divorce31
31/12/2011 … RUSSELL BRAND has filed for divorce from Katy Perry, citing 'irreconcilable differences' in the Los Angeles court papers.
2011 Archives
Sat 31 December 2011
Fri 30 December 2011
Away from the desk job...
David Phillips on Harry Hill's return to stand-up
30/12/2011 … Having seen Harry Hill’s stand-up only twice in my life, bookended by avidly watching his TV shows on Channel 4 and ITV, I was eager to find if he had kept the…
My 'shagathon' was a disaster
30/12/2011 … ‘If anyone in Milton Keynes is thinking about trying to lose weight, I can honestly say that this Slimming World group is the place to do it!’ Jason Manford…
Charlie Brooker hit by Parliament film ban
He can't show Murdoch being hit by pie
30/12/2011 … Charlie Brooker has been banned from using footage of Rupert Murdoch being hit with a custard pie in his satirical round-up of the year’s news.
CBE for Ronnie Corbett
News of his New Year Honour is leaked
30/12/2011 … Ronnie Corbett is to be made a CBE in the New Year Honours, it has been reported.
Thu 29 December 2011
Top ten gigs of 2011
Chortle editor Steve Bennett's personal look back
29/12/2011 … As editor of Chortle, I see around 350 comedy shows a year.
The top comedy stories of 2011
What you've been reading on Chortle
29/12/2011 … In 2011, Chortle attracted 1.
Mon 26 December 2011
Sat 24 December 2011
People thought we were just drunks taking our clothes off...
John Fleming chats to Martin Soan
24/12/2011 … There’s a theory that comedy thrives in a recession, as people seek cheer amid the financial gloom.
Thanks a million!
Louis CK's download experiment takes $1m
24/12/2011 … Louis CK has taken over $1million in sales of his online stand-up special,More than 220,000 fans have paid $5 to download the hour-long Live At The Beacon Theater…
Fri 23 December 2011
© BBC
'If I'm your comedy hero you haven't seen enough comedy'
23/12/2011 … ‘I loathe hecklers.
Nothing dwarfs Gervais's talent
Lorcan McGrath's still a fan, despite the flaws of Life's Too Short
23/12/2011 … It’s often said that if you dish it out you’ve got to take it too.
BBC renews In With The Flynns
23/12/2011 … BBC One has commissioned a second series of In With The Flynns, its star Will Mellor has revealed.
Stewart Lee, Oliver Cromwell and Christmas
23/12/2011 … Please turn on JavaScript.
Thu 22 December 2011
Justin Lee Collins on harassment charge
Case relates to an ex-girlfriend
22/12/2011 … Justin Lee Collins has appeared in court charged with harassing an ex-girlfriend.
ITV pulls Tim Minchin's Christmas song
Fears of 'offending Christians and right-wing press'
22/12/2011 … ITV has axed Tim Minchin from Jonathan Ross’s chat show – in case he upset Christians.
What comedy courses SHOULD teach you
Says Norman Cho, who graduated from one
22/12/2011 … There are plenty of gripes about comedy courses.
maurice22
22/12/2011 … MAURICE HUGGETT, the landlord of the Phoenix Artist Club in London's West End, beloved of comedians seeking a late-night drink, has died at the age of 66.
bgt22
22/12/2011 … DAVID WALLIAMS is reportedly on the verge of signing a £300,000 deal to be a judge on the next series of Britain's Got Talent.
© BBC Life's Too Short to return
22/12/2011 … It had a lukewarm critical reception at best and shed more than half its viewers over its six-part run, but Life’s Too Short is coming back for a second series.
Wed 21 December 2011
Is there anybody out there...?
Linus Lee experiences New York's dead open mic scene
21/12/2011 … It’s 6:05 on a Tuesday evening in midtown Manhattan.
shortrat21
21/12/2011 … THE FINAL episode of Life's Too Short attracted 1 million viewers to BBC Two on Tuesday night, down from the 2.
Champion! Millican breaks DVD records
Best-selling title by a female comic ever
21/12/2011 … Sarah Millican’s Chatterbox show has become the best-selling DVD from a female comedian of all time.
Conchords movie 'to be written next year'
21/12/2011 … Flight Of The Conchords will start writing their movie next year, star Rhys Darby has confirmed.
Only Fools creator leaves £8.4m
21/12/2011 … Only Fools And Horses creator John Sullivan left £8.
Tue 20 December 2011
Tim Vine: Jokeamotive Live
20/12/2011 … Reviewing any Tim Vine DVD is both incredibly easy and incredibly difficult.
Got a religious joke? Tell it to the judge
Andy Todd on move that turns comedians into criminals
20/12/2011 … Oh my God! Did you hear what Frankie Boyle said about the Protestant schoolchildren and the Catholic priest? No? Well, that's because the police locked Frankie up…
Russell Howard: Right Here, Right Now
20/12/2011 … If we’re going to continue with this irrational notion of stand-up in arenas, isn’t it about time they got the sound right? Even from great seats in London’s…
Mon 19 December 2011
hiker19
19/12/2011 … THE 2012 tour dates for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Show – Live, featuring the original cast, have been announced.
Christmas stocking fillers
19/12/2011 … Every Christmas, bookstores are awash with ‘humour’ titles – stocking-stuffers that range from the witty to the dire.
Chiles19
19/12/2011 … ROSS NOBLE is to be a regular guest on the first six episodes of Adrian Chiles's That Sunday Night Show when it returns to ITV1 in the new year.
Peter Serafinowicz: A big name in comedy
19/12/2011 … He’s a superb mimic and talented comic actor who pops up in all manner of programmes – although his own star vehicle was short lived.
Peter Kay regains DVD No 1
19/12/2011 … Peter Kay has overtaken Lee Evans at the top of the stand-up DVD bestseller chart.
Jennifer Saunders blasts TV 'idiots'
19/12/2011 … Jennifer Saunders has fired a broadside against TV executives – saying the industry is full of interfering ‘idiots’.
On The Buses creator Ronnie dies
19/12/2011 … Ronnie Wolfe, the co-creator of On The Buses, has died after hitting his head in a fall at the age of 89.
Sun 18 December 2011
Kylie said 'clunge'....
But here's the rest of the Comedy Awards trivia
18/12/2011 … Angelos Epithemiou had a plan to save Shooting Stars, but would anyone listen? He said: ‘I told them months ago they should change it - get a good person in to…
Alan Davies: Air crew told me to f--- off
18/12/2011 … Australian airline Qantas has launched an inquiry after Alan Davies complained that one of its stewards told him to ‘fuck off’.
Sat 17 December 2011
Comedy Awards honour axed shows
Gongs for Shooting Stars, Psychoville
17/12/2011 … Several shows axed by the BBC have been honoured at the British Comedy Awards.
Fri 16 December 2011
Adam Hills: Inflatable
16/12/2011 … Adam Hills certainly takes a while to get his show into gear, spending the first 20 minutes or so of the Inflatable DVD chatting to the audience – or closer…
Micky Flanagan signs exclusive C4 deal
Broadcaster gets its chequebook out, out
16/12/2011 … Micky Flanagan has signed an exclusive one-year deal with Channel 4.
Noel Fielding to release an album
With Kasabian's Serge Pizzorno
16/12/2011 … Noel Fielding is to release the soundtrack for his surreal new E4 show as an album.
Bigger than the Belly
London's South Bank festival grows
16/12/2011 … The Udderbelly is to be part of a bigger carnival-themed festival when it returns to London’s South Bank for its annual summer stint.
A briefcase full of pubes...
16/12/2011 … ‘I can be miserable and moody, especially when I’m writing comedy,’ Eric IdleBill Hicks would have been 50 today.
Sky returns to Jinsy
Second series for surreal comedy
16/12/2011 … Sky has ordered a second series of surreal comedy This is Jinsy.
Eric Idle gets his 'Dick' out
16/12/2011 … Eric Idle is reviving a musical comedy that’s featured Eddie Izzard and Billy Connolly.
Thu 15 December 2011
Russell Brand lands American TV show
15/12/2011 … Russell Brand has landed his first American TV series.
dandy15
15/12/2011 … THE DANDY comic is dropping its strip Harry Hill’s Real Life Adventures in TV Land after 15 months.
Fist Of Fun Series 1
15/12/2011 … It’s almost impossible to review the Fist Of Fun DVD properly – after all, to watch all the shows, the extras and the commentaries would take 14 and a half…
Last Post for The Bugle?
Times pulls plug on satirical podcast
15/12/2011 … The Times has pulled the plug on Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver’s satirical podcast The Bugle after four years.
Phil Hammond axed in NHS reforms
15/12/2011 … Medical comedian Dr Phil Hammond is losing his GP’s job under cost-saving NHS reforms.
It's Money Python...
Cleese and Idle clash over cash
15/12/2011 … John Cleese and Eric Idle have become involved in a public spat over the money made by Monty Python musical Spamalot.
Wed 14 December 2011
Want to build a comedy career? Do it yourself
Bob Slayer on the rise of independent comedy
14/12/2011 … Stewart Lee quite rightly pointed out in his book How I Escaped My Certain Fate that in the Nineties when Janet Street-Porter said, ‘comedy is the new rock and…
Win an orchestral CD - no strings attached
Tim Minchin's latest up for grabs
14/12/2011 … Tim Minchin’s latest show with the Heritage Orchestra is out now on CD and download – and we have six copies to give away.
Louis CK beats the media giants
Direct downloads turn a healthy profit
14/12/2011 … Louis CK made a profit from the stand-up special he released as a $5 download in just 12 hours.
Louis CK Live At The Beacon Theater
Download review by Steve Bennett
14/12/2011 … This is the sort of move that might have DVD distributors worried.
Uncaged Monkeys: Night Of 200 Billion Stars
Review of Hammersmith Apollo gig, by Steve Bennett
14/12/2011 … Is particle physics the new rock and roll?Well, obviously not.
Sky Spies a second series
14/12/2011 … Sky 1 has ordered a second series of its pre-watershed comedy Spy.
Inbetweeners movie breaks records
575,000 DVDs sold in a single day
14/12/2011 … The Inbetweeners movie has become the fastest-selling comedy DVD of the year, shifting 575,000 copies on its first day of release.
Jason Manford buys stake in comedy club
New director at Chester's Laugh Inn
14/12/2011 … Jason Manford has taken a financial stake in a new comedy club – providing a major publicity boost.
fattony14
14/12/2011 … STEVE CARELL is to guest star on The Simpsons, playing a highly-strung accountant who works for mafia boss Fat Tony.
Uncaged Monkeys: Night Of 200 Billion Stars
14/12/2011 … Is particle physics the new rock and roll?Well, obviously not.
Tue 13 December 2011
Hacked off...
Rob Hughes says being 'hack' isn't the worst sin
13/12/2011 … As a comic, I get to see more live comedy than most and so find myself frequently involved in discussions about stand-up – mostly with other comedians.
Adam Riches pilots TV idea
13/12/2011 … Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Adam Riches is piloting a new TV series, based on the audience interaction elements of his live shows.
Seinfeld to return to the UK
Two dates in 2012, plus one in Dublin
13/12/2011 … EXCLUSIVE: Jerry Seinfeld is to return to Britain for his first ever UK shows outside London.
fatquiz13
13/12/2011 … EDDIE IZZARD and Miranda Hart are to be panelists on Channel 4’s Big Fat Quiz Of The Year for the first time, joining veterans Jonathan Ross, David Mitchell and…
Mon 12 December 2011
© BBC Hot Fuzz follow-up 'to be made next year'
12/12/2011 … A follow-up to Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz could be shot next year, star Nick Frost has revealed.
Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian Of 2011 Final
12/12/2011 … This was the London comedy circuit’s third new act final in quick succession, and certainly the most populous – with 14 contestants, plus a set from 2010 winner…
Peter Kay sells 10m DVDs
Adding up all stand-up and TV shows
12/12/2011 … Peter Kay has become the first British comic to sell more than 10 million copies of his DVDs.
lee12
12/12/2011 … CHANNEL 4 are dedicating the night of December 30 to Lee Evans, showing his 1993 Perrier-winning stand-up show, highlights of his arena tours of the 2000s and two…
Win tickets to the British Comedy Awards
12/12/2011 … The nominees for the British Comedy Awards were announced last night – now here’s a chance for one lucky Chortle reader to attend the glitzy ceremony on Friday.
Lee Evans retains DVD top slot
12/12/2011 … Lee Evans has retained his position at the top of the stand-up DVD chart.
Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian Of 2011 Final
12/12/2011 … This was the London comedy circuit’s third new act final in quick succession, and certainly the most populous – with 14 contestants, plus a set from 2010 winner…
Sun 11 December 2011
lst11
11/12/2011 … MATT REES has become the Leicester Square Theatre's new comedian of the year, just a few days after winning a similar title from the Loaded Laftas.
Miranda leads Comedy Award nominations
Along with Friday Night Dinner
11/12/2011 … Miranda Hart and Friday Night Dinner lead the nominations for this year’s British Comedy Awards – with four apiece.
Sat 10 December 2011
Saved: The nightclubs which host Jongleurs
10/12/2011 … The nightclub chain where Jongleurs runs more than half of its comedy nights has been saved in a £45million deal.
Fri 09 December 2011
altitude09
09/12/2011 … POLICE ACADEMY star Michael Winslow has been added to March's Altitude festival in the Austrian Alps along with Phill Jupitus, Brendon Burns and Phil Nichol.
Mike McShane dead? Thankfully not...
Hacked Twitter account sparks rumours
09/12/2011 … American comic Mike McShane has reassured fans he’s all right after a rumour spread around Twitter that he had died.
BBC shelves Clarkson's QI show
09/12/2011 … The BBC has shelved tonight's planned edition of QI – because of fears of a viewer backlash over Jeremy Clarkson.
Britain's comedy habits revealed
09/12/2011 … Almost 20 million people go to at least one live comedy show a year, according to a new survey.
'I fancy Ricky Gervais like mad, he's so sexy'
09/12/2011 … Tim Key on his short films: ‘The most expensive was £150, and that was only because we had to buy and slaughter two eels.
Thu 08 December 2011
Posthumous album from Patrice O'Neal
08/12/2011 … Patrice O’Neal’s last album is to be released posthumously early next year.
The Ladykillers
Review of Graham Linehan's stage adaptation
08/12/2011 … The 1955 film version of The Ladykillers was an atmospheric, jet-black comedy, largely seen as a parable in which the right and proper morals of the Establishment…
r108
08/12/2011 … RADIO 1 is said to be looking for its first scripted comedy show in ten years, according to trade paper Broadcast.
America blows on the Time Trumpet
08/12/2011 … Armando Iannuuci’s spoof clips show Time Trumpet is set to be remade for an American audience.
Psychoville creator to write Benidorm
08/12/2011 … Psychoville’s Steve Pemberton has written three episodes of the next series of Benidorm, its creator has revealed.
The Ladykillers
08/12/2011 … The 1955 film version of The Ladykillers was an atmospheric, jet-black comedy, largely seen as a parable in which the right and proper morals of the Establishment…
Wed 07 December 2011
Michael Smiley wins acting acclaim
07/12/2011 … Stand-up Michael Smiley has won an acting gong at the British Independent Film Awards, ahead of such luminaries as Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy.
M*A*S*H's Col Potter dies at 96
07/12/2011 … Harry Morgan, who played Colonel Sherman Potter in 179 episodes of M*A*S*H has died at the age of 96.
Fury as murder is a joking matter
Quips from Matthew Wright and Charlie Baker
07/12/2011 … Matthew Wright has apologised after he and comic Charlie Baker cracked jokes while discussing a teenager’s murder.
Little Howard kidnapped!
Thieves take the laptop that animates him
07/12/2011 … Children’s comedy favourite Little Howard has been stolen.
Irish hidden camera show heads to UK
07/12/2011 … Irish hidden camera show Naked Camera is being remade for British audiences.
Outnumbered's days are numbered...
07/12/2011 … Outnumbered might never return for a new series – as its child stars are getting too old.
Loaded Laftas new act final 2011
07/12/2011 … Lads’ mags love their comedy, and, following in the footsteps of FHM, Loaded have added a ‘rising star’ element to their Lafta awards – the paparazzi-friendly…
Tue 06 December 2011
Angelos Epithemiou & Friends
06/12/2011 … Has Angelos Epithemiou made himself in Vic and Bob’s image? Or have Vic and Bob made him in theirs?Either way, since becoming a fixture on Shooting Stars, Dan…
Actually, Clarkson *is* quite funny
Liam Mullone argues that the left doesn't have the monopoly on comedy
06/12/2011 … Chris Hallam made several excessive generalisations in his Correspondents piece about the lack of ‘right-wing’ humour last week.
Harry Hill 'leaves agent'
06/12/2011 … Harry Hill has reportedly split with his long-term agents Avalon in a dispute over TV Burp.
© C4 Chris O'Dowd pens Sky comedy
To star Steve Coogan and Johhny Vegas
06/12/2011 … The IT Crowd star Chris O'Dowd is to write a new comedy for Sky1 co-starring Steve Coogan and Johnny Vegas.
Mon 05 December 2011
Britain's oldest stand-up?
Jack, 90, plays the Hammersmith Apollo
05/12/2011 … Chelsea Pensioner Jack Woodward has become possibly Britain’s oldest stand-up comedian – after performing at the Hammersmith Apollo at the age of 90.
Hey Doug, make some damn effort
Ted Shiress is disappointed with Stanhope's latest DVD
05/12/2011 … Doug Stanhope is one of my favourite living comedians.
rhod05
05/12/2011 … TICKETS have gone on sale for a new 2012 tour from Rhod Gilbert, The Man With The Flaming Battenberg Tattoo, including a brief run at the Edinburgh Fringe.
merchant05
05/12/2011 … STEPHEN MERCHANT is to play his first stand-up gigs in the US, taking his Hello Ladies show to New York on December 20 and 21, followed by dates in Los Angeles and…
Bill Hicks rarities to be released
05/12/2011 … Another batch of previously unheard Bill Hicks material is to be released to mark what would have been his 50th birthday later this month.
Stewart Lee blasts Twitter phoney
'Waste of time' imposter steals jokes, too
05/12/2011 … Stewart Lee has hit out after finding an imposter pretending to be him on Twitter.
© BBC Gavin & Stacey: The musical?
05/12/2011 … Gavin & Stacey could be returning – as a West End musical.
Modern comics are plonkers...
David Jason hits out at bad language
05/12/2011 … It is a common cry from comedians of a certain vintage – now 71-year-old David Jason has joined the chorus of criticism against modern comedy for its bad language…
Tony Hawks: Random Fun
05/12/2011 … In his previous comic endeavours, Tony Hawks has travelled Ireland with a fridge, secured a number one hit in Albania and played the Moldavians at tennis.
Sun 04 December 2011
Lee Evans DVD still No 1
...but Peter Kay closing the gap
04/12/2011 … Lee Evans has retained his spot at the top of the stand-up DVD chart for the second week – but Peter Kay has closed the gap.
corrs04
04/12/2011 … LIAM MULLONE won the £75 prize for the best Correspondents article in November, for his piece arguing that it's OK for comedians to do adverts.
Sat 03 December 2011
The Patrice O'Neal I knew
03/12/2011 … When someone famous dies, everyone says they were his friend and they knew him well but I really was Patrice’s friend.
Garth Marenghi star moves into film
Another pulp writer from Matt Holness
03/12/2011 … Garth Marenghi creator Matthew Holness is to make his first film – about another pulp fiction novelistThe Reprisalizer is a feature length version of Holness’…
Dave Gorman exposes dodgy tabloid tactics
Mirror lifted his blog without asking
03/12/2011 … Dave Gorman has exposed the Mirror for 'cheekily' lifting one of his blog posts without permission.
sues03
03/12/2011 … ALAN SUES, a regular on the Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In show of the Sixties and Seventies known for his camp characters has died at the age 85.
Fri 02 December 2011
Clarkson has taught us one thing: Right-wingers aren't funny
02/12/2011 … Where has the right wing sense of humour gone? This might seem like an odd question.
Partying with the Russian billionaire
02/12/2011 … When I was really little I wanted to be a stripper,’ Sarah Millican.
Honouring Britain's funny women
02/12/2011 … Victoria Wood, Jo Brand and Sue Perkins have been honoured at the Women In Film And TV Awards.
The end of the Comedy Cafe as you know it
'Brainless' audiences prompt rethink
02/12/2011 … London’s Comedy Cafe is closing its main room – after its owner got fed up with the ‘brainless’ audiences it has been attracting.
Thu 01 December 2011
Highlight clubs to axe comedy nights
Stand-up has become 'much less profitable'
01/12/2011 … Highlight is axing comedy nights at four of its nine venues.
Dylan Moran: Yeah, Yeah – Live In London
01/12/2011 … With Dylan Moran, a joke’s not just a joke, but brutal, honest poetry.
lock01
01/12/2011 … SEAN LOCK has set up an official Twitter page – or at least his agent has – to combat imposters.
readers01
01/12/2011 … CHORTLE attracted a record 201,174 unique users in November – up more than 18 per cent on the same month last year and the first time the number of monthly visitors…
Who are you calling a 'she'?
Piers Morgan screws up O'Neal tribute
01/12/2011 … Piers Morgan has been ridiculed after paying tribute to Patrice O’Neal – but believing the comedian was femaleThe sincerity of the former Britain's Got Talent…
Comedy Cafe New Act Of 2011 Final
01/12/2011 … The Comedy Cafe’s new act night has long been one of the best in London, amid an ever-swelling ocean of poorly-run, room-above-a-pub affairs.
Wed 30 November 2011
Farewell Patrice, my exhilarating, profound and hilarious friend
Brendon Burns offers a personal tribute to Patrice O'Neal
30/11/2011 … If you’ve never heard the name Patrice O’Neal until now, may I be the first to say: ‘Fuck you where were you when he was alive?’ before you join the inevitable…
Jack Whitehall lands his own sitcom
Among raft of new BBC Three comedies
30/11/2011 … Jack Whitehall has landed his own sitcom, announced amid a raft of new BBC Three commissions today.
Bain & Armstrong mine soaps for laughs
30/11/2011 … Peep Show and Fresh Meat creators Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong have written a new comedy for Channel 4, spoofing glitzy Dynasty-style soap operas.
Radio 4 commissions Edinburgh comedies
...plus a 'surreal' series from Matt Berry
30/11/2011 … Radio 4 has annouced a batch of new comedy shows, including four pilots commissioned from Edinburgh Fringe shows.
Mark Watson Live
30/11/2011 … Mark Watson always likes to put a few little unexpected moments into his live performances, and the same goes for this DVD.
three30
30/11/2011 … RORY McGRATH, Griff Rhys-Jones and Dara O Briain have made a seventh Three Men.
The mother of the father of alternative comedy...
John Fleming remembers Malcolm Hardee's mum Joan
30/11/2011 … Joan Hardee, the mother of alternative comedy godfather Malcolm, was 84 when she died yesterday.
meatod30
30/11/2011 … FRESH MEAT was the most viewed series on 4oD in October, with just under 3million views on line and on catch-up TV services.
mum30
30/11/2011 … MALCOLM HARDEE’s mother Joan died from pneumonia on Tuesday in a nursing home near Deal in Kent at the age of 84.
Tue 29 November 2011
Patrice O'Neal dies
A month after suffering stroke
29/11/2011 … American comedian Patrice O’Neal has died at the age of 41 – a month after suffering a serious stroke that left him unable to speak.
Now Jongleurs goes into online dating
29/11/2011 … Comedy club chain Jongleurs has moved into the internet dating business.
Friends, family... I don't want to see you
Raphael Perahia would rather perform for strangers
29/11/2011 … Friends, family, even exes have come to watch my gigs, but while on stage I always prefer the company of strangers.
© ABC Studios Scrubs star to make West End debut
29/11/2011 … Scrubs star Zach Braff is to make his British stage acting debut in a new comedy play, which he also wrote.
La Soiree 2011
29/11/2011 … Of all the many attempts of the years to revive the circus, La Soiree and its predecessor La Clique have been by far the most successful.
Mon 28 November 2011
The law won't find Frankie Boyle obscene (probably)
Says law student Jonathan Down
28/11/2011 … Many things have been said of Frankie Boyle: offensive; rude; crude; callous; hurtful; unsympathetic; ‘comedian’ (in sarcastic air quotes, obviously) ; not very…
Micky Flanagan: The Out Out Tour
28/11/2011 … No one can deny Micky Flanagan has had a spectacular couple of years, with his easy brand of charming cockney Herbertry accruing fans at an astonishing pace.
© Robbie Jack
Black comedy award nominees announced
28/11/2011 … The nominees have been announced for his year’s black comedy awards.
Conchords to fly again?
McKenzie reveals big-screen plans
28/11/2011 … Musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords are planning a movie version of their cult TV hit.
Everyone's talking about Kevin...
Bridges breaks box-office records
28/11/2011 … Kevin Bridges has broken box office records in his home town of Glasgow, after selling 45,000 tickets in one day.
Jack Whitehall for a comedy award?
'People's choice' shortlist announced
28/11/2011 … Jack Whitehall could win a British Comedy Award ahead of such well-established stars as Graham Norton and Jo Brand.
Sun 27 November 2011
Lee Evans takes DVD top spot
Topping Peter Kay in stand-up chart
27/11/2011 … Lee Evans has overtaken Peter Kay to be the bestselling stand-up DVD this week.
Scottish star Stephen Robertson dies
27/11/2011 … Scottish comedy star Stephen Robertson has died in hospital in Aberdeen at the age of 78 following a short illness.
mackenzie27
27/11/2011 … STAND-UPS including Tom Wrigglesworth and Tony Law are staging a night in memory of fellow comedian Mackenzie Taylor, who died after last year after a long struggle…
Prosecute Frankie Boyle for obscenity!
27/11/2011 … A charity chief is calling on police to prosecute Frankie Boyle under the Obscene Publications Act.
Sat 26 November 2011
Stewart Lee to guest edit R4's Today
Comic sets agenda on New Year's Eve
26/11/2011 … Stewart Lee is to be the guest editor of Radio 4's flagship current affairs show Today on New Year's Eve.
E4 drops Dirty Digest
Comedy talk show axed mid-series
26/11/2011 … E4 has unexpectedly axed its comedy showbiz gossip show Dirty Digest after just three episodes.
A little Moir understanding....
Garry Lee is fed up of tabloid comedy 'scandal'
26/11/2011 … Columnist Jan Moir yesterday used the pages of the Daily Mail to launch what is little short of character assassination of Jimmy Carr.
Fri 25 November 2011
Phill Jupitus joins Chumbawumba show
Musical role for Buzzcocks star
25/11/2011 … Phill Jupitus is to appear in a new musical alongside anarchist musical group Chumbawamba.
Rob Brydon, Small Man In A Book
25/11/2011 … It’s rather unfortunate for Rob Brydon that his sparring partner from The Trip, Steve Coogan, released the magnificent Alan Partridge memoirs at the same time…
Rory Bremner pilots C4 quiz show
25/11/2011 … Rory Bremner is turning quiz show host in a new pilot for Channel 4.
© BBC Life's Too Short sheds more viewers
...but Russell Howard flourishes
25/11/2011 … Life's Too Short has taken another dip in the ratings.
Dying for some irony...
Milo McCabe on performing ironically racist gags
25/11/2011 … Earlier this year, for a video segment of my Edinburgh show, I appeared at the Comedy Store in character as Tyson Moon, the son of a Seventies comedian.
Has your ass played the Royal Albert Hall?
25/11/2011 … ‘[QI] is repeated so much that my hourly rate of pay is lower than that of a small child making footballs in Indonesia.
paddy25
25/11/2011 … PADDY McGUINNESS is to host a new one-off celebrity quiz show, Paddy’s Show And Telly, for ITV1 this Christmas, with questions based on TV shows.
It's Lee £vans
25/11/2011 … Lee Evans will earn £8million this year, according to reports.
Gervais pilots old folks' comedy
...with Karl Pilkington acting
25/11/2011 … Ricky Gervais has been filming a pilot of a new series set in an old folks’ home.
Thu 24 November 2011
The old 'uns are the best...
New comedy contest for over 55s
24/11/2011 … The Leicester Comedy Festival has launched Britain’s first stand-up contest for the over-55s.
Picking the Lock...
Warning about Sean's fake Twitter account
24/11/2011 … Sean Lock’s managers are pushing to shut down a fake Twitter account set up in the comic’s name.
On the offensive
The Sun circulates 'sick' Jimmy Carr gig
24/11/2011 … The Sun newspaper has stirred up outrage after circulating a gag it openly admits is ‘sick’.
Wed 23 November 2011
Milton Jones: Lion Whisperer
23/11/2011 … This is, on the face of it, comedy at its most simplistic: a man on stage delivering an hour’s worth of puns.
The BBC was right to axe Shooting Stars
Chris Hallam says the show had had its day
23/11/2011 … Shooting Stars has been cancelled.
See The Ladykillers
Weekend West End break up for grabs
23/11/2011 … Celebrated Ealing comedy The Ladykillers comes to the West End from this weekend, thanks to a new adaption by Father Ted and IT Crowd writer Graham Linehan.
BBC Four orders Charlie Brooker show
23/11/2011 … Charlie Brooker is to host a satirical review of 2011 for BBC Four.
Bang tidy!
Celebrity Juice up for two Broacast Awards
23/11/2011 … Celebrity Juice, The Trip and Friday Night dinner are all up for two awards each in the 2012 Broadcast Awards.
BBC axes Sorry I've Got No Head
Anger at end of children's sketch show
23/11/2011 … The BBC has axed its hit children’s sketch show Sorry I've Got No Head after three series.
BBC orders more from Mrs Brown's Boys
Third series secured before second has aired
23/11/2011 … Mrs Brown's Boys has been commissioned for a third series – before the second has even aired.
Tue 22 November 2011
Paddy McGuinness: Saturday Night Live Tour 2011
22/11/2011 … Writing a comedy review of Paddy McGuinness is like asking a wine buff for his opinion on blue WKD.
Coogan gives evidence on tabloid ethics
22/11/2011 … Steve Coogan has given his evidence in the inquiry into media standards – saying reporters rifled through his rubbish bins and manipulated women into giving…
Fish Called Wanda musical gets closer
22/11/2011 … The Fish Called Wanda stage musical has come a step nearer after John Cleese struck a deal with the MGM studio, which owns the rights to his hit film.
Could you make the next Office?
€50k mockumentary contest opens
22/11/2011 … A new comedy film competition has been launched to unearth the next mockumentary hit.
bastards22
22/11/2011 … FACEJACKER has been beaten to best comedy in the International Emmys by Benidorm Bastards, a hidden camera show in which elderly people play tricks on youngsters.
nabors22
22/11/2011 … AMERICA's NBC network has ordered a new sitcom, The New Nabors, about a family living next door to a house full of puppets, to be made by the Jim Henson Co.
Mon 21 November 2011
Reginald D Hunter: Live
21/11/2011 … In his last couple of Edinburgh shows, Reginald D Hunter has appeared to be coasting: phoning in half-formed routines safe in the knowledge his undeniable charisma…
Sitcoms 'cheer you up'
From the No Shit Sherlock school of research
21/11/2011 … Sitcoms cheer you up, according to new research advancing the frontiers of human knowledge.
matilda21
21/11/2011 … TIM MINCHIN and Dennis Kelly's adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda has been named for best musical at the 57th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
© BBC Not Ideal
Johnny Vegas blasts BBC decision to axe show
21/11/2011 … Johnny Vegas has taken a swipe at BBC Three for axing his sitcom Ideal when its audience was at its peak.
Rubberbandits on tour
21/11/2011 … On their first UK tour, rascally Irish ‘hib-hop’ duo The Rubberbandits present a unique display of musical mischief, with their endearing weirdness and daring…
Sun 20 November 2011
Peter Kay holds on to No1
Still bestsetlling stand-up DVD
20/11/2011 … Peter Kay remains the bestselling stand-up DVD for the second week running.
Henning Wehn lands Radio 2 show
20/11/2011 … German comedian Henning Wehn has landed his own Radio 2 stand-up series.
Sat 19 November 2011
Why ads aren't bad
Liam Mullone believes comics shouldn't be reviled for taking the money
19/11/2011 … So we’re all agreed then? Doing adverts is terrible.
Show Me The Funny could return
ITV 'in talks', says Jason Manford
19/11/2011 … ITV is considering a second series of Show Me The Funny, host Jason Manford has revealed.
Fri 18 November 2011
mcint18
18/11/2011 … MICHAEL McINTYRE is to host a charity gig for Kids Company at the Hammersmith Apollo on December 12, featuring Jack Dee, Rhod Gilbert, Sean Lock and others.
You can't teach 'funny'
Joshua Ross on the folly of comedy courses
18/11/2011 … I was talking to a comic at an open mic night about comedy courses – when he found out I’d not been on one, he argued that I should do it right away.
'Lost' Hancock script to be performed
Highlight of new comedy film fest
18/11/2011 … A lost comic gem, originally written for Tony Hancock, is to have its first public performance at the first London Comedy Film Festival next year.
You know, for kids...
Details of Vic Reeves' children's show revealed
18/11/2011 … More details have been released about Vic Reeves’s new sketch show for CBBC.
© BBC A million viewers desert Life Too Short
Ratings slump for Gervais sitcom
18/11/2011 … Life’s Too Short has lost a million viewers – or more than 40 per cent of its audience - between the first two episodes.
Buggering a bald cartoon transvestite
18/11/2011 … ‘I’ve never been led by money.
Jackie Mason to quit UK shows
18/11/2011 … Jackie Mason has announced his last ever stand-up performances in the UK.
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18/11/2011 … KRISTEN SCHAAL has signed up to play a recurring character on 30 Rock – although details of her role are being kept secreat.
Thu 17 November 2011
Venting an opinion
John Fleming on Nina Conti's new film
17/11/2011 … I have always been a bit wary of ventriloquists.
Tim Minchin And The Heritage Orchestra Live At The Royal Albert Hall
17/11/2011 … Comedians who become famous are always presented with a dilemma of how long to keep using their best material.
Edmondson blasts BBC 'wankers'
17/11/2011 … Adrian Edmondson has criticised BBC comedy bosses for being indecisive ‘wankers’.
Tim Minchin turns down Pepsi ad
17/11/2011 … Tim Minchin has turned down a lucrative offer to front an advertising campaign for Pepsi.
avalon17
17/11/2011 … THE TV arm of comedy production and management company Avalon is expanding its Scottish base by appointing BBC executive Toby Stevens to run its office in Edinburgh.
More awards for Peep Show
Scripts win Writers' Guild accolades
17/11/2011 … Peep Show creators Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain have another trophy for their cabinet, after scooping a Writers' Guild Of Great Britain Award.
South Park renewed until 2016
And Stone & Parker will write them all
17/11/2011 … South Park will run until at least 2016, after creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone signed a new deal with US broadcasters Comedy Central.
New show for Shooting Stars Angelos
C4 snaps up entertainment series
17/11/2011 … Shooting Stars might have been axed – but Vic and Bob’s sidekick Angelos Epithemiou has immediately landed a series with Channel 4.
Gervais lands Golden Globes gig again
Hollywood invites more insults
17/11/2011 … Ricky Gervais is to host the Golden Globes again, despite supposedly upsetting some of Hollywood’s biggest names at the last event.
Wed 16 November 2011
Peter Kay to host Royal Variety Show
Minchin, Davies and Manford on the bill
16/11/2011 … Peter Kay is to host this year’s Royal Variety Performance, it has been announced.
Russell Howard breaks his fingers
Taken to hosptial after Good News stunt
16/11/2011 … Russell Howard was taken to hospital last night after breaking fingers on his left hand while recording his BBC Three show Good News.
Greg Davies: Firing Cheeseballs At A Dog
16/11/2011 … Greg Davies’s debut DVD is a superlative piece of stand-up storytelling, a brilliantly entertaining collection of funny real-life stories ramped up to hilarious…
Jimmy Carr to host Countdown
16/11/2011 … Jimmy Carr is to be the host of Countdown – but for one episode only.
Warwick Davis to front panel show
16/11/2011 … Warwick Davis could be fronting his own BBC panel show.
Tue 15 November 2011
© BBC BBC axes Shooting Stars
Bob Mortimer breaks the news on Twitter
15/11/2011 … The BBC has cancelled Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer’s panel Shooting Stars.
Win the best of American stand-up
A set of set CDs for our main winner
15/11/2011 … A batch of import stand-up CDs have been released on Comedy Central – and we’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win all seven.
Alexei Sayle to return to stand-up
15/11/2011 … Alexei Sayle is to return to stand-up after a 16-year absence.
© BBC How bad sitcoms cause riots
15/11/2011 … Penelope Keith says the death of sitcoms with universal appeal has contributed to the breakdown of families – and even the summer riots.
Radio 2 Comedy Spectacular For Children In Need
15/11/2011 … At the last minute, Radio 2’s annual Children In Need comedy gala moved from the 1,100-seat Shepherds Bush Empire to the 300-seat Radio Theatre in Broadcasting…
Mon 14 November 2011
Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies
14/11/2011 … He may be so tall that strangers use him as a landmark, but Stephen Merchant’s comedy career has always been in a certain someone else’s shadow.
Apollo recovers – a bit
Stand-up show's audience rises
14/11/2011 … Live At The Apollo bounced back in the ratings this weekend.
Frankie Boyle announces (another) last tour
14/11/2011 … He famously said his last live show would be his final one – but now Frankie Boyle has announced another farewell tour.
© Universal Studios The President Stole My Girlfriend
14/11/2011 … Russell Brand is to produce and star in a new comedy movie, The President Stole My Girlfriend.
It's Manic Monday
14/11/2011 … An incredible 17 stand-up DVD titles have all been released today.
Soho Comedy Club, November 11, 2011
14/11/2011 … It is both the joy and the bane of stand-up – that there isn’t such a thing as a typical night in a comedy club.
Sun 13 November 2011
kaydvd13
13/11/2011 … PETER KAY’s Tour That Doesn’t Tour has shot to No 2 in the DVD bestseller chart in its first week of release, behind only the new high-definition version of…
Peter Kay makes £7m from stand-up
...and there's lots more to come
13/11/2011 … Peter Kay is making more than £7million a year from stand-up, according to his official accounts.
Life's too short for integrity
Marc Blake on Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's new sitcom
13/11/2011 … If integrity is akin to a prosperous bank account, then Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s new Sitcom Life’s Too Short proves that they are heading for a bankruptcy…
Don't call stupid comics 'brave'
13/11/2011 … ‘Stewart Lee has challenged the notion that comics doing offensive material are in any way ‘brave’.
Kempinska's opening night
13/11/2011 … Jongleurs founder Maria Kempinska has opened more than her fair share of comedy nights in her time, but never, until now, a venue under her own name.
Sat 12 November 2011
django12
12/11/2011 … SACHA BARON COHEN is reportedly on the verge of signing up to appear in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming slave-era western, Django Unchained.
Fri 11 November 2011
Should comedy be taken seriously?
Jerry Sadowitz shares his thoughts...
11/11/2011 … I REALLY find it offensive when I hear gags about people with mental disabilities.
Russell Kane signs first book deal
Novel about humourless comedy critic
11/11/2011 … Russell Kane has signed a book deal for his first novel – about a comedy critic who ‘lacks any kind of human empathy’.
Oh, smeg!
Red Dwarf ticket demand crashes website
11/11/2011 … Red Dwarf fans have crashed the website of a TV audience company, after tickets were released for the new series.
Al Pacino, stand-up comic
11/11/2011 … ‘I am not a massive drinker – except when I’m out with James Corden and Jason Manford.
Limmy sorry over 'Die Now' tweets
11/11/2011 … Scottish comedian Limmy has backtracked over a series of aggressive Tweets against Margaret Thatcher and the Royal Family, after they sparked calls for him to be…
Ex Celtic star pens a sitcom
Jackie McNamara launches pilot
11/11/2011 … Former Celtic football star Jackie McNamara has turned to sitcom writing.
BBC Three pilot for Russell Kane
11/11/2011 … Russell Kane is piloting a new BBC Three programme showcasing the best of circuit comedy.
© BBC 2.4m see Life's Too Short
Comedy line-up wins strong audiences
11/11/2011 … Life’s Too Short got off to a strong start in the ratings last night, attracting an audience of 2.
