William Shakespeare (II)

On the eve of its presentation to Queen Elizabeth I, William Shakespeare's controversial new play about the Mary Stuart - Mary The Frog-Jock - goes mysteriously missing. And Will's best friend Kit Marlowe (Tim Downie) is in the frame, in ye second parte of Ben Elton's Tudor comedy. Perhaps make that "tragi-comedy": this is no Blackadder II, and the usually assured David Mitchell as Shakespeare certainly seems a trifle uncomfortable barking out lines such as "I am not going bald, I have low eyebrows."

Upstart Crow: joke's already wearing thin in episode 2

Last week's episode of Upstart Crow (BBC Two), Ben Elton's new ye olde sitcom starring David Mitchell as William Shakespeare, would have worked as a one-off stand-alone special for Comic Relief or similar. The thought of a whole series of the thing is a bit tiring.

Loving Ben Elton's new Shakespeare sitcom

There's no way of saying this without shredding the last vestiges of my critical credibility, but this new Ben Elton comedy series, Upstart Crow (BBC2, Mondays), about William Shakespeare: I'm loving it and think it's really, really funny.

"Four hundred years ago this year the world-famous playwrighter William Shakespeare stopped happening ..." The Great Philomena (comedian Diane Morgan) brings all her wisdom and sensitivity to bear in her sublime exploration of the "King of the Bards", observing that Titus Andronicus is "a posh Friday The 13th"; pondering what Hamlet is all about ("about four hours long"); and noting that Shakespeare had an easy time at school "as he didn't have to study Shakespeare"

What's in a name? When it's Ben Elton, quite a lot, considering his new sitcom marks the writer's return to a historical setting for the first time since Blackadder. The principal character in this comedy should offer more meticulous wordplay than Bladders could: the action revolves around one William Shakespeare (David Mitchell). Sadly, this veers towards Elton's insufferable The Wright Way, with double-entendre-strewn dialogue masking a distinct lack of laughs.

David Mitchell on playing William Shakespeare

"He's arguably the globally most significant artistic figure - and he's just some bloke from the Midlands. That's an amazing story."

Bill' set for U.S. event cinema release via Fathom

BBC Worldwide North America and Fathom Events are partnering to commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death with the U.S. theatrical release of origins comedy, Bill.

The Twitter-led adventures continue apace as irrepressible comedian Ross Noble cherry-picks his favourite tweets from the daft, dangerous and entertaining selection proposed by his faithful followers. This week his devotees become bona fide disciples as their leader sets up his own religion in the West Country. Next he embarks on an ambitious experiment to test out a Noble version of the theory that involves monkeys, typewriters and the works of William Shakespeare. Friends, chimps, countrymen, lend me your tweets...

Stephen Fry praised for return to West End stage

Stephen Fry has made his official return to the West End stage as Malvolio in an all-male production of William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night.