British Comedy Guide
British Comedy Guide

BCG Daily Tuesday 28th November 2023

News

Black Ops. Image shows left to right: Dominique 'Dom' Archibald (Gbemisola Ikumelo), Kayode 'Kay' Ogundare (Hammed Animashaun). Credit: BBC Studios TV

Broadcast Awards 2024 comedy nominees revealed

Black Ops, Changing Ends, Dreaming Whilst Black, Everyone Else Burns, Juice and The Change are amongst the nominees for the Broadcast Awards 2024.

The Death Of Bunny Munro. Image shows left to right: Bunny Munro (Matt Smith), Nick Cave. Credit: Greg Williams, Megan Cullen TV

Matt Smith to take on Nick Cave's The Death Of Bunny Munro

Matt Smith will star in a Sky Atlantic TV adaptation of acclaimed musician Nick Cave's darkly comic novel The Death Of Bunny Munro.

Showstopper! Live

'Showstopper! The Improvised Musical' confirm 2024 tour dates

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical will tour again in 2024.

Greg James TV

Sports Funniest 2023 With Greg James to air on Sky Max

One-off comedy show Sports Funniest 2023 With Greg James will air on Sky Max this December, with Maisie Adam and Guz Khan amongst those looking back at sporting moments from the last 12 months.

Grace Campbell Live

Grace Campbell announces her biggest UK tour to date

Grace Campbell Is On Heat will tour the UK in October and November 2024.

All Killa No Filla Live. Image shows left to right: Rachel Fairburn, Kiri Pritchard-McLean. Credit: Drew Forsyth Live

All Killa No Filla tour announced to celebrate 10th anniversary

Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Rachel Fairburn are to embark on a ten date live tour to celebrate a decade of their true crime comedy podcast All Killa No Filla.

A Whole Lifetime With Jamie Demetriou. Jamie Demetriou TV

Jamie Demetriou wins Rose d'Or Award

A Whole Life With Jamie Demetriou has won the international Rose d'Or Award for Comedy Entertainment.

FYI

Paul Black: Nostalgia. Paul Black TV

Paul Black special

Paul Black's debut stand-up special, Nostalgia, is one of several comedy shows announced for BBC Scotland's Christmas television offerings, airing alongside a special from Susie McCabe and returns for sketch show Queen Of The New Year and panel show Breaking The News.

Vault Festival Live

VAULT Festival to return

London's VAULT Festival, which programmes a large number of comedy shows, is due to return in 2024, having devised a plan for a new multi-space venue.

Romantic Getaway. Image shows left to right: Alfie (Johnny Vegas), Allison (Katherine Ryan), Deacon (Romesh Ranganathan). Credit: Sky TV

No more Romantic Getaway

Katherine Ryan has confirmed that there are currently no plans to make any more episodes of Romantic Getaway, the Sky Comedy series she starred in with Romesh Ranganathan and Johnny Vegas.

Frayed. Image shows left to right: Tess Burbeck (Maggie Ireland-Jones), Rufus (Robert Webb), Sammy Burbeck (Sarah Kendall), Fiona (Diane Morgan), Jean Cooper (Kerry Armstrong). Credit: Merman, Sky TV

Frayed cancelled

Sarah Kendall has confirmed that Frayed has come to an end after two series on Sky.

Ghosts. Image shows left to right: Kitty (Lolly Adefope), Pat (Jim Howick), Captain (Ben Willbond), Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe), Julian (Simon Farnaby), Alison (Charlotte Ritchie), Robin (Laurence Rickard), Thomas (Mathew Baynton), Lady Button (Martha Howe-Douglas) TV

Ghosts Christmas special plot

The BBC has released a synopsis for the final ever episode of Ghosts.

Features

Rich Wilson Live

Rich Wilson interview: Crisis planning, insane podcasts and a bump

A can-do sort of bloke, Rich Wilson even recorded a special on his honeymoon. But with a new show and a big Crisis benefit coming up, he's also prepping for an event that might just change everything.

BCG Pro

Cabin Pressure. Image shows from L to R: Arthur (John Finnemore), Douglas (Roger Allam), Carolyn (Stephanie Cole), Martin (Benedict Cumberbatch). Copyright: Pozzitive Productions Pro

3 things to remember when writing radio comedy

It's often said that radio is a "writer's medium". Here are 3 things to consider when giving it a go.

Press clippings

Saltburn. Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan). Credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner, Amazon Studios

Is Saltburn the most divisive film of the year?

The mixed response to Emerald Fennell's 00s-set thriller evinces a movie-going conundrum: how do we assess entertainment that is predominantly indexed on vibes?

Adrian Horton, The Guardian, 28th November 2023
Live At The Apollo. Copyright: Open Mike Productions

Live At The Apollo was a comedy kingmaker. What happened?

Almost two decades since the 'gold standard' of stand-up shows first hit TV screens, Rachael Healy talks to comedians about the programme's enduring appeal.

Rachael Healy, i Newspaper, 28th November 2023
Eddie Izzard

Eddie Izzard review

Izzard remixed her formidable back catalogue for what could become a farewell tour if she's selected as a prospective Labour MP.

Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard, 28th November 2023
Guz Khan

BBC staff 'lost for words' after Guz Khan announced HIGNFY host after calling Israel 'genocidal'

A comedian who has accused Israel of 'ethnic cleansing' and 'genocide' in Gaza has been booked to host BBC panel show Have I Got News For You.

