Television Comedy News that appeared on the home page in previous months
Home Sweet Rome!
comedy drama
Home Sweet Rome!, based on a concept by the creator of Hannah Montana, Michael Poryes, launches in the UK on Monday 24 July on CBBC and BBC iPlayer.
The comedy drama focuses on 13-year-old Lucy (Kensington Tallman), who moves from America to start a new life in Rome with her dad (Darrin Rose), an archaeologist, and stepmother Francesca (Eleonora Facchini), a famous Italian pop star.
Lucy will have to adapt to these big changes whilst navigating through all the growing pains of being a teenager – not easy when her best friend Kyla (Ava Ro) is now 6000 miles away.
With new friends, amazing food and haute fashion, Lucy’s adventures abroad begin as, with Francesca’s help, she embraces her love for music and launches her own path to pop stardom.
Expect a lot of repeats as actors strike
Fran Drescher’s Complete SAG-AFTRA Strike Speech
The strike, of actors, which begins on Friday was launched with Fran Drescher’s speech in which she calls the companies’ bargaining positions “insulting,” “tone deaf” and “crazy,” she said that she had gone into the negotiations “in earnest thinking that we would be able to avert a strike.”
Netflix ‘Sex Education’ to End With Season 4
Netflix’s Sex Education is coming to an end. The streaming giant on Wednesday announced that the upcoming fourth season of the international favorite starring Asa Butterfield and Gillian Anderson as sex therapists will be its last. The final season will debut Sept. 21,
Abbott Elementary now on C4
Ten new stand out series, including Abbott Elementary, are set to land on Channel 4’s streaming service in a new multi-series deal with Disney.
Workplace comedy, Abbott Elementary, follows a group of dedicated, passionate teachers – and a slightly tone-deaf principle – as they navigate the Philadelphia public school system. Despite the odds being stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life, and though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do – even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
Abbott Elementary will air on E4 and then be available to stream on Channel 4.
Joanna Page (Gavin and Stacey) and Jason Watkins (Trollied) are among the contestants in this year’s Cooking With The Stars
The new series of Cooking With The Stars begins on ITV1 on Tuesday, 4 July at 9pm.
‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’ Ending After Four Seasons
HBO’s groundbreaking, Emmy-winning comedy series A Black Lady Sketch Show is ending with its fourth season.
The Power of Parker comes to BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Friday 28 July
It’s Stockport 1990 and Martin Parker, a man with the ambition of Alan Sugar and the looks of Robert Kilroy Silk is slowly waking up to the fact that things are changing.
With a chain of electrical stores, a wife, kids and a flash car, he has the perfect life. But in reality he’s swimming in a sea of debt and lies, and it falls to the two women in his life, Kath and Diane to plot his downfall.
Breeders Gets The Snip
The critically acclaimed Sky Original, Breeders, starring Martin Freeman (The Responder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Daisy Haggard (Back to Life, Episodes, Black Mirror) will premiere its fourth and final series this October on Sky Comedy and streaming service NOW in the UK and Ireland.
The final ten episodes of the Sky Original deliver a dramatic conclusion to the Worsley family story of parenthood. Martin and Daisy reprise their roles as parents Paul and Ally and are joined by new cast members Oscar Kennedy (Wreck, Ladhood) who takes on the role of their son Luke (now 18-years-old) and Zoë Athena who plays their 16-year-old daughter Ava.
Question Team cancelled by UKTV
Richard Ayoade’s – quiz format Question Team is cancelled by UKTV channel,Dave after it’s second season. The show rewrites the panel show rule book by making three players set the questions. Each player presents a round of questions inspired by their own interests for Ayoade and the other two to play. |
We’ve learned that cast options for ABC’s Home Economics have been extended beyond the June 30 deadline. Although there has been no decision on a renewal yet this could indicate that renewal prospects are good for the comedy series.
Single Drunk Female Cancelled
Freeform, the Disney owned network cancelled the series after two series.
Sofia Black-D’Elia, star of Single Drunk Female said on her Instagram account. “I’m so sad the SDF journey has been cut short. I’ve loved making this show. I’m grateful to everyone who was apart of it. To anyone who watched: thank you. To anyone who stopped me on the street to tell me how much time they had or how annoying their mom was: I love you.” said
Queen of Oz Review
“Team Queen? Team shit!” proclaims Princess Georgiana (Catherine Tate) and she’s not far wrong.
‘Inside Amy Schumer’: Comedy Central Cancels Plans To Air S5
Inside Amy Schumer one of a number of titles unceremoniously pulled from Paramount+ this week, as revealed by Deadline. Now it has emerged that Season 5 of the show – the first in more than six years – won’t air on the linear Comedy Central network as announced.
Wheel of Fortune spins its way back, hosted by Graham Norton
Wheel of Fortune will return to ITV1 and ITVX in 2024, as contestants once again spin to win. Based on the successful global brand, the show will be hosted by BAFTA award winner Graham Norton and produced by Whisper North, part of the Sony Pictures Television- backed Whisper Group.
Returning for an 8 x 60 run, which includes two celebrity specials, the epic game show will once again be centred around a giant carnival wheel as the contestants spin to win for a life changing cash prize.
Ryan Seacrest Named US ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host, Replacing Pat Sajak
In the US Wheel of Fortune has its succession plan in place for when longtime host Pat Sajak retires.
Ryan Seacrest will take over as host of the syndicated game show beginning with the 2024-25 season.
The Change Review
There’s a great temptation to binge watch Bridget Christie’s brilliant new sitcom The Change. Don’t.
This fast-paced comedy deserves to be savoured in small doses.
Actor, stand-up comedian, and seven-time Grammy nominee, Jim Gaffigan returns to Prime Video for his third Amazon Original comedy special, Dark Pale. The highly anticipated special will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on July 25, 2023.
Dreaming Whilst Black on BBC Three next month
Creator of the series, Adjani Salmon (Doctor Who, Chivalry), has reprised his leading role from the web-series and pilot, alongside Dani Moseley (Everything I Know About Love, Straight Line Crazy) as Amy. The two are joined by Demmy Ladipo (The Last Tree, We Are Lady Parts) as Maurice, Rachel Adedeji (Champion, Hollyoaks) as Funmi and babirye bukilwa (We Hunt together, Our Girl) as Vanessa, who all also appeared in the pilot.
Also returning to the full series in supporting roles are Alexander Owen (one half of comedy duo The Pin, Jurassic World Dominion) as Adam, and Will Hislop (Gangs of London, PRU, Grantchester) as Lewis.
Loosely inspired by real life events, Dreaming Whilst Black tells the story of Kwabena, an aspiring filmmaker stuck in a dead-end recruitment job who takes the first step to achieving his dream. However, he is quickly confronted with the tribulations of balancing finances, love, and his own sense of reality.
Lister, Rimmer, Cat, and Kryten are coming home, as beloved sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf returns to the BBC on iPlayer. Every episode of the show’s classic run on the BBC is now available on iPlayer, as well as the acclaimed revived series including the recent feature length special ‘The Promised Land’, which originally aired on Dave.
Red Dwarf hasn’t been on the BBC since 2007, and the revived series has never been shown on the BBC before. In addition to Red Dwarf, the BBC is adding several other classic comedy boxsets to iPlayer including Kathy Burke’s vicious odd couple sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme and Spencer Jones’ Mister Winner.
Dan McGolpin, Director of BBC iPlayer and Channels says: “The strangest gang in space are back on the BBC – with classic episodes of Red Dwarf right from the very beginning touching down soon. Whatever makes you chuckle, there is a series waiting for you on BBC iPlayer.”
Blowing His Own Horne Again
The creator of BAFTA and National Comedy Award Winning Taskmaster, Alex Horne and his band The Horne Section are set to tune up their instruments for a second time as Channel 4 announces the return of the six-part musical sitcom, following the critically acclaimed debut series last year.
Inside on Outsiders
Alan Davies, Roisin Conaty, Guz Khan, Judi Love, Chris McCausland and Laura Smyth have all been confirmed to take part in the outdoor survival challenge series David Mitchell’s Outsiders, airing on Dave and UKTV Play later this year.
Teaming up in pairs, they join David Mitchell as he challenges them to demonstrate if they will survive, thrive or epically fail, as they fend for themselves in the wild for a week to prove they have the skills to scratch together a new society in the wild.
Comedy news 26.06.2023
Touring Toolshed for BBC Two and iPlayer
Sir David Jason and Jay Blades MBE are hitting the road in their Touring Toolshed to help members of the public, professional makers, and enthusiasts take their crafts to the next level in this new
In the programme, the 83 year old knight and Jay park up their toolshed at the UK’s air shows, steam rallies, county fairs and vintage festivals, to meet some of the UK’s most talented crafters, makers and tinkerers – as well as people who could use a little help!
Sir David Jason comments: “It’s great to be back on the nation’s TV screens doing something totally different. I’ve played a lot of roles in my time but, to be myself, show off my creative passion and help the wonderful people we meet along the way resolve their mechanical masterpiece issues is very rewarding. I’ve really enjoyed being on the road with Jay where we have built up a great friendship and had a lot of fun which I hope the viewers will enjoy watching when it airs”.
The 15 episode series is scheduled for 2024.
Sorry, I Didn’t Know returns to ITV
Sorry I Didn’t Know, the RTS award-nominated, all-star comedy panel show, and first ever quiz show centred around Black history, returns for a fourth series to UK broadcaster, ITV.
The new series hosted by TriForce co-founder Jimmy Akingbola will once again see Chizzy Akudolu and Eddie Kadi return as team captains, overseeing an all-star list of guests.
Hit US guessing game, Password is to make its debut in the UK with a brand-new series for ITV and ITVX.
Produced by Talkback (a Fremantle label), Password stars one of the UK’s biggest comics Alan Carr and award-winning actor and writer Daisy May Cooper as resident Team Captains, with the multi-talented Stephen Mangan running the show as host. Password is a hilarious word association game where Alan and Daisy each pair up with contestants and give one-word clues to help their teammate guess a mystery “password”. There’ll be hilarious clues, guesses and lots more laughs as Daisy and Alan try & help plucky contestants win a cash prize.
Stephen Mangan, says: “Password is a fantastic game show so it’s an absolute pleasure to be the host. Although how I’m going to keep Daisy and Alan in line I don’t know!”
The Wheel goes flat in US
NBC has cancelled its US remake of Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel after one season.
The series was created by and hosted by comedian Michael McIntyre, who hosted the BBC version. In the format 6 celebrity guests including Christina Ricci, Amber Ruffin, Margaret Cho, Deepak Chopra and Tony Hawk, spin, advise, and support contestants battling it out for a chance to win over $100k.
Cathy Comes Home
Cathy is set to come home as Doon Mackichan is confirmed to reprise her role in BBC Studios Comedy Productions’ multi-award-winning sitcom Two Doors Down. The much-loved show is now filming its seventh series which will also see the programme’s move to BBC One. The six-episode run is set to transmit later this year.
Doon Mackichan said: “I have missed the Two Doors Down family very much so it’s a genuine delight to see Cathy bring her unique brand of community spirit back to Latimer Crescent. Beth – get a bottle open.”
Two Doors Down has steadily built a fan base that has consistently grown with each series. The most recent Christmas special attracted its highest audience to date with 2.8million viewing the special across 30 days on all screens. This marked the show’s highest audience since its launch in 2013.
American Auto Cancelled
NBC has finally decided to cancel American Auto after season 2. It was the last scripted show on NBC’s 2022-23 schedule who’s future was undecided.
Lenny Rush joins Doctor Who
Having just won a Bafta at the age of fourteen, Lenny Rush’s stardom is once again about to go out of this world as he takes on the role of Morris in the new series of Doctor Who, starring alongside Ncuti Gatwa.
Big Boys, created, and written by Jack Rooke, is nominated in the Sky Arts Awards Comedy category alongside the third and final series of Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls, both for Channel 4. Jordan Gray’s ground-breaking stage-show Is It A Bird? is also nominated, following a sell-out success at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe.
Ruby Speaking
Starring Jayde Adams
Newly-single Ruby (Jayde Adams) is a fun and irreverent member of the customer service team at the Bristol call centre of Hellocom. The life and soul of her workplace, Ruby struggles to read from the prepared script that work and life have foisted upon her, choosing instead to walk her own chaotic path.
Ruby Speaking follows Ruby and her ragtag bunch of colleagues at the Hellocom call centre as they live, love, laugh and enter a choir competition they have no business being in. 
Alongside Jayde Adams in the title role, the cast also features Katherine Kelly as Vicki, Sam Swainsbury as Mark, Joe Sims as Tom, Jamal Franklin as Cameron, Nicky Goldie as Donna, Amy-Leigh Hickman as Ellie, Dan Hiscox as Craig and Kiera Lester as Melons.
Episode 1 Thursday 22nd on ITVX
Plus The Change, Wednesday 21st June at 10pm and 10.35pm on Channel 4 (See Details)
Everything’s coming up Rosie’s
UKTV announces the return of Rosie Jones’s Disability Comedy Extravaganza as a UKTV Play exclusive. The hilarious, live comedy showcase is produced by Phil McIntyre Television and will air on UKTV Play in August 2023.
Rosie, will welcome a plethora of up-and-coming comedic talent, alongside some familiar faces to a live audience of producers and commissioners from across the industry, delivering on UKTV’s continuing commitment to provide a platform for diverse and underrepresented talent.
Snippets
ITV2 wrestling sitcom Deep Heat will not be getting a second series, creators Max & Ivan have revealed.
Dave has cancelled Josh Widdicombe and James Acaster’s show Hypothetical after four series.
Emmy-winning and Tony and Golden Globe-nominated Amy Schumer’s newest stand-up special Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact premieres globally today, June 13th.
Comedian Suzi Ruffellto host Broadcast Digital Awards 2023
Snippet: DAVID Tennant and Michael Sheen are calling time on BBC One comedy Staged after three series.
