Paul Whitelaw

Alan Partridge: Big Beacon review - pure, undiluted Partridge

The Norfolk-based broadcaster's latest is the perfect way to explore the full unreliable narrator comic potential of his complex psyche.

Rambling Man by Billy Connolly review - a funny, life-affirming rhapsody

One of our most beloved comedians whisks us through tales from some of his favourite adventures.

Reviewer review: Paul Whitelaw (The Scotsman)

Whitelaw is best understood not as a writer but as an attendant detail; a sort of maggot that will provide forensic colour to anyone in the future who cares to study the pathological decline and suicide of a once-great newspaper.

How Rory O'Neill helped Irish gay marriage

Rory O'Neill, aka drag queen Panti Bliss, tells Paul Whitelaw how he helped Ireland choose to allow same-sex marriages.

Limmy: 'I used to be straightforward kinda mental'

Limmy talks to Paul Whitelaw about finding an outlet for his madness.

Will Sketchland give Scots writers comic relief?

AN unlikely spin-off from the Indyref is a new TV sketch show which promises to give budding Scottish writers their break in comedy.

Is the sketch show under viral attack?

With the power to send a single sketch viral overnight, the net is reshaping comedy formats.

Radio Times review

Every sitcom worth its salt needs to include a dinner/house party episode at some point, so now is as good a time as any for this agreeable romantic comedy.

Matt and Meg have decided to throw a housewarming dinner. Flushed with sensible intentions, they've invited Iain and his girlfriend in the hope of drawing a line under Meg's affair. The pall of impending disaster is as thick as the aroma of Matt's Thai green curry.

When Iain offers some help in the kitchen, a simmering pot of repressed emotions rises to the boil. The free-flowing wine adds to the chaos. Meanwhile, best pals Gail and Sam are supposedly on hand to act as buffers, but when the atmosphere sours they form a misguided plan of escape.

If you're a fan of painfully awkward comedy, writer Tony Roche (The Thick of It) delivers in spades.

Radio Times review

Things get particularly hot and sweaty this week when long-suffering padre Mary attempts a spot of reverse psychology to ward off Nick's advances. Unfortunately, this only confuses matters when she struggles to contain her genuine feelings for the toffee-nosed berk.

Meanwhile, tension of a different kind erupts when short-fused Simon becomes obsessed with winning a competitive shoot 'em up computer game. "What a lovely way to unwind after some war," quips Nick.

It may not be the most original sitcom ever made, but Bluestone 42 is certainly educational: who knew that British troops stationed in Afghanistan all behave with the distinctive comic mannerisms of David Brent and Alan Partridge? You live and learn.

Radio Times review

When the patrol find themselves under attack while out in the field, they head forlornly back to camp minus one trusty bomb disposal robot. But this embarrassing incident only strengthens Nick's resolve to track down the Taliban bomber who's been targeting him.

Despite a comic sub-plot involving Mac and Rocket's frustrated efforts to win Simon's trust - plus a tired, dodgy gag about Afghan local delicacies - it's a darker episode than usual. As events take an unforeseen turn, Nick's quest is played relatively straight. An intriguing diversion.