BCG Daily - 12/10/2014 - British Comedy Guide

John Kearns review

This fragmented approach is also a weakness; too many sections peter out with no real point and the whole ends up feeling less than the sum of its parts. There are some nicely crafted lines and sharp observations but not enough to fill an hour.

Stephanie Merritt, The Observer, 12th October 2014

Paul Merton: comedy helped him get through dark times

Paul Merton has explained how comedy has helped him get through some tough times in his life, and why he hasn't devoted many pages of his new autobiography to his relationships.

Wales Online, 12th October 2014

Review: "So, Anyway" by John Cleese

John Cleese's autobiography proves he's the master of crisp comic pros.

Nicholas Barber, The Daily Express, 12th October 2014

Rebecca Front: older actresses are being "squeezed out"

The Thick of It star thinks the entertainment industry needs to do a better job of embracing age.

Susanna Lazarus, Radio Times, 12th October 2014

Michael McIntyre learns his father committed suicide

It was a phone call that left Britain's best-loved comedian speechless with shock. As he listened in stunned disbelief to the words being spoken it was clear Michael McIntyre's whole life had been underpinned by a devastating lie.

Mail on Sunday, 12th October 2014

Ed Byrne interview

Mock the Week regular Ed Byrne talks about comedy on and off the stage.

Millie Brierley, Varsity, 12th October 2014

Eric Morecambe's daughter reacts to statue attack

Gail Stuart, the daughter of Eric Morecambe, has spoken of her sadness at the attempt to steal the statue of her famous father.

The Visitor, 12th October 2014

Dad's Army return proves it stood the test of time

All I could think about was how I have grown up continually finding the equivalents of these Dad's Army characters all around me.

Martin Townsend, The Daily Express, 12th October 2014

John Cleese bares his soul at Cheltenham Festival

Cheltenham Literature Festival review: comedy legend John Cleese bares his soul over distant relationship with late mother.

Jonathan Whiley, This is Gloucestershire, 12th October 2014

Review: Ross Noble at The Music Hall

Was the culmination of the show a fiendishly clever binding together of all the random topics covered over the course of the night? Or was it simply a man on a stage making grunting noises and gesturing for an extended period of time occasionally interspersed with words mentioned earlier in the show?

Jenny Rush, Daily Record, 12th October 2014

Omid Djalili interview

"I don't feel the same pressure to talk about things in the news any more."

Surrey Mirror, 12th October 2014

John Cleese 'unexcited' by new TV comedy

Monty Python star John Cleese has said new television comedy pales into insignificance compared with the greats, such as Buster Keaton.

BBC News, 12th October 2014

Ross Noble talks about his new stand-up tour

Ross Noble has been speaking to ITV ahead of his new stand-up tour, Tangentleman.

Andrew Dipper, Giggle Beats, 12th October 2014

TV preview: Not Going Out, BBC1

Not Going Out is apparently the UK's longest-running sitcom. Not exactly in the Last Of The Summer Wine league, but it has been going since 2006. And actually it does have something in common with Last Of The Summer Wine. Boy, are some of the gags creaky and arthritic.

Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 12th October 2014

Noel Fielding on his latest comedy show and tour

You don't need drugs when you have the psychedelic imagination of Noel Fielding, finds Janet Christie.

Janet Christie, The Scotsman, 12th October 2014

Review: Comedy Collaborative Evening, Durham

A fresh comedy show, it was clear to see the considerable preparation done by the group acts for this evening of entertainment. The solo-performers took on their role with ease, earning all-important laughs from the audience, whereas the group performances were dynamic and diverse.

Ralph Wainer, Palatinate, 12th October 2014

BCG Daily Sunday 12th October 2014

Press clippings