BCG Daily Monday 30th December 2024
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Best of 2024: Comedy
Authentically good memories of the year.
Veronica Lee, The Arts Desk, 30th December 2024
Netflix US bosses had one concern over Peter Kay in new Wallace and Gromit film
At one stage in the new film, Kay's character Chief Inspector Mackintosh exclaims: "Flippin' Nora!" - a phrase unknown to the executives in charge at Netflix US.
Jacob Stolworthy, The Independent, 30th December 2024
Comedy makes BBC Sounds top 10 most listened podcasts
You're Dead To Me and Mark Steel's In Town made the top ten most played shows on BBC Sounds. Just A Minute, It's A Fair Cop, The Unbelievable Truth and Conversations From A Long Marriage joined Steel in the top five most listened comedy shows.
BBC, 30th December 2024
Bill Bailey: Thoughtifier review
That blip of winning Strictly aside, not much changes in the world of Bill Bailey, who landed on his formula of stand-up and musical comedy skits long ago and has been steadily harvesting the rewards ever since at sensible intervals.
Tim Harding, Chortle, 30th December 2024
Stewart Lee is wrong about comedy and censorship
Despite the awfulness of much "anti-woke" comedy, opponents of political correctness have a point.
Ben Sixsmith, The Critic, 30th December 2024
"Scream-at-the-screen stupid" - the TV letdowns of the year
Bad Sisters, Ludwig, Sweetpea and Daddy Issues did not please TV critics at The Guardian.
Kate Abbott, Alexi Duggins, Stuart Heritage and Hollie Richardson, The Guardian, 30th December 2024
Janey Godley remembered by Nicola Sturgeon
The former first minister hails the talents of the Scottish comedian and actor who made people laugh in the darkest of times, not least with with her parodies of the politician's Covid briefings.
Nicola Sturgeon, The Guardian, 30th December 2024
Chortle editor Steve Bennett's most memorable gigs of 2024
Another year, another 250-plus comedy shows watched as editor of Chortle. Here's my rundown of the most memorable of them. That's not always the same as the best, but there's usually a strong correlation...
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 30th December 2024
Philomena Cunk On Life review - Diane Morgan is absolutely peerless
The comic actor returns as the worst-informed person on TV for a one-off that tackles the big issues - and quite possibly causes permanent damage to the baffled academics she interviews.
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian, 30th December 2024
Philomena Cunk's shtick is starting to grow tedious
Cunk's latest musings on the meaning of life is classic Charlie Brooker - but it's time to give Diane Morgan's fool something new to do.
Rachael Healy, i Newspaper, 30th December 2024
Cunk On Life, review: latest skewering of pretentious documentaries is exhaustingly funny
Diane Morgan's spoof character takes aim at large-scale science, the politics of offence, and asks 'is God a toxic narcissist?'
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph, 30th December 2024
Tommy Cooper: The Lost Tapes, review
Treasures from a comedian who wouldn't have a career today.
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph, 30th December 2024
Gavin and Stacey and Outnumbered are great, but why aren't there any new sitcoms on British TV?
We used to have Great British sitcoms coming out of our ears. Now, the only hope of a laugh round here is via a nostalgia-mining reunion.
Maddy Mussen, Evening Standard, 30th December 2024Videos
Online
TV & radio
2:15pm30 min
Hennikay
Series 2, Episode 3 - The Jet SetTony's big brother is getting married. Again. And Tony, as the best man, has arranged a big, drunken, debauched stag do in Ibiza and invited Guy along. And even though Guy has never met Tony's big brother, Tony is Guy's boss and so Guy has to accept. And where Guy goes, Hennikay, his 11 year old imaginary friend from 1976, goes too.
6:30pm30 min
I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue
Series 82, Episode 4The antidote to panel games pays a return visit to the Anvil Theatre in Basingstoke. Marcus Brigstocke and Henning Wehn take on Miles Jupp and Rachel Parris with Jack Dee in the chair. Colin Sell provides piano accompaniment.
9pm60 min
Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains
Series 6, New Year SpecialJon Richardson gives us a tour of his teenage bedroom, Vicky Pattison performs her favourite 90s dance routines and Loyiso Gola reveals his past as an unsuccessful rapper. There are nerdy obsessions and shameful schooldays but who will be crowned most embarrassing?
9pm70 min
Cunk On...
Christmas Special - Cunk On LifePhilomena tackles some of the most complex concepts to have ever been discovered, including Quantum Physics, Existentialism, Nihilism, Hedonism - and at least four other isms - as well as exploring subjects from the big bang to biology, morals to meditation and art to artificial intelligence.
9pm90 min
Tommy Cooper: The Lost Tapes
This special programme showcases performances by the revered comedian previously unseen by a British TV audience, including his guest appearance on The David Frost Show in New York in 1969 and his tour-de-force performance on an American television special in 1967, plus performances unseen since their original single transmission decades ago, featured here in full at their original length.
10:30pm30 min
What Just Happened?
New Year Special - End-of-Year SpecialA special end of year TV version of the award-winning radio panel show. Host Kiri Pritchard-McLean and regular team captain Robin Morgan are joined by Tudur Owen, Will Hayward and Mel Owen to look back at the news of 2024.
11:30pm30 min
Now You're Asking With Marian Keyes And Tara Flynn
Series 4, Episode 7 - The Upstairs Neighbour ProblemDo you have a neighbour who seems to keep a baby elephant with woks tied to its feet? Marian did - and so did one of our askers. More fun and advice from Marian and Tara.