British Comedy Guide
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Comedy Connections. Copyright: BBC
Comedy Connections

Comedy Connections

  • TV documentary
  • BBC Two / BBC One
  • 2003 - 2008
  • 47 episodes (6 series)

A series of comedy documentaries, examining one hit comedy show per episode, with cast and crew interviews providing additional background info. Features Julia Sawalha and Doon Mackichan.

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Episode menu

Series 5, Episode 4 - The New Statesman

Series charting the history of the best of British comedy looks at Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran's 1980s satirical sitcom The New Statesman, which starred Rik Mayall as unscrupulous Tory MP Alan B'stard. It reveals how the series was sold to ITV by writing a fake Who's Who entry for Alan, and how the team were so determined to make the show as accurate as possible that they enlisted the help of a Tory MP at the time, a certain Michael Portillo.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 2nd February 2007
Time
10:35pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
40 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Doon Mackichan Narrator
Guest cast
Laurence Marks Self
Maurice Gran Self
Rik Mayall Self
Vernon Lawrence Self
Geoffrey Sax Self
Michael Portillo Self
Steve Nallon Self
John Nettleton Self
Marsha Fitzalan Self
Vivien Heilbron Self
Writing team
Andrew Nickolds Writer
Production team
Angela Buchanan Director
Graham Mitchell Series Producer
Alan Tyler Executive Producer
Toby Stevens Executive Producer
Fergus MacKinnon (as Fergus Mackinnon) Editor
Graham Ness Composer

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