Funny Business (2013)

Astounding news as BBC2's new three-part series Funny Business revealed that Michael McIntyre commands a higher fee for a corporate gig than Ricky Gervais (told you you should've agreed to do the dance, Ricky.)

We also met the promoter who gave Jimmy Carr his first-ever paid booking back in the days when Jimmy's career was more Haven holiday park than tax haven. Sadly, the promoter didn't elaborate further so we were left wondering a) how much Jimmy was paid and b) how much he was left with after tax. My guesses are a) around £50 and b) around £50.)

The corporate gigs are not for everyone, though. Following a particularly soul-destroying half-hour set at one PFA annual dinner Rhod Gilbert vowed never to do another. 'I just remember seeing Alex Ferguson's back as he talked to someone during my act.' Could've been worse, Rhod. Fergie could've demanded an extra seven minutes.

Last Night's Viewing: Funny Business, BBC2

"Wherever you look now money's spoiled it," grumbled John Cleese. After which we got a shot of Monaco harbour. An arch comment? An illustration? A hint of what's to come? I'm still not sure.

Your average comedian can earn serious money these days. Your very good one can earn a fortune. Michael McIntyre's latest tour, for example, netted him £21m. But there's more than one way for a stand-up to rake in the cash.

As we'll see in BBC2's new documentary series Funny Business, corporate gigs and telly commercials are huge earners. You want Jason Manford? That'll be 25 grand.

With contributions from the likes of Jo Brand, John Cleese and Rhod Gilbert, the programme also poses the inevitable awkward question. Namely, is a comic selling their soul by doing this stuff? Some people clearly think so. Carmarthen's Rhod Gilbert points out that the only ad he's ever been willing to do is for Visit Wales.

Mind you, I personally reckon he sells it better, sloganwise, in a clip from Live At The Apollo: "Wales is all right! It's not s**t anymore! We've done it up!"

Anyone who works in an office will have had the experience: an awards bash for people in your sector, a hotel ballroom, rubbery roast chicken - and up on stage a half-known name from the comedy circuit making ill-informed cracks about your business and looking as if he can't wait to collect his cheque.

It needn't be such torture; in fact, some comedians make an art form (and a packet) out of such well-lubricated corporate gigs, as this three-part series discovers. Among those recalling the pitfalls when comedy and commerce collide are John Cleese, Rhod Gilbert and Jo Brand, while RT's own Eddie Mair narrates.

'We've all become Thatcher's children,' reckons jobbing comic Hal Cruttenden, who merrily makes something like two grand a gig on the corporate circuit. Mark Thomas, naturally, begs to differ. And that's the beauty of this opening episode of a three-part documentary: it takes a very timely look at the business of comedy - bigger than it's ever been, surely - from all sides. It's also very funny, especially when established comedians, who undoubtedly deserve credit for even discussing the issue, grapple with their consciences as they explain themselves for doing what some might regard as selling out. A corporate gig is good practice for working a tough audience, says Jo Brand; doing adverts (or 'content-driven engagement platforms', as one suit now calls them) buys writing time, protests John Cleese; Rhod Gilbert, meanwhile, has bailed out of them altogether, his nerves and self-image unable to take it any more. The astronomical fees may simply reflect supply and demand, but it doesn't make the reality any more edifying. Engrossing, nonetheless.

Funny Business: Review

Funny Business offers a fascinating glimpse at the steel cables that bind the commercial and the comedic - and the archive footage is top notch - but you'll quickly remember why you normally like to keep considerations of capitalism well away from your favourite comedians.

In Funny Business (BBC2), the first of a series, Eddie Mair narrated an investigation into the ways in which standup comedians can make big money, none of which is by telling jokes in comedy clubs.

Appearing in adverts is one way, but many comics find selling stuff on TV to be inconsistent with either their morals or their sense of humour. Not that many, actually. Less objectionable is the corporate gig. You're just doing your act, albeit in front of a room full of company managers for an obscene amount of money. Ricky Gervais gets £25,000 for a 20-minute corporate set. Michael McIntyre gets £40,000. It's not surprising that up-and-coming comedians on corporate booker Jeremy Lee's roster fall over themselves to appear in his annual Real Variety Show, essentially a huge audition for an audience of events company managers. Again, it's just a gig, you end your set with the punchline: "I'm available for bookings, and I also host!"

A lot of comedians won't touch corporate gigs either, but not necessarily for the reason you might think. "I doubt there's one comedian in the world," said Arthur Smith, "who hasn't died on his or her arse at a corporate gig."

Jo Brand finds them bracing - "If you do corporates, you get the message that not everyone loves you," she says - but Rhod Gilbert still gets heart palpitations just driving by the venues of old corporate failures. It may be filthy lucre, but it doesn't sound like easy money.

Funny Business, BBC Two, review

Michael McIntyre: £40,000. Ricky Gervais: £25,000. Jason Manford: £25,000. Jo Brand: £10,000-£25,000. Barry Cryer - who after that lot looks an absolute steal - is £2,000-£5,000. This, according to Funny Business, is what it costs to hire the above to tell some jokes at a corporate event.