The Horror of Dolores Roach, based on the hit Spotify podcast series of the same name, is a contemporary Sweeney Todd-inspired urban legend of love, betrayal, weed, cannibalism, and survival of the fittest. Dolores Roach (Justina Machado) is released after an unjust 16-year prison sentence, and she returns to a gentrified Washington Heights. Dolores reunites with an old stoner friend, Luis (Alejandro Hernandez), who lets her live and work as a masseuse in the basement under his empanada shop. When the promise of her newfound stability is quickly threatened, “Magic Hands” Dolores is driven to shocking extremes to survive.
Plenty of laughs on Celebrity Masterchef 2023
20 celebrities have been announced for for Masterchef 2023 starting soon. They include star of The Inbetweeners, actor James Buckley, comedian Shazia Merza, comedian and broadcaster Terry Christian and comedian Marcus Brigstock.
Sarah Clay, Commissioning Editor for the BBC, says: “It’s 2023 and Celebrity MasterChef is back with new challenges, new faces but the familiar humour and expertise of our esteemed judges, John and Gregg. The series go from strength to strength and this one doesn’t disappoint.”
Motherland not for ABC
Keeping It Together a US remake of Motherland, BBC’s highly rated sitcom, has been cancelled by ABC after production of the pilot episode.
The show, which was given a pilot order in March, starred Ellie Kemper as Julia, a working mom for whom nothing is working so she goes looking for her village. With the help of new friends Calvin, played by Karan Soni, and Liz, played by Michaela Conlin,
Grammer’s Co-Lead Is Not Really A 42 Carat Plonker
Explaining to The Times why he had chosen Nicholas Lyndhurst to co-star in his Frasier reboot, Kelsey Grammer said “Nick and I fell in love when we were doing Man of La Mancha together [at the London Coliseum in 2019]. I warned them in America. I said, ‘Wait until this guy gets here. You’ll be doing a scene with him and suddenly you realise he’s just run off with it.’ He’s an extraordinary actor, a dear friend. And I am so pleased he’s part of it.”
Lyndhurst will be forever remembered as Rodney, younger brother of Del Boy Trotter, in the UK’s best loved sitcom, Only Fools and Horses, which ran for more than 20 years. He also starred in Goodnight Sweetheart and New Tricks
Grammer told The Times of his decision to return to the psychiatrist’s chair: “He’s (Frasier) lived a kind of a parallel life with me. Now we’ve found our way back to one another. This character, who is obviously fictional, has a life outside of mine that is just as believable and palpable as the one I’ve actually lived —and I’m good at playing him. We were funny together.”
Premiering globally on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, the 10-episode second season of “The Afterparty” will introduce a new mystery, new characters and new episodes told through popular film genres.
Mrs Goldberg Goes To Hospital
NBC has given a series order to St. Denis Medical, a single-camera workplace comedy starring Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs) and David Alan Grier.
The show is a mockumentary centering on an underfunded and understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their utmost to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity.
The studio has cancelled Young Rock after three seasons along with Grand Crew, a decision has yet to be made on the continuation of American Auto.
Trailer for Season 2 of Good Omens
Ahead of the July 28 premiere date, today, Prime Video released the official trailer for the ineffable second season
A mystery that takes us from before The Beginning, to biblical times, grave robbing in Victorian Edinburgh, the Blitz of 1940s England, all the way through to modern day, Good Omens 2 stars Michael Sheen and David Tennant as angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley.
Lee Mack’s multi-award-winning hit show, and longest running sitcom on air, returns for a new series on BBC One this month.
We return to the suburban chaos of Lee (Lee Mack) and Lucy (Sally Bretton) as they’re asked to cover for uptight ice-queen Anna (Abigail Cruttenden) as she allegedly attends ‘secret’ Italian lessons. Lee is immediately convinced Anna is up to no good and, having to lie to his best friend Toby (Hugh Dennis), is not-so-slowly spiralling into an anxious mess.
Television Comedy News: Simultaneously bringing their A-Game and bracing themselves for the most bizarre show on television are; comedian, performer, and author Julian Clary (Friday Night Live, Channel 4), comedy actor, writer and stand-up Lucy Beaumont (Meet The Richardsons, Dave), multi-award winning stand-up Sam Campbell (Bloods, Sky), presenter, writer and comedian Sue Perkins (Perfectly Legal, Netflix), and actor, writer and director Susan Wokoma (Cheaters, BBC One). All five are vying to win points, prizes, and eternal glory in hope of winning the coveted golden trophy along with bragging rights as the Taskmaster Series 16 Champion.
Some of the Cheers gang meet up again
Three decades after “Cheers” came to an end in 1993, the cast, creators and writers got back together yesterday, at the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas. The get together was hosted by Variety‘s Michael Schneider and included co-creators James Burrows, Les Charles and Glen Charles and actors Ted Danson (Sam, Malone), George Wendt (Norm Peterson) and John Ratzenberger (Cliff Clavin).
Danson admitted it was his decision to end the show. “My life was a hot mess. I think I needed time to get my life together,” he said. “If I had kept going, I wouldn’t have met my wife Mary Steenburgen.”
“Cheers” began in 1982 and aired on NBC for 11 seasons. It generated one spinoff, “Frasier,” following psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), who was a regular in the bar.
Big Boys Filming Series 2
Dylan Llewellyn, Jon Pointing, Camille Coduri, Katy Wix, Izuka Hoyle, Olisa Odele, Harriet Webb and Annette Badland will all return for series 2 of the multi award-winning and four times BAFTA nominated comedy from Roughcut TV which is currently filming.
Series Two takes the whole gang straight into the second year of Brent University 2014, where alongside dealing with virginity hang-ups, drug experimentation (both legal and otherwise) and Jack’s obsession with Alison Hammond, this time round their degrees actually count!
Meanwhile Jack’s family continue to navigate their lives after his Dad’s passing, beginning just as much of a new chapter as the gang at university. And Danny gets to revisit his past as he learns how to better deal with his mental health issues.
Entries now open for BBC New Comedy Awards 2023
The search is underway to find the best new stand-up comedians in the UK. Entries open at 10am today (Tuesday 30th of May) for the BBC New Comedy Awards – details can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/newcomedyawards. Those selected from the entry process will then compete in six regional heats to be televised on BBC Three and iPlayer this autumn, followed by the Grand Final which will be screened on BBC One and iPlayer.
The prestigious New Comedy Awards, first established in 1995, have helped to launch and build the careers of some of Britain’s most loved comedians including Peter Kay, Lee Mack, Nina Conti, Russell Howard, Sindhu Vee, Alan Carr, Sarah Millican, Romesh Ranganathan, Josie Long and Joe Lycett to name just a few.
Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, says: “BBC Comedy is devoted to discovering and nurturing new comedy talent across the UK and the BBC New Comedy Awards is a tried and tested route for us to unearth the stand-up stars of the future. We can’t wait to see what new British Comedy talent we discover this year.”
Phil McIntyre Television says: “Phil McIntyre Television is delighted to once again be producing the New Comedy Awards for BBC. We remain dedicated to taking the televised regional heats to often under-represented parts of the country and showcasing exciting new talent emerging from all corners of the UK.”
Dan Tiernan, winner of the 2022 BBC New Comedian Award, says: “A year ago I applied for the BBC New Comedy Award and ended up winning the whole thing. It’s completely changed my life, so many doors have opened up and I’ve already had some absolutely incredible opportunities of the back of it. If you’re considering applying but are not sure, honestly do it. You never know it could be you this year!”
BBC New Stand-Up Comedian Award
‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Cast Additions For Season 3
Joining the comedy in its third season on HBO are Steve Zahn, Stephen Dorff, Shea Wigham, Kristen Johnston, Lukas Haas, Robert Oberst, Stephen Schneider, Iliza Shlesinger, Sturgill Simpson and Casey Wilson.
The Righteous Gemstones tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work. When the spoiled Gemstone children finally get their wish to take control of the Church, they discover leadership is harder than they imagined and that their extravagant lifestyle comes with a heavy price.
Television Comedy News 29.05.2023
Created, written, and executive produced by Danny McBride, The Righteous Gemstones premieres with two new episodes on Sunday, June 18 at 10 p.m. ET. The third season will be nine episodes.
Official trailer for
And Just Like That…
The official trailer for the second series of And Just Like That. The eleven-episode series from executive producer Michael Patrick King, alongside stars and executive producers Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, will debut with two episodes on Thursday 22 June. Following launch, episodes will air weekly on Thursdays exclusively on Sky Comedy and streaming service NOW.
Oliver Savell is Pure Gold
Changing Ends, is brilliant: a charming coming-of-age story based on the pre-pubescent years of comedian Alan Carr
Daisy Haggard (Ally), seen here with Martin Freeman (Paul), posted on Instagram that filming had wrapped and that she’d had a great time at the afterparty.
Series four was commissioned by Jon Mountague, Director of Comedy, Sky Studios and Tilusha Ghelani, Commissioning Editor, Sky Studios, for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content, Sky UK and Nick Grad, President of Original Programming at FX Entertainment.
BBC Comedy Shorts
The BBC Comedy Short Film strand was created as a place for both new and established talent to develop and showcase exciting concepts that centre on originality and experimentation.
BBC Comedy joined forces with teams in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to capture the best ideas from across the UK.
The Shorts will be available on BBC iPlayer on Friday 26 May and will be shown on BBC Three in the coming months.
Television Comedy News 27.05.2023
Man Like Mobeen hitting screens this June
The whole series will be released as a boxset on BBC iPlayer on Thursday 8 June, and will also launch that evening on BBC Three at 10pm,
We first met reformed drug-dealer Mobeen as he was trying to turn his life around living as a good Muslim, looking after his little sister, and trying to escape his troubled past.
"Good Omens" Season Two Debuts July 28
Season Two of Good Omens explores storylines that go beyond the original source material to illuminate the uncanny friendship between Aziraphale(Michael Sheen), a fussy angel and rare book dealer, and the fast-living demon Crowley (David Tennant). Having been on Earth since The Beginning, and with the Apocalypse thwarted, Aziraphale and Crowley are getting back to easy living amongst mortals in London’s Soho when an unexpected messenger presents a surprising mystery.
10 New and Returning Comedies for BBC
BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie unveiled 10 new and returning shows reinforcing the BBC’s commitment to producing original comedy content across the UK.
“The BBC remains the biggest single investor in original comedy content in the UK. We’re so proud of the depth and range of our offerings which champion British creativity and I’m delighted to announce five brand new shows and five much-loved returning series.”— Jon Petrie
“Survival of the Thickest”
Survival of the Thickest centers on Mavis Beaumont (Michelle Buteau). Black, plus-size and newly single (not by her choice!), Mavis unexpectedly finds herself having to rebuild her life as a struggling stylist. She’s determined to not only survive but thrive with the support of her chosen family, a body positive attitude, and a cute v-neck with some lip gloss. The scripted comedy is based on Buteau’s acclaimed book of essays.
Premieres on Netflix, July 13.
Arthur’s Whisky: a coming-of-age story with a twist starring Diane Keaton, Patricia Hodge and Lulu
Arthur’s Whisky is according to Sky, a charming, feel-good comedy about living in the moment. When Joan’s (Hodge) husband dies, she discovers he had invented an anti-aging elixir that literally takes the years off. Sharing it with her two friends Linda (Keaton) and Susan (Lulu), the three rejuvenated women waste no time in painting the town red, but they soon realise it’s a very different world to the one they remember.
Coming to Sky Cinema later this year.
I Literally Just Told You, Channel 4’s Jimmy Carr fronted primetime comedy gameshow will return for a third series.
The show, which was created by Richard Bacon and produced by Expectation, has seen audiences grow with each series on both linear viewing and VOD. The celebrity spin-off that aired at Christmas attracted 1.2m viewers and tripled the share of 16-34 year old viewers compared with the slot average.
In each episode four contestants have the opportunity to compete for a cash prize of up to £25,000 by answering questions that have been written live as the show is being filmed. The questions can be about absolutely anything that happens during the show, from a celebrity cameo to an off the cuff joke or even something one of the contestants has shared about themselves.
Voice Cast for Channel 4’s MOG
Claire Foy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Adjoa Andoh, Miriam Margolyes, Maggie Steed, Zawe Ashton and Charlie Higson provide the voices for Channel 4’s and Universal Pictures Content Group’s special animated adaptation of Judith Kerr’s much-loved classic children’s book Mog’s Christmas from the producers of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and The Snowman and The Snowdog.
In Mog’s Christmas Mr and Mrs Thomas and their children Debbie and Nicky are busy making preparations for Christmas.
Part of C4’s Christmas Schedule
Sir Lenny to meet other Legends of Comedy
In Legends of Comedy with Lenny Henry, the award-winning comedian, actor and writer meets four of the country’s most iconic comedians to explore just how to make comedy gold. Each episode sees Lenny carve up the career and work of his funny guest, taking a deep dive to discover how they – and other comedy icons – made their mark.
With a mix of in-depth, illuminating chats, archive clips and loads of laughs, the series is an entertaining ride into the true genius of comedy.
The stars featured in Legends of Comedy with Lenny Henry are Paul Whitehouse, Sally Phillips, Romesh Ranganathan and Alexei Sayle.
Sir Lenny Henry said: “It was great fun spending time with my friends and hearing about what makes them laugh and what they take inspiration from. I hope the audience enjoys it as much as I did.”
Paramount Global launches its new Paramount+ With Showtime service in the US on June 27. It will be the company’s top-tier streaming service sans commercials.
In a statement, Tom Ryan, president and CEO of Paramount Streaming said, “This summer, Paramount+ will officially become the streaming home for Showtime, further advancing our lead in being the total household service. By integrating the Showtime premium and critically acclaimed portfolio with the service’s already broad and popular slate, all at a competitive price, we will solidify Paramount+ as a cornerstone in streaming.”
A dark comedic thriller, BASED ON A TRUE STORY is about a realtor, a former tennis star and a plumber who seize a unique opportunity to capitalize on America’s obsession with true crime.
