British Comedy Guide
British Comedy Guide

BCG Daily Friday 23rd April 2021

News

Andi Osho Shop

Andi Osho is writing a novel about a stand-up comedian

Andi Osho is returning to stand-up... kind of. Her loosely autobiographical second novel, Tough Crowd, will focus on an aspiring stand-up.

Steve Coogan Film

Steve Coogan movie The Lost King begins filming

Production has started on The Lost King, a film starring Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan. It focuses on the true story of how the bones of Richard III were found beneath a Leicester car park.

Blankety Blank. Bradley Walsh TV

Bradley Walsh to return with more Blankety Blank

Bradley Walsh is to host Blankety Blank again. Producers are preparing to film the iconic game show this summer.

Features

Katy Wix Live

First Gig, Worst Gig: Katy Wix

With an upbringing-themed podcast and a new memoir on the shelves, Katy Wix takes a trip through her on-screen highs and lows.

BCG Pro

Scared Models. Image by ErikaWittlieb from Pixabay Pro

10 ways to overcome Writer's Block

In this article we discuss ten ways that comedy writers can deal with writer's block. From questioning your characters to the 45 minute rule, this advice should help you fill that script page.

Press clippings

Blackadder. Baldrick (Tony Robinson)

Tony Robinson: most diverse thing in Blackadder was the title

The 74-year-old Tony Robinson has won over the nation's hearts several times through the years, for his performance as Baldrick, his various audiobooks and his presenting job on Time Team. Now, he talks to Ed Cumming about whether there'll be a Blackadder reunion and why he thinks Boris Johnson is the luckiest politician in the world

Ed Cumming, The Independent, 23rd April 2021
Dara O Briain

St Albans gets its own Comedy Garden festival

Dara O Briain, Sara Pascoe, Alan Davies, Tom Allen and Aisling Bea are among the big names who will be playing the St Albans Comedy Garden.

Chortle, 23rd April 2021
Flowers. Deborah (Olivia Colman). Copyright: Kudos Productions

Olivia Colman needed hypnotherapy after wetting herself

Olivia Colman has revealed that she saw a hypnotherapist for stage fright after once 'wetting herself' on stage laughing with David Mitchell.

Isobel Lewis, The Independent, 23rd April 2021
Only Fools And Horses - The Musical. Image shows from L to R: Ryan Hutton, Tom Bennett, Paul Whitehouse

Only Fools musical returning to West End in October

The musical will once more play at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, after first beginning its run at the venue in February 2019.

Alex Wood, What's On Stage, 23rd April 2021
Dreaming Whilst Black. Image shows left to right: Adam (Alexander Owen), Kwabena (Adjani Salmon), Tom (Toby Williams). Credit: Big Deal Films

Dreaming Whilst Black cast on tackling microaggressions

If you haven't yet watched Dreaming Whilst Black on BBC3, you're doing yourself an injustice.

Alicia Adejobi, Metro, 23rd April 2021
Jason Manford

Jason Manford on being heckled by his own dad

Jason Manford has recalled how his parents got escorted out of the biggest gig of his life after getting drunk and heckling him.

Chortle, 23rd April 2021
Guilt. Image shows from L to R: Jake McCall (Jamie Sives), Max McCall (Mark Bonnar). Copyright: Happy Tramp Productions

Spending falls in Scottish TV drama and comedy

STV chief executive Simon Pitts has revealed that investment in drama and comedy made in Scotland halved over the five years to 2019.

Terry Murden, Daily Business Group, 23rd April 2021
Limbo. Francis (Alastair Roberts). Copyright: Hat Trick Productions

Al Roberts interview

The actor, writer and director on the things that make him laugh the most.

The Guardian, 23rd April 2021
Shona McCarthy

Social distancing set to remain at Fringe this summer

Organisers of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe say audiences are likely to be socially distanced at shows this summer as they have admitted the event "won't be the same as it was" when it returns in August.

Brian Ferguson, The Scotsman, 23rd April 2021
Gregory's Girl. Image shows from L to R: Susan (Clare Grogan), Gregory Underwood (John Gordon Sinclair). Copyright: Lake Films

Gregory's Girl 40th anniversary

As we mark the 40-year anniversary of the Cumbernauld cinematic sensation, I look at how I fell in love with the awkward, clumsy Gregory in a modern world where boys take themselves far too seriously, writes Hannah Brown.

