die in a brand new documentary series on death for ITV.

Hal Cruttenden interview

I caught up with Hal Cruttenden last week to talk about, amongst many things, his Tough Luvvie show, which is touring the UK until June 2014, and his first sitcom - Hal - for Radio 4.

The Pramface baby daddy - An interview with Chris Reddy

On The Box talks to Pramface creator and lead writer Chris Reddy about finding the humour in teenage pregnancy, the reason John Milton would have made a kick-ass screenwriter and why it's best to avoid Gavin and Stacey comparisons.

Nick Frost on Mr Slone

Nick Frost on why his 1960s-set comedy Mr Sloane doesn't swing.

Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle Season 3 review

It's great to have him back and here's one element of the license fee that is a great investment. Stewart Lee never was the 41st best, but his current work suggest he's in a league of his own.

Keith Lemon interview

TV Choice managed to pin down presenter Keith to find out more about the booze, banter and 'POTATO' ban on the comedy quiz...

The Indian sanitary pad revolutionary

A school dropout from a poor family in southern India has revolutionised menstrual health for rural women in developing countries by inventing a simple machine they can use to make cheap sanitary pads.

Arunachalam Muruganantham's invention came at great personal cost - he nearly lost his family, his money and his place in society. But he kept his sense of humour.