BCG Daily Monday 10th March 2014

A bomb disposal expert on the comedy Bluestone 42

Bluestone 42 succeeds in capturing the gallows humour that surrounds this most dangerous of jobs, says bomb disposal corporal Daniel Whittingham.

Comedy review: Gilded Comedy Gala, Edinburgh

Near the climax of this comedy gala celebrating the Usher Hall's centenary, compère Arthur Smith mused on its future. Would people be back in another hundred years to mark that event with more laughter?

Review: Jack Whitehall at the ECHO arena

There are perhaps one too many anecdotes about his sex life, but there's plenty of fun to be had in his engaging tales of social embarrassment, delivered with trademark squeaky indignation, and an impressively-constructed gag involving a cheese strudel.

Jack Whitehall Gets Around review

Overall it feels like Jack Whitehall should take one of the aspects to his stage persona and invest in it further to provide his performance with an edge, but as he kept thousands of people entertained for two hours that may be unlikely to happen - simply because doesn't need to.

Jason Manford to open Jesterval 2014

Jason Manford will open Jesterval Comedy Festival when it returns to Gateshead this summer.

Radio Times review

The path from comedy to chat show is a well-trodden but perilous one. Alan Carr and Graham Norton have both skipped down that route with ease but now Michael McIntyre finds out whether his bouncy style of humour will work in the static format of a chat show.

Stand-up comedians don't always find it easy to allow someone else into the spotlight so he'll need to rein in his boisterousness a bit. If he wants pointers, two of his guests have been in the hot seat themselves before: Terry Wogan and Lily Allen (although the latter was widely panned for her efforts). It'll be interesting to see how Michael copes with his other guest, too - Lord Sugar doesn't suffer fools gladly, so he's not always the easiest interviewee.

Radio Times review

Moone Boy specialises in unlikely events, but the handball duel in this week's episode takes some beating. It's also a thoroughly deserved chance for Peter McDonald to go centre stage as beleaguered dad Liam Moone. When his former rival for Deb's affections comes calling - as a debt collector - it reopens old wounds. And the lack of family cash puts a crimp in young Martin's dreams of a Sega Mega Drive...

The ensuing showdown, as ever, combines all the sheepish delights of retro with the sharpness of a modern family sitcom. All this plus a quirky cameo from Simon Day as a sepia-tinted golfing champ.

Moone Boy: the satisfying middle ground where stupid meets feel-good.

Mark Watson's favourite TV

Comedian, sports pundit and novelist on his TV highs and lows. Includes Sherlock, Friends and Made in Chelsea.

Olivier Awards 2014 - Comedy Category nominees

Jeeves & Wooster In Perfect Nonsense, The Duck House, The Full Monty, The Same Deep Water As Me have been nominated in the 2014 Olivier Awards.

Is Michael McIntyre next big name in chat show hosts?

McIntyre is the latest stand-up comedian to host a chat show - does he know what he's letting himself in for...

Tim Key - Single White Slut review

Single White Slut is generally very spontaneous, in fact. It's far more fluid than Key's previous shows: there's a finely tuned structure behind all the tomfoolery, but it's a loose framework, giving the stand-up ample freedom to play with the crowd and show off his masterful ad-libbing skills.

Mitch Benn review

Even if you don't like the Beatles, Mitch Benn's jaunty lecture on the Fab Four makes for an engaging evening.

Daniel Kitson - Brilliant As Ever, But...

Seasoned Kitson aficionados will know that he can be better than this.

Daniel Kitson: a man, a monologue and a machine

Analog.Ue at the National Theatre is the latest in a line of one-man shows with an added gizmo - a tradition that takes in Samuel Beckett and Ken Campbell.

David Walliams: The Boy in the Dress to be adapted

David Walliams. novels could be dominating the next four Christmases, with plans for Ratburger, Demon Dentist and Billionaire Boy TV adaptations

Hugh Bonneville locked out of BBC whilst filming W1A

Hugh Bonneville reveals that life imitated art recently when a doorman refused him entry to BBC Broadcasting House while he was filming upcoming satire W1A.

The Michael McIntyre Chat Show review

With its Ronseal title, the format of The Michael McIntyre Chat Show doesn't need much explaining. It might, however, need some tweaking because this debut edition didn't quite get the balance right.

Michael McIntyre and his 'lookalikes'

Michael McIntyre reckons he passes for Bond star Pierce Brosnan "with a mouth full of sweets" - but Pierce isn't his only famous lookalike... apparently.

Tim Key - Single White Slut review

Single White Slut is as daring and innovative as it is ridiculously funny, with Tim Key somehow managing to straddle the line between cuddly and ominous. Bedtime isn't this much fun unless you're having, well, you know...

Miranda Hart review

Her strength is primarily her inelegant physicality - she skips, lollops and childishly gallops across the stage more, even, than Michael McIntyre, with whom she shares a fair few delivery traits.