Thu 10 November 2011
Channel 4 opens its Comedy Blaps
10/11/2011 … Channel 4 has today launched its Comedy Blaps site, giving a platform for new talent and ideas.
Russell Kane's Smokescreens And Castles
10/11/2011 … There’s no doubt that this was Russell Kane’s breakthrough show: a passionate and deeply personal ‘warts-and-all’ look at his often distant relationship…
Lee Evans hits the big screen
10/11/2011 … Lee Evans’s new DVD is to be screened across 69 cinemas across the UK – in 3D, and all on the same night.
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10/11/2011 … SKY ATLANTIC is to buy the rights to Alan Partridge’s Mid Morning Matters – the series initially made online for Fosters – according to trade magazine Broadcast.
Jeff Leach's sex probe
10/11/2011 … BBC Three has ordered a documentary from comedian Jeff Leach as part of a new sex season.
Wed 09 November 2011
Keith Lemon, movie star
09/11/2011 … Keith Lemon is to star in his own movie.
circalit09
09/11/2011 … A NEW competition is offering one comedy writer the chance to have their sketch made as a professional viral video.
Peter Kay Live:The Tour That Didn't Tour Tour
09/11/2011 … The adverts proclaim this as Peter Kay’s first live DVD in eight years.
Can you have comedy with a conscience?
Jahnavi Goldstein wrestles with her ethics
09/11/2011 … I love comedy, I love making people laugh and I treasure the ability and gift comedians have to turn pain into the powerful solace of laughter.
Paul Merton returns to stand-up
For his first tour this century
09/11/2011 … Paul Merton is to to return to stand-up for the first time this century.
celeb09
09/11/2011 … FREDDIE STARR is to be in the new series of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of here.
leicester09
09/11/2011 … DAVE's Leicester Comedy Festival is seeking award judges to scour shows at next year's event.
Tue 08 November 2011
Coming soon: Ab Fab, the movie
Saunders ready to work on script
08/11/2011 … Jennifer Saunders is planning an Absolutely Fabulous movie.
Rufus Hound: Being Rude
08/11/2011 … As he admits in this show, Rufus Hound has not had the grounding in stand-up you might expect of a comic releasing his own DVD.
Mon 07 November 2011
'You'd have to be quite psychotic to get that angry about TV'
07/11/2011 … Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker’s latest series of darkly comic dramas set in various dystopian futures, is coming to Channel 4 soon.
Radio 4 pilots 'foreign News Quiz'
07/11/2011 … Radio 4 is working on a new topical comedy show, to be fronted by Andrew Maxwell.
Jimmy Carr leads Lafta nominations
07/11/2011 … Jimmy Carr leads the nominations for next year’s Loaded Lafta awards, announced today.
When is a joke racist?
John Fleming shares his thoughts
07/11/2011 … I normally try not to quote from people’s stage acts but, occasionally, American comedian Lewis Schaffer mentions on stage that an Edinburgh Fringe reviewer once…
Richard Herring's Christ On A Bike
07/11/2011 … When this show was performed in Glasgow on tour, hardline Christian protesters stood outside the venue with placards saying: ‘Richard Herring: The Blasphemous…
metro07
07/11/2011 … ED BYRNE has become the first-ever celebrity columnist employed by city free paper Metro, with his first piece appearing today.
Apollo descends
Audience dip for stand-up show
07/11/2011 … Live At The Apollo took a dip in the ratings when it returned on Friday.
bestsell07
07/11/2011 … LEE EVANS has been knocked off the top of the Sunday Times bestseller list after five weeks by the Steve Jobs biography – but has still sold 72,000 copies to…
Walliams hounded for Harry Styles joke
Two complaints prompt 166 newspaper artlcles
07/11/2011 … Newspapers have rounded on David Walliams over a cheeky joke he made about One Direction singer Harry Styles.
Sun 06 November 2011
Jimmy Carr sorry over car crash joke
06/11/2011 … Jimmy Carr has apologised after tweeting a joke about a car crash so soon after the M5 crash in which seven people died.
Men 'are funnier than women'
...but by nowhere near as much as they think they are
06/11/2011 … Men are funnier than women – but only by the narrowest of margins – according to new research.
© BBC Sat 05 November 2011
© BBC A right Royle screw-up
Christmas special shelved over script delay
05/11/2011 … The Royle Family Christmas special has been shelved, because Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash couldn’t finish writing it in time.
Fri 04 November 2011
Comedians, wear your poppy with pride
04/11/2011 … I must look a right state before I go on stage.
'We have to parade our growths'
04/11/2011 … ‘My act has basically become “being slightly pathetic” over recent years.
I, Partridge, by Alan Partridge
04/11/2011 … Few can have seen Alan Gordon Partridge and thought, ‘Who is this man, and how on earth did he get on my TV?’ Well now, thanks to his autobiography I, Partridge,…
Win Rufus Hound's first DVD
04/11/2011 … Rufus Hound’s first stand-up DVD is released on Monday – and we have six copies to give away.
Cutting out the middle men
Louis CK releases stand-up special direct
04/11/2011 … American comedian Louis CK is bypassing traditional media to release his next stand-up special directly over the internet.
Thu 03 November 2011
A reel coup
Movie show snaps up top comics
03/11/2011 … Comics including Stewart Lee, Rob Brydon, Rufus Hound and Simon Pegg are taking part in a new movie show for the DMax digital channel.
Putting the NE into 'NEw comedy'
BBC hunts for North East talent
03/11/2011 … The BBC has launched a second hunt for new comedy talent in the North East of England.
Dave hunts for Britain's best comedy club
03/11/2011 … TV channel Dave is to launch an award for the best comedy club in the UK.
© Matt Crossick/PA Fast Show 'could return to TV'
03/11/2011 … The Fast Show could return to TV – or even the live stage – following their reunion on the internet.
© Matt Crossick/PA 'You can abuse disabled people now, it's fine'
The Fast Show cast on their comeback
03/11/2011 … ‘In a time of recession people look back to the good old days,’ muses comic John Thomson.
C4 announces Hacks cast
03/11/2011 … More details have been revealed about Channel 4’s phone-hacking comedy, as the channel reveals its Christmas line-up.
Wed 02 November 2011
Jongleurs venues escape axe
11 nightclubs close, but 'business as usual' for the rest
02/11/2011 … Jongleurs nights held in clubs owned by failed nightclub operator Luminar appear safe for now, after the venues escaped closure by the administrators.
10 O'Clock Live gets a haircut
02/11/2011 … 10 O’Clock Live is to return to Channel 4, but with a shorter format than last series.
Dave Spikey wins short film award
02/11/2011 … A pilot sitcom from Dave Spikey has scooped an award at a new comedy film festival.
Dark days are over
TV wants big, 'laugh-out-loud' comedies
02/11/2011 … Dark and underplayed comedy has fallen out of favour with TV executives, who now demand bolder, brasher shows, a panel of industry experts has agreed.
Ricky Gervais plans Channel 4 comedy
But details wrapped in secrecy
02/11/2011 … Ricky Gervais is about to start work on a secret new Channel 4 project, his producer has revealed.
© BBC Could Human Remains return?
02/11/2011 … Rob Brydon says he wants to reunite with his Human Remains co-creator Julia Davis… possibly for another series of the dark comedy.
XS Malarkey, Nov 1, 2011
02/11/2011 … XS Malarkey, by overwhelming consensus Manchester’s best independent comedy club, has not long settled into its new home in a disused chapel in the studenty Fallowfields…
Tue 01 November 2011
Doug Stanhope to tour UK
01/11/2011 … Doug Stanhope has announced his longest ever UK tour – with 33 dates next spring.
cast01
01/11/2011 … CHANNEL 4 has ordered an hour-long Christmas special of 8 Out Of 10 Cats with Jimmy Carr, Sean Lock and Jon Richardson.
Ricky uncovered
Gervais denied Radio Times front page throughout UK
01/11/2011 … Radio Times bosses have denied that Ricky Gervais is only on the cover of this week’s magazine in certain parts of the country for fear of causing offence.
BBC3 boss 'doesn't know what comedies he wants'
01/11/2011 … BBC Three controller Zai Bennett has no idea what comedy shows he wants to bring to his channel, according to a corporation insider.
od01
01/11/2011 … COMEDY was again the most-watched genre on Channel 4's 4oD catch-up service in September, thanks largely to request for episodes of The Inbetweeners.
Mon 31 October 2011
Eddie Izzard 'to run through Africa'
31/10/2011 … Eddie Izzard is reportedly planning to run barefoot through Africa.
Cordened off
Mat Horne conspicuously absent from former pal's tributes
31/10/2011 … Mathew Horne has declined to be interviewed for a TV profile of his former comedy partner and best friend James Corden.
Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty
31/10/2011 … Back on tour for the first time in three years, Omid Djalili serves up a real Middle Eastern meze of a show, offering a tantalising taste of lots of ideas and styles,…
Sun 30 October 2011
death30
30/10/2011 … THE BBC will not screen any comedy shows on any of its channels for 12 days after the death of the Queen, Prince Charles or Prince William, according to contingency…
Fri 28 October 2011
Cairo practice
Mike James witnesses the birth of a new Egyptian stand-up scene
28/10/2011 … My forays into stand up have been international: I started out playing to expats in Seoul, continued to drunks/students in Budapest, through to one forgettable experience…
Johnny Depp, a midget and a toilet...
28/10/2011 … ‘I don't think of myself as funny.
Tom Allen looks at shocking bodies
28/10/2011 … Tom Allen is to front an E4 clip show about shocking bodies.
wiig28
28/10/2011 … KRISTEN WIIG has joined the cast of The Comedian, in which Robert De Niro plays an aging stand-up forced to do community service after hitting a punter with a microphone.
John Bishop's first arena tour
Six months after saying he was resting
28/10/2011 … John Bishop has announced his first arena tour – less than six months after vowing to quit touring for ‘several years’.
John Leguizamo in Ghetto Klown
28/10/2011 … You might not immediately know the name John Leguizamo, but you will almost certainly have seen him in something, as his packed CV of supporting roles includes Carlito’s…
Thu 27 October 2011
Review: Wayne Brady at Leicester Square Theatre
27/10/2011 … The name might not mean all that in Britain, but Wayne Brady enjoys a decent level of success in the States, largely for being a regular on Whose Line Is It Anyway?He’s…
Johnny Vegas's book delayed
...because he hasn't finished writing it
27/10/2011 … Johnny Vegas’s autobiography has been delayed for a year – because the comic struggled to get it finished on time.
Jongleurs' nightclub partner goes under
11 sites at risk as Luminar collapses
27/10/2011 … A question mark hangs over the future of more than half of Jongleurs’ regular comedy venues after the collapse of nightclub operator Luminar.
© BBC Wed 26 October 2011
Newcastle Stand, a canny new club
Steve Bennett goes to the launch
26/10/2011 … The backdrop is very familiar, a baby-faced cowboy, holding a gun to his head.
Patrice O'Neal suffers stroke
'We don't know how he's going to be'
26/10/2011 … American comedian Patrice O’Neal has suffered a stroke at the age of 41.
Kevin Bridges to host Scottish Baftas
26/10/2011 … Kevin Bridges will host the Bafta Scotland awards, it has been announced.
hanson26
26/10/2011 … COMEDY producer Charlie Hanson – whose credits include Extras and Life's Too Short – will be conducting a Q&A on Twitter from 2pm this Saturday as part of Manchester's…
The man to solve the Middle East crisis?
Seinfeld star meets Israeli president
26/10/2011 … Israeli President Shimon Peres has sought help on how to solve the Palestinian crisis – from Seinfeld star Jason Alexander.
The Stand Newcastle launch gig
26/10/2011 … The backdrop is very familiar, a baby-faced cowboy, holding a gun to his head.
Tue 25 October 2011
Channel 4 orders more Fresh Meat
25/10/2011 … Channel 4 has ordered a second series of student comedy drama Fresh Meat, even though the initial eight episodes have not yet finished airing.
Mon 24 October 2011
Omid Djalili takes The Infidel to NBC
US breakthrough based on David Baddiel's film
24/10/2011 … Omid Djalili is set to star in a remake of David Baddiel’s movie The Infidel for American TV.
ferrell24
24/10/2011 … WILL FERRELL has been awarded America's top comedy awards, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Work! Consume! Die! by Frankie Boyle
24/10/2011 … The original sub-title for Frankie Boyle’s second book, Work! Consume! Die! was I Am Almost Completely Insane Now – and after reading 329 relentless pages of…
Jerry Sadowitz: Comedian, Magician, Psychopath
24/10/2011 … Say what you like about Jerry Sadowitz, but he was way ahead of the curve.
Sun 23 October 2011
Steve Coogan 'lost interest' in new sitcom
...says collaborator Jeff Garlin
23/10/2011 … Steve Coogan has abandoned a sitcom he was planning with Curb Your Enthusiasm star Jeff Garlin after ‘losing interest’ in the idea.
Comic 'terrified' by pub bust-up
Footballer was enraged by gay gags
23/10/2011 … Irish comedian Oliver Callan has spoken of how he was left ‘rattled’ and ‘terrified’ after being confronted by a Gaelic footballer he mimicked on air.
Fri 21 October 2011
© BBC Catherine Tate lands an Office job
21/10/2011 … Catherine Tate is to join the cast of the US version of The Office.
© C4 Linehan pulls the plug on The IT Crowd
No series five, just a special
21/10/2011 … The IT Crowd is definitely over, its creator Graham Linehan has told fans.
BBC picks up Citizen Khan
21/10/2011 … The BBC is to make a sitcom based on on the character Mr Khan, the self-styled Muslim community leader character from Bellamy’s People.
You've only got yourself to blame...
Matthew Thomas says bad gigs are always the comic's fault
21/10/2011 … The other day somebody asked me why I like stand-up comedy.
Thu 20 October 2011
Why Ricky Gervais is wrong
Ted Shiress, who has cerebral palsy, joins the 'mong' debate
20/10/2011 … Ricky Gervais sure knows how to get people talking about him, and his latest ‘stunt’ involves tweeting about how he likes to use the word ‘mong’.
cartoon20
20/10/2011 … HARRY HILL is to appear on Cartoon Network after the station brought the rerun rights to 20 episodes of TV Burp plus his kids’ sketch series Shark Infested Custard,…
Win more Ignorance!
20/10/2011 … QI’s Second Book Of General Ignorance has just been published in paperback, and we have five signed copies to give away.
holy20
20/10/2011 … HOLY Flying Circus, about the controversy surrounding Monty Python’s Life of Brian, was seen by 540,000 viewers on Wednesday night – more than 50 per cent up…
C4 closes its Comedy Labs
Pilot strand ends after 13 years
20/10/2011 … Channel 4 is closing its Comedy Labs series of pilots, which helped launch the careers of Peter Kay, Jimmy Carr and Russell Brand.
Just A Minute moves to TV
Ten shows to mark 45th anniversary
20/10/2011 … Radio 4 panel show Just A Minute is to transfer to TV next year, to mark the show’s 45th anniversary.
Sam Avery: Rock And Dole
20/10/2011 … Tonight, he may be playing to a couple of dozen people in a Manchester basement bar, but Sam Avery was once destined for much bigger things.
Vladimir McTavish: A Scotsman's Guide To Betting
20/10/2011 … ‘You can bet on absolutely anything these days,’ says Vladimir McTavish, by way of introduction.
Sarah-May Philo: Class
20/10/2011 … Poor Sarah-May Philo seems to be struggling with a situation beyond her experience.
Wed 19 October 2011
Rising Damp
Revival of the original play, reviewed by Steve Bennett
19/10/2011 … This is certainly a piece of comedy history.
Frank Skinner's rows to flare up again
Radio 4 recommissions Don't Start
19/10/2011 … Frank Skinner’s Radio 4 sitcom Don’t Start has been commissioned for a second series.
Hangover 2? That was my life
19/10/2011 … An American man is suing the producers of The Hangover 2 – claiming they ripped off his life story for the plot.
Steve Shanyaski review
19/10/2011 … Steve Shanyaski is the epitome of the modern club comic.
Jimeoin: Lovely!
19/10/2011 … Jimeoin serves up comic observations as if they were amuse-bouches; intricate, exquisite and flavoursome tidbits that don’t seem especially filling – until…
Quentin Reynolds: Bizarre
19/10/2011 … Well, it’s quite the compliment for a magician, having a young girl walk out, very vocally declaring that she’s a Catholic and as such will have no part in…
Tue 18 October 2011
Laura Solon signs US deal
18/10/2011 … Laura Solon has been signed up to write and produce a family sitcom for American TV.
Deprived of 'anal joy'
Comic says HIGNFY took his joke
18/10/2011 … Stand-up Steve Day has complained after one of his jokes appeared on Have I Got News For You.
Russell Kane back in the jungle
Comic returns to I'm A Celeb... spin-off
18/10/2011 … Russell Kane is to return to presenting the ITV2 spin-off show I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here Now! when the reality show returns next month.
Beat The Frog World Series Final 2011
18/10/2011 … It might not trouble Simon Schama’s research, but this Beat The Frog show was historic, in its own minor way.
Mon 17 October 2011
What TV producers are *really* looking for
John Fleming gives advice to comics
17/10/2011 … Yesterday, I had tea with a very good but not yet famous comedy performer.
Gervais in "mong" ding-dong
Comic flamed over offensive term
17/10/2011 … Ricky Gervais has been flamed on Twitter for his continual use of the word ‘mong’ as an insult.
glasgow17
17/10/2011 … THE Glasgow Comedy Festival is hosting a gig as part of next month’s New York Comedy Festival, showcasing Scottish acts Bruce Devlin, Des Clarke and Raymond Mearns.
BBC makes Lenny Henry disappear
...as Pete Firman joins The Magicians
17/10/2011 … Pete Firman has landed a regular slot on the second series of The Magicians – but Lenny Henry will not return as host.
2m hunt for Tony Blair
Comic Strip makes a solid return
17/10/2011 … The Comic Strip’s return to Channel 4 attracted almost two million viewers on Friday night.
Bill Burr at Leicester Square Theatre
17/10/2011 … Imagine a short-tempered American man who owns a pitbull, advocates gun ownership and can think of plenty of good reasons to hit a woman.
Sat 15 October 2011
Tommy Tiernan: Poot
15/10/2011 … Since poot is a fancy word for fart, it is a perfect title for Tommy Tiernan’s show, which similarly blends the highbrow and the low.
Fri 14 October 2011
© Robbie Jack Stephen Merchant and the breasts of granite
14/10/2011 … Stephen Merchant was once caught by police fondling a naked statue's breasts.
burnistoun14
14/10/2011 … SCOTTISH sketch show Burnistoun proved a flop when it moved to nationwide BBC Two on Thursday night, with a Best Of… compilation attracting fewer than 200,000…
Office Party
14/10/2011 … The adverts for Office Party that have sprung up on London’s Tube network seem a little coy about what it actually entails -– and understandably so, as they…
Brighton Comedy Fringe launch 2011
14/10/2011 … You might think a gala launch would have some sense of occasion.
Thu 13 October 2011
The £2,000 fart
Romanian broadcaster fined over fake Mr Methane clip
13/10/2011 … The Romanian TV station which broadcast doctored footage of British variety act Mr Methane farting along to the national anthem has been fined just over £2,000…
Oh, put it away!
Matt Thomas wishes comedians would leave their genitals alone
13/10/2011 … The other day I was involved in an early heat of one of the many comedy competitions.
Tom Allen has ex- appeal
Comic shoots pilot show for E4
13/10/2011 … Stand-up Tom Allen is working on a new E4 reality show which tries to bring couples back together through a ‘series of ever more audacious stunts’.
Spirited away
Brand drops out of Rentaghost remake
13/10/2011 … Russell Brand has reportedly dropped out of the big-screen remake of Seventies children’s comedy Rentaghost.
© BBC Red Dwarf return to be filmed next month
13/10/2011 … Filming on the comeback series of Red Dwarf will start at the end of November, star Danny John-Jules has revealed.
BBC Two show for Sarah Millican
13/10/2011 … BBC Two has signed up Sarah Millican for her own six-part comedy series.
Family Guy's over the hill
13/10/2011 … Family Guy is past its prime and should have ended years ago – and that’s according to the show’s boss.
More comics join Sky's Little Crackers
13/10/2011 … Johnny Vegas, Jack Whitehall and Harry Hill have signed up to make short films for Sky 1’s Little Crackers season this Christmas.
Wed 12 October 2011
It's Apollo 7
Line-ups for next series revealed
12/10/2011 … The line-ups for the seventh series of Live At The Apollo have been announced.
US sitcom pilot for Jim Jefferies
12/10/2011 … Stand-up Jim Jefferies is a step closer to his own American sitcom after the FX network ordered a rough pilot.
© BBC Taking the Trip to America
12/10/2011 … The makers of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon comedy The Trip are hoping to sell the idea to America, with two US comedians embarking on the road journey.
Fox signs Hannibal Buress
12/10/2011 … American comedian Hannibal Buress is set to star in his own sitcom – co-written with Superbad star Jonah Hill.
Turned out nice again...
Frank Skinner makes George Formby documentary
12/10/2011 … Frank Skinner is to examine the life of George Formby in a one-off documentary for BBC Four.
Serious money....
Jongleurs wants investors to fund expansion plans
12/10/2011 … Comedy club chain Jongleurs has announced plans for more venues, a talent management agency, DVD distribution arm and a ‘mainstream TV programme’ as it seeks…
Burma frees dissident comedian
But Zarganar's freedom is 'conditional'
12/10/2011 … Burmese comedian Zarganar has been released from his 35-year prison sentence for criticising the military regime.
London Storytelling Festival 2011 Closing Gala
12/10/2011 … Storytelling can sometimes be seen as comedy’s fey, bookish older brother, brooding alone in the corner as his more popular, charismatic sibling gets all the attention…
Tue 11 October 2011
Blackpool gets a magic carpet
11/10/2011 … Ken Dodd has officially opened the Comedy Carpet in Blackpool – a huge piece of public art honouring around 1,000 comedians.
Mr Methane kicks up an international stink
Row over fake Romanian TV footage
11/10/2011 … A variety performer is at the centre of a diplomatic row after doctored footage of him farting the Romanian national anthem was screened in the Eastern European…
rev11
11/10/2011 … RICHARD E GRANT, Ralph Fiennes and Sylvia Sims have all signed up to appear in the second series of Rev.
Jerry Springer opera debuts in Ireland
Dublin first for controversial musical
11/10/2011 … Jerry Springer: The Opera is to be performed in Ireland for the first time.
leciester11
11/10/2011 … BRITAIN's longest-running comedy festival has signed a sponsorship deal with digital TV station Dave, and will next year be called Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival.
Mon 10 October 2011
brady10
10/10/2011 … WAYNE BRADY - the American comic who came to prominence on the US version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? before hosting his own daytime talk show – is to play a one-off…
barr10
10/10/2011 … ROSEANNE Barr is creating a new studio sitcom about a family living in a trailer park, Downwardly Mobile, for America's NBC network.
BBC orders Lapland Christmas comedy
10/10/2011 … The Royle Family’s Sue Johnston is to head the ensemble cast for a ‘big, heartwarming’ BBC One Christmas comedy.
Kevin Bishop to play vigilante cop
New movie starts filming today
10/10/2011 … Kevin Bishop has today started filming a new British comedy film set agains the recent London riots.
Still controversial after all these years...
10/10/2011 … Some members of Monty Python are said to be annoyed about the forthcoming BBC comedy-drama about the Life of Brian row.
Altitude Comedy Festival 2012
Launch video with Andrew Maxwell
10/10/2011 … Altitude festival launch video.
Sun 09 October 2011
Lee Evans tops bestseller list
Knocking Peter Kay down to No 4
09/10/2011 … Lee Evans has knocked Peter Kay off the top of the hardback bestseller chart, after selling an impressive 16,000 copies in its first week of release.
© HBO Priest objects to George Carlin tribute
'Vulgar comic's a bad role model'
09/10/2011 … Plans to name a New York Street after George Carlin have hit problems – after a local priest complained the comedian was too ‘vulgar’ to be honoured.
Brighton Festival Gala 2011
09/10/2011 … Because it’s backed by uber-agent Addison Cresswell of Off The Kerb, the gala launching the Brighton Comedy Festival offers an embarrassment of riches, with about…
Sat 08 October 2011
Hart attack
BBC replies to critics of Miranda's Radio 2 stint
08/10/2011 … Radio 2 has defended its decision to hand over the breakfast show to Miranda Hart and Jon Holmes after receiving complaints from listeners.
Rail staff make 3ft 6in comic's life hell
08/10/2011 … Stand-up Tanyalee Davis has reacted angrily after rail staff left her to dismantle her own mobility scooter on a station platform, citing health and safety fears.
Milton Jones takes on the nativity
08/10/2011 … Milton Jones has signed up to narrate a Christmas Facebook animation, retelling the nativity story.
© Fox The Simpsons survive
Pay deal secures two more series
08/10/2011 … The cast of The Simpsons have agreed to pay cuts to keep the show on air for another two years.
Fri 07 October 2011
E4 gets 'Dirty'
New 'bitchy' comedy show about celeb gossip
07/10/2011 … E4 is to launch a new late night comedy show offering a ‘bitchy’ take on the week’s celebrity news.
My Family star on breath test charge
07/10/2011 … ‘I got into comedy because I loved watching comedy as a child.
Simon Amstell announces 2012 tour
07/10/2011 … Simon Amstell has announced a 28-date tour for next year.
American Free Agents axed
Sitcom remake lasted just four weeks
07/10/2011 … The American version of Channel 4 sitcom Free Agents has been axed after just four weeks.
Tom Stade: What Year Was That? in London
07/10/2011 … Tom Stade might not be that familiar a name – a McIntryre Roadshow and a couple of other stand-up slots is pretty much all he has on his televisual CV – but…
Thu 06 October 2011
Unfair competition
Simon Caine hates new act contests decided by audiences
06/10/2011 … As I stand in the wings my heartbeat quickens.
'Sprinkled with fairy dust'
Gregor Fisher on 25 years of Rab C Nesbitt
06/10/2011 … Rab C Nesbitt returned to BBC Two for its tenth series last night, as unapologetically grimy – and as popular – as ever.
BBC to cut back on comedy
06/10/2011 … There will be less comedy on BBC Two, Radio 2 and Five Live following the latest round of BBC cuts announced today.
Making a decent Fist of it
Details of Lee & Herring DVD revealed
06/10/2011 … Richard Herring has revealed details of the long-awaited Fist Of Fun DVD.
rab06
06/10/2011 … THE return of Rab C Nesbitt has proved a ratings hit for BBC Two – as two million tuned in for the start of the tenth series on Wednesday night, well up on the…
ITV has another bite of Keith Lemon
Second attempt at primetime show
06/10/2011 … ITV is having another bash at making a prime-time star of Keith Lemon.
Ernie Wise's sad end
06/10/2011 … Ernie Wise spent the last years of his life paranoid and depressed, his widow Doreen has revealed.
Wed 05 October 2011
tunnel05
05/10/2011 … ALMOST 100 pictures from the Eighties heyday of Malcolm Hardee's legendary Tunnel Club in South London have been posted on Flickr by photographer Bill Alford.
Mock The Week isn't the problem...
Bethany Black on the old 'women in comedy' debate
05/10/2011 … I keep getting dragged in to an argument on Twitter, an argument with people who ostensibly are attempting to fight my corner, but in reality do not understand the…
Radio 2 goes for the Byrne
05/10/2011 … Jason Byrne’s sitcom Father Figure has been picked up for a short series by Radio 2.
Too disabled for kids?
BBC plans documentary about comic Laurence Clark
05/10/2011 … Comedian Laurence Clark is to be the subject of a new BBC One documentary about being a disabled parent.
© Fox The Simpsons 'could be shut down'
05/10/2011 … The Simpsons could come to an end after the current series as producers Fox play hardball in salary discussions.
Tue 04 October 2011
stand04
04/10/2011 … THE NEW 300-seat Newcastle branch of The Stand comedy club is to open on October 27, it has been announced.
Star-studded... and it's only a student film
Comics out in force for MA project
04/10/2011 … A host of top stand-up stars have helped a media student put together a slick documentary on what it takes to be a comedian.
against04
04/10/2011 … JON HOLMES and Alice Arnold have been commissioned to make a fourth series of Listen Against for Radio 4, which will start in early November.
Brung Up Proper by Jason Manford
04/10/2011 … Jason Manford’s autobiography is so full of authentic Northern ‘we we poor but we were happy’ charm that you can almost hear the Coronation Street theme play…
Don't panic! The sitcom's not dead
Steve Bennett on the myth of a comedy 'golden age'
04/10/2011 … Whenever an icon of comedy dies, broadcasters traditionally dust down a long-forgotten episode of their greatest work to screen in tribute.
Stand Up For The Week to return
04/10/2011 … Channel 4 has ordered a third series of Stand-Up For The Week, with a new line-up of comics.
Black Pond
04/10/2011 … ‘I lost my job because of the publicity,’ Chris Langham complains, as he discusses his links to a heinous crime that had him vilified in the newspapers.
Boom Boom Club at Old Vic Tunnels
04/10/2011 … Talk about taking underground cabaret literally.
Mon 03 October 2011
episodes03
03/10/2011 … MATT LeBLANC comedy Episodes is to be screened in Japan after it was sold to broadcaster Wowow.
David Cameron: The sitcom
Producer pitches idea to broadcasters
03/10/2011 … The creators of a sitcom about the private life of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard are trying to sell the idea to a UK broadcaster – but based around David…
Comedy Central buys NBC's Whitney
03/10/2011 … Comedy Central has brought the rights to new American sitcom Whitney, starring stand-up Whitney Cummings.
Peter Kay's a bestseller
03/10/2011 … Peter Kay has topped the bestseller list for his third title, The Book That’s More Than Just A Book Book.
Not banned, just late
Why Russell Brand REALLY cancelled Canada gig
03/10/2011 … When Russell Brand Tweeted: ‘Let me in! I can't enter Canada’ on his way to a gig this weekend, it seemed his run-ins with the law had again caused problems…
Lee Evans cancels O2 show
...because of burst water pipe
03/10/2011 … Thousands of fans were left disappointed after Lee Evans cancelled his gig at London’s O2 Arena - because of a burst water pipe.
The C Word: John Noel Management showcase
03/10/2011 … If it wasn’t for John Noel, we wouldn’t have Russell Brand.
Sun 02 October 2011
Arrested Development to return
New series and film on the cards
02/10/2011 … Cult American sitcom Arrested Development is set to return for one more series and a movie, creator Mitch Hurwitz has revealed.
Great expectations for new Dickens comedy
Fry, Mitchell and Webb in BBC spoof
02/10/2011 … Stephen Fry, David Mitchell and Robert Webb are to star in a new Dickensian spoof, The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff, for BBC Two.
Canada deports Russell Brand
Show cancelled after immigration run-in
02/10/2011 … NOTE: There has been an update to this story.
Sat 01 October 2011
Ricky Gervais joins Twitter
'But I'm still not sure of the point'
01/10/2011 … Ricky Gervais has started posting on Twitter – almost two years after first signing up.
Fri 30 September 2011
weather30
30/09/2011 … PETER KAY has interrupted BBC North West Tonight's weather forecast, crawling on the set to say that it was ‘roasting’ outside.
© BBC
We demand comedy!
30/09/2011 … Comedy programmes are the most popular for on-demand viewing, Channel 4 figures have revealed.
Shere Hite, Ho Chi Min... and Peter Kay made of Marmite
30/09/2011 … ‘I've never been cast as someone who has sex.
Thu 29 September 2011
BBC comedy exec moves on
Two new commissioners announced
29/09/2011 … BBC comedy commissioner Simon Wilson has quit the corporation to join Bwark, the makers of The Inbeweeners.
Sky Arts to air Onion News Network
29/09/2011 … Sky Arts is to air The Onion’s satirical TV show after striking an exclusive deal with an international distributor.
Harry Hill to quit TV Burp?
What are the chances of that happening?
29/09/2011 … Harry Hill could be ready to quit TV Burp after nine years, it has been reported.
Wed 28 September 2011
White truck dude
America set to remake White Van Man
28/09/2011 … BBC Three sitcom White Van Man is set to be remade for an American network.
Adam Bloom etc at Ginglik
28/09/2011 … These days, you have to spend a little more than a penny to get into Ginglik – the bar that used to be the public toilets on Shepherds Bush Green – but it’s…
Tue 27 September 2011
Now that's monkey business...
Venue dumps comedy club – then asks rivals to take over
27/09/2011 … A comedy promoter is furious after being pub bosses turfed him out of his home of almost six years – then immediately approached rival bookers to take over the…
The Book That’s More Than Just A Book Book by Peter Kay
27/09/2011 … There are absolutely no surprises in Peter Kay’s Christmas tour tie-in, which itself is no surprise.
© BBC
Sitcom master David Croft dies
Writer of Dad's Army and Allo Allo
27/09/2011 … David Croft, co-creator of a string of classic sitcoms including Dad’s Army and 'Allo 'Allo and has died at the age of 89.
What my Madelaine McCann joke taught me about comedy
27/09/2011 … A few years ago, I used to have a joke that went like this: 'You know when you've got something you desperately don't want to lose, you put it somewhere safe.
© 2011 Universal Studios Win a night out to see Andy Parsons
To mark his Gruntled DVD release
27/09/2011 … Andy Parsons is to release the DVD of his current stand-up tour Gruntled on November 14 – but if you can’t wait, we have a pair of tickets to see him live.
simpsons27
27/09/2011 … AMERICA's Fox network is considering a 24-hour Simpsons channel, as the show approaches its 500th episode.
Mon 26 September 2011
naty26
26/09/2011 … ENTRIES have opened for the 2012 New Act Of The Year competition previously run by the Hackney Empire.
Keep these penises out of our theatre!
26/09/2011 … It may have been on the road for 13 years, but Puppetry Of The Penis is still proving controversial – with one local politician calling for the full-frontal…
Chris Langham makes his acting comeback
In a film opposite Simon Amstell
26/09/2011 … Chris Langham is to make his first screen appearance since his arrest for downloading child pornography.
Police delay gig to grill comic over sex attack
A bad time for mistaken identity
26/09/2011 … Police held up the start of a comedy night this weekend – to question the opening act about a sexual assault.
If there was ever a good time for a rape joke...
Freddy Quinne on an unusual start to his gig
26/09/2011 … During my last 15 months in comedy, I’ve done over 150 gigs all over the UK.
scoty26
26/09/2011 … NEWCOMER Jamie Dalgleish has been named Scottish Comedian Of The Year, with Graham Mackie - who came third last year – runner-up and Pearse James third.
Show Me The Funny tour
26/09/2011 … They always insisted it wasn't the X Factor for comics, and in the end the ratings proved that.
Sat 24 September 2011
'Insane' plan to tax Fringe tickets
Edinburgh council seeks to boost income
24/09/2011 … The price of Edinburgh Fringe tickets could rise under after the city council leader proposed a new ‘festival tax’.
Fri 23 September 2011
boat23
23/09/2011 … RADIO 4 EXTRA is to broadcast a stand-up series, Comedy On The Boat, recorded at the Tattershall Castle on the Thames in London, at 10pm on Saturdays from October…
Who's a slutty pumpkin, then?
23/09/2011 … ‘Nick Clegg has the air of a man who would leave a stag do early because he wouldn't want to miss Holby City’ Frankie Boyle.
Horses for courses
Mark Olver on whether any comedy venue is 'perfect'
23/09/2011 … Yesterday, Toby Martin wrote on these pages how he disliked the experience of watching comedy at the Komedia in Bath.
New boss at The Office
23/09/2011 … The new boss in the US version of The Office has been named, following the departure of Steve Carell.
Thu 22 September 2011
Big isn't beautiful
Toby Martin thinks his local Komedia is overpriced
22/09/2011 … What you really need from your average comedy club are tables that are side-on to the stage, high ceilings that swallow up the laughter and suppress what ambiance…
© BBC Sitcoms under scrutiny
22/09/2011 … Digital channel Gold has commissioned a four-part series about the history of sitcom, and how the genre reflects everyday life.
Vegas does a Demi
Johnny recreates magazine cover
22/09/2011 … A photograph of Johnny Vegas recreating Demi Moore’s famous Vanity Fair cover has gone on display for the first time.
Amused Moose Hot Comedy Starlets 2011
22/09/2011 … It might be just one medium-sized comedy club, but the Amused Moose likes to position itself as a spotter of new talent, primarily through its well-established LaughOff…
Wed 21 September 2011
byrne21
21/09/2011 … ED BYRNE is to take over from Rufus Hound as host of Radio 4 Extra's comedy news show What's So Funny? when it returns on October 7.
tramadol21
21/09/2011 … FRANKIE BOYLE's controversial Tramadol Nights TV series is to be released on DVD on November 21.
Comedy Techniques, by Brian McKim and Traci Skene
21/09/2011 … Comedy Techniques make the bold promise: ‘From improv to stand-up, and from satire to slapstick, here’s an essential guide to get yourself a cult following…
Out of character...
Milo McCabe wonders whether he should be himself
21/09/2011 … I've been doing a character called Philberto on the comedy circuit for about four years now, and when I come off stage a significant number of people aren't sure…
Comedy Central scores biggest ever audience
Thanks to a naked Ashton Kutcher
21/09/2011 … Comedy Central scored its biggest ever audience last night – when it screened the first episode of Two And A Half Men since Charlie Sheen left the show.
© BBC Desperately seeking Michael
McIntyre tops list of internet searches
21/09/2011 … Michael McIntyre is the most searched-for comedian on Google, according to new research.
Fury as Aussie sitcom shows PM having sex
It's not like Are You Being Served?
21/09/2011 … Australia’s national broadcaster is in hot water over a sitcom scene showing Prime Minister Julia Gillard in a ‘sex scene’.
Comedy contest with a funny taste
Cafe chain wants comics' material for free
21/09/2011 … It made £36million profit last year – but cafe chain Costa Coffee has launched a new-act comedy competition that offers no cash prize.
Bill Bailey to star in Doctor Who
21/09/2011 … Bill Bailey is to head a cast of comedy actors appearing in this year's Doctor Who Christmas special.
Tue 20 September 2011
Norm!
20/09/2011 … Canadian comic Norm MacDonald has just released a new CD in Britain – Me Doing Standup – and we have ten copies to give awayThe comedian was a cast member…
How to MC
Australian comic Danny McGinlay offers some tips
20/09/2011 … Being the compere on a comedy night fills many seasoned performers with trepidation.
Michael McIntyre quits Britain's Got Talent
20/09/2011 … Michael McIntyre has quit Britain's Got Talent after just a year as a judge.
Mon 19 September 2011
bigfat19
19/09/2011 … BRITISH troops will be among the first to see Big Fat Gypsy Gangster, the new movie featuring Ricky Grover's character Bulla, after the British Forces Broadcasting…
drop19
19/09/2011 … JACK WHITEHALL and his dad Michael, the theatrical agent, will play Channel 4’s Million Pound Drop Live on Saturday in a bid to win money for charity.
triathlon19
19/09/2011 … EDDIE IZZARD has completed the Malibu triathlon, involving a half-mile swim, 18-mile cycle and four-mile run, in 2hrs 8min.
© NBC Fox censors phone-hacking joke
...so Alec Baldwin boycotts Emmys
19/09/2011 … Alec Baldwin boycotted last night’s Emmy awards after a joke he made about phone hacking was censored from the broadcast.
Big Fat Gypsy Gangster
19/09/2011 … A belated, comedic addition to the enduring British gangster genre – though suddenly topical given today’s events at Dale Farm – this strange vehicle for Ricky…
Lee Hurst Man Vs Woman
19/09/2011 … If Lee Hurst’s first tour in a decade isn’t up to scratch, he has the perfect excuse: he left his homework on the bus.
Sun 18 September 2011
Hat Trick makes £5m
But comedy production company fears profit squeeze
18/09/2011 … Comedy production company Hat Trick has recorded a £5.
Sat 17 September 2011
Atheists are as big a threat as climate change deniers
As the comedian said to the Archbishop...
17/09/2011 … Frank Skinner has claimed that atheists are as big a threat to humanity as climate change deniers.
Fri 16 September 2011
Alistair McGowan gets a sporting chance
16/09/2011 … Alistair McGowan is to host a pilot for a new prime-time ITV1 sports show, inspired by Harry Hill’s TV Burp.
