Aisling Bea

Opinion: mainstream v alternative - is the gap closing?

We live in interesting times for comedy. I never thought I'd see Sara Pascoe on The Graham Norton Show. Maybe the gap is closing between what we describe as alternative and what we describe as mainstream. Maybe one of the legacies of Comedy Vehicle is that it did attract comedy fans to more cerebral notions of the nature of comedy. Sadly not enough for BBC2's beancounters.

David Tennant wants to put sushi into the titular dungeon. "It doesn't even come with chips!" "To be fair," says Frank Skinner, "you come from a place where they won't even eat raw Mars bars." Elsewhere, comedian Aisling Bea has it in for pigeons, along with adults on scooters ("like getting breastfed at 40"). But what are we to make of the rapturous applause that greets Sir Trevor McDonald's request for less queuing? Truly, the UK is going to hell in a handcart.

A change of tone here, for a short that shelves the cynicism and actually celebrates the spirit of Christmas. Nish Kumar plays an actor who became insufferable last Christmas when he landed the part in a Hollywood film, alienating his friends (Ed Gamble, Tom Neenan and Massive Dad Tessa Coates) at their annual get-together. Twelve months later and he's been kicked off the film - revealed in a bruising meeting with his agent, played by Aisling Bea - and wonders if he can face them again. The pay-off, courtesy of Santa David Trent, might a little corny, but that' Christmas for you...

Radio Times review

Comedian Susan Calman hyperventilates at the prospect of this week's topic: maths. "I'm phobic about maths," she wails to a sympathetic Stephen Fry, who guides her gently through a maths-based limerick. Future host Sandi Toksvig (who takes over next series, after Fry's retirement), however, thinks maths can be "beautiful". During a jolly episode where Alan Davies is outnumbered there to one by female contestants (including comedian Aisling Bea), we learn the difference between an anagram and an aptagram, and ponder whether rhesus monkeys can count.

My Edinburgh: Aisling Bea

A comic and actress from Co Kildare in Ireland with an easy stage presence and cracking wit, Aisling Bea has enjoyed a rapid rise.

Aisling Bea interview

The prize-winning comedian on growing up on a stud farm, juggling three careers and making the leap into stand-up.

Fringe 2015: best comedy shows

Including Johnny Vegas, Katherine Ryan, Trevor Noah, Aisling Bea, Bridget Christie, Max and Ivan and Nina Conti.

Aisling Bea interview

Interview with Aisling Bea.