Starring Emmy Award nominee Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant, BBT) stars as ‘Ava Bartlett,’ alongside Chris Messina (Air) as ‘Nathan’ and Tom Bateman (Thirteen Lives) as ‘Matt’, premieres on Peacock June 8th.
George Logan, who played Dr Evadne Hinge in the drag duo, Hinge and Bracket, has died at the age of 78. He starred in the comedy and musical act, with Patrick Fyffe who died in 2002 aged 60. They were well known in the 70s and 80s for their TV and radio shows on the BBC.
New comedy Such Brave Girls
Filming is underway on Kat Sadler’s new BBC Three comedy Such Brave Girls, produced by Various Artists Ltd in association with A24.
Such Brave Girls explores life and love in all its ugly chaos. Join Josie (Kat Sadler), Billie (played by her real life sister, Lizzie Davidson) and their mum, Deb (Louise Brealey) as they attempt to claw their way towards a better life. Armed only with an ability to see the line and boldly step over it, these very brave girls finally have a chance to explore themselves – but should they?
Kat Sadler says “Ultimately the show is a family sitcom about trauma, but it’s more about us being narcissistic losers who are pathetically obsessed with what people think about us.”
Sky Hemorrhaging Bloods
It would appear that Sky has cut Bloods even though production had begun on the third series. The paramedic sitcom was launched to mixed reviews (see avingagiraffe’s here)
It wasn’t the worst comedy to hit our screens over the past two years. A second series was commissioned. As the competition amongst streamers and channels hots up, the bosses are being far quicker with the scalpel. Disney+ are slashing several of their latest offerings after just one series.
Television Comedy news 21.05.2023
In The Change, created and written by, Bridget Christie she plays Linda who decides to claw back some of the time she’s spent doing ‘invisible work’ over the years (not all 3.5 million minutes, just 131,500 of them) to do something for herself… for a change. 
Dusting off her old Triumph motorbike, she heads to the Forest of Dean in an attempt to reconnect with the person that she used to be – potentially by way of finding the time capsule that she hid up a tree when she was 10. She decides to not be entirely truthful about who she is, however, as soon as she arrives in the forest, with its community of eccentrics, artists, eel fisherwomen, musicians, misfits and the odd bigot, Linda stumbles upon an altogether broader sense of purpose.
With her beloved forest endangered by a new development, and surprising new friendships blossoming within the town, Linda finds herself unexpectedly welcomed into this world. But will the white lies she’s told come back to haunt her?
As well as Christie in the lead role as Linda, the cast includes Omid Djalili as her husband Steve, Monica Dolan (W1A) as Carmel, James Howick (Ghosts) as Verderer, Tanya Moodie (Motherland) as Joy, Jerome Flynn (Ripper Street) as Pig Man and Liza Tarbuck (Upstart Crow) plays Siobhain, Linda’s older sister.
Staged series 3 is coming to the BBC
A third series of show Staged is coming soon to BBC One and BBC iPlayer.David Tennant and Michael Sheen are once again joined by Georgia Tennant and Anna Lundberg for an exciting third series.
After a fallout with Michael and David, the director Simon tries his very best to get them to work on a project with him again, however this proves to be a difficult task. Watch the pair navigate life after lockdown in a hilarious third season.
Having started life during the pandemic, Staged was named Best Comedy at New York Festivals TV & Film Awards in 2022 and was also named Best Comedy at the Broadcasting Press Guild awards in 2021.
Created by Simon Evans and Phin Glynn, Staged (6 x 22) is written and directed by Simon Evans and is an Infinity Hill and GCB Films production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Produced by Phin Glynn, Victor Glynn and Georgia Tennant, the executive producer are David Tennant and Michael Sheen.
Deli Boys pilot goes to series
Onyx Collective has taken Deli Boys comedy pilot to series. Starring Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, Alfie Fuller, Poorna Jagannathan and new series regular Brian George, Deli Boys, from 20th Television, will stream exclusively on Disney+ in the UK and Hulu in the US.
High Desert Premieres May 17th AppleTV+
“High Desert” follows Peggy (Patricia Arquette), an on-again-off-again addict who decides to make a new start after the death of her beloved mother, with whom she lived in the small desert town of Yucca Valley, California, and makes a life-changing decision to become a private investigator.
Catherine Tate to Reprise Donna Noble
An enthralling look of what’s to come with David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor, alongside Catherine Tate who has reprised her role as Donna Noble, with further teasers of other epic moments which include leading stars Neil Patrick Harris and Yasmin Finney who step into the world of Doctor Who for the 60th anniversary special episodes.
A new comedy, Extended Family, is coming to NBC and Peacock this autumn.
Starring Jon Cryer, Extended Family is a new multi-cam comedy centered around the shifting family dynamics following a good-natured divorce — and the surprisingly hilarious moments that come with co-parenting. The gags on Extended Family will be messy, endearing, and packed with hilarity, and you won’t want to miss them!
The official synopsis for Extended Family teases: “After an amicable divorce, Jim and Julia decide to continue to raise their kids at the family home while taking turns on who gets to stay with them. Navigating the waters of divorce and child-sharing gets more complicated for Jim when Trey, the owner of his favorite sports team, enters the picture and wins Julia’s heart.”
An official premiere date for Extended Family has yet to be announced, but it will air some time in late 2023. Check back here for updates. Extended Family will air Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC and can be streamed the following day on Peacock.
More Murder They Hope
Gold is bringing back cherished characters Gemma (Sian Gibson) and Terry (Johnny Vegas) for a feature-length Christmas special (1×90″) BLOOD ACTUALLY: A ‘MURDER, THEY HOPE’ MYSTERY later this year. The pair will be spending their first Christmas together as a married couple and are once again thrown into the middle of a murderous catastrophe. The new special is co-produced by Tiger Aspect with Schnoobert Productions and is part of a double commission deal which will see a second stand-alone Murder, They Hope special (1×90″) return in 2024.
BLOOD ACTUALLY: A ‘MURDER, THEY HOPE’ MYSTERY will air on Gold later this year. The second stand alone special will air in 2024. This is the latest commission from UKTV’s comedy channel Gold following recently announced Alison and Larry: Billericay to Barry, airing later this year.
Johnny Vegas says
I’m over the moon to be back again with the crew for these Murder, They Hope specials. To be working with Sian is brilliant and each instalment just keeps getting better. There’s so much for the viewers to look forward to in this one and I’m excited to get cracking
Sian Gibson added
So excited to be back with my old mate Johnny Vegas and a hilariously fabulous cast for another instalment of Murder, They Hope. There’s going to be more laughs, dramas and more horrific killing sprees, fun for all the family. Can’t wait to get started.
The Christmas special will see the Draper-Bremmers joined by several new famous faces including, Jane Horrocks (Absolutely Fabulous), Robert Webb (Peep Show), Rose Ayling-Ellis (Eastenders), Samuel Anderson (Trollied) and Clive Russell (Game of Thrones) as they investigate festive-fuelled murders that occur on their Christmas getaway. With further names to be announced soon…
Murder, They Hope favourites Lee Mack (Not Going Out), Sherrie Hewson (Coronation Street, Benidorm) and Sarah Hadland (Miranda) are also returning to join in the fun.
Over the course of various Santa parades, present giving events and competitive Christmas challenges things start to take a very dark turn. Gemma (Sian Gibson) tries her best to salvage their Christmas as the bodies start piling up, but can Terry (Johnny Vegas) finish preparing the Christmas dinner of his dreams and solve the murders in time?
The two new specials, which will air in 2023 and 2024 respectively, return to the original feature-length format of the Jason Cook penned originals which included standout hits Murder on the Blackpool Express, Death on the Tyne and Dial M for Middlesbrough before the show’s spin off Murder, They Hope enjoyed two series on Gold.
Jason Cook says
I am thrilled to be bringing back Gemma and Terry for Gold and even more excited that we are starting with the holy grail of television: The Christmas Special. It’s also hugely exciting that television titans Tiger Aspect are co-producing the show with my new production company Schnoobert Productions. We have crammed as much Christmas into this as possible so I hope it proves to be a (blood soaked) Christmas present that all the family will enjoy watching!
Tom Bennett and Sam Swainsbury join returning cast members, RTS Award nominated Leah Brotherhead, Sinead Matthews, BAFTA Award nominated Taj Atwal, Perry Fitzpatrick, Yanick Ghanty, Natalie Davies, Felicity Montagu and Shobna Gulati for the laugh-out- loud, chaotic comedy that embodies the ups and downs of life, friendship, and family.
Comedy news 28.04.2023
The second series, which has wrapped, sees Toni (Leah Brotherhead) and Craig’s (Perry Fitzpatrick) family growing with baby no. 2 on the way, despite Toni’s denial. Paula (Sinead Matthews) and Dane (Yanick Ghanty) are coming to terms with Ashley (Natalie Davies) growing up and moving out, and Rana (Taj Atwal) has her eyes opened by her mum, Nima (Shobna Gulati), revealing the secret to hitting your absolute peak during your menopause years.
Tom Bennett will play John Fox, the new love interest for Craig’s mum Gloria (Felicity Montagu). The pair could not be more perfectly suited despite the 15-year age gap but how will Craig deal with this new father figure in his life? Sam Swainsbury takes on the role of Pickles, Rana’s new police partner. The pair are chalk and cheese in a standard issue police car, but will these two opposites eventually attract?
In order to reduce operating costs Disney+ is removing some of the little-watched titles that are too costly to maintain due to residuals, royalties, music licensing fees and other costs.
Removing content from the service goes hand in glove with making less new content, or, as CEO, Bob Iger, put it, the company was “getting much more surgical about what we make.” He added that the company had spent a lot of time and financial resources producing and marketing content that didn’t “move the needle” in terms of subscribers.
The streamer recently cancelled Willow and National Treasure after one season.
CFO Christine McCarthy said, “We are in the process of reviewing the content on our DTC (direct-to-consumer)services to align with the strategic changes in our approach to content curation.” Adding, “going forward, we intend to produce lower volumes of content in alignment with this strategic shift.”
Big Shot [Disney+]Turner & Hooch [Disney+]The Mysterious Benedict Society [Disney+]The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers [Disney+]Willow [Disney+]The Making Of Willow [Disney+]Diary of a Future President [Disney+]Just Beyond [Disney+]The World According to Jeff Goldblum [Disney+]Marvel’s Project Hero [Disney]Marvel’s MPower [Disney+]Marvel’s Voices Rising: The Music of Wakanda Forever [Disney+]Rosaline [Disney+]Cheaper by the Dozen remake [Disney+]The One and Only Ivan [Disney+]Stargirl [Disney+]Encore! [Disney+]A Spark Story [Disney+]Black Beauty [Disney+]Clouds [Disney+]Weird but True! [Disney+]Timmy Failure [Disney+]Be Our Chef [Disney+]Magic Camp [Disney+]Howard [Disney+]Earth to Ned [Disney+]Foodtastic [Disney+]Stuntman [Disney+]Disney Fairy Tale Weddings [Disney+]Wolfgang [Disney+]It’s a Dog’s Life with Bill Farmer [Disney+]The Premise [Hulu]Love in the Time of Corona [Hulu]Everything’s Trash [Hulu]Best in Snow [Hulu]Best in Dough [Hulu]Maggie [Hulu]Dollface [Hulu]The Quest [Hulu]The Hot Zone [Nat Geo/Hulu]Y: The Last Man [FX/Hulu]Pistol [FX/Hulu]Little Demon [FX/Hulu]
Disney+ has announced that FX’s “The Bear,” the award-winning hit series is set to premiere its hotly anticipated second season on 19th July exclusively on Disney+. All 10 episodes will be available at premiere.
Season two follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they work to transform their grimy sandwich joint into a next-level spot. As they strip the restaurant down to its bones, the crew undertakes transformational journeys of their own, each forced to confront the past and reckon with who they want to be in the future.
Fans of hit BBC Three comedy series, ‘Man Like Mobeen’, can apply for free tickets to attend an exclusive, glitzy red-carpet preview event at The Bond in Digbeth, Birmingham on Tuesday 23 May.
The event will be held Tickets are available via the BBC Shows and Tours website applications close at 10am on 17th May
‘The Full Monty’: Disney+ Unveils Trailer
Disney+ has revealed first trailer for its Full Monty reboot, coming 25 years after the iconic movie.
The 90-second teaser features all the returning cast including Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy and Lesley Sharp, while showcasing newcomer Talitha Wing (Alex Rider), who will play Gaz’s teenage daughter, Destiny Schofield.
Calls for Kat Fall Silent
Fox has cancelled Call Me Kat after three seasons. The news came the day after the Mayim Bialik sitcom aired its last original episode, with an average audience of 2.3 million.
Fox issued a statement saying, ““We are very proud of Call Me Kat but, unfortunately, the audience response to it was not as strong as we had hoped.”
The show was based on the BBC, UK show, Miranda starring Miranda Hart who was an exec producer of Call Me Kat
Comedy ‘Poppa’s House’ Gets Series At CBS
Poppa’s House is a multi-camera comedy starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr.
Wayans plays legendary talk radio host and happily divorced Poppa, who has his point of view challenged at work when a new female co-host is hired, and at home where he finds himself still parenting his adult son, played by Wayans Jr., a brilliant dreamer who is trying to pursue his passion while being a responsible father and husband.
Somebody Call For A Taxi?
Forty years after the comedy, Taxi, ended its five-season run, several of the stars gathered for a reunion lunch. In a photo Danza shared on Twitter, the actor is seen having drinks with his former Sunshine Cab Company co-stars Carol Kane, Christopher Lloyd and Judd Hirsch.
Missing were Danny DeVito and Mary Lou Henna. Andy Kaufman who played Latka, the mechanic, died from lung cancer in 1984 a year after the show finished after over 100 episodes.
All five seasons of the show are currently streaming on Paramount Plus.
Comedy News 08.05.2023
The Outlaws Rides Again
The BBC and Prime Video announce a third series of Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws from Big Talk and Four Eyes.
