British Comedy Guide
British Comedy Guide

BCG Daily Thursday 18th April 2024

News

Ivo Graham. Credit: Headline Shop

Ivo Graham to publish book about his failures

Ivo Graham is to publish Yardsticks For Failure, a book that takes a "deep dive into the various facepalms" he has experienced in recent years.

Kevin Turvey - The Man Behind The Green Door. 'Himself' (Rik Mayall). Copyright: BBC Live

Rik Mayall comedy festival planned for Droitwich

The Worcestershire town of Droitwich is planning to launch a comedy festival in 2025, to honour former resident Rik Mayall.

FYI

We Are Lady Parts. Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey). Credit: Working Title Films TV

We Are Lady Parts Series 2

We Are Lady Parts Series 2 will launch on Channel 4 on Thursday 30th May. Alongside the release of some first-look pictures, it has been confirmed that education activist Malala Yousafzai will make a cameo in the series.

Sean Foley. Credit: Kris Askey People

Sean Foley to leave The Rep

Birmingham Rep has announced that Sean Foley will step down as its artistic director this summer, following his forthcoming production of Withnail And I.

Features

Consolevania. Image shows left to right: Robert Florence, Ryan MacLeod Online

Consolevania turns 20: Robert Florence and Ryan Macleod on making comedy out of video games

Consolevania, the homemade web series about video games, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Tom Crowley talks to creators Robert Florence and Ryan Macleod about making your own work and staying honest. Continue: Y/N?

BCG Pro

Mrs. Brown's Boys. Image shows from L to R: Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll), Buster Brady (Danny O'Carroll), Dermot Brown (Paddy Houlihan) Pro

Silly costumes and comedy vegetables: writing broad comedy

Audiences do love broad comedy: daft contraptions, contrived misunderstandings and all.

Press clippings

Bottom. Image shows from L to R: Richie Richard (Rik Mayall), Eddie Hitler (Adrian Edmondson). Copyright: BBC

Bottom director Ed Bye: "It couldn't be done today"

Ed Bye chats with Paul Tanter ahead of Bottom: Exposed, a new documentary which delves into the history and popularity of the anarchic '90s sitcom.

Paul Tanter, Radio Times, 18th April 2024
Inside No. 9. Image shows from L to R: Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith

Inside No. 9 creators tease the final episodes

Reece Shearsmith, laughing, says: "They're all quite horrible. We've got a few lighter ones, but it was like, 'Oh, that's quite relentless'. So, maybe that tells you something about the tone of the last series".

Megan Garside and Darren Scott, Games Radar, 18th April 2024
Sara Pascoe

Women get better at comedy when they become mums says Sara Pascoe

The mother of two says every female stand-up she knows got better after becoming a parent because it made them re-evaluate their priorities.

Chortle, 18th April 2024
G'wed. Image shows left to right: Christopher (Jake Kenny-Byrne), Reece (Dylan Thomas-Smith)

Liverpool-set comedy G'wed enjoys success across ITVX, ITV1 and ITV2

Brand new Liverpool-set comedy G'wed, which launched back in February, has since seen 1.7m viewers for Episode 1 across ITVX, ITV1 and ITV2 and the series has been streamed 4.9 million times, becoming ITVX's biggest comedy since Changing Ends.

ITV, 18th April 2024
Steve Royle

Stoke-on-Trent to host its first comedy festival

Stoke-on-Trent is to host its first ever comedy festival this May, the city council has announced.

Richard Price, BBC, 18th April 2024
Swede Caroline

Swede Caroline review

Although the conspiracy at the heart of this vegetable-based caper isn't as enthralling as it could have been, the joy of this feature comes from watching this ludicrous tale play out.

