British Comedy Guide

BCG Daily Thursday 29th February 2024

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FYI

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Press clippings

Boarders. Image shows left to right: Toby (Sekou Diaby), Jaheim (Josh Tedeku), Leah (Jodie Campbell), Omar (Myles Kamwendo), Femi (Aruna Jalloh)

Boarders review

Today, class, we'll be learning how many stereotypes can be crammed into one finger-wagging lecture on Embracing Diversity.

Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail, 29th February 2024
Steffan Rhodri

Steffan Rhodri: 'I nearly turned down Gavin & Stacey'

The actor talks working on the BBC comedy, bringing a touch of south Wales to south London and his favourite way to relax - cold-water swimming.

Dan Moore, The Times, 29th February 2024
Things You Should Have Done. Image shows left to right: Lucas (Jamie Bisping), Auntie Karen (Selin Hizli), Chi (Lucia Keskin)

Things You Should Have Done review

YouTube comedian Lucia Keskin is a master of deadpan comedy in this off-the-wall sitcom.

Isobel Lewis, i Newspaper, 29th February 2024
Best In Class 2024 workshop

'Why would you not want to be woke?' Inside the TV comedy workshops infuriating the right-wing press

They've been called 'a disaster for the arts' and lambasted for 'pursuing a heavily woke agenda'. So what actually happens at a comedy workshop? Our writer joins 30 working-class standups determined to break into TV.

Rachael Healy, The Guardian, 29th February 2024
Poor Things. Bella Baxter (Emma Stone)

Why Poor Things should win the best picture Oscar

This scabrous and risky melodrama, with a magnificent performance by Emma Stone, is an object lesson in real art rising above social media scolding.

Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 29th February 2024
The Comic Strip Presents.... Credit: Comic Strip Productions

Special Comic Strip screening and talk to be held

Peter Richardson, Jennifer Saunders and Stephen Mangan are set to appear at a special screening of two Comic Strip films in March.

Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 29th February 2024
Things You Should Have Done. Chi (Lucia Keskin)

Lucia Keskin on her BBC show

When Lucia Keskin collected her GCSE results from Dane Court Grammar School in Broadstairs, her prospects did not look promising. Her mum asked how she was ever going to get a job with just a solitary C grade in statistics. But tonight, Lucia's very own comedy show Things You Should Have Done, which she stars in and wrote, will air on BBC Three. So how in less than seven years has she managed to go from failing at school to finding TV fame?

Max Chesson, Kent Online, 29th February 2024
Only Fools And Horses - The hit musical direct direct from the West End

Paul Whitehouse reprises Granddad role for Only Fools musical tour

Paul Whitehouse is to reprise his role as Grandad in the touring version of Only Fools And Horses The Musical.

Chortle, 29th February 2024
Noel Fielding's Dick Turpin. Dick Turpin (Noel Fielding)

The Completely Made-Up Adventures Of Dick Turpin review

If you're looking for a fun, history-adjacent comedy adventure, The Completely Made-Up Adventures Of Dick Turpin is a gratifying, surrealist romp. Fielding's Turpin may not be historically accurate at all, but his unfaltering optimism and love of knitting makes for one of the more unique interpretations of the legend.

Shannon Connellan, Mashable, 29th February 2024
Noel Fielding's Dick Turpin. Dick Turpin (Noel Fielding)

Dick Turpin: a brilliantly absurd hit of nostalgia for Mighty Boosh fans

If you lean into the absurdity of it all, The Completely Made-up Adventures Of Dick Turpin is a lot of laughs. It feels like it was made for OG Noel Fielding fans (hello!), and it's a great introduction for those who have till now remained uninitiated.

Laura Jane Turner, Digital Spy, 29th February 2024
Kingdom. Peter Kingdom (Stephen Fry). Copyright: Sprout Pictures / Parallel Film & Television Productions

Stephen Fry: "I was never cute - I've got better looking as I've got older"

As Britain's pre-eminent brainbox voices Leonardo da Vinci in new stopmotion film The Inventor, he answers readers' questions on dinner parties, trivia quizzes and getting old.

Rich Pelley, The Guardian, 29th February 2024
The Lost King. Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins). Copyright: Graeme Hunter Pictures

Steve Coogan and companies sued over Richard III film

Steve Coogan is being sued for libel by a university official who claims he was made to look "devious" and "weasel-like" in a film about the discovery of Richard III's remains. Richard Taylor has started legal action against the comedian, who was a writer and producer of The Lost King.