Full story here
Emmy-winning actor Jharrel Jerome stars in the fantastical coming-of-age comedy, I’m A Virgo, from filmmaker Boots Riley
I’m A Virgo is a darkly comedic fantastical coming-of-age joyride about Cootie (Jerome), a 13-foot-tall young Black man in Oakland, California. Having grown up hidden away, passing time on a diet of comic books and TV shows, he escapes to experience the beauty and contradictions of the real world. He forms friendships, finds love, navigates awkward situations, and encounters his idol, the real-life superhero named The Hero, played by Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight, The Righteous Gemstones). I’m A Virgo is a mythical odyssey that questions the purpose of the mythical odyssey.
Premieres June 23rd Prime Video
Barry Humphries to be honoured
Barry Humphries will receive a state funeral in Australia, said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a visit to Britain, where Humphries enjoyed much success.
Albanese said a state funeral would recognise the comedian’s contribution to stage, screen and country.
Another course for Big Zu
UKTV’s BAFTA award-winning series Big Zuu’s Big Eats will be back and bigger than ever for a fourth series (8×40′) this Autumn on Dave and UKTV Play.
TV chef and presenter Big Zuu returns with friends Tubsey and Hyder as they fire up the food truck at Big Eats HQ. In a twist on the critically-acclaimed format, Zuu’s dinner guests will now come to the Big Eats house for the ultimate foodie experience.
BBC Silly Tuckers For Not Renewing
The Tuckers, the sitcom set in the Welsh valleys created by Steve Speirs, has been cancelled by the BBC after three excellent series.
Spiers has posted on Twitter: “For all those asking about the next series of TUCKERS…Sadly, Its not been recommissioned. To everyone who followed the lives of Peggy, Billy,Bobby, Nats, Shaks, Lush, Clock , Dawn and Melvyn… THANK YOU ( I’m sure Glyn and Murphy are still arguing down that bog as I type) xx”
The third series is available on iPlayer but hopefully the Beeb will make all three available.
Review: Black Ops
First commissioned and aired by UTV in late 2022, the series showcases the vibrant Northern Ireland comedy scene, with the best local talent and other stand-up artists from further afield, all of which brings giggles and belly laughs as they share their unique observations.
The four episodes capture highlights of a typical ‘comedy club’ night but also delve into the lives of the comedians behind the scenes. Each evening is hosted by a well-known face who joins the rest of the cast off stage to chat about what it’s like trying to survive the circuit!
In the first episode Belfast comedian Paddy McDonnell is our MC. He’s joined by local actress and comedian Diona Doherty, Kildare native Emman Idama, and Belfast’s Paddy Raff.
‘Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love’
NBC aired Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love from 8 to 10 p.m. ET/PT, averaging the highest broadcast audience of the night with 7.6M viewers, according to live+same-day Nielsen data.
The special featured appearances from a host of A-listers including Amy Poehler, Bob Mackie, Bob Odenkirk, Charlize Theron, Cher, Ellen DeGeneres, Julie Andrews, Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Lily Tomlin, Lisa Kudrow, and many more.
An extended version is currently available on Peacock.
ITVX commissions a brand new comedy - G’wed
According to ITVX G’wed is ‘an uplifting, heart-warming and hilarious portrayal of teenagers today and how they view the world. ‘
Set in Liverpool and filmed entirely on location, in and around the city, the series will feature an exciting cast of fresh, young local talent.
BAFTA Fellowship for Meera
Meera Syal CBE will be presented with a BAFTA Fellowship at the forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises. It is the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA upon an individual
BAFTA award winning actor and writer Gbemisola Ikumelo (Famalam, A League of Their Own), Hammed Animashaun (Black Mirror, The Wheel of Time) and BAFTA award winning actor and producer Akemnji Ndifornyen (Famalam, The Queen’s Gambit) star in the comedy thriller, Black Ops.
Coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Friday 5th May
Created by Gbemisola Ikumelo and Akemnji Ndifornyen, the six-part thriller is set in East London and tells the story of Dom and Kay, two Police Community Support Officers who join the Met Police in the hope of cleaning up their community. However, they quickly find themselves unwittingly thrust into the murky world of deep cover infiltration. For Dom and Kay their lives become more of a fiasco than Donnie Brasco.
Dom, played by Ikumelo, is feisty and takes no nonsense while Animashaun plays Kay her naïve, but surprisingly capable partner who lives with his church elder. The pair are soon thrust into a high stakes secret mission where they find themselves out of their depth facing one of the leaders of the Brightmarsh gang, Tevin, played by Ndifornyen.
The supporting cast includes Ariyon Bakare (His Dark Materials), Joanna Scanlan (After Love); Robbie Gee (Motherland), Jo Martin (Holby City), Felicity Montagu (This Time With Alan Partridge), Colin Hoult (After Life), Jaz Hutchins (Peacock), Rufus Jones (Home), Lucian Msamati (Gangs of London), Katherine Kelly (Innocent), Alex Macqueen (The Thick of It), Emma Sidi (Starstruck), Tyger Drew-Honey (Outnumbered), Alan Ford (Snatch), Kerry Howard (Him & Her) and Zoë Wanamaker (Shadow and Bone).
Writers Guild of America strikes.
News of the strike, which takes effect later this evening (May 2), came late Monday after the guild’s negotiations with the AMPTP failed to reach an agreement on a new film and scripted TV contract.
Writers say they’re fighting for their livelihoods against billion-dollar studios and streamers who have been squeezing writers whilst increasing profits.
ITV orders series 3 of
The 1% Club
Award winning, hit ITV game show The 1% Club, hosted by Bafta nominated Lee Mack and produced by Magnum Media, is to return for a bumper third series. Series three will see episodes, going from 8 to 16 and there will be two Christmas specials for this year and 2024.
Believer or Non-believer
Adam Brody will star alongside Kristen Bell in an as yet untitled comedy from creator Erin Foster and executive producer Steven Levitan. The series is centered on the unlikely relationship between an outspoken, agnostic woman (Bell) and an unconventional rabbi (Brody) who is stuck in his ways and used to playing things safe, according to Netflix. “He starts to stumble when he meets a brutally honest and proactive Joanne, totally upending his safe life plan.”
“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” Season 16 Premiers June 7
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia returns for season 16 on Wednesday, June 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FXX and streaming the next day on Hulu. The premiere will include the first two episodes, with a new episode each following week. Season 16 of Sunny will be available on Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories.
Norwegian Afterglow
The BBC has acquired Norwegian comedy drama Afterglow for BBC Four and BBC iPlayer.
The 7×45 series tells the story of Ester Sand (Nina Ellen Odegaard), the one person you think will live forever, who finds out she has cervical cancer on her 40th birthday. But after the initial shock, it’s Ester who comforts the people in her life and she has no intention of leaving the world just yet. Afterglow is a story of love and life and all of the glorious and silly things we do before we die.
Afterglow stars Nina Ellen Odegaard, Torbjorn Harr, Sara Khorami and Hermann Sabado.
Extraordinary 2 Wraps
The second series of Emma Moran’s Extraordinary has wrapped. See review of S1 here
This exceptionally original series stars (R-L) Máiréad Tyers, Sofia Oxenham, Bilal Hasna, Siobhán McSweeney, Luke Rollason and also Darcey Porter-Cassidy.
Watch out for Disney+ broadcast details.
Nicola Coughlan and Lydia West to star in Big Mood
Big Mood explores the nuances of female friendship when threatened by the complexities of serious mental illness.
A series of chaotic events put Maggie (Nicola Coughlan) and Eddie’s (Lydia West) decade-long friendship to the test. With the pair at a pivotal point in their lives, and Maggie’s bipolar disorder making an unwelcome return, Eddie begins to question whether this friendship is really in their best interests.
Joining the series’ ensemble is Niamh Cusack (The Virtues), Eamon Farren (The Witcher), Luke Fetherston (Flowers in the Attic: The Origin), Kate Fleetwood (Wheel of Time), Rob Gilbert (Big Boys), Rebecca Lowman (Prime Suspect), Sally Phillips (Veep), Ukweli Roach (Wolf) and Amalia Vitale (Willow).
Comedy News 27.04.2023
Roz Is Back
Peri Gilpin, who played Roz Doyle, Frasier Crane’s radio producer on the long-running NBC series, will make a guest appearance on the sequel, currently in production. She’s the second original Frasier cast member to sign for the new show, joining Bebe Neuwirth as Frasier’s ex-wife, Lilith.
The Full Monty, the eight-part follow-up to the BAFTA-winning movie. FX has released some of the first images from the series that will premiere in June (date TBA) and stream exclusively in the U.S. on Hulu.
Set 25 years after the film, the eight-episode series will follow the same band of brothers as they navigate the post-industrial city of Sheffield and society’s crumbling healthcare, education, and employment sectors. The comedy-drama will uncover what happened to the gang after they put their kit back on, exploring their brighter, sillier and more desperate moments. It will also highlight how the fiercely funny world of these working-class heroes – still residing in Sheffield – has changed in the intervening decades.
Lead cast reprising their roles include Robert Carlyle as “Gaz,” Mark Addy as “Dave,” Lesley Sharp as “Jean,” Hugo Speer as “Guy,” Paul Barber as “Horse,” Steve Huison as “Lomper,” Wim Snape as “Nathan” and Tom Wilkinson as “Gerald.”
The image (right) also introducesTalitha Wing (Wolfe, Alex Rider), as Gaz’s teenage daughter, “Destiny”
New cast members include Paul Clayton as Lomper’s husband, “Dennis.” Miles Jupp stars as recent divorcee and housing officer “Darren,” who looks up to the Monty men for advice on navigating adult life. Sophie Stanton plays “Hetty,” a colleague and friend of Jean, and Phillip Rhys Chaudhary joins as “Dilip,” Deputy Headteacher at the school.
First timers Dominic Sharkey and Natalie Davies appear as Destiny’s mates “Cal” and “Tabani”, alongside Arnold Oceng, a talented graffiti artist. Aiden Cook stars as wise-cracking twelve-year-old “Dean/‘Twiglet,’” while Tupele Dorgu portrays Destiny’s mother, “Yaz.”
UKTV today announced that its comedy channel Gold will dedicate the month of June to celebrating the much-loved comedy series Blackadder, as the iconic show celebrates its 40th anniversary on June 15th.
As part of the celebrations Gold has commissioned two brand new UKTV Originals, including Blackadder: The Lost Pilot (1x 80′), produced by Red Sauce, and Blackadder: A Cunning Story (1×120′) produced by Tiger Aspect (a Banijay UK company).
In Blackadder: The Lost Pilot Sir Tony Robinson goes on a quest to discover the truth behind the Blackadder origin story. Tony’s journey takes him back in time to find out where Blackadder really began, and to uncover the story of the never-before-broadcast Blackadder pilot episode.
It’s a personal story for Tony – Baldrick has defined his career and playing the character transformed his life. But Tony didn’t play Baldrick in the pilot. And there’s so much about Blackadder’s beginnings he doesn’t know.
Along the way he will speak to comedy greats including the series creator and writer Richard Curtis and co-writer Ben Elton. The climax of the programme will be a special screening of the never-before-broadcast pilot.
Tony Robinson said:
Blackadder holds a special place in the nation’s heart and in mine too. I’m delighted to be part of its 40th Birthday celebrations on Gold. It’s been wonderful to journey back to where it all began and chat to some of the biggest names in comedy who made it all happen.
The second UKTV Original documentary Blackadder: A Cunning Story will take a look back at the making of the entire Blackadder series to commemorate the 40th anniversary, featuring contributions from Blackadder’s biggest fans including Jack Whitehall, Darren Harriott, Sarah Hadland, Ardal O’Hanlon and Nina Wadia.
The Horror of Dolores Roach, based on the hit Spotify podcast series of the same name, is a contemporary Sweeney Todd-inspired urban legend of love, betrayal, weed, cannibalism, and survival of the fittest. Dolores Roach (Justina Machado) is released after an unjust 16-year prison sentence, and she returns to a gentrified Washington Heights. Dolores reunites with an old stoner friend, Luis (Alejandro Hernandez), who lets her live and work as a masseuse in the basement under his empanada shop. When the promise of her newfound stability is quickly threatened, “Magic Hands” Dolores is driven to shocking extremes to survive.
Premiering all eight episodes July 7 on Prime Video
Bookworm Seeking A Home
Bookworm, a new family adventure comedy from New Zealand director Ant Timpson is to star Elijah Wood alongside Nell Fisher and Michael Smiley.
Fisher will play Mildred, a 12-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down when her estranged, washed-up American magician father, Strawn Wise (Wood), comes to look after her. Hoping to bond with the tween, Strawn takes Mildred on an ill-advised camping trip into the rugged New Zealand wilderness in a quest to find the mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther, named after the region on New Zealand’s South Island.
No channel/streamer has yet picked up the production.
TAKE A PEEP, LADIES
Minnie Driver (Speechless) and Amandla Jahava (Rap Sh*t) have been cast as the leads in FX’s Peep Show, a half-hour comedy pilot inspired by the British show of the same name. In the UK original, the leads
were male and played by David Mitchell and Robert Webb.
The FX show will be written and produced by Stefani Robinson, who also serves as showrunner and Yana Gorskaya (What We Do in the Shadows) directs.
Frankie Boyle’s Farewell to the Monarchy airs in the build up to the coronation, providing a different perspective on the history of the royal family and its modern-day goings on, as the comedian asks whether the royal family has a place in today’s world. Or, as he puts it: “Increasingly, the British monarchy appear like animals in a zoo that’s fallen on hard times – fidgety, balding, pacing up and down their marble cage, pausing only to chew their own tail off or commit a sex crime out of boredom.” Channel 4 at 10PM on Sunday 30th
A coronation special of The Windsors sees Harry Enfield reprise his role as the soon-to-be-King Charles who is preparing for the UK’s first coronation in 70 years. But whilst the new King is keen for his coronation to be a grand affair, sadly, the UK is in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and Wills thinks the event should reflect these more straitened times. Is Charles willing to kick start his reign with a cut price coronation?