Hannah Gordon, The Scotsman, 23rd April 2021
Rising Damp. Image shows from L to R: Ruth Jones (Frances de la Tour), Rupert Rigsby (Leonard Rossiter). Copyright: Yorkshire Television

How mainstream sitcom pays even more than crime

There is a special place in my heart for the mainstream sitcom, which can be understood and enjoyed by kids and grandparents. We live in a fragmented society that is ripping itself apart over so many issues. The unifying effect of a Del Boy is not to be underestimated.

James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 23rd April 2021
The Ladykillers. Image shows from L to R: Major Claude Courtney (Cecil Parker), Harry Robinson (Peter Sellers), Professor Marcus (Alec Guinness), Louisa Alexandra Wilberforce (Katie Johnson), 'One-Round' Lawson (Danny Green). Copyright: STUDIOCANAL

BFI to launch US streaming service in May

The British Film Institute will launch BFI Player Classics as a stand-alone streaming service in the US featuring a curated roster of classic UK cinema on May 14. It will feature comedies including The Ladykillers, I'm All Right Jack, Whisky Galore! and many Carry On films.

Jeremy Kay, Screen Daily, 23rd April 2021

Videos

Have I Got News For You. Victoria Coren Mitchell TV

Have I Got News For You - The European Super League

1 mins, 22 secs

The panel look at the failed proposal for a new football league.

Tom Little Online

Opposition MP

1 mins, 49 secs

Tom Little performs a "Keir Starmer type".

Nimisha Odedra Online

How Did Body Hair Get So Political?

1 mins, 56 secs

How did body hair get so political? Why has it become such a big issue to shave or not to shave? Is it really "unladylike" to keep your body hair as nature intended? Or is it unacceptable to bend to all those societal pressures to remove all that natural hair from your arms, legs and other bits?

Thanyia Moore TV

Drunk History - Black Stories - Thanyia Moore on Mary Seacole

7 mins, 12 secs

Thanyia Moore talks about Mary Seacole, one of the pioneers of modern nursing and all-round healing. Born in Jamaica, she had a passion for medicine, healing and nursery.

The Treason TV Show. Mark Brailsford TV

The Treason TV Show - Episode Six

24 mins

The Royals, football ruined, Greensill sleaze and pub gardens in the rain.

David Sowerbutts. Steve Pemberton TV

David Sowerbutts reacts to Inside No. 9 trailer

4 mins, 6 secs

David Sowerbutts films an "eraction viddeoe" for the Inside No. 9 Series 6 trailer.

Podcasts

Ally and Herring's Twitch of Fun. Richard Herring

Richard Herring: Ally and Herring's Twitch of Fun: Episode 35 - Are you OK?

73 minutes

Rich is celebrating Earth Day, though he's somewhat downbeat, but could this be the big comeback for Brian Wasp? Or some of the other more minor characters? Ally and Rich...

TV & radio

Radio 4 12:04pm
15 min
Beth O'Leary

The Flatshare

Episode 5

Tiffy is doorstepped by her ex just as she plucks up the courage to snog a handsome Norwegian hermit she's met at a book launch. Horrified, she decides to drown her sorrows.

BBC Radio Scotland 1:30pm
30 min
Breaking The News. Des Clarke. Copyright: BBC Studios

Breaking The News

Series 18, Episode 11

Des Clarke is joined by Neil Delamere, Susie McCabe, Laura Lexx & Bruce Devlin.

Radio 4 6:30pm
30 min
The News Quiz. Andy Zaltzman

The News Quiz

Series 105, Episode 2

Andy Zaltzman and panellists Andrew Maxwell, Athena Kugblenu, Anne McElvoy and Chris McCausland square up to the week's headlines.

Channel 4 logo. Copyright: Channel 4 Television Corporation 8:30pm
30 min
Trip Hazard: My Great British Adventure. Image shows from L to R: Rosie Jones, Jamali Maddix

Trip Hazard

Series 1, Episode 3 - Norwich

Rosie takes comedian and broadcaster Jamali Maddix to the East Anglian city of Norwich.

BBC One. Copyright: BBC 9pm
30 min
Have I Got News For You. Victoria Coren Mitchell

Have I Got News For You

Series 61, Episode 3

Victoria Coren Mitchell guest presents the third episode - it is her 14th time in the host's chair. Joining the writer and presenter is Josh Widdicombe and author, academic and host of BBC Four's Britain's Lost Masterpieces, Emma Dabiri.

BBC One. Copyright: BBC 10:45pm
45 min
The Graham Norton Show. Graham Norton. Credit: So Television, Christopher Baines

The Graham Norton Show

Series 28, Highlights Special

The first of two compilations of highlights from the recent series, featuring a host of stars.

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