British Comedy Guide
British Comedy Guide

Schedule Thursday 31st December 2009

Radio 4 2:15pm
45 min
Fireworks At The Villa Lucia. Pete (Philip Whitchurch)

Fireworks At The Villa Lucia

Comedy drama by Paul Mendelson about a struggling TV writer who tries to sell his dog-eared screenplay to a cult movie director.

Radio 4 6:15pm
15 min
The News At Bedtime. Image shows from L to R: Jim Tweedledee (Peter Capaldi), John Tweedledum (Jack Dee). Copyright: BBC

The News At Bedtime

Episode 6

Mary Mary has shocking news of an egg on a wall.

BBC Two 6:25pm (repeat)
Are You Being Served?. Image shows from L to R: Mrs. Betty Slocombe (Mollie Sugden), Miss Shirley Brahms (Wendy Richard), Mr. Dick Lucas (Trevor Bannister), Mr. Cuthbert Rumbold (Nicholas Smith), Mr. Mash (Larry Martyn), Mr. Ernest Grainger (Arthur Brough), Mr. Wilberforce Humphries (John Inman), Captain Stephen Peacock (Frank Thornton). Copyright: BBC

Are You Being Served?

The Father Christmas Affair: The motorised Christmas Display Units cause havoc, so it is decided that one of the staff should play Father Christmas for a fifty pound bonus. Mr Grainger is given help with a one-man performance.

Radio 4 6:30pm
30 min
Andy Zaltzman's History Of The Third Millennium. Andy Zaltzman. Copyright: Avalon Television

Andy Zaltzman's History Of The Third Millennium

Episode 4

As the decade teeters on the edge of its own existence, Andy looks at the planet we live on and the people who live on it and judges whether or not the world is still fit for purpose.

BBC Two 8:25pm (repeat)
dinnerladies. Image shows from L to R: Jean (Anne Reid), Stan (Duncan Preston), Brenda (Victoria Wood), Twinkle (Maxine Peake), Dolly (Thelma Barlow), Tony (Andrew Dunn), Anita (Shobna Gulati). Copyright: Good Fun / Pozzitive Productions

dinnerladies

Series 2, Special - Minnellium

It's New Year's Eve 1999, and the canteen is preparing for a special millennium dinner. But an abandoned baby and a riot in the city centre begin to throw everyone's plans into chaos.

BBC Radio 5 Live 9pm
60 min
Web 2010 With Helen And Olly. Image shows from L to R: Helen Zaltzman, Olly Mann. Copyright: Somethin' Else

Web 2010 With Helen And Olly

Episode 1 - Web 2009 with Helen and Olly

Helen Zaltzman and Olly Mann present an alternative review of the year by dishing out their expense-spared awards to the cream of weblebrity from the past twelve months.

U&Dave channel logo 9pm
45 min version (repeat)
QI. Image shows from L to R: Alan Davies, Sandi Toksvig. Copyright: TalkbackThames

QI

Three episodes of QI XL.

ITV2 logo. Credit: ITV 9pm (repeat)
Love Actually. Image shows from L to R: David, The Prime Minister (Hugh Grant), Natalie (Martine McCutcheon). Copyright: Working Title Films

Love Actually

Romantic comedy by Richard Curtis, charting a multitude of relationships across a Christmas period.

E4 logo. Copyright: Channel 4 Television Corporation 10pm (repeat)
Alan Carr: Chatty Man. Alan Carr. Copyright: Open Mike Productions

Alan Carr: Chatty Man

Series 2, New Year Special - Chatty Man New Year's Special

In this New Year special - and last episode of the second series - Alan is joined on the sofa by the Time Lord himself, David Tennant, who tells Alan about his final performance in Doctor Who. Also dropping by for a chat is the very lovely Catherine Tate; plus Davina McCall discusses the last ever Celebrity Big Brother and her new fitness DVD. With music from 80s icons Spandau Ballet.

BBC One. Copyright: BBC 10:40pm
65 min
The Graham Norton Show. Graham Norton. Credit: So Television, Christopher Baines

The Graham Norton Show

Series 6, New Year Special - The Graham Norton New Year's Eve Show

The Graham Norton brings the year to an end with his anarchic talk show. Among the guests in this special edition are Sex and The City star Sarah Jessica Parker; heart-throb British actor Dominic West, who discusses his life as the star of hit show The Wire; and legendary comedienne Joan Rivers, who helps Graham take a satirical look back at the events of 2009.

BBC One Scotland. Copyright: BBC 11:15pm
30 min
Only An Excuse?. Jonathan Watson

Only An Excuse?

New Year Special - 2009

Kick-off time again for the famous football satire show. Scotland's premier football comedy team, led by Jonathan Watson, sharpen their studs for another sliding tackle on the national obsession.

BBC Three 11:15pm (repeat)
Russell Howard Live. Russell Howard

Russell Howard Live

Live stand-up from Mock The Week star Russell Howard, recorded at The Bloomsbury Theatre during his sell-out 2007 tour.

Channel 4 logo. Copyright: Channel 4 Television Corporation 11:45pm (repeat)
Alan Carr: Chatty Man. Alan Carr. Copyright: Open Mike Productions

Alan Carr: Chatty Man

Series 2, New Year Special - Chatty Man New Year's Special

In this New Year special - and last episode of the second series - Alan is joined on the sofa by the Time Lord himself, David Tennant, who tells Alan about his final performance in Doctor Who. Also dropping by for a chat is the very lovely Catherine Tate; plus Davina McCall discusses the last ever Celebrity Big Brother and her new fitness DVD. With music from 80s icons Spandau Ballet.

BBC Four 11:50pm (repeat)
We Need Answers. Image shows from L to R: Mark Watson, Tim Key, Alex Horne. Copyright: BBC

We Need Answers

Series 2, Episode 5 - Language

Former EastEnder and comic actress Tracy-Ann Oberman competes against best-selling author of The Long Firm, Jake Arnott. In the physical challenge, Tracey-Ann takes on Jake in composing a sentence using alphabet spaghetti.

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