Apple TV+ today unveiled the trailer for “High Desert,” the new eight-episode dark comedy starring Patricia Arquette, the half-hour series will make its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first three episodes on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, followed by new episodes weekly, every Wednesday.
“High Desert” follows Peggy (Arquette), an on-again-off-again addict who decides to make a new start after the death of her beloved mother, with whom she lived in the small desert town of Yucca Valley, California, and makes a life-changing decision to become a private investigator.
Catastrophe for Netflix
All four seasons of Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s acclaimed sitcom Catastrophe come to Netflix UK on 26 April!
Catastrophe sees an American man & Irish woman make a bloody mess as they struggle to fall in love in London. Scorching chemistry, instant pregnancy & genuine disaster provide foundations for the flaming hovel of a relationship between the couple.
Rose Matafeo hosting Pointless for two weeks
Rose is a regular face on TV having featured on Have I Got News For You (BBC One), The Royal Variety Performance (ITV) W1A (BBC One), Unspun with Matt Forde (Dave), Jon Richardson’s Ultimate Worrier (Dave), 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4) 8 Out Of 10 Cats (E4), Hypothetical (Dave).
Her own highly acclaimed sitcom, Starstruck, which she wrote and starred in was a ratings success on both sides of the Atlantic
ITV demolishes The Family Pile
ITV will not be commissioning a second series of The Family Pile. The sitcom was poorly received by viewers and critics alike (see review) because quite simply, the script wasn’t funny enough to be described as a sitcom.
No blame can be attached to the cast who delivered the lines they were given with aplomb. Amanda Abbington held the family and the show together but it would seem even her talent couldn’t give this poor effort the kiss of life.
Comedy News 21.04.2023
FUBAR – Schwarzenegger’s Netflix Action-Comedy Series
“When a father (Schwarzenegger) and daughter (Monica Barbaro) learn that they’ve each secretly been working as CIA operatives for years, they realize their entire relationship has been a lie and they truly don’t know one another at all. Forced to team up as partners, the series tackles universal family dynamics set against a global backdrop of spies, action and humor.”
Schwarzenegger said, “Everywhere I go, people ask me when I’m going to do another big action comedy like True Lies. Well, here it is,”
Netflix begins streaming FUBAR on May 25.
ITVX Hits One Billion Streams
ITV’s streaming service ITVX has reached one billion streams, less than five months after it launched
Channel 4.0, Channel 4’s new digital-first brand for YouTube has surpassed 25 million views and attracted 104k subscribers, in just six months. To mark this milestone the Channel has also announced a brand new all-female line-up prank show, Tapped out.
Hullraisers 2 has wrapped
More news and air date when available
Penny and Lenny Together Again?
Rumour has it that Kaley Cuoco (Penny) and Johnny Galecki (Leonard) two of the Big Bang Theory stars could be getting together in as yet unnamed and yet to be written spin-off from creator Chuck Lorre.
Since BBT ended Cuoco has starred in, and produced, the two series of acclaimed The Flight Attendant so would the new mum, in real life, take on the show? In an interview with THR she said, “Uhhh, no! But if Chuck asked me I would highly consider it because I don’t say no to Chuck! … I think they’re going to be awesome parents. They waited so many years and they’re so fun and easygoing. Or Penny is really kind of easygoing! I think they’d be adorable parents. I can only imagine.”
More news as soon as we have it!
Inside No. 9 Season 8
27th of April at 10pm
BBCTwo and BBCiPlayer
Following the inaugural BBC Comedy Festival in Newcastle in May 2022, Cardiff has been named the new BBC City of Comedy and will play host to the Comedy Festival from Wednesday 24th – Friday 26th May.
The BBC Comedy Festival is an opportunity to gather the component parts of the comedy industry together and remind the outside world that British comedy is one of our greatest cultural triumphs.
Across three days there will be a series of talent-led talks, panels, screenings, a short film night, live comedy shows, BBC Sounds recordings and an exclusive screening and Q&A for BBC Three comedy Man Like Mobeen.
Some of the names confirmed to speak at the festival are Bisha K Ali, Jesse Armstrong, Tom Basden, Peter Baynham, Rob Brydon, Jamie Demetriou, Sharon Horgan, Guz Khan, Kayleigh Llewellyn, Nida Manzoor, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Diane Morgan, Mawaan Rizwan, Danielle Vitalis, Holly Walsh and Katy Wix.
There will also be a host of established comedy producers taking part in the sessions such as Kenton Allen (Big Talk), Ash Atalla (RoughcutTV), Phil Clarke (Various Artists Ltd) and Nerys Evans (Expectation).
The BBC Comedy Festival is a chance for producers, both established and new, and those taking their first steps in the TV industry, to come and reflect, celebrate, and explore comedy in the UK. On Thursday the sessions will be largely industry focused, and Friday will be more geared towards those wishing to break into the industry.
HBOMAX to become just
Warner Bros. Discovery yesterday introduced Max, its enhanced streaming service, which will launch in the U.S. on May 23. Max is the destination for HBO Originals, Warner Bros. films, Max Originals, the DC universe, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an expansive offering of kids content, and best-in-class programming across food, home, reality, lifestyle and documentaries from leading brands like HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, ID and more. Max will stand out amongst streamers by uniquely combining unrivaled breadth and superior quality with iconic franchises and strong product experience, all for great value.
Final Series Starts Friday 14th on Prime Video
ITVX Going Dry Again
Comedy News: ITV has today announced the commission of a second season of the critically acclaimed comedy-drama The Dry for ITVX.
Award-winning playwright and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Nancy Harris (Dates) and acclaimed director Paddy Breathnach (Viva, Rosie) will return to helm the second season, which will stream exclusively on ITVX next year. The first season was made available to view for free on the streamer last month. 06.04.2023
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Channel4 axes
The Holden Girls
Well What A Surprise!
Said No-one ever
Snippets
‘Amber Brown’ comedy series cancelled by Apple TV+ after one season. Amazon Studios is developing ‘Sharps’, a half-hour comedy around Tyler Flynn, one of the millions of Americans addicted to sports gambling.Deadline EXCLUSIVE: Zoë Kravitz (The Batman) has signed on to star in Biter, a new dark comedy based on the short story by Cat Person‘s Kristen Roupenian. Kravitz will also produce.
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Gareth Richards, comedian and radio host, has sadly died after being involved in a multiple car accident on the M25 Motorway near Heathrow Airport on March 27th. He was 41.
Deepest condolences to his wife and sons.
08.04.2023
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Bite Size Reviews
Read our mini, spoiler free, reviews HERE
Wellmania
Big Door Prize
Rain Dogs
Intelligence: Special Agent Special
Lost to the world of Comedy March 2023
Sean Lampkin, best known for his role as bar owner Nipsey on 1990s sitcom Martin. He also appeared in Bad Boys II, Life, and Big Momma’s House. Aged 54
Bobby Blake, Baretta and Our Gang star was one of the few remaining actors to have worked with Laurel and Hardy
Bill Tidy, the cartoonist who created The Fosdyke Saga and The Cloggies was also known for his quick artistry on shows including Countdown and Countryfile. Aged 89.
Paul O’Grady comedian, actor, TV and radio presenter who rose to fame as the acerbic drag queen Lily Savage in the 1980s and 90s. Most recently he presented his long-running TV show Paul O’Grady: For The Love of Dogs
Coslough Johnson, the Emmy-winning writer who worked with his late older brother, Arte Johnson, on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and other variety shows including Sonny and Cher,
Mark Russell, piano playing political satirist for six decades with his musical parodies and professorial tomfoolery that tweaked politicians and captured the silly side of politics. He was 90.
Norman Steinberg, who co-scripted Mel Brooks’ comedy classic Blazing Saddles with and won an Emmy for Flip Wilson’s 1970s variety show, has died. He was 83.
Dreamland Streaming This Week
Stream Dreamland on Sky Atlantic with NOW from Thursday 6 April.
Dreamland, written by Sharon Horgan and produced by Merman, is a comedy-drama about secrets, lies, loves and aspirations within a family of four sisters. Set in the sun-drenched British seaside town of Margate, it is a dark comedic exploration of multi-generational female relationships, and their (somewhat dysfunctional) family dynamics.
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Filming has finished on the fifth series of Ghosts which today has been confirmed as the last. The team behind the smash-hit show have decided that after five series it’s time to wave goodbye to the inhabitants of Button House and focus on new projects.
The Ghosts team announced on their social media today: “After five incredible years haunting the halls of Button House, we have decided that the time is right to let our beloved sitcom Ghosts rest in peace. We have just wrapped filming on our fifth and final series and we can’t wait to share it with you all later this year.
We could never have imagined the reception the show has enjoyed, or the fun we have had making it, and we would like to thank our amazing cast and crew as well as everyone at BBC Comedy, BBC1 and Monumental Television for their tireless support.
But most of all we’d like to thank everyone who watches. Mathew, Martha, Simon, Jim, Laurence and Ben x”
Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the BBC says: “We are officially in mourning for the end of this BBC Comedy Classic. We can’t thank the Ghosts team enough for five incredible series (not to mention some perfect Christmas Specials) and we can’t wait for BBC viewers to see the final series. We look forward to working with the team on new projects.”
Alison Carpenter, Creative Director at Monumental says: “We are so proud of Ghosts, and particularly the way that audiences have taken it to their hearts. We couldn’t be more grateful for the creativity, talent and hard work that every single cast and crew member has brought to it over the five series, starting with the brilliant creators and stars of the show. The Ghosts family is a very happy one, and we’ll miss it.”
Ghosts stars writers and creators Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond, with Lolly Adefope, Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
In the upcoming fifth series Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) begin exploring other means of making ends meet and contemplate a new chapter that could have a huge effect on the Ghosts’ (after) lives.
The fourth series launched in Autumn 2022, and has been nominated for a BAFTA for Best Scripted Comedy. It was the biggest comedy series of the year in terms of audiences across broadcast TV with 5.7M viewers tuning in for episode 1 (30 days data).
Baby It’s Cold Outside
An, as yet, untitled comedy to be shot in Canada’s Arctic for local broadcasters CBC and APTN. has been picked up by Netflix;
Written by Inuit screenwriter and producer Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Inuit filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, the mainly English language series will be filmed in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It will center on a young Inuk mother who wants to build a new future for herself in her small Arctic town, but comes up against everyone knowing her business.
“This series is full of stories that come straight from our hearts and our funny bones. We’ve drawn from our experiences as Inuit women living, laughing, crying and living together while Native. We are so excited to work with all our incredible partners at CBC, Netflix and APTN, and we can’t wait to start filming!” Aglok MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril said in a statement.
Filmed in front of a live studio audience in the week of transmission, The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show will see the always up-for-a-laugh, always startlingly honest husband and wife presenting duo joined by more celebrity couples to poke fun at life, relationships, annoyances, parenting and absolutely everything in between.
BBC One and iPlayer this May
Who Ya Gonna Call?
Patton Oswalt and James Acaster join the cast of Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel.Also joining the cast are Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Alyn Lind
Few details have been confirmed but it is believed the plan is to return to New York City and the iconic fire stationhouse made famous in the original 1984 Ghostbuster film. It is slated for release in December this year.
Season one of the series was filmed in Maui, Hawaii and season two was shot in Sicily. The shows creator, Mike White, and his crew are now heading to Thailand, confirming that season three will be set in the Asian Kingdom.
It is not yet known if Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya will be journeying to Thailand.
“The first season we highlighted money and then the second season is sex and I think the third season, it would be maybe a kind of satirical and funny look at death in Eastern religion and spirituality — it feels like it could be a rich tapestry to do another round at White Lotus,” said White.
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Paul O'Grady Dies
Paul O’Grady comedian, actor, TV and radio presenter who rose to fame as the acerbic drag queen Lily Savage
in the 1980s and 90s. Most recently he presented his long-running TV show Paul O’Grady: For The Love of Dogs.
Lorraine Kelly commented on O’Grady’s affectionate nature towards animals, “I always think dogs are the best judge of character and they ADORED him.”
Darkly comic new drama with Daisy May Cooper. A wild and punky tale of a mother’s love for her daughter, of deep-rooted and passionate friendships, and of brilliance thwarted by poverty and prejudice. From the brilliant Cash Carraway, Rain Dogs is the tale of a makeshift swaggerous family fed on defiance and chaos, and a deep but complicated love.
Watch Rain Dogs as a boxset on BBC iPlayer from Tuesday 4 April
Comedy News Snippet
Alan Carr’s new comedy series about his life growing up in Northampton during the 1980s, has wrapped, ITV has confirmed.
They’ve countered the Russians, they’ve foiled a plot to disrupt the NHS and they’ve prevented a nuclear disaster… But in this one-off special, the latest threat to our gang at the Government Communications Headquarters is personal. With the future of CySec at stake, the team have to go rogue to save their reputations and their jobs. Starring David Schwimmer (Jerry), Nick Mohammed (Joseph), Jane Stanness (Mary), Sylvestra Le Touzel (Christine), Gana Bayarsaikhan (Tuva) and joining the cast as Joanna Telfer-Fotheringham is Jennifer Saunders.
Intelligence: A Special Agent Special is on Sky Comedy from 8 April
The comedian and amateur astronomer, who co-hosted BBC2’s Stargazing Live with Brian Cox, will explore how the moon shapes who we are and the world in which we live.
“I love everything about space, but the moon in particular holds a special kind of magic,” said O’Briain. “I’ll be sharing everything you need to know about our closest celestial neighbour – as well as uncovering some real surprises along the way, including for me too.”
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Ludicrous Deal or No Deal Returns
Deal Or No Deal the show in which participants use ‘skill and judgement’ to open a box is unfortunately coming back. The mind numbingly dull programme returns with Stephen Mulhern replacing 74 year old Noel Edmonds who presented more than 3000 episodes of the show.
Over zealously described “as a chance of winning a life-changing cash prize, in a nail-biting game of nerves and intuition”, the format will undoubtedly benefit from Mulhern’s presenting skills – but it will need every ounce of his charisma to make this ludicrous show watchable.