Andrew Murray, The Upcoming, 18th April 2024
Julian Clary

Julian Clary review

Is his humour evolving? Perhaps not as much as it should; however, I wasn't expecting the show to end with a very post-ironic number with the refrain "It's Not Cool to be a Queer", which even name-checks Brianna Ghey, a song that stuns us into a sad silence that not even the arrival of glitter falling from heaven can quite restore. All in all, it's an unusual evening's entertainment, not without hilarity and skill, but I'm wondering how much longer this much-loved comedian can make this level of content last.

Chris Parkle, The Real Chrisparkle, 18th April 2024
Mr Bigstuff. Image shows left to right: Lee (Danny Dyer), Glen (Ryan Sampson)

Sustainability system launches with new Sky comedy

EcoBase was used recently during filming on Sky's Mr Bigstuff.

The Knowledge, 18th April 2024
Tommy Tiernan

Tommy Tiernan review

Veering from vulgar to dreamlike.

Dominic Maxwell, The Times, 18th April 2024
Jethro

Life-sized statue of Jethro to be unveiled at Trago Mills

A life-sized statue to remember a much-loved Cornish comedian is set to be unveiled in Cornwall next month.

Kate Lockett, Falmouth Packet, 18th April 2024
Russell Brand

Russell Brand plan to transform village pub refused

Russell Brand has been dealt a blow as his plan to convert a village pub into a recording studio and offices has been refused.

James Aldridge, Bucks Free Press, 18th April 2024

Videos

Alasdair Beckett-King Online

An offer you can't understand

1 mins, 9 secs

He's the Negotiationist. They say he's the best.

First Dates of History - Vikings Online

First Dates of History - Vikings

6 mins, 19 secs

Two famous vikings that are unlucky in love nervously decide to make love not war, as they share battleground stories over a gallon of ale.

Podcasts

Stone Clearing with Richard Herring

Stone Clearing With Richard Herring: Chapter 157

25 minutes

Chapter 157 - Ye Ftone Fettee. It's 8.38am on 18th April 2024 and the first recorded stone clear in almost two months, so most of the podcast is the reading...

Julia Masli

The Comedian's Comedian Podcast with Stuart Goldsmith: 453 - Julia Masli

75 minutes

Julia Masli is an award-winning clown from Estonia, now based in London. Her latest show, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha was nominated for Edinburgh's top prize of Best...

TV & radio

BBC Radio Wales. Copyright: BBC 6:30pm
30 min
Kiri Pritchard-McLean

Kiri's Comedy Club

Series 1, Episode 3 - Making the News Funny

Loads of the biggest movers and shakers in comedy started off writing topical - and lots of them did the same job. Kiri Pritchard-McLean interviews BBC audio comedy contract writers past and present about the skill of turning news stories into jokes. Gareth Gwynn, Robin Morgan, Tasha Dhanraj, Christina Riggs and Peter Tellouche share their tips and tricks in this masterclass on writing for topical.

Sky Max. Copyright: Sky 9pm
45 min
Rob Beckett's Smart TV. Image shows left to right: Sara Cox, Alison Hammond, David Tennant, Rob Beckett, Lydia West, Roisin Conaty, Josh Widdicombe

Rob Beckett's Smart TV

Episode 8

Sara Cox, David Tennant, Lydia West and Roisin Conaty are this week's panellists.

Channel 4 logo. Copyright: Channel 4 Television Corporation 9pm
60 min
Taskmaster. Image shows left to right: Joanne McNally, Sophie Willan, John Robins

Taskmaster

Series 17, Episode 4 - Apropos Of Apoppo

Contenders Joanne McNally, John Robins, Nick Mohammed, Sophie Willan and Steve Pemberton are forced to wrangle wild animals - with unpleasant consequences for Sophie and Steve. Taskmaster Greg Davies's loyal valet Alex Horne watches on as Joanne demonstrates a traditional Irish handshake, John reveals a love of pickled onions and Nick sparks controversy with a cardboard tube.

U&Gold channel logo. Credit: UKTV 9pm
Bottom: Exposed. Adrian Edmondson

Bottom: Exposed

A documentary about Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson sitcom Bottom.

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