Doing something write
Lead Balloon, Rev and Peep Show up for script awards
16/09/2011 … Lead Balloon, Peep Show and Rev are all up for best TV comedy in the Writers’ Guild Of Great Britain’s annual awards.
Ricky Gervais vs a Bear
16/09/2011 … 'Women tend to be more inhibited and less willing to behave in a way that is comical.
Phoenix Nights: The movie?
Peter Kay says script is ready, and producers are keen
16/09/2011 … Peter Kay is set to make a big-screen version of Phoenix Nights, following the success of The Inbetweeners film.
Lee Evans: Roadrunner
16/09/2011 … As an early adopter of arena comedy, Lee Evans knows he has to shovel industrial quantities energy and enthusiasm into his every move, performing with a power that…
Thu 15 September 2011
Another legal victory for Sacha Baron Cohen
Bruno 'assault' lawsuit thrown out
15/09/2011 … A court has thrown out another lawsuit against Sacha Baron Cohen – ruling that he was exercising his right to free speech during a tussle which left a woman…
Dom Joly calls police over internet trolls
15/09/2011 … Dom Joly has called in police after an internet troll made death threats against his children.
Spinal Tap top poll
Mockumentary voted best comedy film
15/09/2011 … This is Spinal Tap has been voted the best comedy movie of all time.
galway15
15/09/2011 … TIM MINCHIN, Dylan Moran, Andrew Maxwell and the Rubberbandits have all been announced as part of the Galway Comedy Festival’s line-up next month.
Charlie Brooker writes 'British Twilight Zone'
...with Peep Show's Jesse Armstrong
15/09/2011 … Charlie Brooker and Peep Show’s Jesse Armstrong have written a Channel 4 mini-series described as ‘a contemporary British re-working of The Twilight Zone’.
Sky goes on a Trollied dash
15/09/2011 … Sky 1 has ordered two more series of supermarket comedy TrolliedThe first eight-part series – starring Jane Horrocks as the acting deputy managing of fictional…
Fast show duo to tour UK
...for a History channel travelogue
15/09/2011 … Fast Show stars Simon Day and John Thomson are to tour the UK in a new series for the History channel.
Psychoville killed off
No new series, Shearsmith confirms
15/09/2011 … Psychoville will not be returning for a third series, creator Reece Shearsmith has announced.
Wed 14 September 2011
Itchy feet
Laura Lexx on the thin line between comedy and madness
14/09/2011 … I sat in the audience of a gig tonight and watched a comedian.
Alan Carr induces a birth
Woman goes into labour during show
14/09/2011 … A pregnant woman laughed so hard during Alan Carr’s live show that she went into labour.
Richard Ayoade lands Hollywood role
14/09/2011 … The IT Crowd’s Richard Ayoade has landed his first big-budget Hollywood role.
Laughing in the face of pain
Comedy builds up your tolerance
14/09/2011 … A good laugh helps you tolerate more pain, according to new research conducted at the Edinburgh Fringe.
© Robbie Jack Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies
14/09/2011 … He might be 6ft 7in, but Stephen Merchant has long been in someone else’s shadow.
Tue 13 September 2011
Tony Hancock vs Peter Cook
Ian Hawkins on a changing of comedy generations
13/09/2011 … Comedy Nerd Pub Quiz: In which film did Peter Cook appear with Tony Hancock?Answer: The Wrong Box, directed by Bryan Forbes and released in 1966.
Comedy Rules, by Jonathan Lynn
13/09/2011 … For a man who was half-responsible for Sir Humphrey Appleby’s elaborately long-winded obfuscations in Yes Minister, Jonathan Lynn’s combination of memoir and…
Cooper coup
C4 to screen unseen Tommy footage
13/09/2011 … Previously unseen footage of Tommy Cooper is to be screened in a new Channel 4 documentary.
New film from Inbetweeners creators
13/09/2011 … Inbetweeners creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley have started work on their next comedy film, to be called Mortal.
Good feud guide
Frank Skinner writes radio comedy about quarrelling couple
13/09/2011 … Frank Skinner has written a new comedy-drama for Radio 4, based on a bickering couple .
Mon 12 September 2011
He's done it!
David Walliams completes Thames swim
12/09/2011 … David Walliams has completed his 140-mile swim down the Thames, raising £1million for Sport Relief.
Stand-up movie takes $2million
Big hit for America's Kevin Hart
12/09/2011 … American comic Kevin Hart has scored a surprise hit at the US box office – with his stand-up film Laugh At My Pain taking $2million in its opening weekend.
'We would spend an hour writing one joke'
Scott Adsit and Hannibal Buress on 30 Rock
12/09/2011 … Alec Baldwin quitting 30 Rock could spell the end of the award-winning US sitcom.
Glee causes misery for comedy clubs
12/09/2011 … The Glee chain of comedy clubs is suing the makers of the hit American series of the same name for infringing its trademark.
QI loses 1.2m in BBC Two switch
...but back in its spiritual home
12/09/2011 … QI has lost more than a million viewers moving to BBC Two – but has proved a ratings hit back in its old home.
Comedy rarity to be released on DVD
Early David Walliams, Peter Kay etc
12/09/2011 … An obscure comedy series which featured earlier TV appearances by the likes of David Walliams, Matt Lucas, Catherine Tate and Peter Kay is to be released on DVD…
jonesbook12
12/09/2011 … MONTY PYTHON star Terry Jones has been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize for children's literature for his whimsical anthology Animal Tales.
Russell Brand on Paralympics row
'Stop being silly' he tells critics
12/09/2011 … Russell Brand has told the Press to ‘stop being silly’ after he was criticised for comments he made about the Paralympics.
Alan Carr: Spexy Beast
12/09/2011 … He may have a reputed £2million-a-year deal with Channel 4, a weekly Radio 2 show, and be playing to 2,000 people a night at £30 a head, but Alan Carr is just…
Sat 10 September 2011
Andy Parsons: Gruntled
10/09/2011 … It’s a typical scene in a typical market town on a typical Friday night: a large crowd of lairy lads make their way from their Wetherspoon’s session through…
Fri 09 September 2011
Jasper Carrott returns to stand-up
09/09/2011 … Jasper Carrott is to return to his stand-up roots for a new BBC One series.
'Do you think Michael McIntyre has sold out?'
09/09/2011 … ‘Stand-up comedy puts food on the table.
Gervais plans live Golden Globes podcast
The biggest live webcast ever?
09/09/2011 … Ricky Gervais is planning to provide a three-hour live podcast, commenting on the Golden Globes.
A comedian? You must be joking
New comic Ted Shiress realises it can't all be ranting
09/09/2011 … A couple of Sundays ago I was rather hungover and it occurred to me this would be a perfect opportunity to write that bitter routine I'd been planning about how…
Comics 'will be playing UK stadiums soon'
09/09/2011 … Comedians will be playing huge stadiums in the UK before too long, some industry experts predict.
Dara finds sum laughs
O Briain to host Dave maths series
09/09/2011 … Dara O Briain is to front a maths-based comedy series for digital channel Dave.
Greed and TV are killing comedy
Says top promoter Noel Faulkner
09/09/2011 … One of Britain’s top club promoters has launched a no-holds-barred attack on the greedy agents and generic TV stand-ups he says are killing comedy.
Now it's Friends: The Opera
...but David Schwimmer isn't involved
09/09/2011 … Comedy Central has commissioned an opera based on the long-running sitcom Friends.
Greenwich Comedy Festival: Ardal O'Hanlon etc
09/09/2011 … This was meant to be Sean Lock’s night.
Thu 08 September 2011
Wed 07 September 2011
Jay and Silent Bob to tour UK
New live shows from film cults
07/09/2011 … Film-maker Kevin Smith is coming to the UK for a short live tour of his podcast Jay And Silent Bob Get Old.
BBC picks comics' sitcoms to develop
07/09/2011 … Sitcoms from stand-ups Jason Cook and Pippa Evans are among those to be performed as part of a BBC initiative to develop new ideas for broadcast.
Frank Skinner gets classy
BBC2 comedy on the social order
07/09/2011 … Frank Skinner is to host a one-off comedy show about class for BBC Two.
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07/09/2011 … EDDIE MURPHY will host the Oscars next February, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced.
Rory Bremner joins Strictly Come Dancing
07/09/2011 … Rory Bremner is to be a competitor on the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC has confirmed.
Greenwich Comedy Festival: Omid Djalili etc
07/09/2011 … Omid Djalili is off on tour for the first time in three years, so where better to warm up than headlining a gig of, oh, just 1,800 people at the Greenwich Comedy…
Tue 06 September 2011
Friday Night Dinner heads to the States
The Office mastermind works on remake
06/09/2011 … Channel 4 comedy hit Friday Night Dinner is set to be remade for American TV – by the same man who successfully adapted The Office.
How comedy survived September 11
Chris Hallam recalls the response to the Al Qaeda attacks
06/09/2011 … The attacks of September 11, ten years ago, were a massive human tragedy and perhaps the biggest news event of any of our lives.
My 13 favourite rules of comedy
06/09/2011 … Last September Yes Prime Minister, the new play that I wrote with my old writing partner Tony Jay, opened at the Gielgud Theatre in London.
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06/09/2011 … EX-PYTHON Terry Jones has agreed to become a patron to educational charity The Philosophy Shop, which introduces schoolchildren to philosophy as a way to develop…
Rhod GIlbert's dangerous road trip
Braving landslides with Greg Davies
06/09/2011 … Rhod Gilbert has spoken of how he and Greg Davies risk landslides and dangerous drivers as they negotiated some of the world’s most lethal mountain roads.
Jason Manford's free pub gig
Thank-you to landlady who helped him
06/09/2011 … Jason Manford has staged a free gig in a pub to thank the landlady for helping him when his car broke down.
Fast Show to return
New online series for Foster's
06/09/2011 … The Fast Show team are to reunite – including Caroline Aherne – to make the first new episodes in 14 years.
Greenwich Comedy Festival: Tim Minchin etc
06/09/2011 … There are few better ways to get a party started than with Tim Minchin, so what perfect choice to kick off the third Greenwich Comedy Festival, another week of top-drawer…
Mon 05 September 2011
Second helping of MASH
Radio 2 commissions sketch duo
05/09/2011 … Radio 2 has commissioned a short series from sketch duo Two Episodes Of Mash, following a successful pilot last year.
Stewart Lee: The Jazz Cellar Tape
05/09/2011 … ‘You know those amazing occasions where a significant band’s finally unearthed first demo tape is revealed as better than anything else they ever recorded?’…
Free advice
Mary Bourke on what she learned on Edinburgh's Free Fringe
05/09/2011 … When you announce to your peers that you're doing the Free Fringe you'll be greeted with the same stunned reaction as you would if you announced that you've been…
Sun 04 September 2011
Rory Bremner updates Orpheus opera
...with Jordan and Rupert Murdoch
04/09/2011 … Rory Bremner has updated the Orpheus In The Underworld opera as a satire involving Jordan, Rupert Murdoch and Boris Johnson.
Who do you think you Carr?
04/09/2011 … Alan Carr has discovered some of his ancestors died in a pit disaster, as he filmed his episode of Who Do You Thinkk You Are?Two of the comedian’s great-grandfathers…
Sat 03 September 2011
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03/09/2011 … DAVID CROSS has signed on for a recurring role on top US sitcom Modern Family – shown here on Sky – playing a city councilman who clashes with Julie Bowen's…
Fri 02 September 2011
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02/09/2011 … LENNY HENRYis to make his National Theatre debut in November, playing Antipholus of Syracuse in Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors.
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02/09/2011 … FRIENDS will be airing on Comedy Central from October 1, the channel has announced after poaching the sitcom from E4, launching with a 'mammoth Friends weekend'…
Frankie for free
02/09/2011 … A new collection of Frankie Howerd shows has been released on DVD this week – and we have five copies to give away.
Was Jack Whitehall's bum too hairy for TV?
02/09/2011 … ‘I still make my wife get a vajazzle for my birthday.
Cleese: 'London's not English any more'
02/09/2011 … John Cleese has claimed London is ‘no longer an English city’.
Theatre bans 'very rude' Jim Davidson
Comic 'publicly demeaned staff'
02/09/2011 … Jim Davidson has urged his fans to lobby a theatre that banned him after he ‘publicly insulted’ its staff and refused to accept its policy on wheelchair users.
Thu 01 September 2011
E4 confirms new season's comedies
Noel Fielding, Cardinal Burns etc
01/09/2011 … E4 has announced its latest schedules, confirming new shows from Noel Fielding, Cardinal Burns and The Midnight Beast, among others.
© C4 'I was hoovering up sick... which you shouldn't do'
C4's new student sitcom Fresh Meat
01/09/2011 … In the book How Not To Write A Sitcom, which Chortle reviewed yesterday, the unequivocal advice was: ‘Don’t write about sitcoms.
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01/09/2011 … YIANNI AGISILAOU won Chortle's £75 prize for the best Correspondents piece in August for his Periodic Table of Edinburgh.
Seann Walsh joins revamped Argumental
01/09/2011 … Seann Walsh is to be the new team captain on the Dave panel show Argumental.
Stewart Lee's first recorded gig released
01/09/2011 … Stewart Lee’s first ever recorded set has been released on CD.
Wed 31 August 2011
How Not To Write A Sitcom, by Marc Blake
31/08/2011 … The first thing to check with any ‘how to…’ guide is the credentials of its author.
Can there be comedy without tragedy?
Jaques Hattie wonders if his life was too easy for jokes
31/08/2011 … As I try to make my way in the world as a writer of comedy, I’ve come up against a bit of a problem; to be funny, you have to have suffered.
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31/08/2011 … JACK DEE, Jo Brand, Mark Watson and Sean Lock will all be performing at the opening gala of this year's Brighton Comedy Festival on October 7, it has been announced.
© BBC
Blues Brothers set for TV comeback
31/08/2011 … The Blues Brothers could be returning – as a sitcom.
Pajama charmers
31/08/2011 … The Pajama Men’s acclaimed live show Last Stand To Reason has been released on DVD – and we have six copies to give away.
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31/08/2011 … JOHN CLEESE is to embark on his first ever stand-up tour of Australia in January.
Alex Kealy – Original Review
31/08/2011 … Finalist in So You Think You're Funny 2011.
Tue 30 August 2011
Getting Cariad away...
Lloyd creates best online buzz of the Fringe
30/08/2011 … Character comedian Cariad Lloyd generated the best online buzz of the Edinburgh Fringe, according to crowd-sourcing research.
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30/08/2011 … CHANNEL 4 is to screen Chris Morris's comedy film about terrorism on September 4, a week before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Laugh Tracks 2011: The playlist
The music comedians walk on to
30/08/2011 … This year, as usual, we asked Edinburgh Fringe comedians to tell us what music they came on stage to, and why they chose it.
I hate the Inbetweeners
Joe Daniels argues that it's not funny, it's bigoted
30/08/2011 … With the annual hubbub of the Edinburgh Fringe cacophonously screaming in our ears all August, it always feels a bit weird getting back to reality, and catching…
When the show needn't go on
Ian Hawkins knows when to walk
30/08/2011 … A couple of dispiriting events happened in the last week that made me look again at my policy of 'the show must go on'.
Fear of offence makes BBC bland
Says comedy producer John Lloyd
30/08/2011 … Top comedy producer John Lloyd has accused the BBC of making ‘bland’ programmes as it is too scared of causing offence.
Mon 29 August 2011
David Walliams to swim the Thames
140-mile challenge for Sport Relief
29/08/2011 … David Walliams is preparing to swim 140 miles along the Thames to raise money for Sport Relief.
Chris Lilley to make UK debut
...but you have to be on O2 to go
29/08/2011 … Angry Boys and Summer Heights High creator Chris Lilley is playing his first ever British gig next week – but you have to be on the right phone network to be able…
Ab Fab to return
Filming starts on three specials
29/08/2011 … Absolutely Fabulous is to return for three half-hour specials, the BBC has announced.
Chortle Student Comedy Award Final 2011
29/08/2011 … No star rating for this – as you’d probably never believe it anyway, given that it’s a Chortle production.
Edward Aczel Doesn’t Exist
29/08/2011 … Not so much a show, this, as a test of will.
Isy Suttie: Pearl and Dave
29/08/2011 … Pearl and Dave is Isy Suttie doing what she does best: A cosy, tender, romantic story, illustrated with poignantly sweet songs.
Leeds Tealights: Animals With Jobs
29/08/2011 … From the outset we realise Animals With Jobs will be a loud and intense performance from these five student performers.
Raph Shirley: Philosophical Investigations
29/08/2011 … A work of philosophical genius, or just another free stand-up? Ralph Shirley’s 45 minutes is – surprise, surprise – somewhere between the two; it’s better…
WitTank 2011
29/08/2011 … WitTank could not be accused of being the edgiest comedy act at the Fringe, nor the most original or challenging.
Jollygoodlarks: How To Make It Huge
29/08/2011 … Greg Haiste and Marie Lawrence are almost preternaturally happy.
Pistol & Jack: SMASH*GLAM*SEX*MUSIC
29/08/2011 … Pistol is a pop-loving American Jewish Princess with daddy issues and point to prove, Jack is a promiscuous Cockney rocker, raised by Jackals.
Richard Stainbank – Original Review
29/08/2011 … Richard Stainbank could be the male Jo Brand, given his shapeless black clothing and constant references to his size and look and a depressed air of uncomfortable…
Sun 28 August 2011
Adam comes first
Hess scoops Chortle's student award
28/08/2011 … Adam Hess, an economics student from Sussex University has been crowned the student comedian of the year.
BBC1 to broadcast sitcom pilots
Writers invited to submit scripts
28/08/2011 … BBC One is set to make a series of comedy pilots, similar to Channel 4’s Comedy Showcases, in an attempt to find the next big sitcom.
BBC confirms Kevin Bridges show
Mix of stand-up and documentary
28/08/2011 … BBC One has confirmed that Kevin Bridges has landed his own weekend show.
Billy Piper to star in BBC Three sitcom
Channel seeks to boost comedy output
28/08/2011 … Billie Piper is to star in a new BBC Three sitcom, as the channel seeks to boost its comedy output.
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28/08/2011 … THE Inbetweeners has been named digital programme of the year at Arqiva's Channel Of The Year Awards at the Edinburgh TV festival.
The Real MacGuffins: Skitsophrenic
28/08/2011 … One thing's for sure, this show is a full display of the trio's ample performance skills, with several choreographed sequences, a whole showcase of dramatic emotion…
Jo Neary: Youth Club
28/08/2011 … You don't have to share Neary’s background to appreciate her evocative portrayal of being a teen in Camborne, Cornwall, where the only entertainment is the local…
Danny Pensive’s Map of Britain
28/08/2011 … As Danny Pensive, the duffel-coated, simple soul from Sunderland, John Cooper offers an hour that seldom exceeds gentle amusement but is endearingly amiable throughout.
Liam Mullone: Down To The Bone
28/08/2011 … Liam Mullone is an intellectual bruiser of a comedian, taking an uncompromisingly hardline approach to his subject matter – and if the result sounds a bit brutal,…
Jeff Mirza’s Jihad
28/08/2011 … This is not so much a comedy show as an awkward religious studies lesson led by a patronising teacher who occasionally bursts into something cringe-worthy like a…
Delete The Banjax: Pigs And Ponies
28/08/2011 … ‘Leave your brain’ at the door, we’re told at the top of Delete The Banjax’s fourth Fringe offering.
Boom Jennies: Blowout
28/08/2011 … I hope you like bad dancing, because The Boom Jennies do a LOT of it.
Sat 27 August 2011
Ricky Gervais plans two new Sky comedies
27/08/2011 … Ricky Gervais has been in talks with Sky1 about two potential new comedy shows.
Adam Riches wins Edinburgh award
27/08/2011 … Adam Riches has won the main Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award.
More Comic Strips on the way
Team to return to Five Go Mad...
27/08/2011 … More Comic Strip Presents… are in the pipeline following the revival of the comedy brand for the new Tony Blair spoof.
Brandreth's son 'most likely to make a million'
Alternative Fringe awards announced
27/08/2011 … Giles Brandeth’s son Benet has been voted the Edinburgh Fringe act most likely to earn a million pounds.
Coogan's next movie? A £1,000 student horror
27/08/2011 … Steve Coogan has agreed to make a cameo appearance … in a teenager’s low-budget movieA-level student Liam Hooper, 17, was amazed when the comic agreed to be…
Vic and Bob go On The Buses?
27/08/2011 … Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer say they want to revive Seventies sitcom On The Buses.
Seymour Mace: Happypotamus
27/08/2011 … Seymour Mace has a reputation for daft, silly comedy – so you may well go into a show entitled Happypotamus expecting more of the same.
Chris Ramsey: Offermation
27/08/2011 … Offermation is a neologism meaning information that’s offered without being asked for – comments on YouTube videos being a prime example.
Russell Kane: Manscaping
27/08/2011 … Russell Kane has a way of heading off criticism.
John Robins: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
27/08/2011 … Championing the Bible, which he calls ‘the best self-help book ever… if you leave out the daft bits, John Robins has found religion.
Benny Boot : Set-Up, Punchline, Pause for Laughter
27/08/2011 … A presumptuous title, this.
Ian D Montfort: Spirit Comedium
27/08/2011 … As a follow-up to his hapless hospital radio DJ Ivan Brackenbury, Tom Binns created Ian D Montfort, Sunderland's foremost psychic, resplendent in New Age long hair…
Horse and Louis: Top Trumpin'!
27/08/2011 … At first glance there appears to be a Flight of the Conchords influence here.
Hannah Gadsby: Mary. Contrary.
27/08/2011 … I so hope this is an early preview for next year! This show made me laugh harder and more than anything else I’ve seen this Fringe and I came out feeling at least…
Fri 26 August 2011
Ricky Gervais offered his own US talk show
26/08/2011 … Ricky Gervais has been offered his own late-night US chat show on a major network – but turned it down.
ITV boss plans more comedies
'We lost our nerve' admits Fincham
26/08/2011 … ITV is considering a move back into comedy – a genre boss Peter Fincham admits it has neglected.
Alas poor Eric...
Martha McBrier has a tough time on the Fringe
26/08/2011 … Free shows at the Edinburgh Fringe sell themselves.
A well good prize
Win Lee Nelson's series on DVD
26/08/2011 … The first series of Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show has been released on DVD this week – and we have five copies to give away.
'Too heroic' for the Inbetweeners
26/08/2011 … 'Mrs Brown’s Boys is for people who've been in prison since the Seventies’.
2.5m are shown the funny
Ratings upswing for series's live final
26/08/2011 … The live final of Show Me The Funny managed to boost the series’s ratings – although it still fell well short of ITV’s usual viewing figures.
White House tapes turned into comedy
Harry Shearer to play Richard Nixon
26/08/2011 … The Simpsons star Harry Shearer is to play Richard Nixon in a new comedy-drama based on genuine recordings from the White House.
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26/08/2011 … RUSS ABBOT is to play Tommy Cooper in a Radio 4 drama next month that imagines what would have happened if he had met absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco.
Charlie Brooker pens detective spoof
26/08/2011 … Charlie Brooker has written a two-hour spoof crime drama for Sky1.
Hack comedy
C4 to make comedy about phone-hacking scandal
26/08/2011 … Channel 4 is to make an hour-long comedy about the News International phone hacking scandal.
So You Think You’re Funny? Final
26/08/2011 … History will be the ultimate judge, but this did not seem like a vintage So You Think You’re Funny? final.
Lady Cariad’s Characters
26/08/2011 … Best newcomer nominee Cariad Lloyd has clearly put a lot of detailed work into her one-woman character show.
Sanderson Jones: Comedy Sale
26/08/2011 … In vowing that he would personally sell every ticket to his Edinburgh run, former door-to-door salesman Sanderson Jones has embarked on the archetypal Fringe project.
Wilfredo: Erecto!
26/08/2011 … As we walk into the room, we are greeted by a hunched elderly fellow with a shock of black acrylic hair and teeth like a Grand National winner.
Tobias Persson: Sitting On A Cornflake
26/08/2011 … Due credit to Swedish comic Tobias Persson for keeping his cool with the giddy girls on the front row of this gig.
Thu 25 August 2011
So You Think You're Funny winner crowned
25/08/2011 … Tommy Rowson has been crowned the best new comedian of 2011 in the So You Think You’re Funny? final at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Patrick Monahan wins Show Me The Funny
25/08/2011 … Patrick Monahan has won the £100,000 first prize in ITV’s reality programme Show Me The Funny.
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25/08/2011 … MARK THOMAS did not win the Amnesty award he was nominated for at the Edinburgh Fringe, which was shared by plays Sold and The Wheel.
Imran Yusuf to host Chortle student final
25/08/2011 … Imran Yusuf is to host the final of the Chortle Student Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe on Sunday.
Lessons from the Edinburgh Fringe
Andre King learns a thing or two
25/08/2011 … So this is it… Edinburgh Festival! A chill of anticipation grips my spine.
First UK comedy tour for wrestler Foley
25/08/2011 … Former pro-wrestler Mick Foley has turned stand-up comedian… and has announced his first British comedy tour.
Sean Lock gets Argumental
25/08/2011 … Sean Lock is to front the next, revamped, series of Dave’s panel show Argumental.
Sketch groups get Radio 4 showcase
25/08/2011 … Radio 4 is to showcase live sketch comedy groups in a new four-part series.
Chris And Paul Show
25/08/2011 … A good ‘best newcomer’ shortlist makes you go ‘Who?’ A poor one makes you go, ‘Why?’This year the first criterion was definitely fulfilled with The Chris…
Piff The Magic Dragon: Last Of The Magic Dragons
25/08/2011 … ‘I’m a purist,’ deadpans Piff The Magic Dragon, as he professes his hatred of gimmicks… while standing before us in a shiny green dragon costume, his similarly-clad…
John Scott is Totally Made Up
25/08/2011 … I’ve absolutely no idea what the Spike Milligan award was, but John Scott was runner-up in it in 2003.
Cul-De-Sac
25/08/2011 … The sinister and depraved goings-on behind the polite conformity of the suburbs has long been an inspiration for writers.
Bridget Christie: Housewife Surrealist
25/08/2011 … Bridget Christie got me from the very beginning when she ran into the room, dressed as a bishop with hairy monkey hands, danced about to a ska version of the Dr…
Terry Alderton
25/08/2011 … As Terry Alderton bursts on to the stage with his manic and intense energy, half of the crowd are clearly baffled.
Wed 24 August 2011
Nick Helm scoops 'joke of the Fringe'
24/08/2011 … Nick Helm has the funniest joke at the Fringe – and Paul Daniels the worst – according to an online poll.
And the 2011 nominees are...
Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Award shortlist out
24/08/2011 … The nominees have been announced for this year’s Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
Crow's feat
Stand-up Adam averts an accident with 'real Superman stuff'
24/08/2011 … Stand-up Adam Ethan Crow says he averted a serious accident at the Edinburgh Fringe yesterday – after spotting a runaway car rolling down the hill.
Frankie Boyle inspires Down's syndrome book
From family who took him to task
24/08/2011 … The husband of the woman who took Frankie Boyle to task over his jokes about people with Down’s syndrome has written a book about the condition.
Who reviews the reviewers?
24/08/2011 … As the Edinburgh Fringe draws towards its conclusion, it gives performers some time to reflect on the weeks that have passed – and one thing none of us can stop…
Jus Like That!
24/08/2011 … The ghosts of dead comedians haunt the Fringe, and barely a year goes by without at least a couple of tributes to bygone heroes.
John Kearns' Dinner Party
24/08/2011 … This is a strange, but ultimately entertaining hour of hokum, frequently bizarre but often funny in its own ridiculous way.
Josh Widdicombe: If This Show Saves One Life…
24/08/2011 … As I write this, I’m interrupted by an email that tells me that the Malcolm Hardee awards people have shortlisted Josh Widdicombe for their ‘most likely to make…
Andrew Maxwell: The Lights Are On
24/08/2011 … We live in turbulent times, although most people at the Fringe are comfortable enough to avoid the worst of it.
Matthew Highton’s Shadowed Vagary
24/08/2011 … Let’s get the obvious comparison out of the way first; there is a touch of Noel Fielding about Matthew Highton’s charmingly surreal adventure of how his crush…
Paul McCaffrey: Saying Something Stupid
24/08/2011 … With a checked shirt underneath a V-neck jumper, Paul McCaffrey looks a bit like a cast member in This Is England '86.
Matt Kirshen: Wide-eyed
24/08/2011 … For at least the second time this Fringe, Matt Kirshen is faced with a slightly rowdy drunken crowd.
Roisin Conaty: Destiny's Dickhead
24/08/2011 … There's a point in Conaty's show following a cul-de-sac bit of banter where she quips ‘I’ll leave it there and today will be forever known as black Monday.
The Book Of Quincy
24/08/2011 … It only seemed fair to warn Quincy ahead of his show that, given there were only two of us in the audience, half of them were planning to review it.
Tue 23 August 2011
Malcolm Hardee nominees announced
23/08/2011 … The shortlists has been announced for this year’s alternative Malcolm Hardee Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Win top comedy DVD box sets
To mark the release of The Guard
23/08/2011 … To celebrate the nationwide cinema release of the Anglo-Irish comedy-thriller The Guard, we’ve teamed up with Optimum Releasing to offer you the chance to win…
Only Fools star blasts modern comedy
23/08/2011 … Only Fools And Horses star John Challis has called for a return to family-friendly sitcoms, saying modern British comedy is violent and childish.
John Howard Davies dies
Producer of Fawlty Towers and more
23/08/2011 … John Howard Davies, the esteemed comedy producer whose credits include Fawlty Towers, Monty Python and The Good Life has died at the age of 72 following a battle…
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23/08/2011 … TOMMY SHEPPARD, director of the Stand Comedy Club, has retained his seat on the board of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, ousting the Underbelly's Charlie…
Auntie Netta and The Trouble With Asian Men
23/08/2011 … This double-bill from the producers of the film comedy East Is East mixes very different types of comedy – even within the same act.
Josie Long: The Future Is Another Planet
23/08/2011 … ‘Silly, friendly, ramshackle, impassioned’ goes the printed programme blurb for Josie Long’s show – written months before the festival starts.
Mabbs & Justice: Love Machine
23/08/2011 … Often as a reviewer you find yourself at odds with an audience – hating some easy fodder that’s getting lots of laughs, or loving something that deserves more.
Dicking A Great Big Hole
23/08/2011 … Jodie Dick is a comedian who breaks all the rules.
Chris Martin: No, Not That One
23/08/2011 … Chris Martin comes out on stage to a riff that puts me in mind of Prodigy – is this an omen? I'm certainly wondering whether his debut Fringe show will signify…
Conor O'Toole's Manual Of Style
23/08/2011 … Conor O'Toole cuts an innocent young figure standing in the middle of the stage.
Kev Orkian, The Guilty Pianist
23/08/2011 … Anyone who watched last year's Britain's Got Talent will already be familiar with comedy pianist Orkian who reached the semi-finals.
Margaret Cho: Cho Dependent
23/08/2011 … Within minutes of taking the stage Margaret Cho issues an apology to anyone who may have chosen to see her show without knowing what they were letting themselves…
Joe WIlkinson: My Mum's Called Stella And My Dad's Called Brian
23/08/2011 … This is something of a disappointing solo debut for much-tipped Joe Wilkinson, who has been coming to the Fringe in compilation shows and the sketch duo Two Episodes…
Mon 22 August 2011
Inbetweeners movie smashes records
£13.2million in its opening weekend
22/08/2011 … The Inbetweeners has had the biggest opening box office weekend of any British comedy or independent film.
Final two leave Show Me The Funny
Goodbye to Goldsmith and Taylor
22/08/2011 … Ellie Taylor and Stuart Goldsmith have both been eliminated from ITV’s stand-up competition Show Me The Funny.
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22/08/2011 … GARY The Tank Commander has been made into a 69p game for the iPhone and iPad, Stop That Tank.
Tony Law scoops £5k prize
Fringe award for Canadian comic
22/08/2011 … Tony Law has won the first £5,000 Amused Moose prize for the best Fringe comic without a DVD deal.
Back of the net!!
Comics beat pro footballers – finally
22/08/2011 … A team of comedians have defeated a professional soccer club for the first time in 17 years of Fringe challenges.
Mark Thomas up for Amnesty Award
22/08/2011 … Mark Thomas has become the first comedian ever to be shortlisted for an Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Walliams cleared after insulting 'thick' quizzer
22/08/2011 … When you hold the record for the worst ever appearance on Mastermind, you might be expected to be able to take a joke about it.
Comic drops F-bomb on Radio 4
22/08/2011 … The BBC has apologised after comic Mike McShane dropped the F-bomb live on a Sunday morning Radio 4 show.
Mark Nelson: Guilty Pleasures
22/08/2011 … Describing the White Belly venue as somewhere that Hitler would have come to die, Scottish, Glasgow-dwelling, comedian Mark Nelson gets off to a quick start with…
Jimmy McGhie: Artificial Intelligence
22/08/2011 … This is an excellent hour with a mix of thoughtful themes, social observation, chirpy smut and personal warmth.
Mary Bourke: Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
22/08/2011 … There are so many beautifully crafted turns of phrase in Mary Bourke's show that there really should be a massive queue jostling to get into this tiny, out-of-the…
Neil Hamburger: Discounted Entertainer
22/08/2011 … Whhhhaaaat do you call a sack of human phlegm leaking putrid bile over an Edinburgh car park? Miiiiister Neil Hamburger!It’s one-liners in that style – more…
Ali Cook: Principles and Deceptions
22/08/2011 … Ali Cook has some pretty spectacular tricks, but he wears them very lightly, letting the deception speak for itself, rather than surrounding it in Vegas-style glitz.
Todd Barry: American Hot
22/08/2011 … Todd Barry was last at the Fringe seven years ago, and as he sardonically notes he ‘had such a good time’ that it’s taken him all this time to slink back,…
Rayguns Look Real Enough: Balls Deep
22/08/2011 … More pub rockers than comedians, Rayguns Look Real Enough serve up a barnstorming selection of top-grade musical mash-ups, interspersed with unspectacular jokes…
Beta Males: The Train Job
22/08/2011 … Ideas are packed into the Beta Males’ Train Job as tightly as commuters in rush hour.
Martin Mor: The Call of the Golden Frog
22/08/2011 … Banter doesn’t get much better than this.
Pope Benedict: Bond Villain
22/08/2011 … There is mouth-watering potential in the title and the blurb for this show, which should help to attract reasonable audiences to this 50-seat venue.
Ed Reardon: A Writer's Burden
22/08/2011 … It can't have been easy to strike the right balance when writing this show.
Sun 21 August 2011
Jason Manford wins Born To Shine
21/08/2011 … Jason Manford has won ITV’s charity talent show Born To Shine, after learning how to sing opera.
Frankie Boyle to make C4 comeback
21/08/2011 … Frankie Boyle is set to return to Channel 4 with a topical talk show recorded on the night before transmission.
Fringe comic attacked with bottle
...while out flyering dressed as Gadaafi
21/08/2011 … Fringe comedian Jeff Mirza says he was hit by a glass bottle while flyering dressed as Colonel Gadaafi.
Frank Skinner goes into Room 101
21/08/2011 … Room 101 is to return after a four-year hiatus – with Frank Skinner the new host.
Randy Is Sober
21/08/2011 … You might think it’s tough to do observational comedy everyone can relate to when you’re a small purple puppet with billiard balls for eyes, yet Randy is a solid…
Laurence Clark: Health Hazard
21/08/2011 … Laurence Clark has had more dealings with the NHS than most of us; he and his wife both have cerebral palsy – and they’ve just given birth to their second child.
David O’Doherty: Rory Sheridan
21/08/2011 … The Fringe is the place to try something different, and in this storytelling show, David O’Doherty has left his tiny electronic keyboard behind.
Cowboys and Indians: Black Man in the White House
21/08/2011 … Sometimes you take a punt on a free show and it pays dividends, and sometimes, well, you stumble across something like Cowboys and Indians, in which Craig Ricci…
Rob Deering: The Rob Deering Experience
21/08/2011 … Rob Deering's ability to deliver a consistent level of entertainment is, I think, one of the reasons why it feels like he has been on the scene beyond his 11 years…
Vikki Stone & The Flashbacks: Big Neon Letters
21/08/2011 … Vikki Stone has talent to burn, this hour showcases her stunning musical theatre voice and ability to write to a belting showtune.
Ava Vidal: The Hardest Word
21/08/2011 … As Ava Vidal acknowledges herself, she's been criticised in recent reviews for talking about race again.
Matt Green: Too Much Information
21/08/2011 … Matt Green's shtick always used to be that he looked younger than he was, but he's probably become bored with it, as he doesn't mention it during this show.
James Acaster: Amongst Other Things
21/08/2011 … 'Is this a dream?' James Acaster asks himself after being presented with the most bizarre audience interactions this Fringe.
Sat 20 August 2011
Naz Osmanoglu: 100% Awesome
20/08/2011 … ‘My mum comes from one place; my dad comes from another place’ is always a common theme for Edinburgh debutants of mixed heritage, as they start to work out…
Wade McElwain: The Littlest Hobo
20/08/2011 … In an aside, Wade McElwain complains that, despite 16 years in the business, he’s not more famous because he’s ‘not a 22-year-old doing seven minutes that’s…
An Evening With David Sedaris
20/08/2011 … Somehow you expect the Fringe to be, well, a little bit more rock and roll than this.
Sheeps
20/08/2011 … Sharp, inventive and skillfully executed by charismatic performers, there’s plenty to admire in new sketch trio Sheeps – although I did spend more time thinking…
Andrew Lawrence: Best-Kept Secret In Comedy
20/08/2011 … I felt a bit shortchanged at the end of Andrew Lawrence’s show, which came in at only about 42 minutes.
Bratchy: Beer & Loathing and Lost Wages
20/08/2011 … Bratchy, aka David Bratchpiece, is a bloke who has lived his life so far to the full.
Worbey and Farrell – Well Strung!
20/08/2011 … I thought I was unfamiliar with their work but this duo made me feel like I was trapped at my nan’s on a vinyl sofa watching Opportunity Knocks in 1971.
McNeil & Pamphilon: Which One Are You?
20/08/2011 … Two white middle-class guys in our early thirties who haven't given up the dream’ is how this double act introduce themselves.
Damian Clark: Stand Up
20/08/2011 … Provoking a memory from a student past spent sat in your underwear watching daytime soaps Aussie comic Clark opens by announcing that he's not from Summer Bay or…
Caroline Mabey's One Minute Silence
20/08/2011 … Caroline Mabey wants to use her show to teach us how to sit in silence.
Fri 19 August 2011
© Ian Fox Wangergate
A Fringe scandal or a cock and bull story?
19/08/2011 … An Edinburgh Fringe act has apologised for defacing posters with crudely-drawn stickers of penises, after being threatened with legal action.
'I'd shoot a cat out my backside if I could'
19/08/2011 … Omid Djalili doesn’t like the lack of showmanship in stand-up.
sytyf19
19/08/2011 … THE newcomers taking part in next week's So You Think You're Funny? final in Edinburgh have been named as Lucy Beaumont, Fern Brady, Andy Clark, Darren Connell,…
New TV show for Sarah Silverman
19/08/2011 … Sarah Silverman is making a comeback to American TV, having sold a sitcom to the NBC network.
© BBC More stars join Life's Too Short
Liam Neeson and Helena Bonham Carter
19/08/2011 … Liam Neeson and Helena Bonham Carter have joined the cast of Ricky Gervais’s next sitcom, Life's Too Short.
Ahir Shah: Astrology
19/08/2011 … Ahir Shah was named by his mum and dad after a Hindu astrologer said it would be auspicious to name him with an A or V, because of his birthdate and time.
Tim Key: Masterslut
19/08/2011 … What is Tim Key? He’s a comedian, of course, but one with a strange, discombobulatingly offbeat rhythm.
Alex Horne: Seven Years In The Bathroom
19/08/2011 … Another strong idea from one of comedy’s most dedicated geeks is meticulously put-together, quirky, warm and witty – even if the single driving conceit of the…
Sara Pascoe vs The Apocalypse
19/08/2011 … Sara Pascoe opens her show by saying that last year’s Edinburgh hour attracted nine two-star reviews and contained a joke ‘so bad it made the news’; then tells…
A Betrayal Of Penguins: Endangered For A Reason
19/08/2011 … The most famous fact about penguins is that they can’t fly – and nor can this show in their name.