Apple TV+ sets global premiere date for “Platonic”
New comedy series starring Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen
Eric Sykes – This Is Your Life
ITV has acquired a rarely seen episode of biographical documentary series This Is Your Life, celebrating the life and work of the iconic
writer, comedian, actor and director Eric Sykes, to celebrate the centenary of his birth next month.
The special episode which originally aired on Christmas Day, 1979, will stream on ITVX from 30th April, just a few days ahead of what would have been Eric Sykes’ 100 birthday on 4th May. The special will air on ITV3 on the same date.
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Another Satirical Show Axed By The BBC
Frankie Boyle’s thought provoking satirical show New World Order has been axed by the BBC.
Frankie has been critical of politics and, in particularly, the conduct of the current government, which it would appear is not appreciated by the BBC hierarchy. The cancellation follows the BBC axing The Mash Report a couple of years ago, leaving Have I Got News For You as the only show of it’s type still on the air. Perhaps Ian Hislop is a more formidable exponent.
Frankie tweeted: “Ah well, there’s to be no more New World Order on the BBC. Not surprising in the current climate, I suppose. Just very grateful to have had six series of working with the funniest people in the business.”
Plenty of Comedic Talent in Rivals Drama
Production has begun on “Rivals”, part of Cooper’s bestselling Rutshire Chronicles, the iconic literary series packed full of wit, romantic entanglements, sex and unforgettable characters. The story is set against the backdrop of the drama, excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England.
The series dives headfirst into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986.
Comedy News Snippets
HBO is developing the new comedy series Disengagement from writer and executive producer Robin Thede (A Black Lady Sketch Show).
Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson are joining Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr in the latter pair’s, as yet untitled, CBS family comedy.
Neil Patrick Harris will be returning to Hulu‘s How I Met Your Father for the series’ upcoming Season 2 midseason finale, which airs at the end of the month.
Three Join LoR Cast
Prime Video has announced that Ciarán Hinds, Rory Kinnear, and Tanya Moodie have joined the series’ cast in recurring roles for the forthcoming second season, currently in production in the UK.
Rory Kinnear can currently be seen in Taika Waititi’s series Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max).
Tanya Moodie who won the Royal Television Society’s Breakthrough Award for the role of “Meg” in the BAFTA Award-winning comedy Motherland (BBC).
The third acclaimed actor to join the cast is CIARÁN HINDS
A celebration of gags, wisecracks, one-liners and the art of joke telling, coming up with hilarious set-ups to different punchlines, or even using the texts on an audience member’s phone as a springboard for jokes.
British comedians Rhys James, Glenn Moore, Tom Allen, Milton Jones and Ed Gamble join the cast of this new US comedy show. It starts next Friday night on The CW, hosted by comedian Dulcé Sloan .
‘The Goldbergs’ Killing Off Jeff Garlin’s Character: “That Was A Long Time Coming” says Wendi McLendon-Covey
During an interview on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live Tuesday, he asked Wendi McLendon-Covey how she felt about Beverly being a widow following the removal of Jeff Garlin (Murray Goldberg), from the show.
Primo new comedy from Amazon Freevee
The coming-of-age comedy, inspired by Shea Serrano’s life growing up in San Antonio, follows Rafa Gonzales, a wide-eyed 16-year-old being raised by his clever mother, Drea, and his five overbearing uncles (Rollie, Mike, Ryan, Jay, and Mondo) as they live their lives on the southside of San Antonio. . Over the course of the series, the group—Rafa, his mom, uncles, friends, and crush—will all affect each other and help one another grow in ways they weren’t expecting, whether they like it or not.
All eight episodes of the first season will be available to stream exclusively on Amazon Freevee in the U.S., the UK, Germany, and Austria beginning on May 19.
Gemma Arterton: ‘In real life, I’m quite silly’
The actor and producer on the joy of clowning around in her new comedy Funny Woman, how female solidarity has changed her professional life, and her top choice for a karaoke belter
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Billy Connolly returns with more delightful tales interspersed with 50 years’ worth of hilarious stand-up and deeply touching personal recollections.
A New series of Billy Connelly Does… begins on Gold Thursday 30th March
In the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel., Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) “finds herself closer than ever to the success she’s dreamed of, only to discover that closer than ever is still so far away,” according to the official synopsis.
“It’s two steps forward, three steps back, and I’m tired of it,” Midge says of her stand-up comedy career.
TMMM returns on April 14 with a three-episode premiere; new episodes will air weekly until the final ever episode on May 26 .
Disney+ has cancelled the Willow series, a sequel to the 1988 Lucasfilm movie of the same title, which starred Warwick Davis, after just one season.
No viewing data is available for the 8 episode run, but it’s believed that Willow didn’t break into the top 10 rankings of streaming titles.
The Taskmaster Returns
Comedy News: Greg Davies resumes his role as the formidable Taskmaster, with a back pocket full of points and the other back pocket full of wry observations and bird seed for Alex Horne, it’s time for five brave comedians to step into the spotlight and get tasking in the most bizarre yet cut-throat show on television as the BAFTA and twice National Comedy Award winning
Taskmaster airs 9pm on Thursday 30th March on Channel 4.
STARRING FRANKIE BOYLE, IVO GRAHAM, JENNY ECLAIR, KIELL SMITH-BYNOE, AND MAE MARTIN
Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, Team-up for Apple TV+ Comedy
True Detective’s, Woody
Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey are getting together again to star in and executive produce a comedy series at Apple TV+.
The 10-episode series is described as “a heartfelt odd couple love story revolving around the strange and beautiful bond between Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. Matthew and Woody’s friendship is tested when their combined families attempt to live together on Matthew’s ranch in Texas.”
Red Nose Day Today
David Tennant, Zoe Ball, Paddy McGuinness, AJ Odudu and Joel Dommett host another night of fabulous TV all in aid of Comic Relief. Tune into BBC One or BBC iPlayer tonight (17 th March) for a night full of fun and laughs.
Here is a roundup of everything you can expect from tonight’s show..
The Witchfinder’s Search is Over
The Witchfinder is understandably not being renewed for a second series.
The Witchfinder was not a comedy nor a dramedy but a tragedy. A tragedy because although the production by Baby Cow Productions was excellent, as was the cast led by Tim Key, Daisy May Cooper and Jessica Hynes, they were let down by a puerile script, devoid of comedic lines, jokes and even visual gags. So started our review of the show.
A spokesperson is reported to have said, “The Witchfinder kicked off with decent ratings but quickly plunged to a level where execs just couldn’t justify giving it a second season.”
Well, it was launched with great expectations that failed to materialise
It’s Confirmed Motherland Is Going Stateside
ABC has placed a pilot order for Drop-Off (working title), the comedy based on the BAFTA winning British series Motherland, to star Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).
“Motherland” follows a wacky group of mothers (and a father) who couldn’t be more different, but are united by the daily school run.
Kemper will play the Anna Maxwell Martin part of Julia, the chaotic working mother with Karan Soni cast to play the stay at home dad (Colin/Calvin).
As Deadline put it “This is a comedy for anybody who’s dropped their kids at school, breathed a sigh of relief…then realized it’s Sunday.
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Danny Dyer will join filming on the new BBC comedy Henpocalypse! next week. The series, written by Caroline Moran, is centred around bridezilla Zara whose hen-do is interrupted by the apocalypse. She and her fellow working-class West Midlander hens face a struggle for survival while they wait out the breakdown of human civilisation in an isolated holiday cottage in Wales.
Danny will be playing a fictionalised and heightened version of himself. As the nation’s favourite geezer Danny Dyer made a big impression on socially awkward Birmingham bridesmaid, Jen. So when she finds herself in a brutal post-apocalyptic world it’s Danny Dyer who comes to her in her moment of crisis. Taking on the role of mentor and counsellor, he provides sage advice, psychological insight and weapons training, setting her on the path to her true destiny.
Hens Surviving the Apocalypse on BBC2
Comedy News: Cameras are rolling in Wirral and Snowdonia on brand new comedy Henpocalypse! The series is centred around bridezilla Zara whose hen-do is interrupted by the apocalypse. She and her fellow working-class West Midlander hens face a struggle for survival while they wait out the breakdown of human civilisation in an isolated holiday cottage in Wales.
The strong female ensemble are made of Elizabeth Berrington (The Responder, The Pact) who plays Zara’s formidable mother Bernadette, Lucie Shorthouse (We Are Lady Parts) as demanding bride Zara, Callie Cooke (Cheaters, Peacock) as put upon chief bridesmaid Shelly, Lauren O’Rourke (White Gold, Drifters) as conspiracy theorist beautician Veena, Kate O’Flynn (Landscapers, Everyone Else Burns) as one woman disaster area Jen and Ben McGregor (The Tuckers) will join the cast as entrepreneurial stripper Drew.
The first look image features Elizabeth Berrington, Lucie Shorthouse, Lauren O’Rourke, Callie Cooke and Kate O’Flynn.
On top of the usual hen do tensions, our hens must face the unknown post apocalyptic world in a battle for survival, armed with only their wits and a whole car load of hen do paraphernalia. As they emerge from weeks of hiding out, they discover the male population has been very nearly wiped out. Plus the hens soon realise they are not alone – they have serious competition from a bunch of radicalised Pilates instructors.
Caroline Moran says “this is a dream cast, the locations are epic, the apocalypse has never been so much fun”
Late Night Mash Cancelled After 2 Series
Late Night Mash the Dave (UKTV) rehash of BBC’s The Mash Report has been cancelled after just two series. Although the Rachel Parris led show achieved a higher viewership than it’s previous incarnation, at around 190k, it was not enough to justify continued product.
Rachel Parris did a sterling job as did Ellie Taylor, Steve N Allen and Jason Forbes among others the show was simply not satirical enough to attract a bigger audience which is satiated by Twitter and TicTok.
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The Case For The Defence
Comedy News: Anthony Anderson, the former Black-ish star, will star in, and be an executive producer of, ABC’s comedy pilot Public Defenders, from 20th Television and Wonderland Sound and Vision. The role comes less than 12 months after Black-ish concluded after 8 seasons, during which time which Anderson received 6 Emmy nominations for lead actor in a comedy series.
Public Defenders will follow four young public defense lawyers, “up to their earholes in student debt,” who work to keep their clients out of jail. “Along the way, they have to rely on each other to navigate their first defendants, the absurd court system and the copy machine that always jams.”
Anderson will play Marshall, the lead deputy attorney at public defender’s office, who sees it as his mission to turn his charges into cutthroat defense lawyers. Though he’s described as “always angry,” he eventually shows that he is deeply protective of his deputies.
Jenna Ortega Rewrote Wednesday Scripts…
Ortega said on a recent episode of the “Armchair Expert” podcast that many of the original “Wednesday” scripts made no sense to her from a character perspective, so she went ahead and changed dialogue without consulting the writers.
“When I read the entire series, I realized, ‘Oh, this is for younger audiences,’” Ortega said. “When I first signed onto the show, I didn’t have all the scripts. I thought it was going to be a lot darker. It wasn’t… I didn’t know what the tone was, or what the score would sound like.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had to put my foot down more on a set in a way that I had to on ‘Wednesday,’” she continued. “Everything that Wednesday does, everything I had to play, did not make sense for her character at all. Her being in a love triangle? It made no sense. There was a line about a dress she has to wear for a school dance and she says, ‘Oh my god I love it. Ugh, I can’t believe I said that. I literally hate myself.’ I had to go, ‘No.’ There were times on that set where I even became almost unprofessional in a sense where I just started changing lines. The script supervisor thought I was going with something and then I had to sit down with the writers, and they’d be like, ‘Wait, what happened to the scene?’ And I’d have to go and explain why I couldn’t go do certain things.”
“I grew very, very protective of her,” Ortega said. “You can’t lead a story and have no emotional arc because then it’s boring and nobody likes you. When you are little and say very morbid, offensive stuff, it’s funny and endearing. But then you become a teenager and it’s nasty and you know it. There’s less of an excuse.”
BBC’s Jon Petrie Unveils Seven New Comedies
Petrie was speaking to the press as he unveiled a roster of seven comedies which included, Black Ops from the creators of Famalam, Catherine Tate’s Queen of Oz, Undoing Martin Parker set during the Thatcher years and Dreaming Whilst Black, produced by Big Deal Films.
And he’d talk to John Cleese about his furure plans
Jon Petrie, BBC Comedy Director, told the media that his team would be “happy to talk” with John Cleese about his planned Fawlty Towers revival, as he revealed the next generation of “very British” shows.
Addressing a BBC Comedy Showcase Tuesday, Petrie said, “We found out about it when everyone else did,” he added. “I don’t know if it would work for us and we’ve not spoken to John Cleese but it’s obviously a legendary show and we would be happy to talk to John if he wanted to talk about it.”
Cleese has already said that the recently announced revival, which he is making with daughter Camilla will not appear on the BBC because the UK broadcaster would not give him sufficient editorial freedom. The revival of the classic British comedy, which aired more than 40 years ago, and ran for just a dozen episodes, will according to Cleese see his eccentric Basil Fawlty character trying to cope with the modern world in a “small bijou hotel” in the Caribbean.
He said the shows, none of which are co-produced, “feel very British,” as he celebrated “an amazing” 2022 during which there were more than 500 million iPlayer requests for BBC comedy.
“I don’t think you’d find these on streamers or with competitors,” he added. “All SVoD players are underpinned by comedy but iPlayer is unique in being underpinned by British comedy – British comedy for British audiences.”
Questioned on whether sketch shows can work on the BBC, Petrie said “the bar is high” and the sub-genre is “expensive.” The corporation has been light on sketch shows in recent years, only greenlighting Famalam and Ellie & Natasia from Ellie White and Natasia Demetriou.
Stressing the contemporary nature of his new comedy slate like Kat Sadler’s Such Brave Girls pilot will tackle issues around teen mental health “sensitively and with all the appropriate warnings,” while apocalypse comedy Henpocalypse! comes against the background of success of HBO’s The Last of Us.
“Nothing in comedy should go untouched,” he added. “You should be able to look at all aspects of life as long as it’s funny and dealt with in the right way.”
