BCG Daily Friday 7th March 2014

Keith and Crawford receive honours from Queen

Actors Penelope Keith and Michael Crawford have officially been given their honours at a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Latitude comedy tent filled with funny women

Female comics 'at the top of their game' form a third of the comedy lineup at this year's festival, whose arts programme reads like a who's who of performance.

Radio Times review

With Jonathan Creek settling down to rural domestic bliss, the most exciting things in his life are the prophecies of biblical retribution in the parish newsletter and the occasional local burglary. This soapy version of Jonathan Creek is a far cry from the days when there'd be an unfathomable murder within the first few minutes of each episode. Instead there's a hump-backed beast that's been sighted prowling the gardens at night while the village buzzes with gossip about a recent lottery winner who's at the centre of a sex scandal.

It's only when Jonathan hears how an eccentric (and useless) psychic apparently predicted those winning lottery numbers 50 years earlier that events take a more interesting turn and Jonathan gets to flex his mystery-solving muscles.

Radio Times review

The gripes up for consideration run the gamut from the trivial (people who make up rules in Monopoly) to the vehemently political (George Osborne and "all his friends in the cabinet").

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Charles Dance and comedian Andi Osho are the nominees, and surprisingly it's the dandyish star of Changing Rooms who proves most entertaining and witty. His diatribe against beige "in all its gory; its understated, delusional blandeur" is a particular highlight.

There's not too much combative banter between the guests, except when Osho claims Charles Dance sounds like the sort of name you'd make up to avoid embarrassment at an STD clinic. Delightful.

Radio Times review

Star and showrunner Ruth Jones wisely hands her scripting laptop to Steve Speirs, the actor who does such fine light comic work as Big Alan, for Big Alan's big episode. Yes, Alan's taken hostage by a militant pensioner on a bus trip to Bristol Zoo, but his main trial is convincing Celia to give him another chance after he bottled out of taking their relationship further.

Speirs writes himself a perfectly sweet and unpretentious scene, but doesn't stop there. Stella and Michael (Jones and Patrick Baladi) also have a series of lovely two-handers, while Emma rues her dalliance with her boss and young, silly Ben gets involved in a classic example of teenagers acting stupidly but all too believably.

Review: Count Arthur Strong at Bath Literature Festival

Over the course of the hour, he tried to raffle off his bookmark, sang a tuneless song about Doncaster and read badly from his masterwork.

I Can't Sing! producers admit 'still work to do'

The producers of Harry Hill's X Factor spoof musical I Can't Sing! have admitted there is "still work to do" after an audience was left waiting almost 50 minutes between acts during its first show.

Russell Kane: kill BBC3 and you kill risk-taking comedy

Cutting the BBC's 'home of new comedy' means comics will have fewer opportunities to try and fail - it's an end to experimentalism.

How Jonathan Creek is inverting the English whodunnit

Creator David Renwick upset some fans of the detective drama by showing whodunnit (and how) near the beginning, rather than the end, of the latest episode - but it's so well written that it's still great fun watching Creek unravel the mystery.

Russell Brand discusses seductive addiction with Oprah

Oprah Winfrey delves into the deep impact of drug addiction in an intimate one-to-one conversation with Russell Brand who describes his experience as a recovering addict, in the first episode of her new series Oprah Prime.

Birds of a Feather drops but still top on ITV

Birds of a Feather came out on top for its current series finale on Thursday outside of soaps, according to overnight figures, despite a fall in viewers.

Mark Gatiss keen on League of Gentlemen return

Mark Gatiss has confirmed that he is open to a League of Gentlemen revival.

Russell Brand cancels show due to mother's illness

The comedian revealed that mother Barbara has been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time.

Episode review: Birds of a Feather finale

There were concerns about whether Birds of a Feather could make the transition from fuzzy 90s nostalgia to a going concern in 2014. The TV landscape has changed beyond recognition since we left the Birds in a Tipperary stable in 1998, but by both embracing the new whilst staying true to the incredibly successful formula of the original show, the reboot has been a triumph. At the time of going to press, there has just been an announcement of a second series and we've certainly been infinitely grateful for the opportunity to catch up with Sharon, Tracey and Dorien in a show that has extended the legacy of one of TV's most successful and beloved sitcoms.

Interview: BAFTA Games Awards host Dara O'Briain

Comedian, husband and Arsenal fan Dara speaks to Mirror Online about zombie attacks and not needing permission from the wife to play games.

Opinion: Should Justin Lee Collins be on the radio?

The announcement has prompted some serious head-scratching. Should the station be employing Collins? It's a classic difficult decision. He has served his sentence, he has a right to work. I guess in this case you have a right not to subscribe to him. Or maybe to paraphrase one wag on Twitter, you have a right to cancel your introductory free subscription. Will those on a free trial listen to the man who was on trial?

Stewart Lee: The BBC don't promote the series

Comedy Vehicle's return was hastened in part because of a routine about UKIP in tomorrow's episode, which had to air before April 11th to comply with BBC rules on not broadcasting political satire too close to the European elections.

Technology, manipulation and mischief in Blue Jam

Lucian Randall, the writer and Chris Morris biographer reflects on the how technological advances fed the creative sound of the cult series.

This week's new live comedy

Previews of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival, Paul Chowdhry and Angela Barnes.

Alan Davies brings charm to another muddled episode

Ultimately, tonight's episode of Jonathan Creek was a step up on last week's opener. The central mystery wasn't solved about twenty minutes in and felt like it had more in common with the Jonathan Creek of old. On the other hand there was still far too much going on and Davies and Alexander continue to be utterly unconvincing as a married couple.

Doug Segal interview

His current act, I Can Make You A Mentalist, sees him teach a random member of the audience telepathic skills.

What Makes The Laughmakers Laugh?

Apart from 'are you funny when you are not in stage?', 'do you ever switch off?' and 'do you get lots of groupies?', the question stand-ups often get asked is 'what makes you laugh?'. Simon Evans, Kerry Godliman and Jim Smallman respond.

The 53 greatest moments from The Day Today

Everything that happened in the 1994 spoof TV show has since come to pass.

Andrew Lawrence interview

Stand-up is Andrew Lawrence's main love, he said he did not take on any television work unless it was something he really wanted to do - he has hardly had any appearances on panel shows.