Jen Brister: Jen Brister is British(ish)
19/08/2011 … Jen Brister's mum is Spanish but she, herself, was born and raised in England.
Meryl O'Rourke: Bad Mother
19/08/2011 … When an act heavily themes an hour they run the risk of losing some of the funny, ending up with a lecture more than a comedy show.
New Art Club: Quiet Act of Destruction
19/08/2011 … Having gone to live in the sleepy Cambridgeshire village of Meldreth, New Art Club's Tom Roden inadvertently exacerbates the rivalry between his village and its…
Four Screws Loose: Screwed Over Again
19/08/2011 … Four Screws Loose are one of the successes of the Free Fringe, packing out the sizeable back room at Bannermans every afternoon.
Thu 18 August 2011
Inbetweeners movie tops box office
18/08/2011 … The Inbetweeners movie is set to become one of the year's biggest British films after grossing £2.
'You wonder what on earth they are up to'
The improv, fun, and banoffee pie on the set of Outnumbered
18/08/2011 … Outnumbered returns to BBC One for its fourth series next month, proving that ignoring the well-known adage never to work with children or animals can pay dividends.
Jihadists 'target David Letterman'
18/08/2011 … David Letterman has reportedly been targeted by jihadist death threats after making jokes about Al Qaeda.
Little Howard's Big Show
18/08/2011 … What are the chances? The very same afternoon I have a ticket for Little Howard’s Big Show, there’s also a man in from the Ministry, an evil-eyed joy-vacuum…
Jim Smallman: Tattooligan
18/08/2011 … Every picture tells a story, so they say, and Jim Smallman’s covered in them, Even if some of his tattoos tell no anecdote more than ‘I had £50 and half an…
Fiona O’Loughin: Spirited
18/08/2011 … It’s happened to the best of us: sitting in a theatre, perhaps the worse for wear, you find yourself nodding off during the show.
Michael J Dolan: Dress To Depress
18/08/2011 … Michael J Dolan gets fed up of people telling him he looks miserable.
Armageddapocalypse: The Explosioning
18/08/2011 … James Bond, Jason Bourne and Jack Bauer have two things in common: their initials and the fact their flaws have been combined to create the lead in the ‘Hollywood…
Gareth Richards: It's Not The End of The World
18/08/2011 … As Gareth Richards notes himself, the scenes on English city streets last week suddenly made post-apocalyptic chaos look like a very real concept.
Henry Paker: Cabin Fever
18/08/2011 … As Henry Paker finds his comic voice there is an elephant in the room that needs addressing.
John Robertson: Blood & Charm
18/08/2011 … John Robertson’s appealing late-night storytelling show blends the dark with the charming.
Axis of Awesome
18/08/2011 … Two years ago I reviewed Axis of Awesome in the mid-sized Wine Bar of the Gilded Balloon; this year they have sold out the venue’s flagship Debating Hall.
Wed 17 August 2011
It's the Simbetweeners
Video game version of comedy movie
17/08/2011 … The makers of the Sims video game have created their own version of The Inbetweeners movie trailer.
Stewart Lee is a 'comedy snob'
...Says a Cambridge-educated Tory
17/08/2011 … Stewart Lee has been accused of being an ‘unbearable snob’ – by a Cambridge-educated researcher for the Tory party.
outn17
17/08/2011 … THE fourth series of Outnumbered will launch on BBC One on Friday September 2, the corporation has announced.
Misdirection?
Nichol credited with working on a show he's never seen
17/08/2011 … A comic has been claiming that Phil Nichol directed his Edinburgh show – even though the award-winner has never even seen it.
The star-t of a problem
Mark Davies says 1* reviews should be published
17/08/2011 … Last week I read with interest that Scottish what’s on guide The Skinny will not be giving any performance at this year’s Fringe anything less than two stars.
Jim Davidson nick nicked over speeding
17/08/2011 … Jim Davidson has been given a six-month driving ban for refusing to name who was behind the wheel of his luxury sports car when it was snapped over the speed limit.
Thomas Hardie & Co
17/08/2011 … One of Thomas Hardie’s best gags is their very name.
Matthew Crosby: Adventureparty
17/08/2011 … Matthew Crosby’s solo Fringe debut is a modestly charming affair, which might be a disappointment to those expecting the big, brash comedy that he indulged in…
Andrew O’Neill: Alternative
17/08/2011 … Andrew O’Neill may lead an alternative life, as a vegan, transvestite metalhead who prefers squats and hitchhiking to rent and bus fares, but his comedy is hugely…
Sarah Millican: Thoroughly Modern Millican
17/08/2011 … The theme for Sarah Millican’s latest show is a gift for critics – it’s all about how she’s risk-averse.
Ray Time In The Daytime: An Audience With Ray Green
17/08/2011 … There’s nothing factually incorrect in the title which is a good start.
Phil Nichol: The Simple Hour
17/08/2011 … It's a sold out show, yet around a dozen seats are still empty - what do you do? Most comics would kick on and start the show, but Phil Nichol isn't most comics.
Mark Dolan: Sharing Too Much
17/08/2011 … There are a few moments during his show where some audience members seem to consider Dolan to have ‘shared too much’.
Eric Lampaert: Where's Eric?
17/08/2011 … It's a bit of a push awarding three stars to Eric Lampaert, given that his show wings it.
Tue 16 August 2011
The Moose has spoken...
Fringe award semi-finalists announced
16/08/2011 … The semi-finalists in the first £5,000 Amused Moose Laughter Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe have been announced.
Cop out
Alfie Moore leaves Show Me The Funny
16/08/2011 … Policeman Alfie Moore has become the latest comic to be voted off Show Me The Funny.
Tim Fitzhigham: Gambler
16/08/2011 … If Tim Fitzhigham didn’t exist, Jules Verne would probably have invented him.
John-Luke Roberts and Nadia Kamil: The Behemoth
16/08/2011 … John-Luke Roberts and Nadia Kamil have never quite cracked the Fringe.
Sally-Anne Hayward: Don’t Judge Me
16/08/2011 … Don’t judge me? Fat chance of that happening at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Joe Bor: In Search of the Six-Pack
16/08/2011 … Two hours before his show, I lined up against Joe Bor for the annual critics versus comedians football match (7-3 to the critics, in case you were wondering), a…
Tom Bell Begins
16/08/2011 … Who says successful gritty reboots can only be applied to comic books, and not to comics? Tom Bell wants to tell us his origins story.
Lewis Schaffer Is Free Until Famous In a Smaller Room at an Earlier Time
16/08/2011 … In a tiny Free Festival room, holding 40 uncomfortably in stifling heat.
Pete Firman: Jiggery Pokery
16/08/2011 … What do you do with a problem like magic? Its presence in the comedy section of the Fringe brochure is the result of an historic categorisation difficulty.
Tom Deacon: Can I Be Honest?
16/08/2011 … Since winning Chortle Student Comedian of the Year back in 2007 Deacon has come a fair old way.
Chris Mayo's Panic Attack
16/08/2011 … Chris Mayo's debut show is about worrying, and as he appears to be an amiable fella you don't want to add to his worries.
Mon 15 August 2011
Drawing up a contract....
Animated series for Demetri Martin?
15/08/2011 … Demetri Martin is reportedly set to launch his own animated series on American TV.
bish15
15/08/2011 … JOHN BISHOP's Britain proved a ratings hit for BBC One on Saturday night, attracting 4million viewers.
We love 'Family'
15/08/2011 … American sitcom Modern Family is the most-loved comedy DVD box set, according to a new survey.
illum15
15/08/2011 … KEITH LEMON, the alter-ego of comedian Leigh Francis, will turn on Blackpool Illuminations on September 2.
Win mp3 players, loaded with comedy
To celebrate the Edinburgh Fringe
15/08/2011 … We’ve joined up with publishers AudioGo to offer mp3 players, loaded with some of the best comedy around, to three lucky winners.
Alistair Green: Outpatient
15/08/2011 … Alistair Green is infectious, but thankfully just in a comedic way.
Fred Cooke: Comfort In Chaos
15/08/2011 … Fred Cooke has a good comic look: a strapping, manic baby, with something of Mrs Doyle’s beady-eyed smile and also Tommy Cooper’s sweating bewilderment.
Carl Donnelly 3: Carl Donnelier
15/08/2011 … Carl Donnelly could have called his show 'Dude Where's My Carl' but chose this rather more wordy banner after crowdsourcing suggestions on Twitter.
Lloyd Langford: The Cold Hard Fact's of Life
15/08/2011 … One of stand-up's greatest challenges comes when a performer is obliged to perform in front of a crowd whose ability to enjoy the show has been compromised by hours…
Catie Wilkins: A Chip Off The Odd Block
15/08/2011 … I hope Catie Wilkins’ mum never gets to watch her solo debut.
Steve Day: Run, Deaf Boy, Run!
15/08/2011 … Running a marathon is not the most immediately promising of subjects for a stand-up show.
Morgan & West: Crime Solving Magicians
15/08/2011 … In this theatrical presentation, Messers Morgan and West, who make claim on the invention of a machine able to travel thought time itself, present an hour of intrigue…
Tom Webb Fixes 2012
15/08/2011 … Like an over-anxious party host, Tom Webb greets everyone personally to his show, handing out sweets and eager-to-please banter to build a friendly atmosphere.
Thom Tuck Goes Straight To DVD
15/08/2011 … It’s a simple idea, and one obviously ripe with comic potential.
Glenn Wool: No Lands' Man
15/08/2011 … It’s possibly the biggest topic in comedy: having a digit shoved up your anus.
Sun 14 August 2011
footy14
14/08/2011 … CRITICS beat comedians 7-3 in the annual football match at the Edinburgh Fringe on Sunday.
Puppetry Of The Penis: 3D
14/08/2011 … Puppetry of the Penis have a long tradition (don't excuse the pun) at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Mick Ferry: Sod It!
14/08/2011 … It might have already felt, in recent days, as if the apocalypse was coming but Mick Ferry reminds us that we should be putting the actual date in our diaries as…
Bob Downe: 20 Golden Greats
14/08/2011 … This was an unexpected pleasure! I was expecting to sneer my way through this, but you’d have to be a committed miseryguts not to succumb to cheesy crooner…
Award Winning Comedian, Nik Coppin
14/08/2011 … If you want to do a show about awards you have won, you'd better have a stunning set or you are destined to fail.
Jarlath Regan: Shock And Ahh!
14/08/2011 … Jarlath Regan has had a tough year.
Lee Camp Is: Yet Another American Mistake
14/08/2011 … American political comic Lee Camp has a late show, but you need to be awake and alert to take it all in.
Tim Clare: How To Be A Leader
14/08/2011 … Tim Clare’s ambitious Edinburgh show is an imperfect but intriguing concept, probing the ideas of leadership from the political to the cult in a personal bid to…
Dave Gorman's Powerpoint Presentation
14/08/2011 … It would probably have happened anyway, but Dave Gorman has to take some of the credit/blame for popularising the use of PowerPoint in comedy.
Milo McCabe: Get Brown
14/08/2011 … Seems like every comic’s got a chat show this Fringe; but Milo McCabe has given it the obvious twist for a character comedian – and become all the guests rather…
Sat 13 August 2011
Sammy J: Potentially
13/08/2011 … How do you prefer your comedy? Straight stand-up, musical, storytelling, lighthearted or heartfelt? Why not just have it all? Sammy J has rammed something for everyone…
Damion Larkin: Cuddly Dreamer
13/08/2011 … My word, what a warm, fuzzy, feelgood title this is.
Des Clarke: Des Comedy Jam
13/08/2011 … Des Clarke’s show is super Scottish.
Battle Of Britain: North V South
13/08/2011 … Sometimes premises of Edinburgh shows can be contrived – but this doesn't matter as long as the resulting show is entertaining and funny.
Fred MacAulay: Legally Bald
13/08/2011 … Fourteen years as BBC Radio Scotland’s morning presenter ensures a sold-out gig for Fred MacAulay, although the sharp intake of breath when he swears or cracks…
Steve Gribbin: Laugh At First Sight
13/08/2011 … There are riots on the streets, the phone-hacking scandal taints the media, police and politicians, and cuts are beginning to bite as the Western world remains in…
Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut
13/08/2011 … Not even the Marx Brothers could parody Casablanca successfully, so the Tron Theatre Company have set themselves a tough task with this theatrical homage.
Phill Jupitus: Stand Down
13/08/2011 … Making his return to stand-up after a decade away, Phill Jupitus treads carefully, with an hour of engagingly-written comedy that clings closely to familiar ideas.
Arthur Smith's Pissed-Up Chat Show
13/08/2011 … Don’t you hate it when gigs are disrupted by a mouthy drunk at the bar, not knowing his own volume or aware of people around him.
The Peacock And Gamble Emergency Broadcast
13/08/2011 … The premise of Ray Peacock and Ed Gamble’s show – loose as it is – is that this is the broadcast that comes on air when another show doesn’t go as planned.
Fri 12 August 2011
The comics on Show Me The Funny are good – whatever TV tells you
Andy Kind on ITV's reality show
12/08/2011 … Last year, I was on 4thought.
See Jim Davidson in his pants
Worst Weekly Trivia File headline ever...
12/08/2011 … On hearing about the riots that hit his neighbourhood of London, Andrew Maxwell admitted: ‘My first reaction wasn't “my house is only around the corner from…
Amanda Byram to host Sky's comic talent hunt
With humiliation for the losers
12/08/2011 … Amanda Byram is to host the new Sky1 talent show in which comedians who fail to entertain will be ejected from the stage via trap doors, bungee cords or explosions.
Lickwood slams 'bitter and twisted' Copstick
Rudi's outburst over Show Me The Funny
12/08/2011 … Rudi Lickwood has branded judge Kate Copstick a ‘bitter and twisted failed stand-up’ after being kicked off ITV’s Show Me The Funny.
Book deal for Micky Flanagan
12/08/2011 … Micky Flanagan has signed a deal to write his memoirs, to be released in Christmas next year.
Tom Stade: What Year Was That?
12/08/2011 … This is not comedy for the fragile or easily offended.
Shappi Khorsandi: Me And My Brother, In Our Pants, Holding Hands
12/08/2011 … It has been a week for shock and numb feelings – emotions repeated for an altogether different reason by the end of this show.
Unexpected Items Are On It, In The Zone, Off The Hook And Down With The Kids
12/08/2011 … This is a very successful sketch show with a young, good looking and talented cast.
The Brandreth Papers
12/08/2011 … Gyles Brandreth’s son Benet is totally a chip off the old block, the Brandreth voice is so instantly recognisable in this impressive bit of storytelling.
Maff Brown: Pacman is Actually Allergic to Ghosts
12/08/2011 … Maff Brown is a blokey bloke, smart suited, newly barbered to a spiky style, with a friendly, affable, joshing style that makes him the go-to guy for TV warm-up…
Aidan Bishop: Misspelled
12/08/2011 … Fifteen per cent of the world's population have dyslexia which, as of 2008, now includes Aidan Bishop.
The Lunchtime Club [2011]
12/08/2011 … Someone once remarked that the one consolation of a union between two ghastly people was the thought that they'd saved two other hapless souls from unhappy marriages.
Dana Alexander
12/08/2011 … Newly arrived in Britain from Canada, Dana Alexander’s Fringe debut shows her as an adept, charming and astute comedian – warmly funny with a impishly sarcastic…
Paul Daniels: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
12/08/2011 … Over a lifetime on stage, Paul Daniels has built up the sort of fame the young bucks of Edinburgh can only dream of.
Jeff Leach: A Leach On Society
12/08/2011 … Good stand-ups reveal something about themselves in their performance, and within seconds I learned something significant about Jeff Lynch, without him having to…
Briefs
12/08/2011 … Rummage inside these Briefs and there’s some pleasant surprises… but also a few things you’d probably rather not encounter.
Thu 11 August 2011
BBC announces Fringe coverage
11/08/2011 … The BBC has announced more additions to its coverage of the Edinburgh Fringe, as well as the shows it is staging.
altitude11
11/08/2011 … JIMMY CARR Frankie Boyle, Al Murray and Tim Minchin are among the comics signed up for the ski, snowboarding and comedy festival Altitude in Mayrhofen, Austria,…
Elis James: Do You Remember The First Time
11/08/2011 … Elis James is normally a master of whipping a crowd into a frenzy and getting huge laughs from even the smallest of audiences, but in a room hot enough to melt metal…
David Reed: Shamblehouse
11/08/2011 … David Reed's Shamblehouse is made up of a series of sharply-written character pieces performed with the skill you might expect from a former member of The Penny…
Colin Hoult: Inferno
11/08/2011 … Still as dark as ever, Colin Hoult has this year moved from focussing on more macabre characters to ‘heroes’, mostly human ones but all inevitably flawed and…
Nick Helm: Dare To Dream
11/08/2011 … Nick Helm is comedy’s answer to glam rock, all swaggering machismo, aggressive posturing and energetic showmanship.
Humphrey Ker is Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher!
11/08/2011 … As familiar Edinburgh sketch group The Penny Dreadfuls splits, Spice Girls-like, into a new batch of solo careers, Humphrey Ker makes his debut with a gung-ho, Boys-Own…
Steve Hall: Very Still Life
11/08/2011 … Comedy works by exaggerating the trivial – just how many Edinburgh shows are based on an incident in a stand-up’s life, blown up to provide supposedly great…
Alan Sharp: Hate It With Me
11/08/2011 … The Free Fringe is a wonderful thing, but sometimes you’d wish they’d make at least a slight nod to professionalism.
Totally Tom
11/08/2011 … Standing out is the most difficult thing for any show on this overcrowded fringe; and gimmick-free sketch shows probably have it the hardest.
Asher Treleaven: Matador
11/08/2011 … After a couple of years performing as a vodka-swilling, pill-popping, gas-inhaling lunatic on the verge a sociopathic spree, Asher Treleaven has clamed himself down,…
Wed 10 August 2011
martin10
10/08/2011 … DEMETRI MARTIN is to play a one-off gig at London's Leicester Square Theatre on October 15.
branded10
10/08/2011 … RUSSELL BRAND has set up his own movie production company Branded Films, based at the Warner Bros.
How To Be Awesome: An Introduction
10/08/2011 … Lou Sanders has great vulnerability on stage.
Toby: Lucky
10/08/2011 … Toby is more complex than your average comedy double act; so while the laughs are less frequent, the rich characterisation, Pinteresque pauses and tense sibling…
Paul Sinha: Looking At The Stars
10/08/2011 … This is the fifth consecutive four-star review we’ve given Paul Sinha at Edinburgh – a rare combination of consistency and quality.
Andrew Bird's Village Fete
10/08/2011 … This is a competent stand-up performing a competent hour of stand-up, quite competently.
Richard Herring: What Is Love Anyway
10/08/2011 … Ah, love – inspiration for poets everywhere.
Foil, Arms and Hog: Comedy Doesn’t Pay
10/08/2011 … This is the third year that the Irish sketch trio Foil, Arms and Hog have been at the Edinburgh Fringe, yet they’ve barely made an impact.
Barry & Stuart : Show & Tell - The Tell
10/08/2011 … I’ve said it before – I’m left largely frustrated by magic shows; more often than not leaving the room feeling more irritated than entertained.
Tue 09 August 2011
Stand up for yourself!
Sally Holloway offers newbies advice on dealing with hecklers
09/08/2011 … Ahh the heckler.
Chris Addison joins Mock The Week
09/08/2011 … Chris Addison is to become a permanent team regular on Mock The Week when it returns next month.
Rudi booted off Show Me The Funny
09/08/2011 … Rudi Lickwood has become the latest comedian to be voted off ITV’s Show Me The Funny.
Tom Rosenthal: Child Of Privilege
09/08/2011 … Tom Rosenthal’s taken quite an audacious approach to his Edinburgh debut, mixing ambitious high-concept, comedy in-jokes and nerdy logic all designed to play to…
Robin And Partridge: Worlds Collide
09/08/2011 … The audience for this performance of Robin & Partridge’s late-night show were so ridiculously up-for-it, you might suspect a rent-a-mob.
Seann Walsh: Ying & Young
09/08/2011 … We get an unflattering image of Seann Walsh’s life from his second Edinburgh hour.
Imran Yusuf: Bring The Thunder
09/08/2011 … Like Jack Whitehall before him, Imran Yusuf has mastered the techniques of stand-up impressively quickly.
Jigsaw
09/08/2011 … The last time Dan Antopolski was in an Edinburgh sketch show, his co-stars were Lee Mack and Catherine Tate, so he would be forgiven if he thought he’d been left…
Joel Dommet: Neon Hero
09/08/2011 … Like rather too many young male comedians, Joel Dommett has built his Edinburgh show around a failed romance.
Holly Walsh: The Hollycopter
09/08/2011 … Who would have thought that jumping off Worthing Pier in a fake helicopter could go so wrong, yet end up so right?Holly Walsh makes her Edinburgh debut almost a…
Dave Fulton:... Based on a True Story
09/08/2011 … In a criminally undersold show, in a new venue off the beaten track, in a very late night slot, it is hard to imagine the powerhouse that is American Dave Fulton…
Simon Donald Dirty Great Fringepiece
09/08/2011 … Viz co-creator Simon Donald returns to the Fringe with a show closely modelled on last year's format of character comedy plus reminiscences about his cult comic's…
Neil Dougan: Rough Rared
09/08/2011 … You might happily listen to Neil Dougan all night, he’s blessed with a Belfast drawl and has the familiar easy, unsentimental eloquence of the Northern Irish.
Amateur Transplants: Adam Kay's Smutty Songs
09/08/2011 … Adam Kay appears from backstage, tops up the wine glass sat on his piano, emptying one bottle and cracking open a another, then plonks himself down at the piano…
Mon 08 August 2011
Fringe? We love it
Festival-goers give a huge thumbs-up
08/08/2011 … The Edinburgh Fringe seems to be addictive – with almost a third of people going to shows saying they have been to the festival at least ten times.
BBC1 pilots sitcom about gay couple
With Robert Lindsay and Richard Griffiths
08/08/2011 … BBC One is piloting a primetime sitcom about a middle-aged gay couple.
BBC apologises for mentioning comic's YouTube clip
Richard Bacon contrite over Stanhope interview
08/08/2011 … The BBC and Richard Bacon have both apologised for mentioning the fact that clips of offensive material by American comedian Doug Stanhope were available online.
Comics back Amnesty campaign
08/08/2011 … Comedians have backed Amnesty International’s Edinburgh Festival campaign to help free five men held in the United Arab Emirates for ‘insulting officials’Ed…
Kieran & The Joes: Teampowered
08/08/2011 … You might want to turn to page one of your ‘Sketch Comedy For Dummies’ handbook to mark off the tired tropes Kieran And The Joes employ in Teampowered.
Diane Spencer: All-Pervading Madness
08/08/2011 … Let’s be clear, Diane Spencer is not a 5.
Idiots Of Ants: Model Citizens
08/08/2011 … A couple of years after being nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award, Idiots Of Ants are showing no signs of resting on their laurels.
Tom Price: Say When
08/08/2011 … As an actor, Tom Price has recently been in Torchwood, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, My Family and is about to be in the forthcoming BBC4 drama about the Monty Python…
Katherine Ryan: Little Miss Conception
08/08/2011 … One strand of Katherine Ryan’s debut concerns the awful childhood beauty pageants she competed in back in her native Canadian town of Sarnia – a real place,…
Funt
08/08/2011 … A three-man stand-up show, Funt is a fairly standard compilation show of new acts stretching themselves – and occasionally the audience’s patience – into performing…
Steve Pretty's Perfect Mixtape
08/08/2011 … Like anyone with any sense of retro style, Pretty is nostalgically fond of the audio tape and more specifically the mixtape.
Paul Foot: Still Life
08/08/2011 … ‘That was a lot of effort for three laughs,’ says a punter leaving Paul Foot's latest Fringe show.
Neil Delamere: Divilment
08/08/2011 … Divilment, as the internet told me, is an Irish term for general mischievousness or shenanigans, and Neil Delamere sets his show loosely around this arguing that…
Sun 07 August 2011
Comics get cultural
How comedy's influence has spread
07/08/2011 … Comedy is a major influence on Britain’s cultural life, Fosters award producer Nica Burns has claimed.
Andi Osho: All The Single Ladies
07/08/2011 … Osho made her début at the Fringe just last year but she's already in the lovely and spacious Cabaret Bar venue in the Pleasance Courtyard, and filled it.
Tony Law: Go Mr Tony Go!
07/08/2011 … Writing a review of Tony Law’s semi-random mental outpourings is almost redundant; I could just reproduce the comments that he tags on to his own material and…
Catriona Knox: Packed Lunch
07/08/2011 … Edinburgh is always flooded with twentysomething female character acts, with bags of theatrical confidence, a dressing-up box, and the hopes of being the next Catherine…
Brett Goldstein Grew Up In A Strip Club
07/08/2011 … Brett Goldstein has such a great story to tell, it almost seems like cheating.
Jessica Fostekew: Luxury Tramp
07/08/2011 … For an Edinburgh debut, this is the sort of rock-solid hour of unfussy stand-up you might expect from a much more experienced performer.
Segue Sisters In Jailbirds
07/08/2011 … Last year, the Segue Sisters were every compilation show’s favourite guest; their melodious three-part harmony singing adding variety to many a bill.
Sat 06 August 2011
louis06
06/08/2011 … AMERICA's FX network has renewed Louis CK's sitcom Louis for a third series of 13 episodes.
Russell Brand performs a wedding
06/08/2011 … Russell Brand has conducted a marriage ceremony during one of his stand-up gigs.
Now this is awkward..
Watch Dane Cook and Louis CK discuss joke stealing
06/08/2011 … Dane Cook has appeared on Louis CK’s American sitcom in a scene that mines real-life joke-stealing accusations for uncomfortable laughs.
© CBS C4 goes for 'Broke'
Broadcaster snaps up US sitcom
06/08/2011 … Channel 4 has brought the rights to US sitcom 2 Broke Girls, more than a month before it airs on CBS.
Clare Plested: Vegas, Jesus And Me
06/08/2011 … In previous years, Clare Plested has appeared at the Fringe as one half of Plested and Brown in prop-tastic, silly and enjoyable plays alongside Adam Brown.
Dave Eastgate: I Wish I Had A Band
06/08/2011 … If Aussie comic Dave Eastgate did indeed have a band it would be unlikely that, however tight an outfit they were, they would help paper over the fact that his Fringe…
Wendy Wason: Flashbacks
06/08/2011 … There is a risk allowing reviewers in to a preview show, and one Wendy Wason maybe shouldn't have taken.
Matt Forde: Dishonourable Member
06/08/2011 … Now the Fringe programme has got its long-awaited cabaret section, can we also have one for ‘confident public speakers who are sort of engaging but don’t really…
Lili La Scala: Songs To Make You Smile
06/08/2011 … Fans of nostalgic light comedy ditties will be in their element in Lili La Scala’s show.
Danny Bevins: Infectious Waste
06/08/2011 … American comic Danny Bevins has an appealingly snarky, contrary and nihilistic attitude that adds a lot of texture to his blunt, no-nonsense stand-up.
The W Kamau Bell Curve - Ending Racism In An Hour
06/08/2011 … Well, this show’s a failure.
Fri 05 August 2011
Jonnie Marbles sentence cut
05/08/2011 … Occasional comic Jonnie Marbles has had his jail term for throwing a foam pie at Rupert Murdoch reduced from six weeks to four.
Comedy Central apologises for Amy Winehouse gags
05/08/2011 … Comedy Central has apologised after it aired jokes about Amy Winehouse being dead in a rerun of Live At The Apollo.
Sharks or critics, who's worse?
05/08/2011 … ‘The British accent will not only imply sincerity, but also intelligence and astute analysis.
Ricky Gervais to join Family Guy
05/08/2011 … Ricky Gervais is to play a dolphin in Family Guy.
Trolley good ratings
Impressive start for Sky's sitcom
05/08/2011 … Sky’s decision to invest in new British comedy seems to have paid off – with its supermarket sitcom Trollied garnering more than a million viewers on its debut…
Documenting the history of comedy
05/08/2011 … Steve Carell’s documentary series about some of the biggest stars in US comedy has found an American broadcaster.
Rowan Atkinson 'hurt in car crash'
Star loses control of £650,000 McLaren
05/08/2011 … Rowan Atkinson has reportedly been injured after crashing his £650,000 McLaren F1 supercar.
Noise Next Door: Their Finest Hour
05/08/2011 … It can be difficult reviewing shows on the first day of Fringe previews.
Stuart Goldsmith: Another Lovely Crisis
05/08/2011 … I’ve previously accused Stuart Goldsmith of bossy over-confidence, but over this hour he is nothing but a charming, nice and funny guy chronicling his ongoing…
Jason John Whitehead: Letters From Mindy
05/08/2011 … It's ten years since Jason John Whitehead performed his first Edinburgh show, when he was part of an composite bill from agents Off The Kerb.
Nathan Caton: Get Rich Or Die Cryin'
05/08/2011 … Nathan Caton's third Fringe show offers another entertaining hour, but he is still not quite living up to his potential.
James Sherwood: I Fed My Best Friend Her Favourite Cow
05/08/2011 … Not every comic has to push boundaries and challenge taboos – so while James Sherwood’s comedy is rather too mild for my liking, you would be hard-pressed to…
Scott Capurro: Who Are The Jocks?
05/08/2011 … There are a few strands to Scott Capurro’s typically washpish 2011 Fringe offering.
The Two Wrongies
05/08/2011 … If you wanted to parody a bad, studenty Fringe show, you might imagine one person dressed up as giant foam cock, prodding another dressed as a giant vagina.
Doug Stanhope in London 2011
05/08/2011 … How lovely to see Doug Stanhope back in Leicester Square Theatre, even if he clearly feels he’s slumming it after doing a night at the Hammersmith Apollo back…
Thu 04 August 2011
Festival Frank
04/08/2011 … Festival Frank is a live online webshow from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Jack Whitehall lands C4 series
04/08/2011 … Jack Whitehall has landed a six-part, primetime series, touring Britain for Channel 4.
© BBC Ideal axed
Johnny Vegas sitcom dropped despite record ratings
04/08/2011 … The BBC has axed Johnny Vegas sitcom Ideal after seven series, its writer Graham Duff has revealed.
Police Academy's Hightower dies
04/08/2011 … Police Academy star Bubba Smith has been found dead in his Los Angeles home at the age of 66.
Wed 03 August 2011
Who said he was no oil painting?
Frank Skinner in portrait show
03/08/2011 … Frank Skinner and Catherine Tate are to be immortalised in copies of famous portrait paintings in a new Sky Arts show.
Jonnie Marbles launches appeal
03/08/2011 … Jonnie Marbles has launched an appeal against his six-week jail term for throwing a shaving cream pie at Rupert Murdoch.
Edinburgh Fringe 2011
Comedy reviews from the festival
03/08/2011 … All 2011 Edinburgh Fringe reviews: Bridget Christie: Housewife Surrealist Bring Me The Head Of Adam Riches Hannah Gadsby: Mary.
Stuart bags a comedy show...
03/08/2011 … Stuart Baggs, The Apprentice candidate humiliated by Sir Alan Sugar, is doing is own Edinburgh Fringe show.
Russell Brand set for faith-crisis comedy
03/08/2011 … Russell Brand is set to star in new comedy drama about a religious woman who has a crisis of faith.
Doug Stanhope goes to jail
03/08/2011 … American comic Doug Stanhope will play his next major gig in an Icelandic maximum security prison.
Michael Workman: Humans Are Beautiful at Melbourne Comedy Festival 2011
03/08/2011 … Michael Workman has been audaciously ambitious with his festival debut, just two years after winning the Raw new act competition.
John Conway: The New Conway Show in Melbourne 2011
03/08/2011 … Daft John Conway has certainly received a good thrashing from the silly stick.
Sam Simmons: Meanwhile in Melbourne 2011
03/08/2011 … Amid the now-meaningless notes I wrote during Sam Simmons’ show, one leaps off the page: ‘He is one fucked-up dude.
Tue 02 August 2011
Jonnie Marbles jailed
02/08/2011 … Sometime comedian Jonnie Marbles has been jailed for six weeks for his shaving-foam attack on Rupert Murdoch.
Who's at the end of their wick, Vic?
Anger over Reeves & Mortimer comeback
02/08/2011 … Fans of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer have been left outraged by a ticket fiasco surrounding the duo’s first live show in 15 years.
Show me the viewers
Low audience for ITV comedy/reality show
02/08/2011 … Show Me the Funny has shed half a million viewers, spelling poor ratings for ITV1.
Don't be cruel, urges Ronnie Corbett
02/08/2011 … Ronnie Corbett has revived the old argument that ‘modern comedy is too offensive’ in an interview lamenting the demise of family-friendly humour.
Mon 01 August 2011
Blaps of honour
C4 announces its first internet comedies
01/08/2011 … Channel 4 has announced its first Comedy Blaps commission of internet shorts.
Montreal Just For Laughs 2011
01/08/2011 … Reviews from the Montreal Just For Laughs comedy festival: Tim Minchin Colin Quinn: Long Story Short A Carlin Home Companion Set List: Comedy Without…
© Triple J Dave Callan: O+
01/08/2011 … Although O+ looks like it should be a show about a blood group, it’s actually the nearest, typographically, that Aussie-based Irishman Dave Callan could get to…
Claudia O'Doherty: What Is Soil Erosion
01/08/2011 … Well, you have to admire Claudia O’Doherty’s audacity, not only presenting an festival show with the most boring title conceivable, but also having the commitment…
Hannah Gadbsy: Mrs Chuckles at Melbourne 2011
01/08/2011 … To say Hannah Gadsby gets off to a sluggish start would be an insult to gastropods.
The Hermitude Of Angus, Ecstatic
01/08/2011 … A versatile, expressive and exuberant physical comic, Vachel Spirason makes for one of the most empathetic loners since Chaplin’s Tramp.
List Operators For Kids Do Compooters; Melbourne 2011
01/08/2011 … Hey parents, don’t give your kids sugary, fizzy drinks packed with additives – send them to the List Operators instead; the effect is very much the same, but…
Mark Thomas: Walking The Wall
01/08/2011 … It can be hard to have a sense of humour about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; but occasionally a left-leaning comedian cannot resist the urge to tackle it.
Ruby Wax: Losing It
01/08/2011 … Ruby Wax built a career on being the brash, gobby American, irritating as many as she entertained with her loud, large personality.
Sammy J And Randy In Ricketts Lane
01/08/2011 … Three years ago, musical comedian Sammy J and ridiculously talented puppeteer Heath McIvor were the toast of the festival with their hilarious toe-tapping antidote…
Sun 31 July 2011
SoundCloud map of the Edinburgh Fringe
Hear comedians, insiders and punters...
31/07/2011 … We've linked up with SoundCloud, a social networking service based on audio, to bring you the sounds of the Fringe, recorded by comedians, industry insiders, and…
Montreal Just For Laughs: Colin Quinn – Long Story Short
31/07/2011 … Probably the most noteworthy thing about Colin Quinn’s show about the entire history of the world, is that it was directed by Jerry Seinfeld.
Parliament ban hits The Daily Show
Commons footage can't be used in satire
31/07/2011 … An episode of The Daily Show has been banned in the UK – because it contained Parliamentary footage.
Tim Minchin at the 2011 Montreal Just For Laughs festival
31/07/2011 … Hollywood’s Variety magazine last week named Tim Minchin as one of the top ten comics to watch – but this Montreal audience were clearly well ahead of that…
Sat 30 July 2011
Montreal Just For Laughs 2011: A Carlin Home Companion
30/07/2011 … He’s a tough act to follow, George Carlin.
How to be a brilliant comedian
Louis CK reveals how it's done
30/07/2011 … Louis CK has revealed the dedication it takes to be one of the world’s top stand-ups.
Montreal Just For Laughs 2011: Amp'd musical comedy show
30/07/2011 … Musical comedy, once treated like little more than a pariah because of the number of witless acts who mistakenly thought changing a word or two of a pop hit made…
Podcasts go on air
Comics to provide inflight entertainment
30/07/2011 … A bundle of top comedy podcasts are to be included in the BA in-flight entertainment from Monday.
Hear Marc Maron's Montreal speech
30/07/2011 … Marc Maron has released his inspirational keynote speech to the Montreal comedy festival online.
Montreal Just For Laughs 2011: Set List
30/07/2011 … Explaining the demanding concept of Set List, producer Paul Provenza borrows a quote that goes: ‘Asking a stand-up to improvise an entire set is like asking a…
Fri 29 July 2011
Armed And Dangerous by James Brandon
29/07/2011 … This ‘performer’s guide to dealing with hecklers and interruptions’ is hilarious – but for all the wrong reasons.
ade29
29/07/2011 … ADRIAN EDMONDSON has landed a 20-part daytime show for ITV, Ade In Britain, in which he travels the country trying to learn traditional crafts and skills.
Jonnie Marbles pleads guilty
29/07/2011 … Comedian Jonnie Marbles has admitted assault over his shaving-cream attack on Rupert Murdoch.
Montreal Just For Laughs 2011: Russell Howard – The Time Is Now
29/07/2011 … One of the delights of Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival is seeing how British stars perform in front of audiences who don’t know who they are.
Montreal Just For Laughs 2011: Maria Bamford - Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome
29/07/2011 … Maria Bamford’s psyche must be like a theme park for therapists; both exciting and terrifying, and packed with far too many bells-and-whistles distractions to…
Thu 28 July 2011
Respect your comics
Marc Maron's message at Montreal keynote speech
28/07/2011 … Marc Maron has called on the comedy industry to treat comedians with more respect.
How 'too soon' is now?
Andy Todd on making tasteless jokes about the news
28/07/2011 … ‘What a week!’ said my girlfriend on Saturday night, voicing the thoughts of many.
Crackersback!
Comics line up for more of Sky's Little Crackers
28/07/2011 … Sky is to revive its series of Little Crackers short films, this time featuring such comedians as John Bishop, Alan Davies and Shappi Khorsandi.
Montreal Just For Laughs 2011: One-Stop World Tour
28/07/2011 … Seems like the Just For Laughs Festival is closing the door to immigrants this year.
Wed 27 July 2011
Montreal Just For Laughs 2011: Ari Shaffir's 'So I'm Fucking This Girl, Right?'
27/07/2011 … Man, comics are a seedy bunch of amoral assholes.
Worthy targets
Snez Naik says celebs - even McIntyre – are fair game if you've got a point
27/07/2011 … So, Stewart Lee has got himself into trouble over something he said three years ago.
fear27
27/07/2011 … SIMON PEGG is to star in indie horror/comedy A Fantastic Fear of Everything, playing a novelist whose research into Victorian killers has made him paranoid.
Minchin gets a mention
Hollywood list puts Tim as 'one to watch'
27/07/2011 … For most British and Australian fans, he is already a comedy star – now Tim Minchin has been identified as one of the hottest acts in the States.
© BBC Royles return – again
Another festive special in the works
27/07/2011 … The Royle Family is returning for another Christmas special co-writer Craig Cash has revealed.
Tue 26 July 2011
Montreal Just For Laughs 2011: Eugene Mirman And Pretty Good Friends
26/07/2011 … Surely this is a no-brainer? Pay top-dollar to see one of the televised Just For Laughs galas in its far-from-intimate aircraft hangar of a theatre – or just…
Distraction is the mother of invention
Keith Farnan shares his writing techniques...
26/07/2011 … Martin Amis once said that only amateurs wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.
Comedy And Error, by Simon Day
26/07/2011 … Let’s start with my prejudices: I’ve never been a massive fan of Simon Day’s work.
Chase me...
26/07/2011 … Paul Sinha has signed up to join ITV1 daytime quiz The Chase.
Hannibal Buress: The Hannibal Montanabal Experience
26/07/2011 … ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick,’ Theodore Roosevelt said, and it’s a philosophy Hannibal Buress has taken to heart.
Mon 25 July 2011
Prince Abdi-cates
Comic booted off Show Me The Funny
25/07/2011 … Prince Abdi has become the second comedian to be kicked off ITV reality programme Show Me The Funny.