Dan Martin & PA Media, BBC, 29th February 2024
Drop The Dead Donkey: The Reawakening!. Image shows left to right: Ingrid Lacey, Jeff Rawle, Robert Duncan, Stephen Tompkinson, Susannah Doyle, Victoria Wicks, Neil Pearson

Drop The Dead Donkey: The Reawakening review

Long-term fans won't be disappointed by a performance brimming with savage wit, while introducing new audiences to a comedic tour de force.

Steph Lott, Fairy Powered Productions, 29th February 2024
Huge Davies. Copyright: Mark Dawson

Huge Davies: Whodunnit, review

Overall this was a solid stand up set, albeit rough around the edges, and I look forward to seeing his career flourish in the future. If you like dry humour, intense comedians and a strong repertoire of comedic songs to narrate a murder mystery being 'solved' then this is the show for you.

Cathie, Theatre & Tonic, 29th February 2024
Catherine Bohart

Catherine Bohart on her new comedy show: 'It's about me, lost in the weeds'

She made Graham Norton blush with her onstage candour, and powers through unfiltered material on everything from relationships to rimming. Ahead of a new tour, gossipmonger Catherine Bohart spills the lot.

Claire Sawers, The List, 29th February 2024

Sarah Keyworth: My Eyes Are Up Here review

With fine one-liners, the crowd-pleasing east Midlander traces their relationship with their parents in a touching show.

Brian Logan, The Guardian, 29th February 2024

Things You Should Have Done review

There's tons of potential in this surreal comedy.

Lucy Mangan, The Guardian, 29th February 2024

Douglas Is Cancelled interview

Karen Gillan, Hugh Bonneville, writer Steven Moffat and executive producer Sue Vertue discuss social media and why "you can't cancel Donald Trump."

Georg Szalai, Hollywood Reporter, 29th February 2024
The Gentlemen. Eddie Horniman (Theo James). Credit: Netflix

'I don't like arrogance': Ray Winstone on healing Guy Ritchie rift and acting with Jack Nicholson

Ray Winstone talks about his new comedy crime series, The Gentlemen.

Charlotte O'Sullivan, The Independent, 29th February 2024

Yvonne Hughes: The last laugh

I battled a killer disease and still saw the funny side.

Chat Magazine, 29th February 2024

Videos

TV & radio

CBBC logo. Credit: BBC 6pm
25 min
So Awkward Academy

So Awkward Academy

Episode 6 - Battle Of The Plays

Claire and Lily go head-to-head, Luca's acting goes to his head, and Jin loses his head trying to teach Jeff, the deputy head!

Radio 4 6:30pm
30 min
Conversations From A Long Marriage. Image shows from L to R: Roger (Roger Allam), Joanna (Joanna Lumley)

Conversations From A Long Marriage

Series 5, Episode 2 - I Want To Break Free

Tension mounts, as the internet goes down, and Roger breaks a tooth.

BBC Radio Wales. Copyright: BBC 6:30pm
30 min
The Learners. Copyright: Giddy Goat Productions

The Learners

Series 3, Episode 4 - To Have And To Hold

The theme for this week's lesson is 'celebration' but it could just as easily have been 'surprise' or 'reunion'. Any of these words is enough to reason for Ken to bring out his famous 'three meats' cake and for Yara to get her organising headset on.

Sky Max. Copyright: Sky 9pm
45 min
Rob Beckett's Smart TV. Image shows left to right: Jon Richardson, Russell Tovey, Alison Hammond, Rob Beckett, Stacey Dooley, Jamie Laing, Josh Widdicombe

Rob Beckett's Smart TV

Episode 1

Rob hosts as comedy panel show celebrating the small screen, with Jon Richardson, Russell Tovey, Stacey Dooley and Jamie Laing joining team captains Josh Widdicombe and Alison Hammond for the first edition.

BBC Three 9pm
30 min
Things You Should Have Done. Chi (Lucia Keskin)

Things You Should Have Done

Episode 1 - Learn To Drive

A overly dependent young woman's parents die in a car accident, forcing her to fend for herself. It transpires she will inherit the house on condition she completes a list of 'Things You Should Have Done' left by her parents. Chi's highly strung Auntie Karen wants nothing to do with her 'pest of a niece', but very much wants the house she feels is rightfully hers.

BBC Three 9:30pm
30 min
Things You Should Have Done. Chi (Lucia Keskin)

Things You Should Have Done

Episode 2 - Get A Job

Chi spectacularly fails a trial period at the pharmacy with Karen, but Dave kindly lets her shadow him on his delivery rounds. On a drop-off to a retirement home Chi finds her tribe - old people. She also falls in love with Linda, an elderly lady who seems to think Chi is her husband. Dave has a health scare and Karen starts to think she might be the fertility issue.

BBC Three 10pm
17 min
Spud. Spud (Siobhán McSweeney)

Spud

BBC Comedy Short Film about an 'average woman'.

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