Bruce Dessau
- Journalist and reviewer
Press clippings Page 307
TV preview: Count Arthur Strong, BBC2
I saw a Tweet recently that asked if Count Arthur Strong was the new Mrs Brown. Having seen the first episode of the new sitcom starring Steve Delaney as befuddled old showbiz never-was Strong I think I can safely say that the answer is "no." It is not as smutty, not as low-brow, not as cliched as Mrs Brown. The only way it might be similar is that it might prove to be as popular as Mrs Brown. Though this time with good reason.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 2nd July 2013Preview: Family Tree - Spinal Tap meets The IT Crowd?
It's directed by Christopher "Spinal Tap" Guest, it stars homme du jour Chris O'Dowd. What could possibly go wrong with new TV comedy Family Tree, which comes to BBC Two this July. I've just watched the first episode and I'm totally thrown. It is clearly intended to be a comedy, but so far the laughs are painfully thin on the ground.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 1st July 2013Review: Hal Cruttenden, Udderbelly
Occasionally the material appears shoehorned in but there is no shortage of laughs, whether discussing the north/south divide, infuriatingly inane Facebook updates or his food fixation.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 28th June 2013Review: Hal Cruttenden, Udderbelly
This time I was blown away. The writing felt sharper, the performance was bigger and it probably helped that the venue was much nicer.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 27th June 2013Opinion: Carr trouble
So anyway, Jimmy Carr did his set and got heckled. A good comedian should be able to win an angry mob around and that's kind of what Carr did, eventually closing with a version of Sweet Caroline when someone shouted "give us a song".
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 24th June 2013Review: Bill Bailey, Hammersmith Apollo
Qualmpeddler does exactly what the rather obscure title says on the tin, plus so much more.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 18th June 2013Interview: Josie Long
Josie Long was one of my favourite comedians even before she co-founded Arts Emergency to help students study arts degrees. I don't always agree with her but I admire the way that she throws herself headlong into everything she does, whether it is her pursuit of social justice or her hobby of outdoor swimming.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 18th June 2013Opinion: In praise of Would I Lie To You?
I resisted Would I Lie To You? for a while. Maybe it was the slightly smug hosting of Angus Deayton at first, maybe it was the show's resemblance to a pub-gossip Call My Bluff. But at some point I decided that I love this programme and now I'm hooked. There is nothing I enjoy more than unwinding to these all-star wind-ups.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 14th June 2013Review: Richard Herring's Leicester Square Podcast
Michael Parkinson eat your heart out. Roll over Graham Norton and tell Alan Carr the news. Richard Herring's "Stephen Fry in suicide attempt" scoop has shown that the biggest stories are not always stage managed and released to the media as part of a strategy worked out with military precision.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 8th June 2013Jack Carroll is a winner whether he wins BGT or not
So tonight's the night that Jack Carroll either makes it big on Britain's Got Talent or heads back to obscurity. Nothing of the sort of course.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 8th June 2013