Montreal Just For Laughs 2011: The Ethnic Show
25/07/2011 … The one thing you need for a ethnic joke is a stereotype.
rees25
25/07/2011 … NEWCOMER Matt Rees won the Welsh Unsigned Stand Up Award at Cardiff's Glee Club on Sunday night.
US panel show for Graham Norton
25/07/2011 … Graham Norton is to host his own panel show in the States.
futurama25
25/07/2011 … FUTURAMA has been renewed for two more series by America's Comedy Central network, executive producer David X.
© BBC QI to go on tour
25/07/2011 … Stephen Fry and Alan Davies are to take part in the first live tour of QI – but you’ll have to go to Australia to see it.
Gilliam in new BBC mockumentary
25/07/2011 … Terry Gilliam is to star in a new BBC mockumentary about fictional forgotten film stars.
Alastair Campbell frightened me... he made Malcolm Tucker seem less outlandish
Jay Richardson interviews Peter Capaldi
25/07/2011 … With the nation gripped by the phone hacking scandal, what would Malcolm Tucker make of this massive political, media and police fuckaggedon?Peter Capaldi can only…
Unwelcome Matt
Lucas acts to shut down Twitter imposter
25/07/2011 … Matt Lucas has acted to shut down an imposter who has been posing as him on Twitter.
How humiliating...
Revealed: how new Sky talent show will eject comics
25/07/2011 … Comedians will be subjected to humiliating rejection on Sky 1’s new talent show Last Act Standing.
Sun 24 July 2011
Sat 23 July 2011
carson23
23/07/2011 … FRANK CARSON , 84, had to cancel his gig in Falkirk on Saturday night because of ill-health.
BBC calls time on Two Pints Of Lager
Sitcom axed after ten years and 80 episodes
23/07/2011 … Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps has been axed after ten years and 80 episodes.
Laughs In The Park 2011
23/07/2011 … Just before Laughs In The Park, Eddie Izzard became the first solo comedy act to play the Hollywood Bowl, entertaining 12,000 people in the venue where Monty Python…
Fri 22 July 2011
Swapping headlines for punchlines
22/07/2011 … Radio 1 newsreader Dominic Byrne has had his first crack at stand-up… and just about survived.
hattier22
22/07/2011 … A PLAQUE has been erected to Carry On star Hattie Jacques in the Kent village of Sandgate, where she was born.
© Comedy Central British TV is too scared to do tough satire
22/07/2011 … Britain doesn’t have an equivalent to America’s Daily show because TV executives are ‘cowards’, John Oliver has claimed.
Ricky Gervais plays God...
22/07/2011 … ‘I don’t buy The Sun any more either ‘cos it treats its readers as if we are morons’ Jim Davidson.
rules22
22/07/2011 … CELEBRITY JUICE's Keith Lemon – aka Leigh Francis – has written a dating guide called The Rules: 69 Ways to Be Successful, to be published in September.
king22
22/07/2011 … PEEP SHOW star Matt King has won an Astra award in Australia for Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor for his role in the series Spirited, where he plays the…
Credit where it's due, Jim
Lloyd Mills thinks it's a crime to overlook a joke's writer
22/07/2011 … I’ve just read Jim Davidson’s latest blog on comedy and I have to take massive issue with his assertion that there is something less than noble about writing…
Bristol Comedy Garden, opening night
22/07/2011 … The inaugural Bristol Comedy Garden feels like it has been designed by someone who has spent many an evening in Edinburgh’s Pleasance Courtyard - the site is littered…
Ealing Comedy Festival 2011: Day 4
22/07/2011 … You know you’ve got a strong bill when Sean Lock’s on – and not even headlining… and so it is with the penultimate night of the Ealing Comedy Festival,…
Thu 21 July 2011
Deconstructing the deconstructor
Dave Cohen thinks Stewart Lee is being disingenuous
21/07/2011 … I realise there is a danger, in critiquing Stewart Lee’s critique of the Daily Mail critiquing his dissing of Michael McIntyre, of ending up with a poor facsimile…
Fast Show 'set for reunion'
Cast in talks, Simon Day reveals
21/07/2011 … The Fast Show could be heading for a comeback, star Simon Day has revealed.
Daniel Kitson is critics' favourite
He tops chart of 2010 Fringe reviews
21/07/2011 … Daniel Kitson had the best-reviewed show of last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, according to new analysis.
Another C4 show for Morgana
VIP features celebrity impressions
21/07/2011 … Morgana Robinson is to star in another Channel 4 comedy show, despite attracting only modest ratings for her first outing.
secretp21
21/07/2011 … NOEL FIELDING is setting up his own TV production company, Secret Peter, with Kasabian musician Serge Pizzorno.
C4 announces its Comedy Labs
Shows for Pappy's and Anna & Katy
21/07/2011 … Channel 4 has announced its line-up for the next series of Comedy Lab pilots.
Ealing Comedy Festival 2011: Day 3
21/07/2011 … In a calendar packed with comedy festivals, Ealing’s has a relatively low profile.
Wed 20 July 2011
Ricky Gervais writes atheist comedy
20/07/2011 … Ricky Gervais is creating a new American sitcom about an atheist who dies and goes to heaven.
Mark Watson's improv show canned
No full series after pilot's low ratings
20/07/2011 … Mark Watson’s improv show is not to be commissioned by digital channel Dave, the comedian has revealed.
© HBO Larry David returning to stand-up
20/07/2011 … Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David is planning a return to stand-up – after more than 20 years away from the stage.
Jason Manford: I wasn't gagged
Comic denies his stand-up was cut from ITV show
20/07/2011 … Jason Manford has denied his own stand-up was cut from ITV’s new comedy talent hunt Show Me The Funny because of a legal wrangle.
Starlings roost at Sky 1
New comedy from Peep Show's Matt King
20/07/2011 … Peep Show star Matt King has written a new Sky One comedy-drama about a dysfunctional family.
As the comedian said to the Archbishop...
Rowan Williams to interview Skinner
20/07/2011 … It’s not the most likely of double acts.
Tue 19 July 2011
No more Mirth
Manchester club suddenly closes after nine years
19/07/2011 … One of Manchester’s longest-running comedy nights has been forced to close after almost a decade – with just two hours’ notice.
Comedian held after Murdoch attack
Custard-pie stunt at select committee
19/07/2011 … Occasional comedian Jonnie Marbles has been arrested after a custard pie attack on Rupert Murdoch during a Commons select committee.
Garry's a comedy god
Montreal fest to honour Shandling
19/07/2011 … Garry Shandling is to be given a lifetime achievement award by Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival next week.
Stewart Lee: What I really think about Michael McIntyre
19/07/2011 … On Sunday, at 2.
You say I was at an awards bash? I'll sue!
Stewart Lee takes issue with Metro
19/07/2011 … Stewart Lee has demanded a retraction from the Metro newspaper – for claiming he attended the British Comedy Awards.
Why didn't Show Me The Funny show us the funny?
John Fleming is exasperated by ITV's new show
19/07/2011 … Last week, I wrote a Correspondence piece rather piously advising comedians how to get to grips with structuring their hour-long Edinburgh Fringe shows.
Mon 18 July 2011
conf18
18/07/2011 … THE Comedy International Conference for promoters, agents and other industry types is returning to Greenwich on September 8.
Modest audience for Show Me The Funny
18/07/2011 … Show Me the Funny got off to a disappointing start in the ratings last night.
Frankie Boyle 'working on new C4 show'
But Tramadol Nights won't be back
18/07/2011 … Channel 4 is planning a new show with Frankie Boyle – despite the problems the last one caused.
E4 snaps up US comedies
Including Napoleon Dynamite animation
18/07/2011 … E4 has brought the rights to US comedy series New Girl, Apartment 23,, Allen Gregory and Napoleon Dynamite.
Sun 17 July 2011
Reeves & Mortimer back on stage
17/07/2011 … Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are to perform their first live show together in 15 years.
© BBC Michael McIntyre hurt by 'nasty' jokes
Comic hates backlash from his peers
17/07/2011 … Michael McIntyre has said he has been shocked and hurt by the abuse he gets from other comedians since hitting the big time.
Sat 16 July 2011
Fri 15 July 2011
Bridges goes primetime
15/07/2011 … Kevin Bridges has reportedly been given his own six-part prime-time BBC One show.
Gig cancelled... over babysitting crisis
15/07/2011 … Spotted at the first night of Johnny Vegas’s new play And Another Thing.
Latitude 2011
Comedy news and reviews from the Suffolk site
15/07/2011 … What else to add after something of a soggy Latitude? Well, I saw more penises than I'd envisaged – and none of them were Phil Nichol's.
Louis CK up for three Emmys
15/07/2011 … Louis CK has been nominated for three Emmy Awards.
Thu 14 July 2011
Funny's Funny final
Steve Bennett reviews the female comedian of the year contest
14/07/2011 … It was set up as a celebration of female comedy.
Going local
Chortle listings can now be customised
14/07/2011 … Chortle has gone local - with the ability to customise the site to give listings near you.
sherwood
14/07/2011 … SHERWOOD SHWARTZ, the writer who created the American sitcom hits Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 94.
Commercial interests
Watson & Flanagan in ad-based panel show
14/07/2011 … Micky Flanagan and Mark Watson and to be team captains in a new panel show, based on the world of advertising.
Channel 4 unveils its Magnificent Seven
Comedy Showcase line-up announced
14/07/2011 … Channel 4 has unveiled its next round of Comedy Showcases with showcase for Angelos Epithemiou, Vic Reeves, Milton Jones and Armstrong and Miller, among others.
harriet14
14/07/2011 … HARRIET KEMSLEY, a 24-year-old broadcast monitor from from Canterbury in Kent, won the first Funny's Funny female comedian of the year title at Camden Highlight…
Funny's Funny female comedian of 2011 final
14/07/2011 … It was set up as a celebration of female comedy.
Wed 13 July 2011
Comics: See the bigger picture
John Fleming offers some forestry management advice...
13/07/2011 … Around now – just three weeks before the Edinburgh Fringe starts – there is a glut of desperate stand-up comics performing Fringe preview shows in London.
Joanna Page to be a mum
...in new Sky sitcom The Gates
13/07/2011 … Gavin and Stacey star Joanna Page is to star in a new sitcom about parental rivalries on the school run.
Half-price comedy
Chortle joins in Dave’s 2-for-1 promotion
13/07/2011 … TV channel Dave is running a 2-for-1 ticket promotion at comedy clubs across the country from now until the end of the year.
Tue 12 July 2011
Is returning to a free venue a backwards step?
Paul Ricketts has a Fringe dilemma
12/07/2011 … When I started doing stand-up I asked some well- known black comics why they didn’t take a show to the Edinburgh Fringe.
BBC offers free stand-up workshops
12/07/2011 … The BBC is offering free workshops to 30 budding stand-ups at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
Revealed: ITV's stand-up hopefuls
Show Me The Funny contestants named
12/07/2011 … The contestants have been announced for ITV1’s new ‘comedy X Factor’ reality series Show Me The Funny.
And Another Thing...
12/07/2011 … At the Manchester International Festival four years ago, Johnny Vegas performed the memorably unique Interiors, in which he showed the audience around a real three-bedroom…
Mon 11 July 2011
Norman's times
Lovett to write his autobiography
11/07/2011 … Norman Lovett has signed a deal to write his memoirs – which he says will ‘put the record straight’ about his time on Red Dwarf.
I can't stand the competition
Geraint Dafydd Evans gives an insider’s view of comedy contests
11/07/2011 … On Sunday, I was 25, and I’m delighted that I started as a comedian before reaching the quarter of a century.
© C4 Fans complain over Campus axe
Decision prompts lively feedback
11/07/2011 … Comedy show Campus was one of the most complained-about programmes on Channel 4 last month – although most of the objections were about the show being axed.
Sun 10 July 2011
© BBC
Funniest females announced
10/07/2011 … Thirteen finalists have been named in the new Funny's Funny female comedian of the year competition.
Radio 4 to boost comedy
10/07/2011 … Radio 4 is to boost its comedy output in a bid to appeal to a wider range of listeners.
Sat 09 July 2011
Fri 08 July 2011
losing08
08/07/2011 … RUBY WAX's show about mental illness, Losing It, is to play at the West End's Duchess Theatre from August 31 to October 1 following its Edinburgh Fringe run.
New CBBC show for Vic Reeves
08/07/2011 … Vic Reeves is to front a new TV series – for children.
Money for nothing
Ashley Frieze warns new comedians to be wary of the rip-offs
08/07/2011 … It seems like comedy has a ‘pay-to-play’ controversy every few months.
'Too old and slow for Mock The Week'
08/07/2011 … 'I'm terrified of British audiences.
Frisky & Mannish: Pop Centre Plus
08/07/2011 … How apt that one of the campest double acts in comedy are in possibly the biggest tent in London, as pop parodists Frisky & Mannish take over the Udderbelly for…
Thu 07 July 2011
Not such a rip-off...
Tavare apologises over plagiarism claims
07/07/2011 … After sparking a transatlantic row over plagiarism, stand-up Jim Tavare has conceded that musical comedian Sid Bowfin probably didn’t rip him off.
You couldn't make it up!
Sean Mason despairs of the way improv is treated on TV
07/07/2011 … Improvisation on TV doesn’t need gimmicks, it needs trust.
Dave Gorman quits NOTW column
...then the paper closes anyway
07/07/2011 … Dave Gorman resigned from his column with the News Of The World before the paper's closure was announced this afternoon.
TV giant seeks sitcoms
Talkback Thames names first head of scripted comedy
07/07/2011 … Talkback Thames – the TV giant behind The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and QI – has appointed its first head of scripted comedy.
© Kraft Dawn French to tour... with a puppet
Plan to replace Jennifer Saunders
07/07/2011 … Dawn French wants to go on tour – but with a life-sized puppet in place of Jennifer Saunders.
Wed 06 July 2011
Come into the light....
John Fleming has some illuminating advice for new comedians
06/07/2011 … The stage.
oliver06
06/07/2011 … CHANNEL 4 has brought the rights to John Oliver's New York Stand Up Show – with the comic introducing Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Eugene Mirman, Mary Lynn Rajskub…
mulling06
06/07/2011 … JAMES MULLINGER has won Chortle's £75 for the best Correspondents article in June for his piece on meeting Jerry Seinfeld.
TV comedy has lost its flavour
Theo Weedon bemoans bland formats – and bland comedians
06/07/2011 … Comedy in the UK has become a monster.
sheen06
06/07/2011 … CHARLIE SHEEN is to be the subject of the next Comedy Central roast - to air in the States on September 19, the same day Two And A Half Men returns with Ashton Kutcher…
Mike Myers with the Comedy Store Players
06/07/2011 … You’d be forgiven for thinking that The Comedy Store Players are as old as London itself.
Tue 05 July 2011
Stewart Lee's comedy has no future
Joe Daniels considers a stand-up hero
05/07/2011 … Stewart Lee is widely considered the best comedian working today, and while this claim is swiftly dispatched by his detractors, it is precisely this divisiveness…
Two-minute heroes
Comics sought for speedy new talent show
05/07/2011 … Sky 1 is to launch a new prime-time search for stand-ups who can impress audiences in just two minutes on stage.
'I'm no plagiarist'
Sid Bowfin hits back at Jim Tavare's claims
05/07/2011 … Musical comedian Sid Bowfin has finally made his formal rebuttal of claims that he stole Jim Tavare’s stage persona.
Yes I've seen Jim Tavare... but he made no lasting impression
'Sid Bowfin' hits back at plagiarism claims
05/07/2011 … My name is Adrian Garratt.
Mon 04 July 2011
Mike Myers makes Comedy Store cameo
Back with improv troupe he founded
04/07/2011 … nced appearance.
japan04
04/07/2011 … LEE MACK's sitcom Not Going Out is to make its debut in Japan, with series three and four of the show being sold to pay-TV channel Wowow.
hp04
04/07/2011 … RUSSELL BRAND has becoming the face of the HP TouchPad, recording a series of adverts for the iPad rival he calls his 'little robot butler'.
Richard Ayoade joins Noel Fielding's show
04/07/2011 … Noel Fielding has revealed some details about his new solo E4 show via Twitter.
joke04
04/07/2011 … airBBC ONE has announced that it will launch its six-part talking head show My Favourte Joke in the week starting July 16.
charlie04
04/07/2011 … A PLAQUE is to be unveiled to Barnsley comedian Charlie Williams, who died in 2006, in his home town's Civic Theatre today.
Britain is 'dishonest and trivial'
04/07/2011 … He once campaigned for income tax to be higher – but now John Cleese says tax is too high and he can’t afford to live in Britain.
Sun 03 July 2011
It's THAT joke again....
Micky Flanagan uses gag from plagiarism row
03/07/2011 … Micky Flanagan has stumbled into a plagiarism row after telling the same gag on Mock The Week that’s already at the centre of a notorious joke-stealing controversy.
Sat 02 July 2011
godfry02
02/07/2011 … STEPHEN FRY is to play God in the BBC Four film Holy Flying Circus, about the furore caused by Monty Python's Life of Brian.
Omid's off the ads
Moneysupermarket does without Djalili
02/07/2011 … Price comparison website Moneysupermarket.
Fri 01 July 2011
poo01
01/07/2011 … ENTRIES have opened for the Golden Poo Awards – in which comics aged 16 to 24 have to make a three to five minute sketch or stand-up routine based around washing…
What theatre could learn from comedy
Charlie Baker on taking a gamble
01/07/2011 … This coming Edinburgh (my eighth if you count the four I did as a precocious 11-15 year old) I am independently presenting my play Wedding Band, at the Gilded Balloon.
Bullies vs polo mints
01/07/2011 … Despite the bad news about his series, Stephen K Amos started the week well … at a star-studded Beyonce gig in the Shepherds Bush Empire in West London.
millionaire01
01/07/2011 … BOB MORTIMER is to take part in a live Who Wants To Be A Millionaire special later this month, with his teenage children.
Brigstocke apologises for Jewish joke
01/07/2011 … Marcus Brigstocke has apologised for joking about Orthodox Jews having sex through a sheet.
idealrat01
01/07/2011 … JOHNNY VEGAS sitcom Ideal has increased its audience by almost 20 per cent, with an average of 535,000 watching the first screening of each episode in series seven…
Can The Stand use Assembly's name?
Edinburgh operator's trademark bid
01/07/2011 … The saga of The Stand comedy club taking over Assembly Rooms venues at next year’s Edinburgh Fringe has taken another twist after it emerged that the company ousted…
Collins and Herring split up
Public falling-out over 6Music show
01/07/2011 … Richard Herring has had a very public falling-out with his radio and podcast partner Andrew Collins.
Rita Rudner
01/07/2011 … It’s almost impossible to write about Rita Rudner’s first London shows in more than 15 years without sounding as if she’s being damned with faint praise.
Thu 30 June 2011
Dave asks for more Alexander Armstrong
Full series of his Big Ask ordered
30/06/2011 … Digital channel Dave has ordered a full series of Alexander Armstrong’s Big Ask following a successful pilot episode last month.
BBC drops Stephen K Amos Show
But 'will work with him again'
30/06/2011 … BBC Two has decided to drop the Stephen K Amos Show after its first series.
zepped30
30/06/2011 … WHAT is thought to be the only surviving copy of Charlie Chaplin's seven-minute World War One propaganda film Zepped has failed to sell at auction, attracting just…
© BBC Michael McIntyre gets a Xmas Day roadshow
30/06/2011 … Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow has landed a coveted place in the BBC One Christmas Day schedules.
A matter of opinion
Tony Cowards didn't realise who would be reading his criticism...
30/06/2011 … What follows is a warning to any comedian who readily airs their opinions on internet forums.
Wed 29 June 2011
agents29
29/06/2011 … BBC AMERICA is to show the Channel 4 comedy Free Agents in the States – to coincide with NBC's autumn remake of the show, starring Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn.
Anger is an energy
Ted Shiress on channelling his bitterness
29/06/2011 … All comics have a particular personality trait which they magnify a hundred times then use as the cornerstone of their act.
© C4 Channel 4 goes off Campus
29/06/2011 … Channel 4 has axed its university comedy Campus in the face of poor ratings.
We had groupies – a right rough load of tarts, they were
Final extract from Simon Day's memoirs
29/06/2011 … In 1998 we performed The Fast Show live at Hammersmith Apollo: thirty nights sold out! This was the cherry on the cake for me personally.
Gervais to hit Edinburgh TV festival
Sharing tips on breaking America
29/06/2011 … Ricky Gervais is to give a talk at the Edinburgh International Television Festival about how to break into American TV.
© HBO
The Stand takes over Assembly Rooms
Fringe coup for Edinburgh comedy club
29/06/2011 … The Stand comedy club is to move into Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms next year, ousting the operation that has run Fringe shows there for 30 years.
He's at it again...
Joke thief Jordan Paris exposed again
29/06/2011 … The comedian who stole Lee Mack’s material has been plunged into a new row over joke theft – despite claiming to have cleaned up his act.
Spymonkey's Love In
29/06/2011 … Like love itself, the latest show from knockabout comedy mainstays Spymonkey can be uplifting and joyous – but also frustrating when it doesn’t quite fulfil…
Tue 28 June 2011
GK Chesterton, he knew his comedy
The writer thought humour was the key to the serious, says Ian Ker
28/06/2011 … Everybody who knows anything about the writer G.
Dylan Moran and Rita Rudner join Latitude
28/06/2011 … Dylan Moran and Rita Rudner are to appear at the Latitude festival next month.
Earning a fortune; living like a pauper
In the second extract from his memoirs, Simon Day recalls his time on Saturday Zoo
28/06/2011 … In 1993 Jonathan Ross’ production company, Channel X, embarked on the glorious folly that was Saturday Zoo, a music and comedy show to be broadcast on Channel…
Stewart Lee blasts Twitter imposter
...and online critics can f*** off, too
28/06/2011 … Stewart Lee has blasted an imposter who set up a fake Twitter account in his name.
Graham Chapman reanimated
28/06/2011 … Graham Chapman’s memoirs are to be made into an animated film – with most of the remaining Pythons providing voices.
veggie28
28/06/2011 … RUSSELL BRAND has been named the World's Sexiest Vegetarian in a poll by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Mon 27 June 2011
'Jerry Seinfeld ruined my life'
Divorce after Marriage Ref appearance
27/06/2011 … A New Yorker has blamed Jerry Seinfeld for his divorce – after an appearance on the comedian’s reality show The Marriage Ref caused a rift between him and his…
Better late than never...
Russell Howard show is a hit – on catch-up
27/06/2011 … Russell Howard’s Good News has been named as one of the biggest successes of the BBC’s on-demand iPlayer.
' If you fuck this up it’s over for you – you can’t do anything else'
In an extract from his new book, Simon Day recalls his first stand-up gig
27/06/2011 … Malcolm Hardee was what people call a character, but that’s like saying Mohammed Ali was a boxer.
Jethro review
27/06/2011 … Cornish comedian Jethro isn’t exactly the height of cool, largely dismissed these days as a passé old-school throwback with little more than a bumpkin’s accent…
Sun 26 June 2011
Plagiarism row comic threatens to sue
Sid Bowfin hits back at Jim Tavare claims
26/06/2011 … The comedian accused of stealing Jim Tavare’s stage persona says he might sue over the claims.
Sat 25 June 2011
Funny People by Roy Smiles
25/06/2011 … In the Happy Families of life, what else could Mr Smiles be, other than a comedy writer? Briefly in a double-act called Smiles and Kemp, Roy has forged a much more…
earle25
25/06/2011 … GUY EARLE, the Canadian comedian ordered to pay a £9,500 fine by a human rights tribunal after he got into a confrontation with a lesbian heckler at a Vancouver…
Fri 24 June 2011
Jerry Lewis taken ill
Comic, 85, cancels Australian run
24/06/2011 … Jerry Lewis has cancelled the Sydney leg of his Australian tour after falling ill moments before he was due on stage on Friday night.
Talk isn't cheap
Alan Carr signs lucrative two-year deal with C4
24/06/2011 … Alan Carr has extended his deal with Channel 4 for another two years.
Original sin?
Paul James asks if anyone really cares about plagiarism?
24/06/2011 … ‘If you're going to lick the icing off somebody else's cake you won't be nourished and it won't do you any good.
Marked for life...
Comic gets his Edinburgh show title tattooed on his stomach
24/06/2011 … Trying to stand out against hundreds of competing shows, comedians performing at the Edinburgh Fringe need to take every opportunity to promote themselves.
pygmalion24
24/06/2011 … ALISTAIR McGOWAN is to take over from Rupert Everett in the role of Henry Higgins in Pygmalion in the West End's Garrick theatre for the last three weeks of the…
pizza24
24/06/2011 … ITV4 has ordered a second series of Richard Bacon’s Beer & Pizza Club, with another ten 45-minute series of the comedy chat show in the pipeline.
'A punch in the face is quicker than court'
24/06/2011 … News from the set of the Inbetweeners movie: Simon Bird had to vomit over a crowd of extras.
Thu 23 June 2011
© James McNaught 'I don't take credit for ideas...'
John Lloyd on the art of producing comedy
23/06/2011 … The new Mustard magazine has an exclusive interview with writer/producer John Lloyd, talking about his work on QI, Blackadder, Spitting Image, Not The Nine O’Clock…
Wed 22 June 2011
Eddie Izzard gets a small role
...as a dwarf in Snow White movie
22/06/2011 … Eddie Izzard is set to play a dwarf in a new take on the Snow White legend.
© BBC
You stole my soul!
Jim Tavare makes plagiarism claim
22/06/2011 … Jim Tavare has accused another comedian of stealing his entire stage persona.
A victim of identity theft
22/06/2011 … I have had plenty of jokes stolen over the years.
Tue 21 June 2011
Want to make a sitcom? Do it yourself
Producers raise cash to launch online
21/06/2011 … Producers of a new sitcom have raised £175,000 to launch their show online after becoming so frustrated with the TV commissioning process they decided to go it…
BBC apologises over 'fascist' comments
Complaints over Baddiel and Davies
21/06/2011 … The BBC has been forced to apologise to the right-wing Freedom Association after David Baddiel and Alan Davies accused it of being a fascist group.
New drama over Life Of Brian
BBC revisits Monty Python controversy
21/06/2011 … A new BBC drama is to examine the controversy surrounding the release of Monty Python’s Life of Brian in 1979.
Mon 20 June 2011
Wood, Fry and Horgan join the little people
20/06/2011 … Victoria Wood, Stephen Fry and Sharon Horgan are to all appear in a new BBC version of the Borrowers.
Barry Humphries joins The Hobbit
20/06/2011 … Barry Humphries has been signed up to appear in The Hobbit movies.
Raw Sex's Simon Brint dies at 61
Musical force behind hit comedies
20/06/2011 … Simon Brint, half of the Raw Sex comedy musical duo, has died at the age of 61.
Kathy Griffin in London
20/06/2011 … Kathy Griffin may not be a massive name in Britain, but, my, are are her fans excited to see her.
Sun 19 June 2011
Lee Mack packs 'em in
19/06/2011 … Lee Mack's All Star Cast drew a strong 4.
Snoop Dogg: I wanna be Benny Hill
19/06/2011 … Snoop Dogg is such a big fan of Benny Hill that he wants to ‘white up’ to play the comedian in a movie.
Publishers scramble for comedians
Bumper crop of books on the way
19/06/2011 … Handfuls of comedians' autobiographies are in the pipeline as book publishers ‘jump on the bandwagon’ of the stand-up boom.
© NBC My Name Is Earl wasn't stolen
19/06/2011 … A writer who claimed the sitcom My Name Is Earl was stolen from his idea has lost a lawsuit against America’s NBC network.
BBC Radio 2 New Comedy Awards Final
19/06/2011 … After a six-year hiatus, the BBC New Comedy Award is back.
Spike Milligan's widow dies
Renewed speculation about his will
19/06/2011 … Spike Milligan’s widow Shelagh has died at the age of 67.
A Barnes-storming victory
Angela wins BBC new comedy title
19/06/2011 … Angela Barnes has been crowned winner of this year’s BBC Radio 2 New Comedy Award.
BBC New Comedy Award final 2011
19/06/2011 … After a six-year hiatus, the BBC New Comedy Award is back.
Sat 18 June 2011
Alexei Sayle: McIntyre is 'bland guff'
Modern comedy is 'too cautious'
18/06/2011 … Alexei Sayle has accused Michael McIntyre of peddling ‘bland guff’.
John Cleese escapes speeding case
18/06/2011 … John Cleese has avoided a court hearing into his driving, after his speeding ticket was paid off.
Fri 17 June 2011
Loneliness of watching yourself on a sex show
17/06/2011 … Simon Pegg couldn’t trust himself to write his autobiography Nerd Do Well unsupervised – so had to lock himself away in an office next to his editor, who could…
One Night Stand returns
17/06/2011 … Digital channel Dave has ordered a new series of its stand-up show One Night Stand.
Frank Skinner's brought to book
Newspaper columns to be published
17/06/2011 … Frank Skinner’s newspaper columns are to be compiled into a new book, to be released this autumn.
BBC New Comedy Award: Meet the finalists
Radio 2 competition reaches climax
17/06/2011 … It's the final of the newly-revived BBC New Comedy Award tomorrow, going out live on Radio 2 from 7pm.
Psychoville wasn't in a League of its own
The creators are cursed by their history, says Andy Murray
17/06/2011 … The second series of Psychoville has just finished its run on BBC Two.
Radio 2 salutes the women of comedy
Barbara Windsor fronts new series
17/06/2011 … Barbara Windsor is to pay tribute to celebrated female comedians in a six-part Radio 2 series.
The new Mr Saturday Night...
17/06/2011 … Former Chortle Student Comedy Award-winner Joe Lycett has scored his first TV break – straight into a regular role on prime-time Saturday night show.
Prime-time Lemon
17/06/2011 … ITV1 is hoping Keith Lemon could be its next star of prime-time Saturday night.
Good Mourning Mrs Brown
17/06/2011 … I live about 20 minutes from the Hammersmith Apollo, but tonight it feels more like 35 years.
Thu 16 June 2011
© HBO
© Isabelle Adam
moose16
16/06/2011 … THE AMUSED MOOSE has opened its Laughter Awards for entries, offering a £5,000 prize for 'almost DVD ready' comedians performing at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Ralf Little writes cafe sitcom
16/06/2011 … Royle Family star Ralf Little has written a new sitcom for Sky One, set in a Weston-super-Mare cafe.
Matt Lucas: I'm not splitting from David
16/06/2011 … Matt Lucas has reassured fans he is not splitting up with David Walliams.
Win Carl Barron DVD
16/06/2011 … Australian comic Carl Barron has re-released his live DVD to coincide with his recent London run – and we have six copies to give away.
Laughing Boy New Act Of The Year 2011
16/06/2011 … Another day, another new act competition.
Wed 15 June 2011
happy15
15/06/2011 … E4 has secured the UK broadcast rights to the new American comedy series Happy Endings, about a group of friends divided when a couple of mutual pals split up and…
Robert De Niro to play another comedian
15/06/2011 … Sean Penn has signed up to direct Robert De Niro’s new movie about a bitter, ageing stand-up.
Matt Lucas films BBC One pilot
15/06/2011 … Matt Lucas is set to front his own BBC One series, based on his Radio 2 awards show.
greenwhich15
15/06/2011 … TIM MINCHIN has been added to the line-up of the Greenwich Comedy Festival, playing the historic Old Royal Naval College on September 5.
Stand Up And Deliver by Andy Kind
15/06/2011 … There are, undoubtedly books around on the experiences of being a comedian that are more emotive, or more inspirational than Andy Kind’s.
Tue 14 June 2011
MPs grill C4 boss over Frankie Boyle gag
Under fire over 'appalling' joke
14/06/2011 … Frankie Boyle’s joke about Katie Price’s disabled son has come under intense scrutiny in the Commons, with MPs branding it ‘unjustifiable’.
Andrew Maxwell joins Sky 1's Wall Of Fame
With David Walliams and Jack Dee
14/06/2011 … Stand-up Andrew Maxwell is to be a regular team captain on David Walliams’s new Sky 1 panel show, Wall Of Fame.
planer14
14/06/2011 … NIGEL PLANER has received an honorary Doctorate of Arts from Edinburgh Napier University.
© C4 Comic Strip returns for Blair satire
...with Jennifer Saunders as Thatcher
14/06/2011 … The legendary Comic Strip team are to return to Channel 4 for the first time in six years with a one-off show, The Hunt for Tony Blair.
Mon 13 June 2011
thomas13
13/06/2011 … MARK THOMAS has been given what's believed to be the first two-hour slot for a comedian at Glastonbury.
Russell Kane's seaside special
13/06/2011 … Russell Kane is to front his own six-part Radio Two series featuring a raft of guest stand-ups.
The funny side of 1908
Armstong & Miller in new sitcom
13/06/2011 … Ben Miller and Alexander Armstrong are set to star in a new Channel 4 sitcom set around the 1908 London Olympics.
Dave Gorman vs The Rest Of The World
13/06/2011 … Dave Gorman’s books follow a fairly well-established pattern now.
Punching Michael McIntyre
Comic steps into ring with David Haye
13/06/2011 … Michael McIntyre is to step into the ring with boxing champion David Haye for a new Sky 1 show.
C4 comedy gala a ratings hit
13/06/2011 … Channel 4’s Comedy Gala proved a ratings hit on Friday night – attracting an average of 2.
Sun 12 June 2011
Female comedy competition 'deluged'
12/06/2011 … The Funny’s Funny Female Comedian of the Year contest has become one of the biggest events for new stand-ups within weeks of its launch.
Sat 11 June 2011
OBEs all round...
11/06/2011 … Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor have been awarded OBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Fri 10 June 2011
Tracy Morgan sorry for anti-gay outburst
10/06/2011 … 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan has issued an apology for delivering a homophobic tirade during a stand-up show He admitted he went ‘too far’ with his material, which…
Win Mike Birbiglia's live CD
10/06/2011 … American comedian Mike Birbiglia has just released his new CD Sleepwalk With Me in Britain – and we have ten copies to give away.
Revealed: Who's playing Fast Fringe
Best of Edinburgh in one night
10/06/2011 … The line-up has been announced for this year’s Chortle Fast Fringe – the London showcase in which a mammoth 28 acts have just three minutes to present highlights…
Rich Hall, weatherman
10/06/2011 … ‘When you want to be taken seriously or show that you have substance to your comedy and that you’re creative, then doing voices is just a party trick, nothing…
mockrat10
10/06/2011 … MOCK THE WEEK attracted 2 million viewers when it retuned on Thursday night – down more than 20 per cent on the average for the last series, but still almost 40…
© Jon Appleyard / Latitude Russell Howard heads for Montreal
10/06/2011 … Russell Howard and Nina Conti have been invited to perform their solo shows at the prestigious Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.
30 Rock star under fire for anti-gay tirade
10/06/2011 … 30 Rock comic Tracy Morgan is under pressure to apologise after reportedly launching a vicious homophobic tirade during his stand-up show.
© Paramount Pictures First peek at Baron Cohen's Dictator
10/06/2011 … The first official image from Sacha Baron Cohen's new film The Dictator has been revealed.
Thu 09 June 2011
...And we're off!
Edinburgh Fringe programme launched
09/06/2011 … The Edinburgh Fringe has officially launched its 2011 programme, with another record-breaking year.
Father Ted: Tribute or rip-off?
Is Fringe show infringing trademarks?
09/06/2011 … An unauthorised Father Ted ‘tribute’ evening heading for the Edinburgh Fringe could land itself in legal trouble for infringing the sitcom’s trademark.
The Feeling
Anton Renwick on the fear and elation of a stand-up gig
09/06/2011 … Light applause as my legs of jelly move nervously forward.
Iannucci becomes a Doctor
09/06/2011 … Armando Iannucci is to be made an honorary doctor of letters by the University of Glasgow University vice-principal Graham Caie said the move would honour Iannucci’s…
Life Of (Brian) Jesus, by Julian Doyle
09/06/2011 … It’s not often we review an alterative religious tract on the pages of Chortle.
US comedy writer Stern dies
09/06/2011 … Leonard Stern, a producer, writer and director who worked on some of the most memorable American comedy series of the 20th Century, has died at the age of 87.
Wed 08 June 2011
monty08
08/06/2011 … RADIO 4 is to make a second series of the sketch show Lucy Montgomery's Variety Pack, to be recorded next month.
The unacceptable faces of comedy
08/06/2011 … I have come to the realisation that, when watching recorded stand-up shows, I have no desire to view close-ups of audience members' faces.
© C4
Brits: We're not as funny as we think...
(But the Germans are even less funny)
08/06/2011 … Britons might pride themselves on their sense of humour… but it is not a view shared by the rest of the world.
bottom08
08/06/2011 … MARC WOOTON is to play Bottom in RSC's new production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, starting in Stratford on July 29.
angryrat08
08/06/2011 … THE FIRST two episodes of Chris Lilley's Australian comedy series Angry Boys attracted 597,00 and 462,000 viewers to BBC Three from 10.
Fringe programme: Exclusive first look
08/06/2011 … The Edinburgh Fringe programme officially launches tomorrow… but Chortle can bring you an exclusive peek at the vast majority of the comedy listings now.
© BBC BBC looks North for comedy hits
08/06/2011 … Steve Coogan’s production company Baby Cow – makers of Ideal, Gavin & Stacey and the Mighty Boosh – have signed a year-long deal to develop comedy scripts…
Graham Linehan blasts Today
08/06/2011 … Comedy writer Graham Linehan has hit out at Radio 4’s Today programme, accusing presenters of contriving artificial rows and reducing debate ‘harmful squabbling’.
BBC 'treated My Family appallingly'
08/06/2011 … Robert Lindsay has blasted BBC bosses for axing My Family, saying they treated the sitcom ‘appallingly’.
Tue 07 June 2011
Vic and Bob return to sketches
Foster's sponsors new web series
07/06/2011 … Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are returning to sketch comedy – under the same sponsorship deal that revived Alan Partridge last year.
jamaica07
07/06/2011 … OLD JAMAICA Ginger Beer has signed a deal to sponsor all stand-up shows on Comedy Central, including Live At The Apollo, for a month, starting this Friday.
Forget the Celtic Tiger... the Celtic Cat is rich on laughs
Steve Bennett at Kilkenny's Cat Laughs festival
07/06/2011 … Now the Celtic Tiger is now little more than a lifeless pelt in front of some German banker’s chalet fireplace, Kilkenny’s much-loved Cat Laughs festival,…
Colm O'Regan: Dislike! at the 2011 Cat Laughs Comedy Festival
07/06/2011 … It’s historically been unusual for Cat Laughs to feature solo shows at all, let alone one that’s clearly still in progress as this one is.
Mon 06 June 2011
Meeting Seinfeld
James Mullinger encounters his comic hero
06/06/2011 … They say: ‘Never meet your heroes.
Imran Yusuf lands BBC Three show
06/06/2011 … Imran Yusuf has landed his own BBC Three pilot.
Anger at HIGNFY's Mecca joke
Protest over suicide bombers quip
06/06/2011 … Muslim groups are urging a widespread protest at the BBC over a Have I Got News For You joke they say was Islamophobic.
Sun 05 June 2011
Linehan rewrites The Ladykillers
Stage adaptation of Ealing classic
05/06/2011 … Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has rewritten the classic Ealing comedy The Ladykillers for the stage.
Ain't Half Hot Mum's Hewlett dies
05/06/2011 … Donald Hewlett, who played the well-heeled Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Reynolds in the Seventies sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum, has died at age of 90.
Sat 04 June 2011
Michael McIntyre in fetish film
...talking about tweedy turn-ons
04/06/2011 … Michael McIntyre has appeared in a fetish TV show, it has been revealed.
BBC cancels Candy Cars
04/06/2011 … The BBC has cancelled the comedy series Candy Cabs, about a group of northern women establishing their own taxi firm.
clarice04
04/06/2011 … CLARICE TAYLOR who played Bill Cosby’s mother Anna on The Cosby Show, as died at the age of 93.
Fri 03 June 2011
The Office goes to Sweden
03/06/2011 … The Office is to be remade in Sweden, nearly ten years after Ricky Gervais first appeared as hapless boss David Brent.
Omphalophobics Anonymous
03/06/2011 … ‘Russell Howard – I can’t get into him at all.
