BCG Daily Friday 14th March 2014

Interviews: Milton Jones; Rachel Mars; Foil, Arms & Hog

Testing their jokes, how different audiences react and embracing stereotypes - three top comedians and comic acts analyse their performances.

The Walshes, BBC Four, review

The cast was funny and convincing, and, unlike Mrs Brown's Boys, the jokes weren't try-hard - nor was there any canned laughter. With its catchy theme tune and inoffensive humour there's plenty of mileage for a full series - and I'll definitely be tuning in.

'An anal event' pretty much sums up The Walshes

I'm sure it's meant as an affectionate send-up of Dublin home life but there was an odd lack of subtlety about the crudely drawn characters we were introduced to last night. There was a mad Mammy, an eejit jokester Dad, a simple son, a 'normal' daughter (played by Amy Stephenson) embarrassed by the lot of them - the same characters we've seen in all sitcoms.

The Walshes, TV review

The jokes hit home in a family sitcom with a touch of Father Ted.

Russell Brand promises 'solution' with revolution book

Russell Brand will continue his attempts to bring about a revolution with a new book, which he promises will have the "solution to internal and external turmoil".

Review: Miranda Hart, O2 Arena

Hart is an undeniably warm performer who held the O2 in her thrall and most of the audience thoroughly enjoyed the show. But just as I thought I might be suffocated by her lack of ambition and blandness, Hart pulled a masterstroke; she left the stage as a 10-minute, tightly edited film that tied up all the show's strands in a series of well executed gags was played on the big screens. It gains the third star.

Review: The Walshes, BBC Four

Zany Dublin family comprising eccentric parents, neurotic daughter and dozy slacker son prepare to meet daughter's new boyfriend... Sound promising? No not especially, but The Walshes is written by Graham Linehan (with help from the "Diet of Worms" comedy troupe), and where there's Linehan there's always hope.

This week's new live comedy

Previews of Kerry Godliman, Al Lubel and Mat Ewins.

Celebrity Juice returns with 1.1 million on ITV2

Celebrity Juice returned for its new series with over a million viewers on Thursday night, according to early data.

Radio Times review

Yes, the good news is that June Whitfield appears in this final episode, not once but twice, playing twins Heidi and Laurel (note the names - they prove significant). Unfortunately, their storyline turns out to be something of a sideshow, in an episode that offers another rattle-bag of curiosities.

Writer David Renwick has reached the point (if he didn't years ago) where all connection to reality has been severed and we're left with tales driven purely by puzzles, puns and misunderstandings.

So Jonathan's wife Polly, for instance, does something rash that you feel sure she would never do. The point of her character is that she's sensible and sane, if inclined to overreact to things, as she does when Jonathan greets an old acquaintance - an attractive weather presenter - a little too warmly.

The main mystery involves the wife of a government minister who is kidnapped, then forgotten about for half the episode as we detour into the world of the Creeks' eccentric cleaner (Josie Lawrence). A priceless watch, a heron, lousewort, tights and an Aladdin's lamp are also involved.

Radio Times review

Radio Times still has in its trophy cabinet a golden bowling pin that our crack team won in Frank Skinner's press invitational bowling tournament some years ago (narrowly beating The One Show). So it's no surprise that the host isn't sympathetic when Sue Perkins suggests consigning one of his favourite sports to Room 101. Instead, he upstages it with a clip of "cat laser bowling", a heartless pastime that cat lovers should on no account watch.

Perkins is on good form, though. She describes a mime artist as "a clown you can't hear coming" and mail-order clothing catalogues as "40 pages of wan nymphets in clogs". Also on the panel are Steve Jones and, showing a ridiculous amount of chest, Bruno Tonioli.

Radio Times review

You can lose yourself pleasurably for an hour even in the less eventful episodes of this series, so an incident-packed one like this one is truly a treat. The story of Big Alan's hitherto unmentioned brother and mother, the latter of whom has died, might be in poor taste on less whole-hearted shows: it turns out Mam was an even more imposing physical presence than Big Alan, which causes logistical problems at the funeral.

While Big Alan's coping with that - and with the reappearance of his estranged brother, Alan - the aftermath of the car-lot robbery is just one reason why Stella is falling out with all three of her children, a crisis that brings her and Michael closer together.

Radio Times review

Architects can be every bit as laughable as politicians, lawyers and the rest. But, surprisingly, there's been no architectural sitcom until now.

The scene is set mainly in Sir Lucien's struggling practice, where junior partner Matt is refusing to compromise his vision for a dream house in Carshalton Beeches. As Sir Lucien, the juicily-voiced Geoffrey Whitehead performs with relish.

The humour is quick-fire and caustic. But it revolves not so much around planning regulations and what annoys us about modern higher-and-higher thinking as confusion over words and names and, in this opening episode, Sir Lucien's trip to Baden-Baden for colonic irrigation. It's somewhat surreal unless writers Jim Poyser and Neil Griffiths have insider info.

Whether it's funnier than Jonathan Meades's recent celebration of brutalism on BBC Four is debatable.

Tim Key: Single White Slut, comedy review

This 75 minutes is punctuated with excellence, if not exactly riddled with it.

Andy Parsons is the new mock and roller

The Dorset-born comedian and writer, 46, is venturing out solo for a new show on Comedy Central called Slacktivist.

Andrew Sachs remembers filming Fawlty Towers in 1975

This is a scene from 'The Builders', the second episode of Fawlty Towers, in which Basil Fawlty [John Cleese] carries me to the hotel dining-room windows in an attempt to explain that he would like them cleaned. I wasn't hurt, but there were instances when I wasn't so lucky.

Tim Key, Single White Slut - review

The highest praise I can give it is that it's a more-than worthy successor to Masterslut and the award-winning Slutcracker.

Mark Nelson interview

Mark Nelson is appearing at The Stand for the Glasgow International Comedy Festival next weekend and says, if anything, becoming a father has made his humour even darker.

Jonny & the Baptists v UKIP: there are better targets?

Now, I know UKIP aren't "anti-establishment", but dismissing them as "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists" is an establishment position, which conveniently distances the accuser from those blackguardly traits.

Jonathan Creek quiz

Do you know your Maddie from your magician? Test your knowledge.

Jonathan Creek: The magic has gone

There's a distinct sense of faded glory about Jonathan Creek these days. Where once the crime capers were a BBC jewel, paving the way for modern adaptations of Sherlock Holmes and the whole 'geeks are sexy' movement, now it limps along like an inferior Midsomer Murders.

Miranda Hart live at the O2 review

For fans of the BBC series it was a chance to enjoy some in-jokes, for others it was an awkward live episode of Miranda without the help of the supporting cast, says Sian Jones.

Harry Hill on getting blessing for the X Factor musical

"If it's a huge flop I'll get it in the neck, but it's been great fun to write," says Hill.

Jonathan Creek: Is it time for the show to bow out?

Jonathan Creek's latest series came to a conclusion tonight (March 14) with 'The Curse Of The Bronze Lamp'. But has Alan Davies's magical magician lost some of his old charm?

James Corden: I'm writing a feature film for Universal

"I'm writing a feature film for Universal," James Corden discloses at the GQ Style party in the West End. "So yes, it could be a good year for me."

Hugh Bonneville interview

Hugh Bonneville explains why the corporation is right to show its sense of humour.

Lynn Ruth Miller, Soho Theatre - comedy review

Lynn Ruth Miller's follow-your-dream message is hardly original but she is undeniably an inspirational living tribute to her philosophy.

Miranda Hart - My, What I Call, Live Show review

My, What I Call, Live Show is about as comedically innovative as a whoopee cushion. But as light entertainment, it's quite fun.