BCG Daily Thursday 9th October 2014

Radio Times review

The adventures of Dylan Witter (folk singer and actor Johnny Flynn) continue with tonight's flashback to an eventful double date with best mate Luke (Daniel Ings) and a very, very funny climax (if you'll forgive the term) when he has to reveal his, er, condition to his conquest. It's a neat premise allowing for imaginative time leaps, though the title does not quite convey the tenderness (as well as the comic brio) of the material.

The unrequited love subplot between Dylan and best female friend Evie (Antonia Thomas), however, does needs to take a more original direction.

Radio Times review

Lovably spoddish Lance and Andy are struggling to bring anything new to the table - the detectorist club's "Finds Table", that is - bar a couple of old Matchbox cars. But the dream to uncover a Saxon hoard is still alive, now that they've been granted access to some promising farmland.

This week's highlights include a rival gang (led by Horrible Histories' Simon Farnaby), the poignant moment when Lance privately dedicates his song for mandolin to his ex, and the filthy chuckle of Rachael Stirling as Andy's girlfriend Becky.

Detectorists is a breath of fresh air that makes a sunny virtue of its rural settings. It's naturalistic, gently funny and memorably sad.

Jim Davidson review

The small audience who were there were quite clearly Jim Davidson fans, perhaps those from his heyday, or those who have come on board post Big Brother. And they did seem to enjoy the jokes, but I have no idea why.

Bridget Christie review

Bridget Christie tackles some important subjects, without preaching to her audience, and still fits in enough time to attack ludicrous yoghurt adverts. She is a powerhouse of feminist comedy, and not to be missed.

Sir David Frost leaves £13m in his will

The bulk of his £12,972,433 estate goes to Lady Carina, 62, his wife of more than 30 years.

Tom Wrigglesworth interview

You've probably never heard of Aaron Rodgers, star quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, unless you follow American football, but it turns out that Tom Wrigglesworth looks uncannily like him.

Andrew Marr: The Thick of It? It wasn't extreme enough.

The BBC satire featuring Peter Capaldi's notoriously foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker was actually a "slightly sanitised" version of what really went on in 10 Downing Street, says Marr.

Stephen Fry can't stand "ghastly snobbery" of Downton

The QI host has strong words about the ITV period drama in his new memoir, More Fool Me.

Book review: We Need to Talk About Kevin Bridges

Autobiographical self-awareness and emotional honesty from Glaswegian stand-up.

African-Caribbean comics take the stage

African-Caribbean comics will fill the bill at a special night of live comedy on Saturday, staged by BBC Local Radio.

Brighton Comedy Festival highlights

Bridget Christie, Jo Brand, Simon Amstell, Rich Hall, Jon Richardson, Dave Gorman and Sara Pascoe are set to perform.

Cassetteboy interview

By day, Mike does audio descriptions of television shows for blind people. By night, or on his days off, he is an internet comedy sensation.

Review: Just Like That! - The Museum of Comedy

I arrived a little late for Just Like That! but I soon worked out what was going on. I had originally assumed that this was a revival of the play by John Fisher about Tommy Cooper's life that ran in the West End a few years back. In fact it is a more straightforward trick-by-trick tribute to the comedian famous for his fumbling manner and his fez.

Review - Richard Herring's Leicester Square podcast

Herring is consummate host in what is a chat show for the 21st century.

Gone Too Far! - film review

South London teenagers squabble and feud in this funky, funny film.

Gone Too Far review - freewheeling south-London comedy

The comedy's a bit broadly played, but Destiny Ekaragha's film about black south London teenagers still shows some potential.

Noel Fielding's 10 golden rules of musical comedy

When we spoke with Noel he was preparing to take his An Evening With live show on the road. It's a show that features tunes both old and new, so we asked him to share the golden rules of merging music with comedy and not ending up with a cringeworthy disaster.

Robert Newman, Leicester Square Theatre - comedy review

Robert Newman sets himself up against his bogeyman Richard Dawkins, satirising his concept of the selfish gene with a routine about a postman trying to deliver a parcel to Dawkins and ending up wrestling naked with him.

David Trent: Digital era comedy

For those of you who are unfamiliar with David Trent, what we have here is comedy written and designed for the modern era.

Review: Ross Noble

He builds this world for you and he laughs along with you - he is no more familiar with it than the audience, and his is the most ingenious kind of nonsense.

Viz magazine to open a website

The adult cartoon comic is launching a website, but will farting and fornication work for a digital audience?

I'm only 90, says Nicholas Parsons

Nicholas Parsons has reacted with indignation after being asked who might replace him on Just A Minute, the Radio 4 programme he has presented for 47 years. Parsons, who is 90, told an audience at the Cheltenham Literature Festival that he had never considered who might succeed him and berated a member of the public for asking "that bloody question".

Charlie Ross interview

Fringe comic Charlie Ross on why his one-man shows of Star Wars and Lord of The Rings are a universal hit - even inspiring academic research.

Lost In Karastan

A droll dark comedy about a well-meaning film director who finds himself out of his depth when he gets roped into making a film about there of a fictional Eastern European country, the engagingly made Lost In Karastan is a film punctuated by nice performances (from Matthew Macfadyen and MyAnna Buring especially) and subtly playful moments of humour.