Alistair McGowan's Big Impression

BBC banned word 'tits' from McGowan Christmas Special

The BBC banned the word "tits" in a late night sketch show because it was being broadcast on Christmas Day.

BBC say no to return of Alistair McGowan's Big Impression

Comic Alistair McGowan has slammed the BBC for dashing his hopes of a TV comeback. He and co-star Ronni Ancona are keen to make a new series of their successful show. But after a four-year absence, the Beeb say they are not interested.

There's also Alistair McGowan's The Big Impression at 8.25pm on BBC One, which never seems to get the critical face-kissing it deserves, yet is clearly one of the cleverest programmes we have. He noticed that no one can ever own more than half the rights to the Queen Vic. That Richard Madeley would ideally do his links in little raps. And that Dot Cotton is almost Albert Steptoe. All Rory Bremner's done in 15 years is to point out that politicians aren't wholly candid.

McGowan and Ancona are certainly talented, but it's only with stronger scripts that they will move away from being a novelty act. Surely their talents could be used more appropriately in parodies of TV programmes and films, which could then have the accuracy which other parodies would lack. But without this edge, the whole series becomes more like a showreel.