Matthew Lodge, Daily Mail, 28th November 2023
Adrian Edmondson

Book review: Berserker!: An Autobiography, by Adrian Edmondson

He may not be a young one anymore, but this remains a good read about a fascinating life and career.

Chris Hallam, Chris Hallam's World View, 28th November 2023
Shaun Of The Dead. Image shows from L to R: Ed (Nick Frost), Shaun (Simon Pegg), Liz (Kate Ashfield). Copyright: Working Title Films

Shaun Of The Dead writer Edgar Wright turned down TV series adaptation

The filmmaker opened up about how he would like to continue the Cornetto trilogy, and why he's turned adaptations of it down.

Lidia Molina-Whyte, Radio Times, 28th November 2023
Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais announces surprising new career move into booze

Ricky Gervais has announced he is delving into alcohol production, after becoming the co-owner of Ellers Farm Distillery. The comedian, 62, shared the career move in an amusing Instagram clip, urging followers to purchase the brand's vodka as it would help to make him 'hundreds of millions of pounds.'

Laura Fox, Daily Mail, 28th November 2023
Katherine Ryan

Katherine Ryan joins the I'm A Celebrity boycott after turning ITV down

Katherine Ryan has revealed why she's turned down I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and the reason she's boycotting it this year - and it has a little something to do with Matt Hancock and Nigel Farage.

Meghna Amin, Metro, 28th November 2023
Dispatches: Russell Brand: In Plain Sight. Russell Brand

Russell Brand probe update as Channel 4 boss says investigation into star is weeks from completion

The channel's chief executive also revealed how long journalists has been working on the Dispatches investigation into Brand.

Rod McPhee, The Sun, 28th November 2023
Katherine Ryan: Parental Guidance. Image shows left to right: Katherine Ryan, Fred Kootstra

Katherine Ryan hits out at sexism in comedy as she plans return to stand-up

Canadian star also teases new TV show Parental Guidance, saying viewers will get 'a lot of access' to her and her family.

Tina Campbell, Evening Standard, 28th November 2023
Boat Story. Image shows left to right: Janet (Daisy Haggard), Guy (Craig Fairbrass), The Tailor (Tchéky Karyo), Samuel (Paterson Joseph), Pat Tooh (Joanna Scanlan)

Boat Story review

Violent, far-fetched and extremely watchable.

Adam Sweeting, The Arts Desk, 28th November 2023
Still Open All Hours. Mrs Rossi (Sue Holderness)

Sue Holderness: 'Politically correct people want a lot of comedy banned'

The comedy actor reflects upon her best-known role and how she aims to help the RAF Benevolent Fund.

Rosa Silverman, The Telegraph, 28th November 2023

Soho Theatre opening pushed back to 2025

The much-anticipated Soho Theatre Walthamstow will not open to the public until "2025", the council has confirmed.

Waltham Forest Echo, 28th November 2023

TV & radio

Radio 4 11:30am
30 min
Natalie Haynes

Natalie Haynes Stands Up For The Classics

Series 9, Episode 1 - Martial

Epigrams, jokes, highly-polished poems in praise of the Emperor. Oh, and absolute filth. These are what made the name of the first-century Roman poet Martial. Joining Natalie to discuss him are Robin Ince and Llewelyn Morgan.

CBBC logo. Credit: BBC 6pm
25 min
Lagging. Sol (Yoni Bronks). Copyright: BBC

Lagging

Series 3, Episode 6 - Pay To Play

Sol and Team SMoRcLEWA take on the greedy boss of Zaagstar Games. Can they stop him?

Radio 4 6:30pm
30 min
Best Medicine. Image shows left to right: Jamie Ward, Shaparak Khorsandi, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Roger Kneebone, Paul Craddock

Best Medicine

Series 1, Episode 8 - Doing Less, Gardening, The Smartphone, Expertise

Featuring Shaparak Khorsandi, Dr Paul Craddock, Professor Jamie Ward and Professor Roger Kneebone.

BBC Two 9:45pm
45 min
Live At The Apollo. Image shows left to right: Susie McCabe, Maisie Adam, Michael Odewale

Live At The Apollo

Series 18, Episode 4 - Maisie Adam, Michael Odewale, Susie McCabe

Maisie Adam hosts the comedy show filmed at London's Hammersmith Apollo, warming up the audience before introducing stand-up routines by fellow comedians Michael Odewale and Susie McCabe.

BBC One Scotland. Copyright: BBC 10:40pm
30 min
The Scotts. Image shows left to right: Vonny Scott (Shauna MacDonald), Laura Scott (Sharon Young), Darren Lee (Lee Greig)

The Scotts

Series 3, Episode 3

Vincent rescues all sorts of junk from his mum's loft. Cue a family unboxing. The biggest surprise of the lot is the discovery of a long-lost crematorium urn.

Radio 4 11pm
30 min
Now You're Asking With Marian Keyes And Tara Flynn. Image shows from L to R: Tara Flynn, Marian Keyes

Now You're Asking With Marian Keyes And Tara Flynn

Series 3, Episode 3 - The Package Holiday Problem

Your new boyfriend wants to go on a package holiday by the sea, but you'd rather be hiking in the mountains - is it time to dump him? Your friends are telling you to make more of an effort but you're happy in your old clothes - is it time to smarten up? And you're a working mum of a toddler but you find yourself 'zoning out' when he's in your care - is it time to worry? All this and robbing a bank the middle-aged way are tackled by Marian and Tara.

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