Rag trade's 'Paddy' dies at 85
03/06/2011 … Miriam Karlin, the actress best known for her role as shop steward Paddy in Sixties sitcom The Rag Trade, has died in London aged 85.
talking03
03/06/2011 … TALKING FUNNY the special in which Jerry Seinfeld, Ricky Gervais, Chris Rock and Louis CK discussed comedy drew just 36,700 viewers to Sky Atlantic on Thursday…
© BBC Sharon Horgan, chat-show host?
03/06/2011 … Pulling creator Sharon Horgan could be set to turn chat-show host.
Eddie Izzard: Stripped in Paris
03/06/2011 … ‘Pourquoi êtes-vous ici?’ Eddie Izzard asks, supposedly baffled that anyone would negotiate the boulevard of neon-bathed sex shops and XXX cinemas in the insalubrious…
Thu 02 June 2011
Plenty more Bish in the BBC
Second series for John Bishop's Britain
02/06/2011 … BBC One has commissioned a second series of John Bishop’s Britain.
© BBC Stewart Lee: Comedy messiah
Hazel Humphreys worships his Comedy Vehicle
02/06/2011 … All comedy is essentially divisive.
Jerry Seinfeld at the Comedy Store
02/06/2011 … Jerry Seinfeld made a surprise appearance at the London Comedy Store last night.
Write your way to New York
Bafta's boost for new comedy writers
02/06/2011 … Bafta is to fly three unknown comedy writers to the New York Television Festival to showcase their work to leading American TV executives.
Top cast for Sky's Jinsy
Hill, Tate, Saunders and more...
02/06/2011 … Jennifer Saunders, Harry Hill, David Tennant and Catherine Tate are all to make appearances in Sky Atlantic’s first original comedy, This Is Jinsy.
silverman02
02/06/2011 … SARAH SILVERMAN has signed a deal to write a script for a new TV sitcom which, if it is taken up by a US network, would see her return to the small screen.
Jo Brand vs Jeremy Clarkson
02/06/2011 … You would probably never expect them to see eye-to-eye; but Jo Brand has revealed she had a celebrity spat with Jeremy Clarkson at a BBC think-tank.
The ticket master
Comic Sanderson Jones to personally sell every seat
02/06/2011 … Comedian Sanderson Jones is trying to fill a 500-seat venue by selling all the tickets personally.
Here comes The Sun
Newspaper to offer comedy clubs a boost
02/06/2011 … Comedy clubs across the country could be set for an audience boost next week as The Sun launches a 2-for-1ticket offer.
Fat Tuesday, London, May 31
02/06/2011 … A remarkably good turn-out for the day after a bank holiday shows the pulling power a strong local club like Fat Tuesday can build up.
Wed 01 June 2011
BBC Three sitcom for Angus Deayton
01/06/2011 … Angus Deayton is to star in a new BBC Three comedy about teenage parents.
Lucifer: My Part In New Labour at the 2011 Brighton Fringe
01/06/2011 … The obvious thing to say about writer Terry Newman's New Labour farce is that it seems like old news.
Jay Sodagar Announces World War 3 at the 2011 Brighton Fringe
01/06/2011 … Another difficult Brighton Fringe show to review, thanks to its miniscule audience.
Tue 31 May 2011
Win Latitude tickets
Djalili, Carr and Buzzcocks lead the comedy
31/05/2011 … Latitude Festival returns for its sixth edition this year, with a line-up that again puts as much emphasis on comedy, theatre, cabaret and other artforms as it does…
doheny31
31/05/2011 … MARK DOHENY, from Laois, has won the Ireland-wide Craic Attack competition for new acts to win a slot at the Kilkenny Cat Laughs comedy festival this weekend.
Steve Coogan's porn film
New biopic of strip club owner Paul Raymond
31/05/2011 … Steve Coogan has been lined up to play porn baron Paul Raymond in a new film biography.
At Last! The 1981 Show
31/05/2011 … Revisiting the past can be as painful as it can be nostalgic and this showcase of the most anarchic and cult punk comedians, assembled by Stewart Lee from the dawn…
Nathan Penlington: Uri & Me at 2011 Brighton Fringe
31/05/2011 … Of all the tricks Uri Geller pulled off, the most incredible has to be how he came to be so famous.
Mon 30 May 2011
horsey31
30/05/2011 … ADAM BELBIN won the Laughing Horse new act of the year competition on Sunday night with Mark Stevenson second and Chris Turner and Darren Walsh joint third.
hangover30
30/05/2011 … THE HANGOVER 2 has set a new box office record for America's Memorial Day weekend, taking $86.
Laughing Horse new act final 2011
30/05/2011 … Bad news for hubristic comics everywhere: there’s a host of talent snapping at your heels, all poised to make their mark on the circuit with funny and distinctive…
Sun 29 May 2011
Mad about 'Men'
Sitcom reruns 'led to bomb threat'
29/05/2011 … A viewer became so incensed with constant reruns of Two And A Half Men that he allegedly threatened to bomb his local TV station unless they stopped broadcasting…
Sat 28 May 2011
© BBC Jack Dee to tour again
Now he's finished work on Lead Balloon
28/05/2011 … Jack Dee is preparing to go on tour again, having finished work on the latest series of Lead Balloon.
Jack Whitehall to star in C4 sitcom
Peep Show creators write student comedy
28/05/2011 … Jack Whitehall is to star in Channel 4’s new student sitcom Fresh Meat.
2011 Brighton Fringe: Gentlemen Of Leisure - The Death Of The Novel
28/05/2011 … What a delight to see a sketch show with both personality and meticulous attention to jokes.
From The Devil They Came: Brighton Fringe 2011
28/05/2011 … This sloppy studenty farce has aspirations towards the broad slapstick of Rik Mayall at his most manic.
Fri 27 May 2011
Janet Brown dies
27/05/2011 … Janet Brown, the comedian and impressionist best known for mimicking Margaret Thatcher, has died at the age of 87.
bulldog27
27/05/2011 … E4's The Inbetweeners has been named best comedy at the Televisual Bulldog awards.
You had to be there...
Ralph Jones on why comedy is always best experienced live
27/05/2011 … The best comedy to experience is, and always will be, in its most raw of forms: the live show.
Psychoville's ratings horror
27/05/2011 … Psychoville has suffered a huge slump in viewers, with half its audience turning off over the course of the second series.
BBC Three axes comedies
...including How Not To Live Your Life
27/05/2011 … BBC Three has axed three of its comedy series.
Alan Partridge to write memoirs
...well, with Coogan, Iannucci and others
27/05/2011 … Steve Coogan is writing Alan Partridge’s memoirs, to be released this autumn.
Johnny Vegas, TV shopping host
As part of an ambitious theatre project
27/05/2011 … Johnny Vegas is to become a presenter on TV shopping network.
Billy Connolly hurt in trike crash
27/05/2011 … Billy Connolly has broken his rib after crashing his trike on America's Route 66.
© BBC Dick Emery, Queen's saviour
27/05/2011 … 'What makes you unhappy?''All UK comedians.
Geoff Cotton: Light Relief at the 2011 Brighton Fringe
27/05/2011 … Ooh, uncomfortable.
Pete (The Temp) Vs Climate Change at Brighton Fringe 2011
27/05/2011 … Global warming’s a tough nut to tackle without being preachy; making it funny is an extra challenge.
Thu 26 May 2011
No preview? No problem
Mike Belgrave has some advice for comedians
26/05/2011 … Ah yes, it's the dreaded Edinburgh preview season.
Dave commissions 'micro sketch show'
4min episodes from Navelgazing
26/05/2011 … Internet sketch-makers Navelgazing have been commissioned to make a series of comedy shorts for digital channel Dave.
tomtom26
26/05/2011 … JOHN CLEESE is starring in a series of ads for TomTom satnav devices, playing a series of characters stuck in traffic jams.
© BBC Jail, bombs and cancer
It's BBC Three's new comedy roster
26/05/2011 … Their settings don't immediately appear to be a bundle of laughs… but comedies based in a women’s prison, a bomb disposal unit and a teenage cancer ward are…
Talent show cheat exposed
Australia's Got Talent comic ripped off Lee Mack
26/05/2011 … A would-be comedian has been outed for stealing Lee Mack’s jokes when he appeared on Australia's Got Talent.
Kevin Precious: Aging Punk Rocker at 2011 Brighton Fringe
26/05/2011 … If you are looking for the spirit of punk in Kevin Precious’s latest show, expect more of Anchor-butter era Johnny Lydon than the filth and the fury.
Wed 25 May 2011
spicks25
25/05/2011 … SPICKS AND SPECKS, the pop quiz stand-up Adam Hills hosts on Australia's ABC network, is to end after seven years.
greenwich25
25/05/2011 … OMID DJALILI, Micky Flanagan, Sean Lock and Rich Hall have been announced as the headliners for the Greenwich Comedy Festival, in the grounds of the Royal Naval…
Tattoo row fails to stall Hangover 2
25/05/2011 … A judge has ruled that The Hangover: Part II can open as planned tomorrow – after a tattoo artist threatened to stall its release in a copyright battle.
Channel 4 Comedy Gala 2011
25/05/2011 … This is comedy as an endurance event – the sort of night that would do Ken Dodd proud.
Tue 24 May 2011
Don't blame us!
Aaron Counter says audiences , not comedians, are responsible for offensive comedy
24/05/2011 … There has been a spate of comment pieces in the media recently discussing cases where comedians have been criticised publicly or even sued for what they’ve said…
An Ideal prize
Win DVDs as new series launches
24/05/2011 … The seventh series of Ideal starts on BBC Three this Thursday – and to mark its return, you could win all six previous seasons on DVD.
Mon 23 May 2011
UK Asian channel makes its first comedy
23/05/2011 … British-Asian TV channel Star has commissioned its first home-grown sketch show,The channel, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation which traditionally…
© BBC
200 enter new female comedy contest
23/05/2011 … More than 200 people have entered the new grassroots competition to showcase the best up-and-coming female comedy talent.
voting23
23/05/2011 … VOTING has now opened for the two remaining spaces in the semi-finals of the BBC Radio 2 New Comedy Awards, following the series of regional heats.
Have you herd the one about the cows...
23/05/2011 … Milton Jones has performed a stand-up routine for a field of cows, in a publicity stunt for cheese.
BBC orders another series of Getting On
On the day after Bafta triumph
23/05/2011 … The BBC has commissioned another series of Jo Brand’s NHS sitcom Going On – announcing the news the day after the show won her a Bafta for best comedy actress.
'Don't worry, they'll love you here'
Tony Schumacher recalls the highs and lows of gigging
23/05/2011 … About five or six years ago, when I was full of vim and vigour, I was rung up by a mate called Dave Purdy to play his gig in Manchester.
Merton: Frankie Boyle struggled on HIGNFY
23/05/2011 … Frankie Boyle struggled when he appeared on Have I Got News For You because he underestimated the audience, Paul Merton has claimed.
Daniel Rigby wins a Bafta
As does Jo Brand, Steve Coogan and more
23/05/2011 … Relatively unknown stand-up Daniel Rigby has won a Bafta award alongside the likes of Steve Coogan, Jo Brand and Harry Enfield.
Neil By Mouth at the 2011 Brighton Fringe
23/05/2011 … Neil Cole offers a tapas menu of comedy; a little burst of one-liners, then some observational stuff, then perhaps a little song, one bite-size morsel of a comedy…
As Drawn On FaceTube: 2011 Brighton Fringe
23/05/2011 … What a strange combination this is.
Sun 22 May 2011
carey22
22/05/2011 … BRITISH stand-up Carey Marx has won Best International Show at the New Zealand Comedy Festival.
© Universal Studios Russell Brand deported from Japan
22/05/2011 … Russell Brand has been deported from Japan because of his old drug convictions.
symbol22
22/05/2011 … RUSSELL HOWARD has been named the top male sex symbol for British students… with Simon Cowell coming in second.
Bad Bread: TV Times at Brighton Fringe 2011
22/05/2011 … Bad Bread are the sort of comedy trio you really want to like; they are affable performers especially off-the-cuff when they have to cover various line-learning…
Sat 21 May 2011
© BBC
Dog-Eared Collective: Dogs On Show at the 2011 Brighton Fringe
21/05/2011 … Comedy quartet The Dog-Eared Collective are all over the place… and not necessarily in a good way.
Richard Crawley: The Boy at the 2011 Brighton Fringe
21/05/2011 … It’s not entirely clear why Richard Crawley has decided to list his dramatic monologue under ‘comedy’.
Fri 20 May 2011
That's the end of IT
C4 sitcom to end, says Graham Linehan
20/05/2011 … The next series of the IT Crowd will probably be the last, writer Graham Linehan has revealed.
It's great – now make it funnier
Graham Linehan talks to Jay Richardson about The Ladykillers, The IT Crowd and Count Arthur Strong
20/05/2011 … The brief was simple.
'`He forced his genitals against Plaintiff’s face'
20/05/2011 … In his memoirs, Frank Skinner, wrote: ‘You would be able to tell when my career was in ruins because I would start saying I was passionate about radio.
Joe Munrow: Indoor Fox Hunting at 2011 Brighton Fringe
20/05/2011 … Joe Munrow has been around three years or so, but has remained largely under the radar.
Thu 19 May 2011
gardens19
19/05/2011 … RUSSELL HOWARD, Ardal O'Hanlon and Stephen K Amos are among the comics taking part in a new four-day festival in Bristol's Queen Square from July 20.
osama19
19/05/2011 … GRAHAM LINEHAN has confessed that he started the rumour that Osama Bin Laden had been watching tapes of the IT Crowd in his Pakistan hideout.
An Idiot in Springfield
Karl Pilkington to appear on the Simpsons
19/05/2011 … Karl Pilkington is to appear on an episode of The Simpsons.
SYTYF finds new sponsor
19/05/2011 … It has traditionally been sponsored by broadcasters or DVD companies – but now Britain’s longest-running competition for new comedians is to be supported by…
hobbit19
19/05/2011 … STEPHEN FRY has been added to the cast of The Hobbit, playing The Master of Laketown.
Bafta for comedy's 'backstage boy'
19/05/2011 … Top comedy producer and agent Peter Bennett-Jones is to be given the special prize at the Bafta Television Awards on Sunday.
Five-Step Guide To Being German: 2011 Brighton Fringe
19/05/2011 … ‘I don’t want to deal in clichés,’ says Paco Erhard as he invokes the image of his countrymen nabbing sun-loungers with their beach towels.
Geoff Norcott Is Good In A Crisis
19/05/2011 … You would never particularly mark Geoff Norcott out as an edgy comedian; with confident affability he wants his audience to feel secure in their entertainment.
Wed 18 May 2011
No job for a family guy
Jon Kudlick decides comedy's a singleton's game
18/05/2011 … After almost four years of doing stand-up, I’m just about to do my last gig.
Noble rider
Ross takes 500,000th Triumph on tour
18/05/2011 … Ross Noble is taking the 500,000th Triumph motorcycle built at the Hinckley factory on a seven-day tour.
ideal18
18/05/2011 … PAUL WELLER, Rula Lenska and former EastEnders star Kara Tointon are all making appearances in the seventh series of Ideal, which starts later this month.
Vic Reeves in new sitcom
18/05/2011 … Vic Reeves and Rhys Darby are joining forces for a new Channel 4 sitcom.
micf18
18/05/2011 … THE Melbourne International Comedy Festival is claiming record box office figures for its 25th year, with a total of 450,506 tickets sold for 5,156 performances…
Tue 17 May 2011
A matter of opinions...
Barnaby Slater wishes critical comics would keep their traps shut...
17/05/2011 … I've realised that airing an opinion or offering advice in the comedy world is more dangerous than the time I admitted to liking Fleetwood Mac at one of my mother's…
Psycho Bulla to be released...
Ricky Grover's film heads to cinemas
17/05/2011 … Ricky Grover’s Bulla film is set to for a cinema and DVD release this year.
© BBC Stage show for Birds Of A Feather
17/05/2011 … The cast of Birds Of A Feather are to reunite for a stage version of the Nineties sitcom.
The best medicine?
17/05/2011 … Comedian and GP Phil Hammond has written a new NHS comedy for Radio 4.
'I used to wear boots and sweaters'
Rita Rudner on Vegas, family ... and her glamorous image
17/05/2011 … Where do you get your material from? An almost impossible-to-answer question asked of so many comedians by so many journalists.
Yabba dabba do!
Family Guy's Seth reboots The Flintstones
17/05/2011 … Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is to oversee a new version of The Flintstones.
stewart17
17/05/2011 … PATRICK STEWART has buried the hatchet with James Corden after their awards do run-in last year, recording a sketch with the Gavin & Stacey actor for the C4 Comedy…
Mon 16 May 2011
sleedvd16
16/05/2011 … THE second series of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle is to be released on DVD on June 20, it has been announced.
America remakes Free Agents
16/05/2011 … Channel 4 comedy Free Agents is to be remade for America, following a successful pilot for NBC.
The Ideal man for comedy tips
Sitcom writer joins Chortle seminar
16/05/2011 … Ideal creator Graham Duff has joined the impressive line-up of comedy industry figures at Chortle’s seminar for those trying to break into the business.
Alan Carr turns down TV offer
Reality show called Up, Up And A Gay
16/05/2011 … As a show concept, it has something of the desperation of Alan Partridge’s Monkey Tennis.
Tank Commander to invade England
Scottish sitcom finally gets national airing
16/05/2011 … Scottish sitcom Gary: Tank Commander is to finally be shown nationwide, not just north of the border.
semi16
16/05/2011 … RICHARD GADD, Richard Stainbank, Adam Hess and Rob Carter are all through to the final of the Chortle Student Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe following the…
An Audience WIth The Hee-Has
16/05/2011 … Because improv has never really caught on in this country, there’s a huge void between the very few who can do it expertly – Comedy Store Players, Stephen Frost…
Sun 15 May 2011
Under the influence?
Chris Hallam asks if comedians have any sway in politics
15/05/2011 … During the recent local elections, the Green Party broadcast one of the oddest political broadcasts I’ve ever seen.
The Edinburgh flat fraud
James Sherwood was nearly scammed, and is afraid you might be too
15/05/2011 … This article isn’t funny, or particularly about comedy.
Alternative Eurovision review
Steve Bennett at the Udderbelly
15/05/2011 … Eurovision not camp enough for you? Then the Udderbelly’s annual alternative extravaganza of drag queens, erotic dancers and glorious bad taste would surely have…
Bidding war for Walliams's memoirs
15/05/2011 … David Walliams has written his memoirs, which could net him up to £1million.
Harry Hill expands his nuts
15/05/2011 … Harry Hill is to launch a brand of peanut butter.
Sat 14 May 2011
Fri 13 May 2011
Ashton Kutcher joins Two And A Half Men
13/05/2011 … Ashton Kutcher is to replace Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men.
C4 orders new animated comedy
Art by Gerald Scarfe's son Alex
13/05/2011 … Channel 4 has commissioned a new animated sitcom billed as a rival to American shows such as The Simpsons and Family Guy.
twain13
13/05/2011 … WILL FERRELL is to be awarded this year's Mark Twain Prize for American Humour, one of the most prestigious honours in American comedy.
Vitamin at the 2011 Brighton Fringe
13/05/2011 … It can be refreshing to see a real WTF? act on the circuit, an abstract throwback to the now largely forgotten alternative roots of the modern circuit.
Thu 12 May 2011
John Cleese charged with speeding
12/05/2011 … He might be 6ft 5in tall, but John Cleese has been charged with speeding – in a Mini Cooper.
The Seven Year Shits
Vince Atta celebrates his comedy anniversary in style
12/05/2011 … An excellent comedian friend of mine, Eddie, doesn’t gig enough.
semi12
12/05/2011 … MATTHEW WINNING, Richard Hanrahan, Glenn Moore and Chris Quaile are all through to the final of Chortle's Student Comedy Award – to be held during the Edinburgh…
Wed 11 May 2011
Aren't foreigners funny?
Will Sawney says comedy's the best way to understand a culture
11/05/2011 … Truth be told, foreigners are a funny bunch.
gorman11
11/05/2011 … DAVE GORMAN has announced a 40-date 'PowerPoint Presentation' tour for the autumn, with tickets on sale from 10am on Friday.
oddone11
11/05/2011 … ITV has commissioned a second series of Jason Manford’s panel show Odd One In, with comics including Jack Whitehall, Sarah Millican and Russell Kane lined up to…
'In any other job you'd call the police...'
Jen Lavery on the abuse female comedians face
11/05/2011 … For some female pedestrians, being publicly harassed by drunk or just-plain sexist men is a relatively rare, if unwelcome occurrence.
Yes, she Schaal come to the Fringe
...Dave Gorman and Al Murray, too
11/05/2011 … Dave Gorman, Al Murray and Flight Of The Conchords favourite Kristen Schaal are all returning to Edinburgh this year.
Tue 10 May 2011
© BBC
Female comedy award open for entries
10/05/2011 … Entries have opened for the Funny’s Funny female comedian of the year award.
panto10
10/05/2011 … DAME EDNA EVERAGE is to appear in her first pantomime this Christmas, playing the Saviour Of London in the New Wimbledon Theatre’s production of Dick Whittington.
Have I Got News... composer dies
Mystery as Big George dies at 53
10/05/2011 … ‘Big’ George Webley, the composer of the Have I Got News For You theme tune, has died at the age of 53.
dubz10
10/05/2011 … N-DUBZ will open this year’s Channel 4 Comedy Gala at London's O2 arena on May 24, it has been announced.
Sky announces spy comedy
Six-part sitcom from new writer
10/05/2011 … Sky One has announced a new home-grown sitcom about a single dad who accidentally gets recruited as a trainee spy.
Tiernan flooded out
10/05/2011 … Tommy Tiernan has been forced to cancel a gig in Canada tomorrow night because of flooding.
Comics scoop top radio awards
10/05/2011 … Jason Byrne, Robin Ince and Frank Skinner scooped three of radio’s top accolades at the Sony Awards last night.
Mon 09 May 2011
'I'm in the Inbetweeners movie... and I fucking milk it'
Kirsten Lester meets Greg Davies
09/05/2011 … Greg Davies is no diva; backstage on his current tour, all he asks for is a supply of substantial snacks.
© BBC QI's bleeping useless
Dave rapped for not disguising swear word
09/05/2011 … The Dave channel has been rapped for broadcasting an edition of QI without properly bleeping the word ‘fuck’.
Cleese to write his memoirs
...but he needs help remembering
09/05/2011 … John Cleese is to write his memoirs.
Dom Joly: Welcome To Wherever I Am
09/05/2011 … Before he embarked on this ambitious 70-date tour, Dom Joly said that he felt it was a way to prove himself worthy of the moniker ‘comedian’, since he’d never…
Sun 08 May 2011
Sat 07 May 2011
argonaut07
07/05/2011 … RICKY GERVAIS is to voice a robot spy dog, Argonaut, in the movie sequel Spy Kids: All the Time in the World.
Fri 06 May 2011
Tim Minchin to headline festival
06/05/2011 … Tim Minchin is to headline a comedy and music festival in an East London park this summer.
Scotland elects a real joker
06/05/2011 … Comedian Mark McDonald has been elected to the Scottish Parliament.
goodnews06
06/05/2011 … RUSSELL HOWARD's Good News hit 1million viewers on Thursday night, the BBC Three show's biggest audience of the current series.
Master of his own domain
Seinfeld launches stand-up website
06/05/2011 … Jerry Seinfeld has launched his own website, offering clips from his personal stand-up archives.
H-h-h-h-exterminate!
06/05/2011 … Dylan Moran on Michael McIntyre: ‘I hope he falls off his money and kills himself…’The Bafta nomination for BBC One sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys surprised a lot…
Comedies up for Broadcast Awards
06/05/2011 … Comedy shows have scored several nominations in the Broadcast Digital Awards, announced today.
talking06
06/05/2011 … TALKING FUNNY, the HBO show in which Ricky Gervais, Louis CK, Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock sat around talking about comedy, is to air exclusively on Sky Atlantic…
© Ellis O'Brien Comic belief
How people automatically think comedians are funny
06/05/2011 … It’s not the way you tell ’em, as much as WHO is telling them, according to new research.
Dylan Moran: Yeah, Yeah
06/05/2011 … Amid all his usual disgruntled rumblings about how marriage, children, aging and life itself have ground down his spirit, Dylan Moran briefly mentions the sort of…
Thu 05 May 2011
10 O'Clock Live 'has not been axed'
05/05/2011 … Channel 4 has denied rumours that it has axed topical comedy show 10 O'Clock Live.
Chortle seminar: Special offer
05/05/2011 … Get all the advice you need about starting a career in comedy from the best agents, producers, commissioners and live bookers at the Chortle Seminar.
Comedy gets a dose of reality
Harley Pool sifts fact from fiction
05/05/2011 … It’s probably not true to say there have been a spate of reality programs recently, as a spate suggests something unusual, and TV has been heading this way for…
Gyles Brandreth: The day I opened for Bernard Manning
The former MP reveals all to Marissa Burgess
05/05/2011 … When you think of Gyles Brandreth ‘stand-up comedian’ isn't the first term to spring to mind.
E4 signs Midnight Beast & Cardinal Burns
05/05/2011 … Sketch duo Cardinal Burns and internet sensations The Midnight Beast have both landed new comedy series on E4.
Björk And Mindy?
BBC to air its first Icelandic sitcom
05/05/2011 … Britain is to import its first ever Icelandic sitcom.
Wed 04 May 2011
If you can't stand the heat...
Matt Rudge on summer Edinburgh previews
04/05/2011 … Rejoice! The heat wave has arrived! Outside the weather is wonderful, find the factor 15.
Stand puts its Fringe tickets on sale
04/05/2011 … The Stand has become the first Edinburgh Fringe venue to put tickets to all its shows on sale.
Fist Of Fun to be released on DVD
04/05/2011 … Stewart Lee and Richard Herring’s Nineties TV show Fist Of Fun is finally to be released on DVD for the first time.
Outdoor comedy festival to return
04/05/2011 … Laughs In The Park, Britain’s first open-air comedy festival, is to return this summer.
The original NWA
04/05/2011 … ‘Sitting naked in a corner sandwiched between two Norwegian models, also in their birthday suits, with enough cocaine on the table to make Scarface jealous, Richard…
Peter Kay gives €250,00 to charity
'Phenomenal' donation to autism group
04/05/2011 … Peter Kay has donated €250,000 to the charity Irish Autism Action.
John Cleese: The Alimony Tour
04/05/2011 … Well, at least he’s honest about it.
Tue 03 May 2011
The Mormon conquest
South Park duo's musical leads Tony nominations
03/05/2011 … The gleefully offensive Broadway from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, has picked up more Tony Award nominations than any other New York show this…
Tony Hancock's brother dies
Sibling Roger was also his manager
03/05/2011 … Tony Hancock's brother and manager, Roger, has died at the age of 80.
One of these things is not like the others...
Linus Lee on why Ricky Gervais stood out on the Talking Funny line-up
03/05/2011 … When HBO announced it would be airing a comedy talk-show special featuring Ricky Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Louis CK, I’m not ashamed to admit, I…
Tedious. Problematic. Brilliant
Steve Bennett previews the first two episodes of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
03/05/2011 … 'I'd imagine watching this at home would be incredibly tedious.
Put your money away...
Comics launch free alternative to Funny Women competition
03/05/2011 … Chortle is lending its support to a new grassroots campaign to showcase new female comedians.
juice03
03/05/2011 … KEITH LEMON's ITV2 panel show Celebrity Juice has attracted its biggest audience yet, pulling in an impressive 1.
Fringe benefits for would-be comics
Free course for Edinburgh folk
03/05/2011 … The Edinburgh Fringe has launched a new stand-up course – offering free tips to would-be comics.
mengele03
03/05/2011 … LARRY DAVID has joined the cast of the Farrelly brothers slapstick The Three Stooges remake, playing Mother Mengele, the nun who runs the orphanage where the Stooges…
Jason Manford leaves 8 Out Of 10 Cats
03/05/2011 … Jason Manford is to quit his role as team captain on 8 Out Of 10 Cats to front a new ITV1 talent hunt.
Larry King's comedy show heads to London
03/05/2011 … American talk show legend Larry King is bringing his ‘stand-up’ show to London.
Sat 30 April 2011
Former comedian killed in Morocco blast
Peter Moss had turned travel writer
30/04/2011 … Former stand-up Pete Moss has been named as one of the 16 victims of a bomb that exploded in a Marrakech café yesterday.
Fri 29 April 2011
Watch banned Royal Wedding comedy
29/04/2011 … Several scenes from the banned Australian comedy show about the Royal Wedding have been released online.
mcewan29
29/04/2011 … EDINBURGH's 1,000-seater McEwan Hall - which last year played host to Danny Bhoy and John Bishop – has been ruled out as an Fringe venue this year, because of…
plate29
29/04/2011 … VIC REEVES has made 50 commemorative Royal Wedding plates, with hand-drawn sketches of ‘Will and Kath’ – which he’s selling for £100 each.
Thu 28 April 2011
Too soon, maybe?
Lloyd Mills says sick jokes need context
28/04/2011 … ‘Did you hear the one about the Japanese prostitute who died in the tsunami recently? She got caught up in her fishnets.
ITV picks up Seinfeld's Marriage Ref
28/04/2011 … ITV is to make a British version of Jerry Seinfeld’s reality show The Marriage Ref.
Wed 27 April 2011
Ignorance is bliss
CK Goldiing renews his love of comedy
27/04/2011 … Last night, while watching Mock The Week on Dave, I noticed something different… very different.
Stephen Merchant belongs in a zoo
27/04/2011 … A midweek dose of WTF, falling between all these bank holidays…‘My wife is under no illusion that I’m anything special.
Lee Mack is Mr Saturday Night
Big BBC show... & more Not Going Outs
27/04/2011 … Lee Mack has landed a prime-time Saturday-night entertainment show – as well as two more series of his sitcom Not Going Out.
Palace bans Royal Wedding comedy
27/04/2011 … The Royal Family has banned a comedy show about Prince William’s wedding.
rza27
27/04/2011 … JIM TAVARE has landed a recurring role in the next series of David Duchovny comedy-drama Californication, as the English butler to a hip-hop mogul played by Wu Tang…
fiddy27
27/04/2011 … 50 CENT is putting together a Def Comedy Jam style stand-up tour of the States, called This Is 50 Comedy Show.
Pajama Men: In The Middle of No One
27/04/2011 … The Pajama Men’s appealing mix of fast-paced characterisation, sprawling storylines, sharp, knowing scripts and a flick of improvisation and have won them fans,…
Tue 26 April 2011
Daniel Radcliffe tries stand-up
With a gag he credits to Peter Kay
26/04/2011 … Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has made his stand-up comedy debut.
Win Happy Thoughts
26/04/2011 … American stand-up Daniel Tosh has just released his third CD – Happy Thoughts – in the UK, and we have ten copies to give away.
LA Stories
Barnaby Slater dips a toe in the Los Angeles open mic scene
26/04/2011 … I know the open mic game in London.
Extreme Rambling by Mark Thomas
26/04/2011 … There is probably no shortage of powerful people who have wished professional irritant Mark Thomas would just take a hike.
Hitchhikers' Guide set to tour
26/04/2011 … The original cast of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy are to reunite for a tour of the sci-fi comedy.
Mon 25 April 2011
Worshipping Dodd
John Fleming witnesses Knotty Ash's finest
25/04/2011 … Morecambe and Wise were not famous.
Partridge film shooting next year
25/04/2011 … The long-awaited Alan Partridge film will be shot next year, Steve Coogan has revealed.
Sun 24 April 2011
Sat 23 April 2011
© BBC John Sullivan dies
Creator of Only Fools and Horses
23/04/2011 … John Sullivan, the creator of Only Fools and Horses, has died at the age of 64.
© C4
Because comedy never takes a holiday
Chris Chopping writes... while he's supposed to be relaxing
23/04/2011 … I'm writing this on the last day of a week-long family holiday and what an idyllic week it's been! Cast adrift on a raft of rest and relaxation I've hardly bothered…
Russell does the double
Kane scoops Australia's top prize
23/04/2011 … Russell Kane has become the first comic ever to win the top comedy prize at both Melbourne and Edinburgh for the same show.
Fri 22 April 2011
Comic must pay £10k for insulting punter
Tribunal rules on homophobic jibes
22/04/2011 … A comedian has been ordered to pay almost £10,000 to an alleged heckler, after he hurled a torrent of insults based on her sexuality.
Thu 21 April 2011
Funny Women 'reacted like bullies'
21/04/2011 … The rebuttal Funny Women unleashed against critics of its £15 ‘pay-to-play’ entry fee – which has now been removed from its website due to the backlash…
Sitcoms are a highwire act
....but they're getting too safe, says Blake Anderson
21/04/2011 … The sitcom is one of the hardest things to write.
Funny Women boss apologises for outburst
21/04/2011 … Funny Women founder Lynne Parker has apologised for a blog post in which she branded critics of her competition’s £15 entry fee as perpetuating the idea female…
sacks21
21/04/2011 … SOL SACKS, who created the classic Sixties sitcom Bewitched, has died in California at the age of 100.
Break out the Bolly!
21/04/2011 … Absolutely Fabulous is set to return to BBC One after six years, Joanna Lumley has revealed.
Wed 20 April 2011
Chortle seminar: Schedule revealed
20/04/2011 … More of the panellists taking part in Chortle’s seminar for new and would-be comics have been revealed.
Psychoville returns!
Q&A with Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton
20/04/2011 … Did you already have an idea what the story of the second series would be after the end of the first series?Reece: Well we didn’t know if we would get a second…
A television 'Age'
R4 panel show could hit BBC One
20/04/2011 … The BBC is making a TV pilot of Radio 4 comedy panel show Act Your Age.
kadi20
20/04/2011 … COMEDIAN Eddie Kadi has joined London's urban radio station Choice FM, to host the 9am to 1pm Saturday morning show.
Tue 19 April 2011
alimony19
19/04/2011 … JOHN CLEESE is to take his Alimony Tour to South Africa this autumn, playing Cape Town and Johannesburg in October.
Sharing the happiness...
19/04/2011 … A pilot episode of a radio show comedian Jason Cook recorded with no intention of being broadcast has been deemed good enough to make it to air.
Funny Women goes pay-to-play
New acts asked to stump up £15
19/04/2011 … The Funny Women competition is to start charge aspiring comedians to take part.
rockness19
19/04/2011 … SEAN HUGHES, Daniel Sloss and Ian Cognito have been announced as the headliners for the comedy tent of the Rock Ness festival in the Highlands on June 10-12.
Twitter Trial Benefit review
by Julia Chamberlain at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London
19/04/2011 … I’ve never yet been to a sparsely attended benefit gig, which shows what a compassionate lot comedy-lovers are.
carlin19
19/04/2011 … GEORGE CARLIN is to be made into a comic-book star, as America's Bluewater Productions launches a new range of comedians' biographies in graphic form, starting…
Mon 18 April 2011
BBC One unveils My Favourite Joke
18/04/2011 … The BBC has announced a new comedy clip show called My Favourite Joke.
A shit competition?
Comedy contest – all about poo
18/04/2011 … It is the sort of challenge that would test even the most experienced comedian: to write a three to five-minute stand-up routine… all about washing your hands…
Why I'm proud of my crap joke
18/04/2011 … A few months ago, I had an idea for a joke that I knew that some people wouldn't like.
© Trish Gant
Sun 17 April 2011
John Cleese turned down a peerage
...because he didn't want to live in UK
17/04/2011 … John Cleese was offered a seat in the House of Lords – but turned it down because he didn’t want to live in England all year round.
US Thick Of It gets network vote
Veep starts production this autumn
17/04/2011 … The American version of The Thick Of It has been given the green light.
Craig Campbell 2011 tour
17/04/2011 … Fresh from supporting Frankie Boyle last year, Craig Campbell has now embarked on his own debut stand-up UK tour.
Sat 16 April 2011
Are You Being Served? star dies
16/04/2011 … Are You Being Served? star Trevor Bannister has died of a heart attack at the age of 76.
Fri 15 April 2011
BBC slashes comedy department
15/04/2011 … The BBC’s in-house comedy department is to be slashed by a quarter – with the loss of 15 jobs.
© BBC BBC renews Twenty Twelve
Second series for Olympic sitcom
15/04/2011 … BBC Four’s Olympic comedy, Twenty Twelve, has been commissioned for a second series.
Yearning for a little bit of politics...
Dave Cohen on toothless topical comedy
15/04/2011 … One of the many myths about live comedy in the Eighties was that the circuit was awash with left-wing feminists spouting man-hating, racist-bashing polemic.
You'll have someone's eye out...
15/04/2011 … Richard Herring says his worst heckle came from a14-year-old boy, who told him: ‘The sleeves of your jacket are slightly frayed.
Thu 14 April 2011
Getting into comedy: All you need to know
Chortle to host beginners' seminar
14/04/2011 … Chortle is to stage a day-long conference for new and aspiring comedians, offering invaluable tips on all aspects of the industry.
Jane Horrocks to star in Sky sitcom
Trollied set in NW supermarket
14/04/2011 … Sky has commissioned a new sitcom starring Jane Horrocks and set in a supermarket in the North West.
Benidorm to return
Creator's U-turn over quitting
14/04/2011 … ITV1 has commissioned a fifth series of Benidorm, after creator Derren Litten had a change of heart about quitting the show.
Tim Minchin to play the Proms
First comedy gig in festival's 116 years
14/04/2011 … Tim Minchin is to appear in this year’s Proms, marking the first time comedy has been programmed at the classical music festival in its 116-year history.
Comedy Central makes its first sitcom
14/04/2011 … Comedy Central has commissioned its first ever sitcom.
You can’t go into a careers office and say, 'Hello, I’d like to be a stand-up...'
Kirsten Lester meets Chris Addison
14/04/2011 … Chris Addison may be a stand-up star and TV favourite today, but his first gig was hardly an auspicious omen for a flourishing career.
Joke theft rife among comics
More than half have been victims
14/04/2011 … It is supposed to be the cardinal sin of comedy, banished from modern practice along with frilly shirts and mother-in-law jokes.
Wed 13 April 2011
Reeves sells his art
200 pieces to go under the hammer
13/04/2011 … Vic Reeves will be selling around 200 pieces of his artwork his weekend.
David Jason back doing BBC comedy
New sitcom on Royal bodyguards
13/04/2011 … David Jason is to star in a new BBC One sitcom – his first for the channel since Only Fools And Horses.
© HBO
Tue 12 April 2011
Mon 11 April 2011
Patrick Stewart sorry for Corden incident
11/04/2011 … Sir Patrick Stewart says he regrets his onstage fallout with James Corden.
Writer's block says you're doing something wrong
LCWF: Veteran producer Jon Plowman
11/04/2011 … LONDON COMEDY WRITERS' FESTIVAL: Don’t become a writer unless you have something to say, one of Britain’s top comedy producers has warned.
Radio: where comedy can fail
LCWF: Writers get second chances
11/04/2011 … LONDON COMEDY WRITERS' FESTIVAL: Radio gives comedy writers a licence to fail, according to one of its top names.
The key to a comedy career...
LCWF: Robert Popper's unusual tip
11/04/2011 … LONDON COMEDY WRITERS' FESTIVAL: The key to getting into comedy: be persistent but don't be a pest.
Truth be told, I don't mind if comics lie
Rob Alderson shares his bugbear
11/04/2011 … In the past week, and I swear this is true, I have seen four comedians, ranging from good to excellent, and I swear to God, each one over-seasoned their sets with…
Sun 10 April 2011
Sat 09 April 2011
idol09
09/04/2011 … RUSSELL BRAND has appeared on American Idol to offer contestants advice on charisma, telling them: 'I've come here to talk to you about performance, stage presence,…
Fri 08 April 2011
Acceptable in the Eighties
Stewart Lee curates nostalgic line-up
08/04/2011 … Stewart Lee is curating a show aimed at capturing the spirit of the early years of alternative comedy.
'Smushing up my nuts'
08/04/2011 … ‘Doing stand-up takes the fun out of being funny.
Raining on my parade
Diane Spencer has a bad time down under
08/04/2011 … Sunday night, I arrived at the venue, soaked from the rain, to see that the pool tournament posters for Tuesday had replaced mine.
