Bruce Dessau
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 170
TV/Online review: This Country, BBC Three
The comedy here is very much in the margins. In a look or an aside.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 21st February 2018TV preview: Hold The Sunset, Sunday, BBC One, Episode 2
It's a soft, gentle predictable script given half a kiss of life by a 24 carat cast. Of course there are better things on TV. And better things to do on a Sunday evening at 7.30pm. But I'm sure there are some people out there who like it. Though if they aren't the over-fifties who tweeted me saying it was shite I do wonder who they were.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 21st February 2018Interview: rarely asked questions - Nick Revell
Nick Revell is a comic legend. He began selling jokes to radio and TV in the late 1970s and did his first stand-up gigs at the Comedy Store in 1980. Since then he has written and performed for stage, radio and TV.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 20th February 2018TV preview: Mum, BBC2
The first series of Mum found saintly Cathy (Lesley Manville) mourning the death of her husband and dealing with her, erm, colourful family. The second series starts with a marginally lighter issue. She is about to turn sixty and also has her Essex family descending on her en masse.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 18th February 2018Baby show from Josie Long & Jonny Donahoe
Comedians Jonny Donahoe and Josie Long are expecting their first child. Except that they weren't expecting to have a child now, and they are totally clueless. If you've not had children and have no idea what it will be like, come and find out with them as they put on a special show about having a baby and parenthood.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 17th February 2018TV review, Damned, C4
Are sexual abuse and sex trafficking suitable subjects for comedy? My gut instinct would say no but the first episode of the second series of social worker comedy Damned somehow managed to incorporate these subjects and make serious points along with succesful jokes. The writers - Jo Brand, Morwenna Banks and Will Smith - and the cast - deserve full credit for going where few programmes fear to tread. Imagine Ken Loach collaborating with Ricky Gervais.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 15th February 2018International Women's Day Oxfam comedy gig cancelled
An International Women's Day stand-up gig supporting the work of Oxfam has been cancelled in the light of the current allegations surround the charity.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 14th February 2018Review: UK Pun Championships Final
#UKPunday, founded by the Leicester Comedy Festival, has become a fixture in the social media calender. This year wordplay-based tweets notched up over 100 million impressions during the day. That's a lorra lorra lols. And sometimes during the final of the UK Pun Championships one did feel the best gags had already been hashtag cracked.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 13th February 2018News: UK Pun Championships 2018 - results
Robert Thomas has been crowned UK Pun Champion 2018.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 12th February 2018Review: New Acts Of The Year Final 2018, Rich Mix, E1
The organisers of this long-running competition have the motto "New Variety Lives" but this year's show seemed to specialise in old variety.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 12th February 2018