Four of the seven comedies are written by women in a traditionally male-dominated field but Petrie said this move wasn’t a policy of positive discrimination.
He is nonetheless “prioritizing British talent,” given the possibility of U.S. writers seeking work in the UK in the coming months due to the looming US writers’ strike.
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Brendan O’Carroll is to return for a fourth mini-series of MRS. BROWN’S BOYS.
Comedy News: A regular feature of Christmas schedules for over a decade, this marks the first mini-series run since 2013 with four new episodes. Filming will take place this Spring with transmission slated for later this year. Although ratings have shown a decline over the past few years the Christmas 2023 episode was watched by 2.4 million viewers. Despite the naysayers that’s a very healthy audience for a UK comedy programme. For comparison Ghosts (3.9m) and Motherland (1.1m)
Creator and star, Brendan O’Carroll said: “This mini-series was actually planned for 2021. Having been thwarted twice, firstly by Covid-19 and then by a post Covid shortage of studios, it’s fantastic to, at last, have the chance to make it happen. Fasten your seatbelts and hold onto your hats!”
A BBC Studios Comedy Production in partnership with BOC-PIX and RTE for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Jean Smart feeling better than ever
Production on “Hacks” Season 3 will resume within two weeks, series producers Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky revealed to Variety on Sunday. Production was halted due to star Jean Smart having a heart procedure.
“She’s doing great,” Downs said. “She actually said to me recently that she’s better than ever, which I believe because she is Jean Smart. She’s at home. Obviously, not out on the town tonight. But she’s doing really well.”
Midge Is Back!
After burning bridges and being cut from tour, Midge Maisel persisted through Season Four, rebuilding her career and reputation. The final moments of the season culminated with Midge leaving Carnegie Hall reinvigorated and ready to weather any blizzard. After an epiphany in front of The Gordon Ford Show’s snowy billboard, Midge is ready to “Go forward” and fight for her ascent to stardom—equipped with her quick wit and sharp tongue, and nothing else to lose.
In the fifth and final season, Midge finds herself closer than ever to the success she’s dreamed of, only to discover that closer than ever is still so far away.
Crowning Glory
Comedy News: Harry Enfield’s Channel 4 comedy “The Windsors” is returning for a coronation special, with the comedian set to reprise his role as the monarch.
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Who Manages the Manager?
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Alex Borstein, who plays Susie Meyerson, is readying her first Amazon Original comedy special, entitled Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits. It’s scheduled for release mid April.
Mrs Maisel fans may recognise that it was filmed at The Wolford Theatre, the fictional burlesque club from Maisel‘s fourth season.
Routine medical check saved
Robert Webb’s life
Read article in The Irish News HERE
Is Motherland Going Stateside?
Comedy News: Rumour has it that ABC is close to signing a pilot order for an American remake of the hit BBC comedy, Motherland.
“Motherland” is set in a west London neighbourhood, the show follows a wacky group of mothers (and a father) who couldn’t be more different, but are united by the daily school run.
Unstable Dragons take to the air
Ellis Dragon (Rob Lowe) is a universally admired, eccentric, narcissist-adjacent biotech entrepreneur working to make the world a better place. He’s also in emotional free-fall. His son Jackson Dragon (John Owen Lowe) is… none of those things. Can Jackson save Ellis and his company and salvage their estranged relationship while also doing what may actually be impossible: escaping the shadow of his larger-than-life father?
Netflix Thursday March 30th
Also coming soon something to Beef about
Beef is a comedy-drama series following the aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers. Steven Yeun plays Danny, a down-on-his-luck contractor, while Ali Wong plays self-made entrepreneur, Amy.
Lost to the world of Comedy February 2023
Scott Satin, producer for shows such as Funny You Should Ask and Most Outrageous Moments, has died. He was 64.
Kit Hesketh-Harvey, cabaret star and prolific composer known for being half of the musical comedy duo Kit and the Widow alongside pianist Richard Sisson. He was 65.
Raquel Welch, as well as glamorous roles in films she appeared in various sitcoms, including Seinfeld, Spin City,Evening Shade and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. Aged 82
George R. Robertson, who played Chief Hurst (later Commissioner) in the first six Police Academy films during a half-century screen career, has died aged 89.
Richard Belzer, a stand-up comedian who became one of TV’s most indelible detectives as John Munch in Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: SVU, has died. He was 78.
Young Offenders Picked Up Again
The BBC in association with RTÉ have recommissioned hit comedy The Young Offenders from producers Vico Films. This series follows on from the hugely successful TV series, the 2018 Christmas special which aired for the first time on BBC One and the box office smash feature film from 2016.
Rosie Jones reveals, with brutal honesty, some of the the abuse she faces as a female, disabled, comedian.
Rosie tweeted,”Felt it was so important to speak about the online abuse I receive every time I’m on TV. It’s not bloody ok for anybody to receive this amount of rubbish!
Abuse intensified after her appearance on BBCQT. “I think Question Time is brilliant, but it attracts a lot of angry people, and not only being female, disabled, gay. So, would I do it again? Yes. But I would go in there more prepared. I’d probably shut my Twitter down for a few weeks.”
Under Starters Orders
Production is currently underway in Los Angeles on the eight-episode Max Original comedy series HOW TO BE A BOOKIE, from Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay, about a veteran bookie (Sebastian Maniscalco) who struggles to survive the impending legalization of sports gambling, increasingly unstable clients, family, co-workers, and a lifestyle that bounces him around every corner of Los Angeles, high and low.
The series stars Sebastian Maniscalco, Omar J. Dorsey, Jorge Garcia, Andrea Anders, Vanessa Ferlito, and Maxim Swinton.
Lucky Breeders
Season 4 of Breeders starring Daisy Haggard and Martin Freeman has begun Filming. Scheduled to air later this year.
Frasier and Lilith Back Together – arguably!
Bebe Neuwirth is once again playing Frasier Crane’s (Kelsey Grammer) ex-wife, Lilith. Neuwirth won two Emmy Awards for the role during her time on Cheers and continued playing Lilith in a dozen episodes of Frasier. In the new series Frasier moves back to Boston, he reunites with Lilith at a birthday party for their son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott). Lilith is unhappy having to share Freddy now, leading to a confrontation between the two. Neuwirth is so far the only actor from the previous series to sign on to the new Frasier.
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Believe – Ted Lasso Is Back
Apple TV+ released the trailer for the third season of its global phenomenon “Ted Lasso.” Following its history-making, back-to-back Emmy Award wins for its freshman and sophomore seasons, “Ted Lasso,” will premiere around the world with the first episode on Wednesday, March 15, followed by new episodes weekly, every Wednesday.
I Hate You Not Being Re-commissioned
It would seem that Robert Popper’s sitcom I Hate You, which aired last year, lived up to it’s title. Our review (here) was not too kind, concluding “There have been worse sitcoms on TV, not many but such is the demand for output that this poor effort could yet get a second series.”
The decision not to renew, revealed by BCG, is unfortunate because the stars Tanya Reynolds and Melissa Saint did a valiant job with a rather poor script and deserved a better vehicle.
Diane Morgan and Nick Mohammed Sign Deals With BBC Studios
Diane Morgan (Cunk On/After Life/Mandy) and Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso/Intelligence) have signed deals with BBC Studios which will see both stars develop and co-produce content with the BBC’s commercial wing.
Alison and Larry Taking A Road Trip
Alison Steadman, Pam Shipman from Gavin and Stacey, and Larry Lamb, who played husband Mick are taking a trip down memory lane for a special Billericay To Barry road trip as part of a new three-part series for Gold.
The short series will be shown later this year. Steadman will also be appearing in a new series of the sitcom Moving On currently in production.
Paradise Lost But New One Found
Leave aside the spin-off comparisons and Beyond Paradise should be successful in its own right in the same way that Midsummer Murders is or Pie In The Sky was. It will however have to improve a on last night’s opening episode.
Katy Wix had a difficult relationship with her dad. But after a near-fatal car accident, they found themselves growing closer
Rose Ayling-Ellis, Ruth Madeley and Jack Thorne have thrown their support behind a new BBC Writers’ Access Group training programme that has put an open call out for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent writers.
Full details of how to apply here
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Stephen Fry in Jeopardy
ITV is to produce a UK version of the NBC gameshow phenomenon Jeopardy! with Stephen Fry hosting
The show sees contestants using general knowledge skills to win rounds and accumulate winnings. In each round trivia clues are phrased as answers, to which contestants must respond with a question that correctly identifies whatever the clue is describing.
ITV said Stephen Fry will “bring a modern twist to the cult classic.,” with an additional round added.
Let’s hope it doesn’t alter the format too much.
‘Black Ops’: Creators Of BBC Comedy-Thriller Say Black British Culture Is “Reaching A Sweet Spot”
Black British culture is reaching a “sweet spot” and creatives no longer have to move to the U.S. to achieve stardom, according to the creators of BBC comedy-thriller Black Ops says Deadline article.
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Apple TV+ BAFTA brunch
Stars and creatives behind BAFTA Award winner “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,” and acclaimed and upcoming Apple Originals “Ted Lasso,” “Tetris,” “Napoleon,” “Bad Sisters,” “Slow Horses,” “Trying,” “Surface,” “Servant,” “CODA,” “Masters of the Air” and more attend star-studded event
Apple TV+ kicked off London’s biggest weekend with its first annual BAFTA brunch celebrating excellence in global entertainment and storytelling, including Apple Original Films’ BAFTA Award winner for Best British Short Animation, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,” which also recently received an Academy Award nomination. The Apple TV+ BAFTA brunch took place at the Mount St. Restaurant in Mayfair, London, ahead of the EE BAFTA Film Awards held on Sunday, February 19. More images from the event can be found here.
The star-studded event drew in renowned names across arts and culture, with attendees including BAFTA chair Krishnendu Majumdar; “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” director Charlie Mackesy, producers Hannah Minghella and Matthew Freud, and composer Isobel Waller-Bridge; “Ted Lasso” stars James Lance, Jeremy Swift, Toheeb Jimoh, Phil Dunster, Sarah Niles, Kola Bokinni, Billy Harris, Stephen Manas, David Elsendoorn, Charlie Hiscock and Annette Badland; “Surface” star and executive producer Gugu Mbatha-Raw and creator Veronica West; “Tetris” director Jon S. Baird; “Slow Horses” stars Chris Chung and Rosalind Eleazar; as well as Nell Tiger Free (“Servant”), Sarah Greene (“Bad Sisters”), Esther Smith (“Trying”), Paul Rhys (“Napoleon”), Academy Award winner Troy Kotsur (“CODA”) and David Shields (“Masters of the Air”). Additional notable guests Brian Cox, Arlo Parks, Shygirl, ASAP Nast, Bianca Jagger, Justin Hurwitz, Stephen Jones, Wallis Day, Charli Howard, Dolly De Leon, Nicholas Pinnock, Jessica Henwick, Misan Harriman, Miss Jason, Sean Teale, Daniel Marc Dreifuss, along with Apple TV+ executives including head of features Matt Dentler and Europe creative director Jay Hunt, among others, were also in attendance.
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The Wheel, Blankety Blank and The Weakest Link all set to return
Three Saturday night family favourites – Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel, Blankety Blank and The Weakest Link will all be returning to BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Each series guarantees viewers lots of play along fun for the whole family to enjoy and will be bursting at the seams with a host of the nation’s favourite celebrity contestants taking part as they test themselves and provide plenty of laughs too in brand new episodes of all three shows.
Bob & Paul angling for two more series
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing returning for two more series as they cast their lines in Wales, the Scottish Borders, Shropshire, Wiltshire, Yorkshire and Burgh Island off the Devon coast.
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Look What Joe Lycett’s Bin Up To!
Never one to shy away from publicity Joe Lycett’s latest money raising idea is to produce a coffee table books featuring rubbish bins, yep rubbish bins. And very well produced it is too.
The flamboyant comedian tweeted “Introducing ‘Bins’, a limited edition coffee table book created by yours truly, launching 2nd March. Featuring dozens of photographs of the great British bin across multiple paper types with a spectacular foiled ‘gay bin bag’ cover designed with Billie Temple.
I’ve only made 1000 copies, they’re all numbered and signed and once they’re gone they’re gone. Most will be sold on my website and my mailing list will get priority.”
“There’s also a foreword by Daisy May Cooper, a piece by ‘bin expert’ Al Little, and an academic essay about the history of bins by Katrina Navickas.”
All profits will go to Queens Heath Pride. For more details go to https://joelycett.com/
HBO Cancel South Side
South Side focused on friends Simon James (Sultan Salahuddin) and Kareme Odom (Kareme Young) as they live in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood and attempt to make their mark in the business world after graduating from community college.
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Whoopi Goldberg Joins ‘The Conners’
Whoopi Goldberg will appear as a guest star in an upcoming episode of The Conners, the ABC comedy. Goldberg will play Ms. Glen, Mark's (Ames McNamara) intimidating music teacher, who has a complicated past history with another member of the Conner household.
You’ve Been Framed Canned
ITV have reportedly cancelled You’ve Been Framed as viewers now turn to social media for funny clips.
The entertainment
programme, which first aired with original host Jeremy Beadle in April 1990, invited members of the public to send in their amusing home videos. They were then paid of a fee of £250 if their clip was featured.
More stars revealed as Pointless guest hosts
Andi Oliver, Gyles Brandreth, Nish Kumar, Lucy Porter, Ria Lina, Rose Matafeo, Sally Phillips, and Vick Hope are gearing up to share some pointless, yet interesting facts
‘The Goldbergs’ To End With Season 10 On ABC
Deadline has revealed that The Goldbergs’ journey through the 1980s is over. The family comedy’s current tenth season will be its last, with the May 3 season finale serving as a series finale.
“It’s been an honor to be part of The Goldbergs for the last decade,” star and executive producer McLendon-Covey said in a statement. “I’m really proud of what we accomplished with the show, and I’m so lucky to have had such a rewarding experience. I will miss my TV family and every last crew member.” She added, “My heart is full… but I definitely hope I never see another pair of shoulder pads for the rest of my life.”