Gervais reanimated
08/04/2011 … Ricky Gervais’s animated show has been given a third series.
Thu 07 April 2011
burgers07
07/04/2011 … AMERICA's Fox network has renewed the animated series Bob's Burgers, which is screened on E4 here and features the likes of Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal, for…
Kathy Griffin coming to the UK
First appearance in four years
07/04/2011 … Controversial American comedy star Kathy Griffin is to perform in London for the first time in four years.
bremner07
07/04/2011 … RORY BREMNER has announced a short summer tour with Hattie Hayridgeand jazz singer, Ian Shaw, kicking off next month.
Caroline Aherne writes new comedy
07/04/2011 … Caroline Aherne has written a new comedy series for ITV1, based around overnight security guards.
Crinkly Bottom
07/04/2011 … Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson are working on a slapstick sitcom set in an old people's home.
© NBC Wed 06 April 2011
© BBC Catherine Tate joins The Office
Cameo in Steve Carell's swansong
06/04/2011 … Catherine Tate is to make an appearance in Steve Carell’s last ever episode of The Office.
Dom Joly to make Trigger Happy-style movie
'The Ben Hur of hidden camera'
06/04/2011 … Dom Joly is making a movie follow-up to Trigger Happy TV.
Worst case scenario? I’d be incredibly racist and punch a disabled person
Dom Joly on I'm A Celebrity, Trigger Happy – and not being a proper comedian
06/04/2011 … ‘My big fear is that I’m not a comedian,’ says Dom Joly.
Tue 05 April 2011
addison05
05/04/2011 … CHRIS ADDISON has announced a new 39-date winter stand-up tour – The Time Is Now Again – starting on November 16.
New panel show for Alexander Armstrong
05/04/2011 … Alexander Armstrong is to pilot a new comedy panel show – in which the comics have to think up the questions as well as answer them.
Billy Connolly gets pixellated
Big Yin's debut in violent video game
05/04/2011 … Billy Connolly is set to make his debut in a video game, playing a gun-toting hitman.
200505
05/04/2011 … JACK WHITEHALL is to record a My Funniest Year show for Channel 4 this Friday, based on the events of 2005.
A show (costing) about nothing
Win tickets to Seinfeld's London gig
05/04/2011 … Comedy superstar Jerry Seinfeld is playing a one-off gig in London in June – his first UK appearance in 12 years – and we have two pairs of tickets to give…
McKenzie gets into The Hobbit
05/04/2011 … Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie has joined the cast of The Hobbit, playing an elf.
wmv05
05/04/2011 … THE second series of Miranda and BBC Three's White Van Man have both been sold to Australia, brokers ITV Studios has announced.
Mon 04 April 2011
More shows, vicar?
04/04/2011 … BBC Two has recommissioned Rev for a second series, with Peep Show’s Sam Bain joining as script editor.
hop04
04/04/2011 … HOP, the animated movie featuring Russell Brand as the voice of the new Easter Bunny, has topped the American box office in its first weekend of release, taking…
April Fools For Mencap
Review by Steve Bennett at the Hammersmith Apollo
04/04/2011 … Another week, another benefit.
C4 rapped for Boyle's Katie Price joke
...but not a mental illness sketch
04/04/2011 … Channel 4 broke the broadcasting rules for airing Frankie Boyle’s joke about Katie Price’s son Harvey, the official watchdog has ruled.
Omid Djalili announces tour
04/04/2011 … Omid Djalili has announced his first live tour in three years.
Raymond Mearns April Fool Show
04/04/2011 … April 1 is when everyone strives to be a comedian, not least the Great British media.
Watson's Wind Up Live
04/04/2011 … Conceived as Watson’s Wind Up’s belated swansong, after the irreverent, topical satire was cancelled by BBC Radio Scotland when it reached its tenth anniversary…
Fri 01 April 2011
Eddie Izzard turns political hardman
01/04/2011 … Eddie Izzard is working on a new political drama series for American TV.
And the People's Choice winner is...
Last student semi-finalist named
01/04/2011 … Alex Kealy, a 21-year-old Oxford undergraduate, has won the final place in the Chortle Student Comedy Award semi-finals.
Rob Brydon fools Radio 2 listeners
Poses as Ken Bruce for entire show
01/04/2011 … Rob Brydon has hoodwinked millions of Radio 2 listeners by posing as Ken Bruce.
No 'poofs' please....
01/04/2011 … 'All comics have mental problems of varying degrees, that's a fact.
Inbetweeners hit America
01/04/2011 … The American remake of The Inbetweeners has been given the green light.
Thu 31 March 2011
© BBC Work starts on new Outnumbered
31/03/2011 … Production has started on a new six-part series of Outnumbered.
More Dirk Gently on the way
31/03/2011 … Dirk Gently, Douglas Adams's 'holistic detective' is to return to BBC 4.
Never Mind The Buzzcocks... in a field
Panel show at Latitude festival
31/03/2011 … A live version of Never Mind The Buzzcocks is to be played out at the Latitude festival.
Matilda heads to the West End
London transfer for Minchin's musical
31/03/2011 … Tim Minchin’s version of Matilda is transferring to London’s West End in the autumn 2011.
Skinner's head of the heard
Frank nominated for three Sonys
31/03/2011 … Frank Skinner has been nominated for three of the top awards in radio.
Wed 30 March 2011
Second helpings of Friday Night Dinner
30/03/2011 … Friday Night Dinner has been given a second series, Channel 4 has announcedThe show, about two twentysomething brothers who have a meal with their parents every…
Chortle Quiz 2011
30/03/2011 … Chortle staged a pub quiz at both the Leicester and Glasgow Comedy Festivals, raising funds for Amnesty.
fosters30
30/03/2011 … FOSTER'S is to sponsor Highlight's nine stand-up venues, following its backing of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, comedy on C4 and the online revival of Alan Partridge.
Pros and cons
Norman Cho on why he'd rather stay a comedy hobbyist
30/03/2011 … My first inkling that becoming a professional stand-up might not be all that I wanted came during a seven-minute open spot I did for Mirth Control at the Alexander…
shelter30
30/03/2011 … SEAN LOCK has recorded a short film for housing charity Shelter, playing a rogue landlord to highlight their Facebook campaign against poor-quality rental accommodation.
Debra DiGiovanni
30/03/2011 … Visiting Canadian comic Debra DiGiovanni blows through a sparsely populated Stand on an engagingly prickly attitude and a sharp sense of comedic rhythm, even though…
Tue 29 March 2011
waxdodd29
29/03/2011 … KEN DODD has unveiled unveil his new waxwork, which will go in Madame Tussauds, Blackpool, when it opens next month.
Mon 28 March 2011
BBC reveals HIGNFY hosts
28/03/2011 … Jack Dee, Stephen Mangan, Alexander Armstrong, Bill Bailey and Jo Brand have all been lined up to as guest hosts for the next series of Have I Got News For You.
'Boycott Frankie Boyle' says blind charity
He's 'an outrage to decent society'
28/03/2011 … A leading charity for blind people is calling for a boycott of comedian Frankie Boyle after his latest joke about Katie Price’s disabled child.
Win a portion of Rock & Chips
28/03/2011 … The second instalment of the Only Fools and Horses prequel Rock & Chips is released on DVD today – and we have six copies to give away.
© Ellis O'Brien Stand-ups hijack C4 ads
28/03/2011 … Stand-ups taking part in Channel 4’s star-studded Comedy Gala will take over the ads as well as the broadcast.
Jackass Steve-O makes UK debut
Joining Bill Bailey at Sonisphere
28/03/2011 … Jackass star Steve-O is to make his British stand-up debut at the Sonisphere rock festival.
Hart FM
Miranda joins Radio 2... but only for a bit
28/03/2011 … Miranda Hart is to join Radio 2 – but only for three shows.
The player
Dave Gorman pens new book on games
28/03/2011 … Dave Gorman has written a new book based around playing games.
Nick Revell: Revell Yell
28/03/2011 … Nick Revell’s show is nothing if not wide-ranging; a rare mix of political polemic, mass-appeal observational comedy, personal anecdotes, and high-falutin name-dropping…
Sun 27 March 2011
© NBC America salutes its comedy stars
Fey, Letterman, CK among the winners
27/03/2011 … David Letterman, Louis CK and Tina Fey were among the winners at the first annual US Comedy Awards.
Michael Barrymore plays Comedy Store
27/03/2011 … He has been on the receiving end of countless jokes on the stand-up circuit… but Michael Barrymore decided to launch his comeback on Friday with an unannounced…
Fri 25 March 2011
© C4
'I'm being humiliated up here...'
25/03/2011 … ‘I smoke so much pot sometimes I forget to smoke it’ – Zach Galifianakis Talking of which, Whoopi Goldberg admitted she was stoned when she accepted the best…
Back to the Futurama 2
Sci-fi comedy set to be renewed
25/03/2011 … Futurama is about to be renewed for a seventh series, according to reports from the States.
BBC drops My Family
25/03/2011 … The BBC has axed its long-running comedy My Family after 11 years.
Stand Up Drink Up
25/03/2011 … ‘The more you drink, the funnier we are,’ goes the familiar compere’s maxim, so what better union of booze and stand-up than a comedy pub crawl? The idea is…
Thu 24 March 2011
Comedians are psychopathic masochists with a death wish
24/03/2011 … I have seen several comedians get very close to big-time success and then destroy their own chances.
© BBC Johnny Depp to appear in Gervais sitcom
24/03/2011 … Johnny Depp is to make a guest appearance in Ricky Gervais's new sitcom, Life's Too Short.
© BBC Work about to restart on The Thick Of It
24/03/2011 … Work on the new series of The Thick Of It is to start next week, creator Armando Iannucci has revealed.
quiz24
24/03/2011 … DES CLARKE is to host Chortle's comedy-based pub quiz at the Glasgow Comedy Festival on Sunday afternoon.
Boothby Graffoe at the Glasgow Comedy Festival
24/03/2011 … Many of the headliners of the Glasgow Comedy Festival are of a particularly spiky sort: Jerry Sadowitz, Frankie Boyle, Doug Stanhope… By way of contrast, Boothby…
Wed 23 March 2011
Comics rally for joke Tweet trial
Stars launch benefit to pay legal bills
23/03/2011 … Some of Britain’s top comedians are joining forces to raise money for the man prosecuted for joking on Twitter.
Nathan lands R4 series
23/03/2011 … Stand-up Nathan Caton has been commissioned to write and star in a four-part series for Radio 4.
Lenny goes back to the Bard
Starring role in A Comedy Of Errors
23/03/2011 … Lenny Henry is to embark on another Shakespearean role, in a new National Theatre production of The Comedy of Errors.
van23
23/03/2011 … WHITE VAN MAN the new comedy starring Will Mellor and writtenby stand-up Adrian Poynton got off to a strong start o BBC Three on Tuesday night, with the first w…
It's David WALL-iams
Wall-based panel show for Little Britain star
23/03/2011 … David Walliams is beng lined up to host a new gossip-based panel show for Sky 1.
cordad23
23/03/2011 … JAMES CORDEN has become a father, after his girlfriend Julia Carey give birth to a boy in London on Tuesday.
Doug Stanhope at Glasgow Comedy Festival
23/03/2011 … Doug Stanhope fears someone has stolen his act since he was last in Britain.
Tue 22 March 2011
leeds22
22/03/2011 … TIM MINCHIN is to headline the alternative stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals on August 28 and 29 respectively, performing a ‘rock and roll’ set.
© BBC Michael McIntyre announces £25m tour
22/03/2011 … Michael McIntyre has announced a mammoth 58-date arena tour – 17 months before the first date.
Frankie Boyle stands firm over Harvey gag
22/03/2011 … Frankie Boyle has broken his silence over his controversial joke about Katie Price’s disabled son Harvey.
Church meetings replaced by a sitcom
Congregation shown episodes of Rev
22/03/2011 … A rector has banned church committee meetings – so the faithful can watch the sitcom Rev instead.
Mrs Brown's Boys will return
22/03/2011 … The BBC has confirmed that Mrs Brown’s Boys will return for a second series.
sloss22
22/03/2011 … DANIEL SLOSS has been named best new Scottish comedian in the Scottish Variety Awards.
murphy22
22/03/2011 … EDDIE MURPHY is to receive the Comedy Icon Award at America's inaugural Comedy Awards on April 11.
Teenage Cancer Trust benefit 2011
22/03/2011 … Comic Relief might be the most symbolic melding of laughter and charity, but it’s far from the only comedy fundraiser in the calendar.
Stand Up For Palestine
22/03/2011 … Given that Frankie Boyle’s threatened to give up stand-up imminently, the prospect of his only gig this year – and on home turf, too – easily filled The King’s…
Mon 21 March 2011
Frankie Boyle 'is not a moral threat'
Online watchdog clears Tramadol Nights
21/03/2011 … Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights has been cleared of corrupting children… at least by the standards of the internet.
dhaka21
21/03/2011 … ANDY ZALTZMAN is to play Bangladesh's first stand-up club – Naveed's in the capital Dhaka – on Tuesday night, while he is in the country covering the Cricket…
Stan Laurel's house to be sold
21/03/2011 … The terraced house where Stan Laurel lived as a baby is to be auctioned off.
'I've experienced more racism doing comedy than anything else'
21/03/2011 … I’m a British Asian comic and I’ve been doing stand up for just over two years, mostly open spots and mostly in the Midlands.
Leny Henry blasted over stammering gag
21/03/2011 … Lenny Henry has been branded ‘deplorable’ and a ‘bully’ over a sketch in Friday’s Comic Relief telethon.
New Act Of The Year at the Barbican
21/03/2011 … If variety is the spice of life then this years rebranded Hackney Empire New Act of the Year Award was a veritable vindaloo.
musical21
21/03/2011 … SIBLING double act Jollyboat won the the Musical Comedy Awards on Saturday night, with the Three Englishmen second and Tom McDonnell third.
Jongleurs to open in 8 more nightclubs
Extended deal with venue operator
21/03/2011 … Jongleurs has announce that it is to run comedy nights in eight more nightclubs across the UK.
New Act Of The Year final 2011
21/03/2011 … If variety is the spice of life then this years rebranded Hackney Empire New Act of the Year Award was a veritable vindaloo.
Glasgow Comedy Festival: The Stockholm Syndrome
21/03/2011 … An amorphous, regular late-night showcase in which acts are encouraged to be experimental, Stockholm Syndrome is intrinsically bound up with its location on Glasgow’s…
Glasgow Comedy Festival: Maureen Langan
21/03/2011 … The Glasgow comedy festival earns its ‘international’ tag with a generous smattering of genuine intercontinental visitors in shows such as this intimate back-of-a-pub…
Sun 20 March 2011
'The lack of success is because I am Scottish'
Jerry Sadowitz gives a rare interview
20/03/2011 … Jerry Sadowitz says he’s not more successful because he’s not ‘gay or public-school English’.
mills20
20/03/2011 … DAVID MILLS won the final of the new act of the year competition at The Barbican in London on Saturday, with Julian Deane and Prince Abdi joint second and Darius…
Sat 19 March 2011
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy...
Tommy Holgate shares his schadenfreude over Jim Davidson
19/03/2011 … So Jim Davidson's play's been cancelled.
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy...
Tommy Holgate shares his schadenfreude over Jim Davidson
19/03/2011 … So Jim Davidson's play's been cancelled.
Fri 18 March 2011
jenni18
18/03/2011 … RADIO 4's Jenni Murray won the Stand Up For Comic Relief challenge, getting the most listener votes of all the BBC national radio presenters who performed a stand-up…
The power of the C-bomb
Juliet Burke experiences the small-town heckler
18/03/2011 … In the context of humour, the C-bomb can be divisive.
New book deal for Peter Kay
18/03/2011 … Peter Kay has signed a ‘major’ new deal to write a third book on the back of his £35million Tour That Doesn’t Tour.
Doug Stanhope and the Nazi hideout
18/03/2011 … ‘Many comedians get into this business by accident after that dream of being a rock star or a serious actor doesn’t pan out.
Brigstocke finds his station in life...
Marcus joins Railway Children show
18/03/2011 … Marcus Brigstocke is to join the cast of The Railway Children when it returns to the London stage this summer.
Rufus Hound to host comedy news show
Part of relaunched Radio 4 Extra
18/03/2011 … Rufus Hound is to host a weekly round-up of comedy news on Radio 4 Extra, when the new digital channel launches next month.
Yes, you can talk about race
But do it properly, says Caimh McDonnell
18/03/2011 … Warning: The following words are written by an edgy comedian – prepare to have your mind shredded by burning hot bullets of truthiness that you will almost certainly…
nbc18
18/03/2011 … NBC has ordered another series of The Office, alongside two of its other sitcoms Community and Parks And Recreation.
Submarine
18/03/2011 … If you only know Richard Ayoade as the nutty, uber-geeky, perennial man-child Moss from the IT Crowd, his directorial debut will come as a surprise… but a most…
Durex One Night Stand Up final
18/03/2011 … In something of a departure from the buttock-punishing marathons that are most new act finals, the Durex One Night Stand Up showcased just four up-and-comers, all…
Thu 17 March 2011
Jim Davidson's play cancelled
Show pulled amid poor ticket sales
17/03/2011 … Jim Davidson has axed his theatre show Stand Up And Be Counted in the face of poor ticket sales.
What ruined the sitcom?
Single-camera shoots and mockumentaries, argues Marc Blake
17/03/2011 … Here we go again with two new sitcoms.
C4 defends Ten O'Clock Live
17/03/2011 … Channel 4 has defended Ten O’Clock Live in the face of modest viewing figures.
Doc Brown at the Royal Albert Hall
17/03/2011 … It must be every performer’s dream to play the Royal Albert Hall.
Wed 16 March 2011
News Jack
Dee to host topical Sky panel show
16/03/2011 … Jack Dee is set to host a new comedy panel show for Sky One.
Get Wise
16/03/2011 … The acclaimed BBC drama about the early years of Morecambe and Wise is to be released on DVD later this month – and we have six copies to give away.
Is Dizzee's life a joke?
16/03/2011 … Dizzee Rascal could star in a sitcom about his own life, according to reports today.
Best in class...
Student Award semi-finalists announced
16/03/2011 … The semi-finalists in the Chortle Student Comedy Award 2011 can now be announced.
alilewis16
16/03/2011 … CAMBRIDGE politics student Ali Lewis won the final heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Award in Canterbury last night – one of only two acts on the bill not to…
More gongs for Miranda
16/03/2011 … Miranda Hart has added to her awards collection – scooping two Royal Television Society gongs for her BBC Two sitcom.
Frankie Boyle ads 'not offensive'
16/03/2011 … Posters advertising Frankie Boyle’s Channel 4 show have been cleared of promoting violence and drug abuse.
Tue 15 March 2011
Humiliation of love cheat Joey Page
Comic's public bid to win back girlfriend
15/03/2011 … Comedian Joey Page has been forced to parade around his home town with a sign around his neck admitting that he cheated on his girlfriend.
Lcf15
15/03/2011 … GEORGE RYEGOLD has won the best show category at the Leicester Comedy Festival awards, with Mark Olver winning best debut show.
It's Gilbert Gott-fired
Comic loses job after Tweeting Japan jokes
15/03/2011 … American comedian Gilbert Gottfried has been fired as the voice of a giant insurance company after making bad-taste jokes about the Japanese earthquake.
© Ellis O'Brien Jimmy's king of the Zoo
15/03/2011 … Jimmy Carr has been voted the funniest man in Britain by readers of a men’s magazine.
Mon 14 March 2011
Give it some Latitude
14/03/2011 … Omid Djalili, Jason Byrne and Greg Davies are among the headline stand-ups appearing at this year’s Latitude Festival.
Rita Rudner comes to UK
14/03/2011 … Rita Rudner is bringing her one-woman show to London for the first time in more than 15 years.
THIS is why no one talks about race...
Norman Cho on the backlash awaiting contentious comics
14/03/2011 … I read Paul Ricketts' recent Correspondents article about discussing race in comedy with considerable interest.
Don't turn into Keith Chegwin!
Dave Cohen suggests that stand-ups should learn to feckin' write...
14/03/2011 … Stand-up comedy is probably the country’s fastest growth industry – maybe the only growth job at the moment apart from bailiff, census taker and unemployment…
week14
14/03/2011 … THE first episode in the new series of Stand Up For The Week – perhaps hit by being a topical comedy show broadcast on the day the Japanese earthquake dominated…
miles14
14/03/2011 … DARA O BRIAIN, Jack Whitehall and Jon Richardson have set a new world record for the 'highest stand-up comedy gig in the world', after performing at 35,000ft on…
Spike Milligan's Puckoon
14/03/2011 … This stage production of Spike Milligan’s classic comic novel has put a lot of effort into capturing the Goon’s ribald mania – producing a blitzkrieg of characters,…
Sun 13 March 2011
Gallagher out of hospital
US comic treated for minor heart attack
13/03/2011 … American comedian Gallagher has been released from hospital, after being treated for a minor heart attackThe 64-year-old collapsed on stage on Thursday night, just…
Would you buy a used car off these men?
Inbetweeners motor up for auction
13/03/2011 … The beaten-up Fiat Cinquecento from The Inbetweeners is being sold off for charity.
Hancock's Royal fan
13/03/2011 … The Queen Mother was a big fan of Tony Hancock, it has been revealed.
Twinkle toes....
Charlie Baker wins Let's Dance
13/03/2011 … Comedian Charlie Baker and Emmerdale star James Thornton have been crowned kings of Let’s Dance For Comic Relief, beating bookies favourite Russell Kane to the…
Sat 12 March 2011
© BBC Bad sports?
BBC accused of ripping off Olympics comedy
12/03/2011 … The writers of a hit Australian sitcom have accused the BBC of ripping off their ideas.
Fri 11 March 2011
Julian's working for the Government now
11/03/2011 … The Mighty Boosh’s Julian Barratt is to star in a new stage version of the classic Russian comedy Government Inspector.
Charlie Sheen, stand-up?
Comedy tour for Two And A Half Men star
11/03/2011 … Many would say he appears to be going though a mental breakdown… so what better job for Charlie Sheen than stand-up comedian?The sacked Two And A Half Men star…
How Twitter changed my life
@jacques_aih turned comedy writer, through the power of social media
11/03/2011 … I’m writing this on my PC at work while my boss’s presence looms over the department like a pinstriped wring-wraith.
Gallagher collapse caught on camera
11/03/2011 … The moment American comedian Gallagher collapsed on stage last night was captured on camera.
'Obama asked for my naked movie'
11/03/2011 … ‘I can’t remember the last time when I did a set sober.
livesa11
11/03/2011 … LIVE AT THE APOLLO is to be broadcast on South Africa's BBC Entertainment channel from next month.
Small Town Throws Pride Parade For Only Gay Resident
11/03/2011 … Small Town Throws Pride Parade For Only Gay Resident.
Fringe favourites
British acts up for Adelaide awards
11/03/2011 … British comics Ivan Brackenbury, Janey Godley, Diane Spencer and Rob Beckett have all been nominated for awards at the Adelaide Fringe.
Thu 10 March 2011
year10
10/03/2011 … CHRIS ADDISON is to follow Rufus Hound and Al Murray in recording a My Funnest Year stand-up nostalgia programme for Channel 4.
Get your Blaps out
C4 launches online pilots for new talent
10/03/2011 … Channel 4 is to commission a raft of online comedy pilots to give new talent a break.
The cost of comedy
Geraint Dafydd Evans on sacrificing everything for that elusive 'five'
10/03/2011 … There is one thing that I did not expect when I started doing comedy, the complete shift in my priorities.
C4 Comedy Gala to return
Big benefit for children's hospital
10/03/2011 … Channel 4’s star-studded comedy gala is returning to the O2 Arena to raise money for the Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Brand vs brand
10/03/2011 … Russell Brand has won a legal battle with the makers of Russell Athletic sportswear over the right to use his own name on merchandise.
Izzard makes Hollywood history
10/03/2011 … Eddie Izzard is to make history by becoming the first comedian to perform a one-man show at the Hollywood Bowl.
red10
10/03/2011 … SALFORD university student Red Redmond won the Manchester heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Awards in Manchester on Wednesday.
New comedy award at Edinburgh Fringe
Amused Moose puts up £5,000 prize
10/03/2011 … A new award has been launched for the best comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Wed 09 March 2011
Radio stars perform stand-up
09/03/2011 … Polls have opened on which BBC radio presenter makes the best stand-up comic.
Laughs in your lounge
Comic Lock to tour living rooms
09/03/2011 … Trevor Lock is embarking on a British tour – of his fans’ living rooms.
willcock09
09/03/2011 … UEA history and politics undergraduate Nathan Willcock won the Leicester heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Award on Tuesday night.
Sick Billy forced to abandon show
Virus hits Connolly in Australia
09/03/2011 … Billy Connolly has been forced to abandon his stand-up show in Sydney because of ill health.
HIGNFY back where it belongs
Topical show returns to Friday slot
09/03/2011 … Have I Got News For You is to return to its traditional Friday night slot.
Tue 08 March 2011
Rhod Gilbert pilots new panel show
08/03/2011 … Rhod Gilbert is working on a pilot of a new Friday-night panel show for Channel 4.
Let's not shy away from jokes about race
The 'black stuff' is good for us all, says Paul Ricketts
08/03/2011 … Three weeks ago I was standing in the wings waiting to be brought on at a gig in Newcastle.
Hornbags on tour....
08/03/2011 … Cult Australian sitcom Kath & Kim is to be made into a movie, after securing a funding deal.
Big surprise!
Charlie Sheen sacked from Two And A Half Men
08/03/2011 … It is not the most surprising news of the year – but Charlie Sheen has been fired from Two And A Half Men following a series of bizarre rants against the show’s…
Stand Up And Be Counted
08/03/2011 … Jim Davidson has been talking a good game when it comes to his play Stand Up And Be Counted, softening his normal belligerence to accept that there may be a debate…
Mon 07 March 2011
Mike De Stefano dies
07/03/2011 … American comic Mike DeStefano has died of a heart attack at the age of 44.
Win a box at the Royal Albert Hall!
To watch the Teenage Cancer Trust benefit
07/03/2011 … The annual Teenage Cancer Trust show at London’s Royal Albert Hall has become one of the biggest charity benefits in the comedy calendar.
wisdom07
07/03/2011 … A BLUE plaque was unveiled on Sunday at the birthplace of Sir Norman Wisdom 91 Fernhead Road, Maida Vale, West London.
hossack07
07/03/2011 … STUART HOSSACK won the heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Award in his home university of Southampton on Sunday.
Sun 06 March 2011
It's over!
David Walliams completes 24 hour game show marathon
06/03/2011 … David Walliams has completed his 24-hour panel show marathon for Comic Relief.
Ade dances into the final
06/03/2011 … Ade Edmondson got through to the final of Let's Dance For Comic Relief after performing a ballet dance from Swan Lake.
Sat 05 March 2011
Dave Allen in limbo
New play to keep comic's memory alive
05/03/2011 … Dave Allen is to be remembered in a new one-man play aimed at keeping his memory alive.
Fri 04 March 2011
Jonathan Ross back on BBC One
04/03/2011 … Jonathan Ross is to host BBC One’s live Comic Relief telethon, less than a year after leaving the corporation under a cloud following the Sachsgate furore.
Jim Davidson: I like to dress as a Nazi
04/03/2011 … Jim Davidson says he likes dressing up as a Nazi.
lasse04
04/03/2011 … SWEDISH comedian Lasse Eriksson, 61, died after collapsing on stage on Thursday night – with the audience thinking it was part of the show until the call went…
ccohen04
04/03/2011 … DAVE COHEN has won the £75 prize for the best Chortle Correspondence piece in February, with his article about paranoia among comedians.
alhambra04
04/03/2011 … TIM MINCHIN put on the best comedy performance of last year, visitors to Bradford's Alhambra Theatre have voted.
Ben Elton doesn't dig mines
Now comic fights AGAINST the industry
04/03/2011 … During his ‘little bit of politics’ rants of the Eighties, Ben Elton would passionately rail against the widespread pit closures instigated by Margaret Thatcher’s…
Thu 03 March 2011
© BBC QI leaves BBC One
Relegated back to its former home
03/03/2011 … QI is being dropped from BBC One and returning to BBC Two.
Radio 4's bad spell
Wrong episode of wizard sitcom aired by mistake
03/03/2011 … Radio 4 last night broadcast the wrong episode of sitcom Modrin McDonald: 21st Century Wizard.
Jo takes the plunge with Dave
03/03/2011 … Jo Brand is to make a four-part series about… water.
Shoddy gigs are killing comedy
James Cook on Birmingham's stand-up scene
03/03/2011 … I've been involved with the Birmingham comedy scene for 11 years now.
hess03
03/03/2011 … UNIVERSITY of Sussex economics student Adam Hess, 22, won the second London heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Award on Wedensday night.
Wed 02 March 2011
Stephen Merchant to launch stand-up tour
02/03/2011 … Stephen Merchant has announced his first ever stand-up tour.
'A playground for the unwell'
BBC to chart history of Late 'N' Live
02/03/2011 … Edinburgh Fringe institution Late ‘n’ Live is to be the subject of a BBC documentary, featuring a host of top comedians.
Win Episodes on DVD
02/03/2011 … The first series of Episodes has been released on DVD this week – just as the BBC announced a second series is on the cards.
We're relegating cruel jokes
James Corden promises to play nicely
02/03/2011 … Panellists on Sky sports quiz A League Of Their Own have been banned from making cruel jokes.
Tue 01 March 2011
Punter slashes comic's face open
01/03/2011 … A comedian’s face was slashed open after an audience member hit him with a beer bottle after his set in a New York club.
Making Now last longer
Expanded comedies for Radio 4 Extra
01/03/2011 … Radio 4’s topical comedy shows The Now Show and The News Quiz are to be extended into 45-minute specials from next month.
Let's meet the teams...
...for David Walliam's panel show marathon
01/03/2011 … The BBC has announced the guests helping David Walliams complete his 24-hour panel show marathon on March 5.
BBC axes Whites
Alan Davies tweets the news...
01/03/2011 … BBC Two has axed the kitchen sitcom Whites, its star Alan Davies has revealed.
rts01
01/03/2011 … THE INBETWEENERS, Miranda and Rev have all been nominated for best comedy in the RTS awards – while stars of each - James Buckley, Miranda Hart and Tom Hollander…
© BBC Adam & Joe return to 6 Music
01/03/2011 … Comedy duo Adam and Joe are to return to BBC 6 Music.
What not to say to a comedian
Lori Gibbs shares some of her favourites
01/03/2011 … Disclaimer: the vast majority of people who talk to comedians after a show are kind, polite, warm and lovely.
winning01
01/03/2011 … MATTHEW WINNING won the Glasgow heat of Chortle's Student Comedy Award on Monday night, performing in character as Steph E Graph.
More episodes of Episodes
Matt LeBlanc sitcom recommissioned
01/03/2011 … Matt LeBlanc sitcom Episodes will return to BBC Two for a second series.
Mon 28 February 2011
BBC revives New Comedy Award
28/02/2011 … The BBC has revived its new comedy award with the nationwide search for new stand-up talent launched by Steve Wright on Radio 2 today.
What took so long?
Adam Baker on the slow progress of British Jewish humour on to TV
28/02/2011 … There was an excellent Channel 4 documentary seven years ago called Funny Already: A History of Jewish Comedy, that pretty much argued that if American comedy was…
nz28
28/02/2011 … LIVE AT THE APOLLO and Come Fly With Me are to be screened in New Zealand after BBC Worldwide struck deals with TVNZ and TV3 respectively.
Peter Kay's singing again...
On every track of new Roary album
28/02/2011 … Never one to pass up the opportunity to indulge his pop-star fantasies, Peter Kay has recorded a new album.
Dave has a taste for Al Murray's Meat
28/02/2011 … Al Murray is taking his pub quiz Compete For The Meat to digital channel Dave.
The Serious Guide To Joke Writing, by Sally Holloway
28/02/2011 … Sally Holloway’s new guide to joke-writing is a slightly depressing affair.
Ratings go down-Hill
28/02/2011 … Harry Hill's TV Burp recorded its lowest audience in three years on Saturday night.
Win Carrott gold
Jasper's early stand-up on DVD
28/02/2011 … Jasper Carrott’s first TV series has been released on DVD today – and we have five signed copies to give away.
twelve28
28/02/2011 … DOZENS of comedians are to take part in a 12-hour stand-up marathon at Manchester's Lass O'Gowrie pub from noon on March 4 to raise money for Comic Relief.
glenn28
28/02/2011 … GLENN MOORE, a postgraduate broadcast journalism student, won the Sheffield heat of the Chortle Student Comedy award on Sunday night.
Tim Minchin wins an Oscar
...or at least a film he narrates does
28/02/2011 … An animated film narrated by Tim Minchin has won an Oscar.
Angie McEvoy – Original Review
28/02/2011 … When she takes to the stage, McEvoy seems like a soft, unassuming act, with a few gentle and jolly exchanges and some modest jokes about life among the single teenage…
Sun 27 February 2011
Noel Fielding hits the heights
27/02/2011 … Noel Fielding is into the final of Let's Dance For Comic Relief after wowing judges with his version of Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights.
dinner27
27/02/2011 … CHANNEL 4's new sitcom Friday Night Dinner, starring Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal, won a decent 1.
Sat 26 February 2011
Seinfeld wins slander case
'Comedians have a right to tell jokes'
26/02/2011 … Jerry Seinfeld has won a legal battle described as ‘a victory for the right of comedians to tell jokes’.
Fri 25 February 2011
Putting some magic back into comedy
Catia Cronin on the variety revival
25/02/2011 … I am Joe Bloggs.
Dropping the 'S-bomb'
25/02/2011 … 'It's hard to have a relationship in this business.
25 years for South Park threats
25/02/2011 … An extremist who made online threats against the South Park creators for depicting Mohammed in a bear suit has been jailed for 21 years.
Sheen's rant shuts down sitcom
Star rages at 'pussy punk' writer
25/02/2011 … Production on Two And A Half Men has been shut down for the rest of this series after its troubled star Charlie Sheen launched an outspoken attack on the show’s…
Thu 24 February 2011
© C4 Todd Margaret to make more poor decisions
Sitcom renewed for second series
24/02/2011 … The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret has been commissioned for a second series.
udderbelly24
24/02/2011 … PAUL DANIELS, Roy Walker, Jenny Éclair, Frisky & Mannish and The Boy With Tape on His Face are among the line-up unveiled today by the Udderbelly, the purple…
carter24
24/02/2011 … MUSICAL comic Rob Carter – an acting student and LAMDA – won the first London heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Award on Wednesday.
dad24
24/02/2011 … AMERICAN DAD has been renewed until at least its seventh season, through to 2013, its US network Fox has announced.
Wed 23 February 2011
Cat gets the cream...
Kilkenny festival line-up announced
23/02/2011 … The line-up for this year’s Kilkenny Cat Laughs festival has been announced – featuring YouTube musical sensations Bo Burnham and Rubberbandits.
No regrets?
John Fleming on the attitude it takes to be a comedian
23/02/2011 … Yesterday I had lunch with a comedian in her twenties – not inexperienced but not yet fully supporting herself on her comedy performing.
padraig23
23/02/2011 … ADVERTISING student Padraig Ryan, originally from Kells in Ireland, won the Bristol heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Award on Tuesday night.
Larry King turns stand-up
Comedy tour for talk show icon
23/02/2011 … He’s better known for interviewing political heavyweights than one-line zingers… but US talk show icon Larry King is to go on a comedy tour.
Benidorm creator quits
Pastures new for writer Litten
23/02/2011 … The creator of ITV’s Benidorm has quit the show after four years.
Ben Elton's Australian show axed
Live sketch and stand-up show a flop
23/02/2011 … Ben Elton's Australian comedy show, Live From Planet Earth, has been axed after just three episodes.
Tue 22 February 2011
Ed Byrne quits Twitter
Comic 'can't be arsed with it' after 'feud' with Cheggers
22/02/2011 … Ed Byrne has quit Twitter after Keith Chegwin accused him of putting his family ‘through hell’.
Jim Bowen has a stroke
22/02/2011 … Jim Bowen has been taken to hospital after suffering a mild stroke.
bham22
22/02/2011 … JON WILLIAMS won the Birmingham heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Award on Monday night.
Genius? It's all about taking risks
Sally Holloway on what makes a great comic
22/02/2011 … At Christmas, like everyone else, we get out our Christmas crackers and offer them to our guests.
cofilmic22
22/02/2011 … A NEW short comedy film festival, Cofilmic, is to be launched in Manchester this autumn, with a panel of judges including Baby Cow's Henry Normal and Extras producer…
The Boys done well(ish)
22/02/2011 … BBC One’s new sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys got off to a reasonable start last night, winning 2.
Learning to laugh again
Cash for comedy courses to combat depression
22/02/2011 … A charity providing comedy lessons to people with long-term mental health problems has won a major cash grant.
Get ready to rumble
Kasabian singer in new wrestling sitcom
22/02/2011 … Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan has filmed scenes for a new sitcom about Seventies British wrestling called Walk Like A Panther.
Mon 21 February 2011
BBC comedy producer bows out
Michael Jabob leaves after a decade
21/02/2011 … BBC comedy executive Micheál Jacob is to leave the corporation at the end of March.
Cook seeks Happiness on radio
21/02/2011 … Geordie stand-up Jason Cook is recording a pilot comedy show for Radio 4.
Fire rips through comedy venue
21/02/2011 … A London comedy club was evacuated last night as fire ripped through the bar.
Bum notes
Ashley Frieze's guide to bad musical comedy
21/02/2011 … I’ve heard people complain that musical stand-up is cringeworthy, unfunny and unworthy of the conventional applause that most song endings trigger.
Bleak Expectations moves to telly
Dickensian comedy heads to BBC Two
21/02/2011 … Radio 4’s Dickensian spoof Bleak Expectations is to transfer to BBC Two.
BBC chief: Our comedy should ruffle feathers
We've not been neutered, says Freeland
21/02/2011 … BBC comedy chief Mark Freeland says the corporation shouldn’t be afraid to court controversy with the humour it puts on air.
Sun 20 February 2011
Mercury rising
Marissa Burgess reviews the Leicester Comedian Of The Year
20/02/2011 … It's always a joy to take in the Leicester Mercury competition as all the contenders have been nominated by those in the know in the comedy industry – club promoters,…
Dara fights to save his student newspaper
Comic set up journal 17 years ago
20/02/2011 … Dara O Briain is campaigning to save the student newspaper he founded while at university in Dublin.
Bootylicious!
Russell Kane's winning Beyonce impression
20/02/2011 … Russell Kane has made the final of this year's Let's Dance For Comic Relief after performing Beyonce’s Crazy In Love on Saturday night’s show.
Leicester Mercury Comedian Of The Year 2011
20/02/2011 … It's always a joy to take in the Leicester Mercury competition as all the contenders have been nominated by those in the know in the comedy industry – club promoters,…
Sat 19 February 2011
Fri 18 February 2011
When men started behaving badly
Clips from unseen pilot to air
18/02/2011 … Clips from the never-broadcast pilot of Men Behaving Badly are to be broadcast tomorrow.
jarred18
18/02/2011 … JARRED CHRISTMAS has become the latest comedian to sign up for Let’s Dance for Comic Relief, and will make his appearance on February 26.
fool18
18/02/2011 … ITV1 has commissioned a six-part series of Penn & Teller: Fool Us hosted by Jonathan Ross, following a succesful pilot in January.
Dave Lamb turns conspiracy theorist
New comedy for Come Dine With Me star
18/02/2011 … Dave Lamb – the voice of Come Dine With Me – is to star in a new Radio 4 comedy about a conspiracy theorist.
Thu 17 February 2011
quaile17
17/02/2011 … BOTH Chris Quaile and Richard Gadd have got through to the semi-finals of the Chortle Student Comedy Award following a particularly strong heat in Newcastle on Thursday…
Jack pops up
C4 working on new vehicle for Whitehall
17/02/2011 … Jack Whitehall’s dominance of TV comedy looks to continue, with Channel 4 developing a new vehicle for the Stand Up For The Week star.
Vine goes back in time
17/02/2011 … Tim Vine is working on a pilot for BBC One described as ‘Mr Ben meets Robin Hood’.
Under pressure...