Jean Smart Recovering From Heart Procedure
Jean Smart, star of Hacks, took to social media to reveal she’s recovering from a recent successful heart procedure.Production on Season 3 of HBO Max/Universal TV hit Hacks, has been paused as Smart is recuperating. Production is expected to resume mid March.
Smart posted on Instagram, “February is American Heart Month – a time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent successful heart procedure. I am fortunate to have excellent care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate. Please listen to your body and talk to your doctor – I’m very glad I did!”
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Two Doors Down
Is Crossing Channels
Comedy News: BBC’s multi-award-winning sitcom Two Doors Down has been commissioned for a new 6 x 30 series. And, whilst the action continues to centre around the residents of Latimer Crescent, the show will have a new home as it transfers to BBC One. Production will get underway this summer with the series transmitting later this year.
Co-creators Gregor Sharp and Simon Carlyle said: “We’re excited to be spreading our wings and lowering the tone as we introduce BBC One audiences to life in Latimer Crescent.”
The much-loved sitcom has steadily built a fanbase that has consistently grown with each series. The most recent Christmas special attracted its highest audience to date with 2.8million viewing the special across 30 days on all screens. This marked the show’s highest audience since its launch in 2013.
Co-creators Gregor Sharp and Simon Carlyle said: “We’re excited to be spreading our wings and lowering the tone as we introduce BBC One audiences to life in Latimer Crescent.”
Josh Cole, Head of Comedy and Steven Canny, Executive Producer, BBC Studios, said: “We couldn’t be more proud of the success story that is Two Doors Down. It’s an absolute joy to work on and loved by a large loyal fanbase that have embraced these families and neighbours as though their own over the years! We can’t wait to get going on series seven and look forward to the move to BBC One.”
Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy Commissioning at the BBC, says: “Two Doors Down continues on its understated march towards classic BBC sitcom status with the last series pulling in some of its highest viewing figures to date. We’re delighted to be doing more and are excited to see the show move to BBC One for a whole new legion of fans to enjoy.”
Two Doors Down is a BBC Studios Comedy Production for BBC One, written by Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp. It is Executive Produced by Steven Canny and Josh Cole for BBC Studios and Seb Barwell is the Commissioning Editor for the BBC.
All previous series of Two Doors Down are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Eurovision Team Announced
The star-studded team hosting the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest from Liverpool
Presenting the Grand Final (13 May) to a global audience of 160 million will be Eurovision legend Graham Norton, Ukrainian singer and frontwoman of The HARDKISS, Julia Sanina, Emmy Award-winning actress, Hannah Waddingham, and singer and TV presenter, Alesha Dixon.
For the Grand Final commentary on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, Graham Norton and actress and comedian Mel Giedroyc will take turns in the commentary box.
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Am I Being Unreasonable going to the US
Hulu has acquired the U.S. rights to Am I Being Unreasonable written by Daisy May Cooper and Selin Hizli, and exec produced by Jack Thorne.
The show follows a mother grieving a loss that she can’t share with anyone whilst stuck in a depressing marriage. Only her son, Ollie (Lenny Rush), keeps her going. But when Jen (Hizli a real life friend) arrives in town, her life is lit up with laughter.
Show will debut on Hulu, April 11.
Star-studded National Comedy Awards
Comedy News: The winners of The National Comedy Awards were revealed in a star-studded ceremony hosted by Tom Allen and broadcast live on Channel 4.
Trophies were handed out by stars of comedy and entertainment including Grayson Perry, Smack the Pony stars Fiona Allen and Doon Mackichan, Katherine Ryan and Munya Chawawa, Bill Bailey, Jack Dee and Amelia Dimoldenberg and Self Esteem.
The awards honoured both emerging and established British comedy talent, with the public having voted on key prizes in a variety of categories that celebrate the world of comedy in all its forms. Recent scripted and unscripted comedies and panel shows, plus the latest podcast jokers were all vying for votes.
Following a live fan vote during the ceremony, Joe Lycett won the Best Stand-Up Show Award for his show, Joe Lycett: More, More, More! How Do You Joe Lycett? How Do You Joe Lycett?
Joe Lycett was also awarded the Comedy Game Changer Award, receiving a standing ovation as he took to the stage to accept the gong from Sir Grayson Perry. In his tongue-in-cheek acceptance speech, Joe paid tribute to Liz Truss, Nadine Dorries and Hugo Boss, amongst others.
He said: “I’ve written some names of people I should thank… Liz Truss, couldn’t do it without you, girl. Hugo Boss, I’d like to thank Hugo Boss for designing those lovely Nazi uniforms and then to the company Hugo Boss for their unending appetite to protect their intellectual copyright. To everyone on Twitter with a football logo as their profile picture for keeping me grounded. To Nadine Dorries for everything she’s done for culture. To the BBC chairman Richard Sharp for that loan you gave me, thank you Richard. I was struggling when I started out and he kept me afloat. I’d like to dedicate this award to the Channel 4 lawyers who protected me throughout my career from myself. And with that in mind, I’d like to say Richard Sharp should stand down as the BBC chairman and that’s not my opinion but the opinion of Channel 4 television. Thank you so much.”
The National Comedy Awards for Stand Up To Cancer also saw video messages from Sir Eric Idle and Rhod Gilbert, who both spoke about their experiences of cancer.
Outstanding Female Comedy Entertainment Performer
Fern Brady (Taskmaster)
Sandi Toksvig (QI)
Judi Love (Taskmaster)
Katherine Ryan (Backstage with Katherine Ryan) – WINNER
Sarah Millican (Taskmaster)
Outstanding Male Comedy Entertainment Performer
Greg Davies (Taskmaster)
Joe Lycett (Joe Lycett’s Big Pride Party)
Munya Chawawa (Taskmaster)
Lee Mack (Would I Lie to You?) – WINNER
Alex Horne (Taskmaster)
Outstanding Comedy Actress
Rose Matafeo (Starstruck)
Saoirse Monica Jackson (Derry Girls) – WINNER
Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters)
Charlotte Ritchie (Ghosts)
Daisy May Cooper (Am I Being Unreasonable?)
Best Comedy Entertainment Show
The Graham Norton Show
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
Taskmaster – WINNER
The Chris and Rosie Ramsey Show
Outstanding Comedy Actor
Dylan Llewellyn (Big Boys)
Ricky Gervais (After Life) – WINNER
Joseph Gilgun (Brassic)
Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts)
Stephen Merchant (Outlaws)
Best Comedy Panel Show
Mock the Week
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown – WINNER
QI
Would I Lie to You?
Outstanding Supporting Role
Jamie Lee O’Donnell (Derry Girls)
David Earl (After Life)
Lolly Adefope (Ghosts)
Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls)
Diane Morgan (After Life) – WINNER
Best Scripted Comedy
Ghosts
Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
Derry Girls
After Life – WINNER
Other Categories
Best Stand-Up Show
Sam Campbell: Comedy Show
Tim Key: Mulberry
Amy Gledhill: The Girl Before The Girl You Marry
Joe Lycett: More, More, More! How Do You Joe Lycett? How Do You Joe Lycett? – WINNER
Jordan Gray: Is It A Bird?
Best Comedy Podcast
Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell
Shagged, Married, Annoyed with Chris and Rosie Ramsey – WINNER
Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster
Have A Word
Comedy Game Changer Award
Joe Lycett
Impact in Comedy Award
Mo Gilligan
Comedy Breakthrough Star Awards
Susan Wokoma
Jordan Gray
Lenny Rush
ITV recommissions Karen Pirie, starring Lauren Lyle and adapted by
Emer Kenny
Following its highly successful debut, a second series of Karen Pirie, adapted by Emer Kenny from Val McDermid’s hugely popular cold case novels, has been commissioned by ITV from World Productions, the producers of Line of Duty and The Pembrokeshire Murders.
Emer Kenny (The Curse, Save Me), will return to write and executive produce the 3 x 120’ episodes along with Scottish writer Gillian Roger Park (Sneakerhead, The Young Offenders). Karen Pirie will premiere on ITV1 and ITVX.
Sally Phillips and Ronni Ancona in ‘The Monk, The Mermaid & Molise’
Film Soho’s Captain Dolly unit is producing a road trip comedy The Monk, The Mermaid & Molise, a co-production with Italy’s Osna Productions and Play Entertainment.
Currently in pre-production, it will star bass player Guy Pratt, , alongside Raffaello Degruttola, Sally Phillips and Ronni Ancona.
For more details click here
The film follows Guy, who, down on his luck, accepts a gig to spend five days playing a series of bass clinics in Molise, a remote Italian region, run by a fan of his during which Guy confronts decisions from his past.
The production, to be shot in Italy and the UK, is the first to be awarded a grant under a scheme by the region of Molise.
Disney+ shared photos from multi-hyphenate Jon Favreau’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony where a star in his honor was unveiled.
Nicola Coughlan and Lydia West in Brand New Comedy
Comedy News: Channel 4 has commissioned an audacious new comedy series from Fremantle’s Dancing Ledge Productions (The Responder, Wedding Season). Written and created by Camilla Whitehill, Big Mood is a vivacious and rebellious portrayal of female friendship when infiltrated by the complexities of a serious mental illness.
The six-part series, provisionally called Big Mood, will explore the messy pitfalls and idiosyncrasies of navigating adulthood through wicked humour, daft anecdotes, and unsettling truths.
Best friends Maggie and Eddie played by Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls) and Lydia West (It’s A Sin, Inside Man) have lived in each other’s pockets for ten years, through thick, thin, and multiple challenging eyebrow trends. But with the rest of their lives looming, careers hanging in the balance, and Maggie’s bipolar disorder making an unwelcome return to form, Eddie begins to question whether this friendship is really in their best interests. It’s a pivotal point in both their lives, bringing to the surface those all-important questions – could sleeping with your former History teacher be the key to happiness? Is a basement Rat Hotel a functional alternative to pest control? How do you stop your new psychiatrist giving you worry dolls? With their twenties behind them, Maggie and Eddie’s relationship faces the future – can it survive?
Nicola Coughlan said: “When I first met Camilla Whitehill long, long ago, during the time of Indie Sleaze, I quickly realised she was one of the funniest and most talented people I’d ever met. It was always our dream for us to work on something together, and now Channel 4 are making that dream come true. I can’t wait to make this show with this amazing group of people.”
Lydia West said: “I’m so happy to be working with Camilla and Nicola on this project. The writing is genius, and the subject explores the mental health struggles that all of our generation face – coupled with how to navigate complicated, loving and nuanced friendship. Channel 4 is the perfect home for this heart-warming, hilarious, savvy comedy and I feel truly honoured to tell this story which touched my heart.”
Camilla Whitehill said: “Getting my own Channel 4 comedy still feels like some kind of long form prank, Punk’d style. But on the off chance it isn’t, I am beside myself to be making this show with such an incredible team of people, a cast that I’d be jealous of if it wasn’t my cast, and for a channel that’s produced some of my favourite shows of all time.”
Laura Riseam, Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor said: “Big Mood is an authentic portrayal of the passionate, reckless, and surreal tales of close friendship threatened by an all-consuming mental illness. It’s outrageously daring, painfully funny and unreservedly poignant – the type of comedy that firmly belongs on Channel 4. We are delighted to welcome Camilla and Dancing Ledge into the fold.”
Laurence Bowen and Chris Carey of Dancing Ledge Productions said: “We’ve always loved Camilla’s writing so producing her first series with Channel 4 is an absolute treat. Her writing is laugh out loud funny because it’s truthful and that’s what makes her such a star. Add to that two of the best actors in the world, Nicola Coughlan and Lydia West, and one of the finest directors, Rebecca Asher, and we’re well and truly made up.”
Big Mood is written by Camilla Whitehill and produced by Fremantle-backed Dancing Ledge Productions. It will be directed by Rebecca Asher (Dead to Me, Brooklyn Nine Nine), executive produced by Lotte Beasley Mestriner (The Young Offenders) and produced by Georgie Fallon (The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies). Laurence Bowen (The Salisbury Poisonings, The Responder) and Chris Carey (Crossfire, Wedding Season) will executive produce for Dancing Ledge Productions. Fremantle will handle global distribution for the series. Big Mood was commissioned for Channel 4 by Commissioning Editor, Laura Riseam.
Comedy of the Month
Gemma Arterton is brilliant: a shoe-in for a BAFTA nomination for best actress in a comedy. Kelly Valentine Hendry should be congratulated on putting together a superb cast all of whom deliver on the money under Oliver Parker’s direction.
Arkwright’s Closes For Good
Still Open All Hours is to shut up shop after six series, the BBC has confirmed to British Comedy Guide. which broke the news today. The sixth series attracted almost 4 million viewers at its close in 2019, an audience figure most new sitcoms can only dream of and salivate over.
Open All Hours, which starred the late great Ronnie Barker ran for 26 episodes over four series from 1973 to 1985 and the spin-off starring David Jason ran for 41 episodes. But it couldn’t go on for ever: creator and writer Roy Clark is now 93 and national treasure, Jason is now a venerable 83. Coping with that till might be too dangerous for him these days.
The Covid lockdowns paused plans for a seventh series back in 2020, and now the BBC has told BCG, ‘There are currently no plans for new episodes of Still Open All Hours. We’d like to thank the cast and crew for six wonderful series, which are all available to view on BBC iPlayer.’
However, as experience shows us, never say never again.
Directors Guild of America Awards
The 75th annual Directors Guild Awards have been handed out at the Beverly Hilton, and the night’s big award brought a bit of a surprise as Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, directors of Everything Everywhere All at Once, beat out Steven Spielberg for the top prize.
Best Comedy Series
Bill Hader
Barry, “710N” (HBO)
Nominees
Tim Burton
Wednesday, “Wednesday’s Child is Full of Woe” (Netflix)
Amy Sherman-Palladino
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?” (Amazon)
Christopher Storer
The Bear, “Review” (Hulu)
Mike White
The White Lotus, “BYG” (HBO)