Diane Spencer on 'bringing her A-game'
17/02/2011 … ‘Some telly people want to see you, so bring your A game.
Bo Burnham announces UK tour
First for Edinburgh award-winner
17/02/2011 … Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Bo Burnham is to embark on his first tour of the UK this summer.
Jerry! Goodbye!
Seinfeld's 'Uncle Leo' dies at 88
17/02/2011 … Seinfeld star Len Lesser, who played Jerry’s eccentric Uncle Leo in several episodes, has died at the age of 88.
Wed 16 February 2011
kav16
16/02/2011 … ABERYSTWYTH English student Patrick Kavanagh won the first heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Award in Glamorgan on Tuesday night.
A tale of two Fringes...
But the only predictable thing about Edinburgh is its unpredictability, writes John Fleming
16/02/2011 … A lot of people have been asking me about performing on the Fringe for the first time this year.
rivers16
16/02/2011 … JOAN RIVERS is furious her documentary A Piece of Work was not nominated for an Oscar, fuming: 'What the fuck do you want? It's about ageism, survival, and being…
Walliams gets the rounds in
16/02/2011 … David Walliams is to host a 24-hour-long panel show for Comic Relief.
Brand and Gervais up for US comedy awards
16/02/2011 … Russell Brand and Ricky Gervais have both been nominated in new comedy awards in the States.
Car for Mr Izzard
Eddie to star in animated sequel
16/02/2011 … Eddie Izzard is to voice one of the characters in the sequel to the animated hit Cars.
Tue 15 February 2011
What's the deal with airline comics?
15/02/2011 … Three stand-ups are to perform a gig at 35,000ft in an attempt to set a record for the world’s highest comedy gig.
errors15
15/02/2011 … RIK MAYALL has joined the cast of the psychological thriller Errors Of The Human Body, now being shot in Germany, which revolves around a scientist with a tragic…
Tough gig? Try therapy
Club employs psychologist for comics
15/02/2011 … A comedy club is employing in-house clinical psychologists to help stand-ups deal with their emotional problems.
Fun with Zoe and Tom
15/02/2011 … Two Edinburgh favourites – Zoe Lyons and Tom Wrigglesworth – are on tour now, and we have ten pairs of tickets to a gig near you to give away for both comedians.
'If ratings are important, Hitler was right'
15/02/2011 … Ben Elton has defended his struggling Australian sketch show, invoking the image of Hitler to attack his critics.
Chortle launches in Australia
New site in time for Adelaide Fringe
15/02/2011 … Chortle is expanding into Australia and New Zealand, with a new site launching today.
Mon 14 February 2011
ITV1 show seeks fresh stand-up talent
14/02/2011 … ITV1 is launching a new stand-up series aimed at giving new comedians their big break.
morris14
14/02/2011 … CHRIS MORRIS won the Bafta for Outstanding Debut by a Writer, Director or Producer for Four Lions at the ceremony on Sunday night.
grammies14
14/02/2011 … THE Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Audiobook) has won Best Spoken Word Album at the Grammys, while Lewis Black won best comedy album for Stark Raving…
And we're off...
Student comedy contest heats up
14/02/2011 … The heats of the Chortle Student Comedy Award kick off this week.
A Tribute To Sir Norman Wisdom
Steve Bennett at the Leicester Comedy Festival event
14/02/2011 … A supporting actress from Waterloo Road warbling through showtunes, an organ voluntary, that camp bloke from the Airport reality show and a former backing singer…
Radio hosts try stand-up
Tony Blackburn etc in Comic Relief stunt
14/02/2011 … Six of the BBC’s top radio presenters – including Tony Blackburn and Jenni Murray – are to try their hand at stand-up.
Arabella Weir: The Real Me Is Thin
14/02/2011 … Perhaps ironically for a show about body image, Arabella Weir’s show – or barely glorified book reading, as it should more accurately be billed – offers…
Sun 13 February 2011
It came from outta Spaced
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on Paul
13/02/2011 … The notoriously rainy English climate has wreaked havoc on the schedule of more than one film production.
BBC One's sweary new sitcom
13/02/2011 … A new BBC One sitcom has caused a storm over bad language before it has even been broadcast – for containing the F-word more than once a minute.
Paul
13/02/2011 … One thing we know for sure, should aliens ever come to live among us – they will be wise-cracking comedians.
Sat 12 February 2011
Count Arthur Strong's Command Performance
12/02/2011 … The best character comedy lies in the chasm of delusion between blinkered self-image and harsh reality, which is why Radio 4 veteran Count Arthur Strong offers…
Fri 11 February 2011
Paul Merton on his travels again
11/02/2011 … Paul Merton is to front a new travelogue series for Channel 5.
Medic! Thomas and Novak join C4 comedy
11/02/2011 … Kayvan Novak and Rhys Thomas are to star in Channel 4’s new comedy-drama Naked Apes.
© Picturehouse The man who fell to earth
11/02/2011 … ‘Comedians have the monopoly on really complex breakdowns within the arts world.
nme11
11/02/2011 … ANGELOS EPITHEMIOU is to host this year's NME awards – including performances from My Chemical Romance and Foo Fighters – at the O2 Academy Brixton on February…
Chortle Awards 2011: Backstage interviews
Videos from this week's ceremony
11/02/2011 … James May talks about the Top Gear Mexican controversy, Victoria Wood talks about her illustrious career and Richard E Grant – whose playing Michael Heseltine…
Thu 10 February 2011
Their Tyne has come
NE comics accpeted on to BBC scheme
10/02/2011 … More that 20 comic writers – including stand-ups Gavin Webster, John Scott, Lee Fenwick and former Viz editor Alex Collier – have been accepted on to a BBC scheme…
celtic10
10/02/2011 … RHOD GILBERT's Work Experience, which aired on BBC One in Wales last year, has been shortlisted in the Factual Entertainment category of the the Celtic Media Festival.
You don't have to be paranoid to work here...
Dave Cohen on the curse of the comedian
10/02/2011 … If I had to describe the ten years I spent as a working stand-up in and around the Eighties using just one word, what would it be? An impossible task, but I reckon…
Miranda WILL move to BBC One
10/02/2011 … Miranda is definitely moving to BBC One, after an internal ‘tug-of-war’ with executives at its previous home at BBC Two,The loss of the sitcom – which averaged…
© ITV Lend us a tenor
Jason Manford turns opera singer
10/02/2011 … Jason Manford has turned opera singer on his ITV show Comedy Rocks.
Wed 09 February 2011
Ben Elton takes a licking down under
Criticism and poor ratings hit new show
09/02/2011 … Ben Elton’s new Australian TV show has been judged a massive flop.
sky109
09/02/2011 … SKY 1 is building a new two-hour Friday-night comedy block comprising new episodes of The Middle, The Simpsons, Modern Family and Raising Hope from 7.
Midlands Comedian Of The Year 2011
Final reviewed by Steve Bennett
09/02/2011 … It’s probably endemic of the open mic circuit as a whole, but the final of Midlands Comedian Of The Year, held as part of the Leicester Comedy Festival, produced…
© BBC Harry Enfield joins Sex And The Chippy
Behind the camera of E4 sitcom
09/02/2011 … Harry Enfield has started work directing a new sitcom which has already been dubbed the female answer to The Inbetweeners.
Zach Galifianakis, Jennifer Aniston and Tila Tequila
09/02/2011 … Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Tila Tequila from Between Two Ferns.
Midlands Comedian Of The Year 2011
09/02/2011 … It’s probably endemic of the open mic circuit as a whole, but the final of Midlands Comedian Of The Year, held as part of the Leicester Comedy Festival, produced…
Tue 08 February 2011
More comedy for Radio 7
...but it won't be Radio 7 any more
08/02/2011 … BBC Radio 7 is to offer more comedy and be rebranded Radio 4 Extra.
© BBC
Get craic-ing...
Kilkenny fest launches talent hunt
08/02/2011 … Kilkenny’s Cat Laughs comedy festival has launched a hunt for next comedy talent to perform at this year’s event.
CK max
Win Louis' acclaimed show on CD
08/02/2011 … Highly acclaimed American comedian Louis CK’s latest CD, Hilarious, is out on Monday – and we have ten copies to give away.
Bloodshed at the Chortle Awards
VIDEO: Rhod Gilbert slashes his hand
08/02/2011 … Rhod Gilbert was rushed to hospital last night after gashing his hand open at the Chortle Awards.
soiree08
08/02/2011 … VARIETY show La Soiree, is to return to London at Christmas with a run at the Roundhouse, Camden, from November 23.
marcus08
08/02/2011 … MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE – and Katie Price – are among the latest stars to have signed up for Let's Dance For Comic Relief.
Foreign 'Agents'
08/02/2011 … Channel 4 comedy Free Agents is to be remade for American viewers.
Mon 07 February 2011
Victoria Wood honoured at Chortle Awards
07/02/2011 … Victoria Wood has been honoured for her outstanding contribution in this year’s Chortle Awards, in association with Universal Pictures.
Mark Thomas: Walking The Wall
07/02/2011 … It can be hard to have a sense of humour about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; but occasionally a left-leaning comedian cannot resist the urge to tackle it.
Sun 06 February 2011
Laugh Inn, Chester: Opening night
06/02/2011 … From the outside, it could be Peter Kay’s Phoenix Club, a single neon sign hung on a nondescript building in a semi-industrial part of a Northern town the only…
'Australia doesn't do good sitcoms'
But Ben Elton reckons he can fix that
06/02/2011 … Ben Elton wants to write the great Australian sitcom – saying the nation hasn’t produced a decent series in more than 15 years.
Arrested Development movie is on again
06/02/2011 … The on-off Arrested Development movie appears to be on again – with Peter Serafinowicz landing himself a role.
Steve Coogan slams 'tragic' Top Gear
'Uber-conservatives' aren't cool
06/02/2011 … Steve Coogan has attacked the humour of Top Gear, calling the presenters ‘three rich, middle-aged men laughing at poor Mexicans’.
Laugh Inn, Chester, Opening Night
06/02/2011 … From the outside, it could be Peter Kay’s Phoenix Club, a single neon sign hung on a nondescript building in a semi-industrial part of a Northern town the only…
Sat 05 February 2011
© Universal Studios Russell Brand on Death Row
05/02/2011 … Russell Brand has spent time in a Death Row cell for a new documentary.
Des Bishop's dad dies
05/02/2011 … Des Bishop has cancelled his tour until further notice after his father Michael died yesterday.
Fri 04 February 2011
rowin04
04/02/2011 … NEW YORK comedian Craig Rowin, who claimed a billionaire banker had given him $1million after he pleaded for the money in a YouTube video – has admitted the whole…
broadcast04
04/02/2011 … THE THICK OF IT has been named best comedy programme at this year's Broadcast Awards.
David Walliams to appear in Dr Who
04/02/2011 … David Walliams is to appear in the new series of Doctor Who – as an alien.
Mark Watson's live radio stand-up show
And Horne has his own show, too
04/02/2011 … Mark Watson is to present a live stand-up show for Radio 4.
'Neil Kinnock saw my front bottom'
04/02/2011 … ‘Danny needs to understand he can’t be a comedian his whole life.
© BBC Fry scraps Japan trip after QI threats
More 'fallout' from A-bomb jokes
04/02/2011 … Stephen Fry has been forced to scrap plans to film a documentary in Japan because of jokes about the atomic bomb in QI.
Huh-huh... that's cool
04/02/2011 … Beavis and Butt-Head are to return to TV after a 14-year break.
Lenny Henry: Cradle To The Rave
04/02/2011 … Music has been the love of his life, but when Lenny Henry attempted to launch a career as a credible musician in the Eighties, he was doomed to fail.
Thu 03 February 2011
Jinsy ahoy!
Work starts on Sky's cult comedy
03/02/2011 … Production has just begun on Sky’s new cult comedy This Is Jinsy, with Little Britain and Psychoville director Matt Lipsey has joined the team behind S.
Making waves
Radio 7's new stand-up series... set on a boat
03/02/2011 … Radio 7 has commissioned a new stand-up series, recorded at a London club.
© BBC US break for Pulling's Sharon?
ABC orders pilot of her new show
03/02/2011 … Pulling star Sharon Horgan has landed a pilot deal with American broadcaster ABC.
© CBS Channel 5 turns to $#*!
03/02/2011 … Channel 5 has brought the rights to William Shatner sitcom $#*! My Dad Says.
Miranda works on new panel show
03/02/2011 … The BBC is developing a new panel show, fronted by Miranda Hart.
Older people just don't get The Office
Trouble spotting Brent's bad behaviour
03/02/2011 … Older people find it hard to see what’s wrong with David Brent’s behaviour in The Office, researchers have found.
ferguson03
03/02/2011 … SCOTTISH comedian turned American show host Craig Ferguson has become a father for the second time after his wife Mega gave birth to Liam James in Los Angeles on…
Wed 02 February 2011
Gavin & Stacey's 'Doris' dies at 84
Margaret John had a 50-year career
02/02/2011 … Gavin and Stacey star Margaret John has died at the age of 84.
Birth of a comedy scene
02/02/2011 … I did a run of gigs in Croatia last week, for the second time in two months – not expat gigs, but in front of locals on the new, if small, comedy circuit developing…
A Global issue
Was Ricky REALLY invited back?
02/02/2011 … Ricky Gervais appears to have been caught out after presumptuously claiming he had been asked to host the Golden Globes Awards for a third time.
The 'idiot' is back...
Pilkington to go back on his travels
02/02/2011 … Reluctant traveler Karl Pilkington is to make a second series of An Idiot Abroad.
Katzenjammer
02/02/2011 … After Tim Minchin proved that comedy and virtuosic piano playing can go hand-in-hand comes Katzenjammer, who take that expression literally.
Tue 01 February 2011
Oh teenagers, Inbetweeners isn't *meant* to be for you...
Nick Page on the arrogance of youth...
01/02/2011 … I love the arrogance of teenagers – like Alex Green writing on these pages yesterday – who assume shows like The Inbetweeners are aimed at them just because…
Jimmy Carr's a 'legend'
Loaded readers name their favourite comics
01/02/2011 … Jimmy Carr has been named a comedy legend in the Lafta awards handed out by lads’ mag Loaded.
Another visit to Grandma's House
BBC set to commission second series
01/02/2011 … Simon Amstell’s sitcom Grandma’s House looks set to be commissioned for a second series.
Michael McIntyre turns nasty
Comic reduces 9-year-old to tears
01/02/2011 … Michael McIntyre has reduced a nine-year-old boy to tears by buzzing him off Britain’s Got Talent.
Gervais: Globes have asked me back
But he's not sure if he'll do it
01/02/2011 … Ricky Gervais says he's been asked to present the Golden Globes again next year, despite the supposed controversy over him being rude to Hollywood millionaires…
Des Bishop cancels shows
01/02/2011 … Des Bishop has been forced to cancel a run of shows after his ill father took a turn for the worse.
Mon 31 January 2011
In defence of racist jokes
John Fleming sticks up for Bernard Manning
31/01/2011 … I once put on a show at the Hackney Empire theatre in London where a top-name comic refused to introduce or be on stage with comedian Jimmy Carr because, in the…
'It’s me against the world now'
Jay Richardson meets Jim Davidson
31/01/2011 … When black comic Matt Blaize first met Jim Davidson, he told him: ‘Every time you were on TV, I would dread going to school the next day because my life would…
© Fox Gervais returns to The Simpsons
31/01/2011 … Ricky Gervais is to make a second appearance in The Simpsons – this time as an awards show host.
Sun 30 January 2011
frye30
30/01/2011 … AMERICAN impressionist David Frye, best known for mimicking President Richard Nixon, has died at the age of 77.
The school the Chuckle Brother built
30/01/2011 … Chuckle Brother Barry Elliott is setting up his own school.
Sat 29 January 2011
© BBC Come Fly With Me 2 cleared for take-off
29/01/2011 … Matt Lucas and David Walliams are to make a second series of Come Fly With Me.
Fri 28 January 2011
© Bruce Dessau Altitude slopes off to a new resort
Alpine festival moves to Austria
28/01/2011 … The ski and snowboard-based Altitude Comedy Festival is moving to a new resort this year.
A runway success
Come Fly With Me was 2010's top comedy
28/01/2011 … Come Fly With Me was the most-watched comedy of 2010, according to new analysis of the ratings.
The great blow-off
Comics lead kazoo record attempt
28/01/2011 … Miranda Hart, Jenny Éclair and Stephen Mangan are to take part in an attempt to break the world record for the largest kazoo orchestra ever.
© C4 Bus wanker!
28/01/2011 … ‘The fact that someone would fuck you was more important than a TV show or 5 stars in a newspaper.
Charlie Callas dies at 83
Comic was the voice of Pete's Dragon
28/01/2011 … American comedian Charlie Callas, who worked with Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin –– as well as opening several of Frank Sinatra’s Vegas shows – has died at…
ITV orders more Juice
Keith Lemon will return for 29 more shows
28/01/2011 … Keith Lemon’s Celebrity Juice is to return to ITV2 for two more series.
Frankie's the prime offender
Least surprsing news of the day...
28/01/2011 … Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights was the most complained-about programme on Channel 4 last month, the broadcaster has revealed to no great surprise.
Rhod Gilbert cures cancer
...or at least helps to, with big donation
28/01/2011 … Rhod Gilbert has donated thousands of pounds that he earned from a sell-out gig to a cancer charity – all to appease a feisty audience.
Apology over Sarah Palin joke
Masturbation gag comes to a sticky end
28/01/2011 … American cable TV station TNT has issued a hurried apology after 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan said Sarah Palin was ‘good masturbation material’.
Thu 27 January 2011
rock27
27/01/2011 … COMEDY CENTRAL has brought the rights to series 5 of 30 Rock, which it will air from February 10.
Watson to pilot new improv show
27/01/2011 … Mark Watson has been lined up to front a pilot episode of a new improvisation panel game.
Miranda's bad Hare day?
27/01/2011 … Miranda Hart is to prove the commentary for a new prime-time Saturday night entertainment show.
queen27
27/01/2011 … BUCKINGHAM PALACE has sent a letter of support to the Leicester Comedy Festival, reading: 'The Queen sends her best wishes to all concerned for a most memorable…
BBC to axe comedy hits
Budget squeeze affects commissioning
27/01/2011 … The BBC will be forced to axe some of its comedy hits because of budget cuts, a senior executive has admitted.
Wed 26 January 2011
Dave goes on more One Night Stands
26/01/2011 … Digital channel Dave has commissioned a second series of its stand-up show One Night Stand.
guv26
26/01/2011 … JAMES CORDEN is to star in a National Theatre production of One Man, Two Guvnors, based on an 18th Century play and directed by Nicholas Hytner, from May.
Coogan wins a phone hacking victory
26/01/2011 … Steve Coogan has won his first legal victory in his action against the News Of The World's alleged phone-hacking.
Fielding heads Let's Dance comics
26/01/2011 … Noel Fielding has signed up for this year’s Let's Dance For Comic Relief.
Glasgow Comedy Festival Preview Show
26/01/2011 … Some hae jokes and cannot tell ’em,Some cannot joke that want to: But these hae jokes and they can riff,Sae let the Lord be thankit.
Tue 25 January 2011
The tragedy of great sitcoms
25/01/2011 … One night last year, I sat through an entire evening of BBC3 comedy – four programmes – without a single smile.
Al's going to party like it's 1997
Murray to front C4's Funniest Year
25/01/2011 … Al Murray is to make an episode of My Funniest Year for Channel 4.
ref25
25/01/2011 … JACK DEE and Sarah Millican have signed up to join Jo Brand for the pilot episode of the Marriage Ref, the British version of the Jerry Seinfeld format being developed…
C4 renews Stand Up For The Week
25/01/2011 … Channel 4 has commissioned a second series of Stand Up For The Week.
© BBC BBC: We've not axed Harry & Paul
25/01/2011 … The BBC has denied that Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse’s sketch show has been axed.
Smack The Pony trio reunite
First appearance together in nine years
25/01/2011 … The stars of Smack The Pony are to be reunited on stage for the first time in nearly ten yearsSally Phillips, Doon Mackichan and Fiona Allen will be performing…
Jerry Sadowitz: More than just nigger jokes
Gavin Allen enters the heart of darkness
25/01/2011 … Have you ever seen a magician saw a woman in half?One has to wonder at the sick mind that invented that illusion; dismemberment as entertainment with an added gush…
face25
25/01/2011 … BILL BAILEY is to front a new campaign for the Farming and Countryside Education charity, explaining to schoolchildren where their food comes from.
It's all one big joke...
Another marathon record broken
25/01/2011 … Another comedy endurance record has been set – with one American club mammoth 81 hours of non-stop stand-up,Magooby’s Joke House in Baltimore staged the marathon…
Mon 24 January 2011
Making a Stand in Newcastle
Scottish comedy club heads south
24/01/2011 … Scottish comedy club The Stand is expanding, with a new custom-built venue in Newcastle – its biggest room yet.
Dara upsets the astrologers
24/01/2011 … Astrologers are demanding the BBC apologise after Dara O’Briain called their unproven pseudo-science ‘rubbish’.
Crying out for a winner...
Win stand-up based thriller on DVD
24/01/2011 … The independent thriller Crying With Laughter – about a stand-up whose life has stopped being funny – is released on DVD today, and we have six copies to give…
Wright Stuff in the wrong
Channel 5 rapped for Tim Minchin plug
24/01/2011 … Channel 5 show The Wright Stuff has landed in trouble with broadcast watchdogs for blatantly plugging Tim Minchin’s DVD.
Hindus upset at Jim Carrey Ganesh sketch
24/01/2011 … Religious leaders have demanded a Jim Carrey sketch be censored for poking fun at Hindu god Lord Ganesh.
2.5million watch Comedy Awards
24/01/2011 … The British Comedy Awards attracted a very healthy 2.
Comedy Of Ashes
24/01/2011 … Even with the very saleable England versus Australia angle, it was a big ask to fill London’s potential 2,000-capacity HMV Forum on the strength what amounted…
Sun 23 January 2011
'It's like a haunted waxworks museum'
WTF at the British Comedy Awards
23/01/2011 … 'People stop me in the street and ask me to tell them to fuck off – and I often oblige.
© BBC BBC apologises for QI atom bomb jokes
23/01/2011 … The BBC has apologised for making jokes about the atomic bomb on QI after the Japanese embassy complained.
Miranda triumphs at Comedy Awards
Triple victory for sitcom star
23/01/2011 … Miranda Hart has cleaned up at the British Comedy Awards, taking three gongs including the Queen of Comedy as voted by viewers.
Sat 22 January 2011
Minchin wins Aussie accolade
Tim's honour for Australia Day
22/01/2011 … Tim Minchin has been named Young Australian Achiever of the Year.
Fringe comedy out on DVD
Cast of thousands, budget of nothing
22/01/2011 … A low-budget film featuring a raft of comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe has been released on DVD.
Fri 21 January 2011
'I've been trying to contact aliens'
21/01/2011 … Arthur Smith addressing the What's So Funny? comedy conference at the British Library this week: ‘I am in fact, the coolest man in the room.
Not The 10 O'Clock News
Liam McCloud on Channel 4's new topical show
21/01/2011 … With the likes of Jimmy Carr and David Mitchell, it’s clear Channel 4 is pulling out all the stops in its first live news-based comedy debate programme.
Red Dwarf WILL return
21/01/2011 … Red Dwarf has been commissioned for a new series, star Craig Charles has revealed.
Whoa! Slow down, cowboy....
Paul Cronin urges new comics not to rush into promoting
21/01/2011 … So you have just finished a Stand-Up For Beginners course and completed your first five-minute set on stage.
Hattie's a big success
21/01/2011 … The biographical film about Hattie Jacques has won BBC Four its biggest ever audience.
Return to the Boyle
Frankie back on stage - despite his vow to quit
21/01/2011 … Frankie Boyle is to perform a one-off gig in his home town, despite having vowed to give up live performance.
Luke Wright: Cynical Ballads
21/01/2011 … Luke Wright is serious about his legacy in the rich history of balladeers, boasting: ‘Swift, Pope… now it’s my turn’.
Thu 20 January 2011
Robert Webb hosts new panel show
...which is nothing like Room 101, honest
20/01/2011 … Robert Webb is to host a new comedy panel show for Channel 4.
Heat editor set for Comedy Central show
Humour 'you don't need a degree for'
20/01/2011 … Comedy Central is working on a topical comedy show with former Heat magazine editor Sam Delaney.
fiona20
20/01/2011 … CHANNEL 4 has appointed Robert's Web producer Fiona McDermott as comedy editor, with some responsibilities for commissioning new shows.
Punt & Dennis: They Should Get Out More
20/01/2011 … It’s surprising to think just how long Punt and Dennis have been going: almost 30 years since meeting at the Cambridge Footlights, they are now part of the comedic…
Wed 19 January 2011
Brent's back!
Ricky Gervais to reprise Office role
19/01/2011 … Ricky Gervais is to reprise the role of David Brent for an appearance on the American version of The Office.
Golden Globes: Is this what really happened?
Well, no. But Gervais cartoon is funny...
19/01/2011 … A Taiwanese TV station has made an animated film speculating what happened to Ricky Gervais backstage at the Golden Globes.
Why I'm sticking with Episodes
Chris Hallam has the last word on the Matt LeBlanc sitcom
19/01/2011 … Judging any comedy by its first episode is a risky business.
Do these crisps taste funny?
19/01/2011 … Stephen Fry, Jimmy Carr, Al Murray and Frank Skinner are to have crisps named after them in a new Comic Relief money-spinner.
Mark Watson vs the 'gobby morons'
19/01/2011 … Mark Watson has launched a new campaign to bring more respect into football.
Paddy McGuinness plays arenas
19/01/2011 … Paddy McGuinness has become the latest comedian to launch an arena tour.
Carry on Camping?
19/01/2011 … What's So Funny? Camp comedy is dying because gay culture has been accepted into the mainstream.
Science can't explain comedy
...says a scientist who studies comedy
19/01/2011 … What's So Funny? Comedy has to be classed as an art form, because scientists cannot fully understand why humour works, a leading psychologist has said.
The noble art of comedy
19/01/2011 … What's So Funny? Comedy is a noble tradition that shapes the English language in uniquely inventive ways, according to stand-up Arthur Smith.
What's So Funny? End of conference stand-up show
19/01/2011 … The British Library is fast becoming an unlikely fixture on the London comedy circuit.
Tue 18 January 2011
You are what you Tweet...
Most influential Twitter comics named
18/01/2011 … Researchers have named the most influential comedians on Twitter – with Stephen Fry unsurprisingly topping the list.
terryjam18
18/01/2011 … SIR TERRY WOGAN is to become a panellist on Radio 4’s Just A Minute, appearing in two editions of the new series which starts next month.
michirah18
18/01/2011 … TIM MINCHIN is to play London's Royal Albert Hall with his full orchestra on April 28.
Inbetweeners on the road to rude
18/01/2011 … The stars of The Inbetweeners are to travel around the country to find some of the rudest place names in Britain.
Mon 17 January 2011
Bill Bailey, baboon man
Comic to front ITV nature series
17/01/2011 … Bill Bailey is to front a six-part ITV series about baboons.
Jo Brand to be the Marriage Ref
17/01/2011 … Jerry Seinfeld’s American reality show The Marriage Ref could be coming to Britain – with Jo Brand as host.
Edgy? No it's hack...
Nat Wicks despairs of 'dark' material
17/01/2011 … Walk into any open mic or lower priced circuit gig and take a seat.
© HBO
bacwin17
17/01/2011 … KELLY GOLDING from Dover has won a VIP trip to the British Comedy Awards on Sunday, after being picked out of the hat from 5,500 people who entered Chortle's competition.
Mystery of disappearing Gervais
Golden Globes conspiracy theories
17/01/2011 … Twitter was abuzz with conspiracy theories last night when Ricky Gervais disappeared from hosting the Golden Globe Awards for almost an hour.
Ronnie Corbett's comedy roadshow
17/01/2011 … Ronnie Corbett is to front a short ITV1 series covering the history of British comedy.
Cleese: I turned down I'm A Celeb
17/01/2011 … John Cleese has revealed that he turned down £200,000 to take part in I'm A Celebrity.
Sun 16 January 2011
Leicester Comedy Festival Preview Show 2011 review
At De Montfort Hall, Leicester
16/01/2011 … The Leicester Comedy Festival normally pick a familiar name to front their gala Preview Show, using their celebrity to drum up that all-important publicity.
Sean Combs tries stand-up
16/01/2011 … Rap mogul Diddy has turned to live comedy, performing at a gig in New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.
You wait ages for a Buzz...
Russell Brand's episode to air at last
16/01/2011 … The BBC is to finally screen Russell Brand’s appearance on Never Mind The Buzzcocks – more than two years after he filmed it.
Leicester Comedy Festival Preview Show 2011
16/01/2011 … The Leicester Comedy Festival normally pick a familiar name to front their gala Preview Show, using their celebrity to drum up that all-important publicity.
Sat 15 January 2011
Hill and Hart lead Comedy Award nods
British Comedy Award nominees named
15/01/2011 … The nominees for the British Comedy Awards have been unveiled, with Harry Hill and Miranda Hart leading the shortlist, with four nods apiece.
Tramadol Nights is 'worst TV comedy'
Viewers' 'accolade' for Frankie Boyle
15/01/2011 … Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights has been named the worst comedy of last year.
Fri 14 January 2011
Hundreds complain over Daily Show axe
14/01/2011 … Hundreds of viewers have complained to Channel 4 about its decision to axe most editions of the Daily Show from More 4.
Mind your language...
Katy Shaw on the linguistics of comedy
14/01/2011 … EB White said something to the tune of: ‘Analysing comedy is like dissecting a frog.
league14
14/01/2011 … SKY ONE's comedy sports quiz A League Of Their Own, hosted by James Corden, is to be extended to hour-long episodes for its third series.
10,000 vote in Chortle Awards
14/01/2011 … More than 10,000 people have voted in this year’s Chortle Awards – with two days still to go.
'I saw Pudsey the Bear get into a fight...'
14/01/2011 … Miranda Hart says female comedians are judged on their looks and their weight in a way male comics are not.
Thu 13 January 2011
Student Comedy Award launches
13/01/2011 … The 2011 Chortle Student Comedy Award is now open for business…Now in its eighth year, previous winners and finalists have included Simon Bird, Tom Deacon, Lloyd…
James Corden to host Brits
'I can do better than Peter Kay'
13/01/2011 … James Corden will present this year’s Brit awards, organisers have announced.
BBC commissions more Mirandas
...and series could move to BBC One
13/01/2011 … The BBC has just ordered a third series of hit sitcom Miranda – which could transfer to BBC One.
Blackadder II: The perfect TV comedy?
Chris Hallam celebrates its 25th anniversary
13/01/2011 … Twenty five years ago this month, British television comedy came as close to achieving perfection as it has ever done before or since.
Wed 12 January 2011
Did the BBC get starstruck?
Gary Napier offers a theory to where Episodes went wrong
12/01/2011 … I was really looking forward to Episodes, even after the cheesy Matt Le Blanc head-turn in the promotional trailer – I know they have to maximise audience figures.
Lenny Henry's budget tour
Star comic to stay in Premier Inns
12/01/2011 … Lenny Henry will be staying in Premier Inns during his forthcoming 64-date tour as part of his sponsorship deal with the hotel chain.
Funny looking?
Female comics are always judged on their looks, says Miranda Hart
12/01/2011 … Miranda Hart has said female comedians are given a rougher ride than men because they are always judged on their looks.
Tue 11 January 2011
Unfortunate Episodes
James Cook is already no fan of Matt LeBlanc's new sitcom
11/01/2011 … Episodes premiered on BBC Two last night, with a dream-team of acting and writing talent aboard.
episodes11
11/01/2011 … MATT LeBLANC sitcom Episodes got off to a good start on BBC Two on Monday night, attracting 1.
US launches comedy award
...and fund for hard-up comedians
11/01/2011 … The UK has had the British Comedy Awards for 20 years and the Chortle Awards for ten.
Mon 10 January 2011
podcast10
10/01/2011 … RADIO 4 has launched its new Monday Comedy Podcast, starting with an episode of Mark Thomas's new show.
Gangster to gagster
John McVicar turns to stand-up
10/01/2011 … John McVicar, the notorious armed robber who was once top of Scotland Yard’s ‘most wanted’ list, is turning to stand-up.
MP calls for Eric Morecambe museum
10/01/2011 … An MP has called for a museum to be set up in honour of Eric Morecambe.
Sun 09 January 2011
bloom09
09/01/2011 … ADAM BLOOM won the award for best comedy at the 2011 London Short Film Festival, for an animated version of his stand-up made by Wonky Films.
Sat 08 January 2011
Chortle Awards 2011
08/01/2011 … Best newcomerDiane SpencerHenry GinsbergIain Stirling Tim Shishodia Breakthrough act The Boy With Tape On His FaceJosh WiddicombeNick HelmStuart Goldsmith …
Leave my Hattie alone
Eric Sykes 'sad' about BBC drama
08/01/2011 … Eric Sykes has criticised the BBC for ‘raking over’ the love life of his late co-star Hattie Jacques.
Fri 07 January 2011
Chortle awards: Vote for your favourite venues
In association with Universal Pictures
07/01/2011 … Please note, these are not nominees – you can vote for any venue you like – but a list of venues that have traditionally gathered reasonable support.
Twitter feud kicks off
07/01/2011 … Frankie Boyle has launched a stinging broadside against fellow comic Mark Watson for daring to criticise his offensive material.
Edited Highlight
Club chain to close London venue
07/01/2011 … The Highlight chain of comedy clubs is to close its venue in Clapham Junction, South London, from this weekend.
© BBC Bad news for Come Fly With Me...
...Jim Davidson has come out in support
07/01/2011 … It might not be the sort of praise they want – but Jim Davidson has come out in support of Matt Lucas and David Walliams' new comedy Come Fly With Me.
Why does comedy always have to be funny?
Dave Cohen calls for a return to pathos
07/01/2011 … Something wonderful and magical has vanished from the world of comedy.
'I want to strip him naked and tie him up'
07/01/2011 … ‘When you're a comedian, you never feel that anything you do is successful.
Pigeon man comic in BGT drama
Notoriety for 'weirdo' Phil Zimmerman
07/01/2011 … Comedian Phil Zimmerman has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons – after lunging at Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden.
Thu 06 January 2011
Ricky Gervais is vermin...
Comic to star as Mole in Wind In The Willows
06/01/2011 … Ricky Gervais is to voice Mole in a new film version of The Wind in the Willows.
Little Britain could return
Duo may revive 'classic' characters
06/01/2011 … David Walliams and Matt Lucas say they might make more episodes of Little Britain.
Pretty funny... for a woman
Taylor Glenn writes another of those 'sexism in comedy' articles...
06/01/2011 … I should start by saying that I sigh, rather deeply, when I see the myriad of articles about ‘Being A Woman In Comedy’ that get shared to their social network…
Harry Hill's our role model
06/01/2011 … Harry Hill has been named the top role model for boys in a survey of children.
Never mind the facts...
Daily Star's dubious Frankie Boyle story
06/01/2011 … The Daily Star has falsely claimed that the BBC has ‘scrapped’ Frankie Boyle in the face of tabloid-fuelled fury.
Irish TV's new stand-up showcase
International names and local acts
06/01/2011 … Some of the top names in stand-up are to be showcased in a new Irish TV series.
Jackson's Way: The London Jacksathon
06/01/2011 … A quick recap: Will Adamsdale was famously THE hit of the 2004 Edinburgh festival, after the short run of his work-in-progress show Jackson’s Way was championed…
Wed 05 January 2011
My greatest Christmas present
Bob Slayer is heartened by Kunt And The Gang's chart success
05/01/2011 … In 2009, off the back of a huge Facebook campaign, Rage Against The Machine caused one of the biggest shocks in UK chart history when they stopped X Factor from…
To die for?
05/01/2011 … The sketch show produced from comedy website Funny Or Die is to be aired in the UK for the first time.
'It wasn't an attack...'
Frankie Boyle writer defends Harvey gag
05/01/2011 … Frankie Boyle’s co-writer has defended the controversial joke about Katie Price’s disabled son, claiming ‘it wasn’t an attack’.
Call this a gig?
Diane Spencer on terrible comedy venues
05/01/2011 … The professional stage lights remained unlit, as they were reserved for music gigs or, as the pink tie-wearing venue manager put it, ‘real gigs’.
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05/01/2011 … OMID DJALILI has been nominated for best comic performance in the London Evening Standard British Film Awards for his role in The Infidel alongside Roger Allam (Tamara…
Him Off The Viz by Simon Donald
05/01/2011 … Ever read Johnny Fartpants in Viz and thought: I’d really like to know the full life story of the man who drew those magnificent guffs?No, of course you haven’t.
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05/01/2011 … CHARACTER actor Bill Erwin, who played grumpy old man Sid Fields in Seinfeld, has died at the age of 96.
Tue 04 January 2011
'Her private life will surprise'
04/01/2011 … ‘There was more to Hattie Jacques than the public persona of the Carry On films – her private life will surprise.
British Comedy Awards open to fans
Tickets to TV event now on sale
04/01/2011 … The British Comedy Awards are opening theirs doors to the public for the first time in their 21-year history.
James Corden's new comedy
Star writes The Wrong Mans for BBC
04/01/2011 … James Corden has filmed a new TV comedy-thriller for the BBC, called The Wrong Mans.
Disability? It's a good start for comedy
Ted Shiress describes his experiences
04/01/2011 … Can you name a comedian with cerebral palsy? If you asked such a question a decade ago, I’m pretty sure even the most hardcore of comedy geeks would struggle not…
Win a VIP trip to the British Comedy Awards
04/01/2011 … We’ve teamed up with Foster’s to offer Chortle readers the chance to win an exclusive VIP trip to the British Comedy Awards.
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04/01/2011 … BOBBY CARROLL won Chortle's £75 prize for the best Correspondents piece in December for his article The Comedians Killing Comedy.
Mon 03 January 2011
The best comedy on Spotify
Listen to stand-up albums for free
03/01/2011 … Oh no, not another bank holiday… But you could fill the time listening to comedy albums for free, thanks to legitimate music sharing website Spotify.
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03/01/2011 … BENIDORM, Harry Hill's TV Burp, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Outnumbered have been nominated for best comedy at the National Television Awards.
Plot of Inbetweeners movie leaked
And, surprise, it's humiliation all round
03/01/2011 … The script of the Inbetweeners movie – in which the four main characters go on a debauched lads’ holiday – has been leaked to the press.
Sun 02 January 2011
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02/01/2011 … MITCHELL and Webb are to perform at a benefit for cancer research in London's Bloomsbury Theatre on April 30.
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02/01/2011 … JOHN BISHOP was again the best-selling stand-up DVD last week, but post-Christmas he slipped 12 places down the overall chart to No 17.
Morecambe and Wise bring ratings sunshine
02/01/2011 … Morecambe and Wise have proved they can still be ratings winners – more than 25 years after Eric’s death.
Cheap comedy venture fails
End of the line for Five Pound Fringe
02/01/2011 … The Five Pound Fringe – aimed at lowering the ticket prices at the Edinburgh Festival – has been dropped after just two years.
Sat 01 January 2011
Cambridge Footlights: Today Of All Days
01/01/2011 … There are moments in this year's Footlights offering that sparkle with wit and style.
Laurence Clark: The Jim Davidson Guide To Equality
01/01/2011 … Reviewed in London before the Fringe Laurence Clark has attitude in spades.
Matt Tiller... Ladykiller
01/01/2011 … Matt Tiller aims to make one member of the audience fall in love with him within the hour.
Ian Fox: The Butterfly Effect
01/01/2011 … This is an excellent debut show from Manchester comic Ian Fox.
Greedy
01/01/2011 … Sketch shows at the Fringe can often be painful experiences, often making misguided attempts at Boosh-esque surrealism or trying desperately to be…
Roadhouse
01/01/2011 … We’re trapped in a desolate, dilapidated roadhouse in the arse end of nowhere.
Storytellers' Club: Twighight Tales at Trades
01/01/2011 … As comedy moves ever more into the realms of storytelling, it was inevitable that a handful of club nights would emerge to showcase them.
Inbetweeners movie
01/01/2011 … Most sitcom characters never learn or change, their personality traits consistent from episode to episode.