© BBC ‘I am a Christian and found the show totally unacceptable’
31/12/2020 … With all its pratfalls and mistakes, the Goes Wrong Show has become a staple of family-friendly comedy on the BBC.
31/12/2020 … As end-of-year parties are off the agenda, Irish sketch trio Foil Arms and Hog imagine a house party attended by the last few decades.
How stand-up Mark Simmons battled on through a power cut
31/12/2020 … One motto of 2020 has to be ‘the show must go on…’ And when comic Mark Simmons performed a streaming gig last night, he had several…
© Carla Speight Chortle editor Steve Bennett compiles his most memorable shows of 2020
31/12/2020 … You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone… Joni Mitchell sure got that right.
31/12/2020 … Comedians Jordan Brooks, Sam Campbell, Demi Lardner and Tom Walker are among those contributing to an anthology of absurd clips for Adult Swim.
© Big Talk Productions Lesley Manville, Toby Jones, Nina Wadia and Sheila Hancock
30/12/2020 … Several sitcom stars have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours tonight.
Comic 'over the moon' to be providing the voiceovers
30/12/2020 … Stand-up Maisie Adam is to provide the voiceover for ITV’s new dating show, The Cabin.
© BBC 30/12/2020 … As what’s hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime disruptor, the coronavirus pandemic is an unusual hook for a sitcom’s pilot episode.
The comedy performers, writers and actors who died this year
30/12/2020 … January Derek Fowlds, Yes Minister star, 82 Terry Jones, Python.
For a new Radio 4 chat show next year
30/12/2020 … Meera Syal is to revive her alter-ego Granny Kumar for a new Radio 4 series.
Prank call headed off a eurosceptic rebellion
30/12/2020 … Rory Bremner saved John Major’s Premiership by making a prank phone call, it has been confirmed today In 1993, the impressionist posed as the Prime Minister…
© GCB Films/Infinity Hill David Tennant and Michael Sheen on the return of Staged
30/12/2020 … Staged, the comedy which David Tennant and Michael Sheen filmed from their own homes during lockdown returns to BBC One at 9.
After the conclusion of their bitter legal fight
29/12/2020 … Spinal Tap's stars have set up a new company to manage the licensing of the film and all rights related to it.
© ITV Test your knowledge of the comedy news of 2020...
29/12/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© ITV 29/12/2020 … Advance press coverage of ITV’s Billy Connolly retrospective portrayed it as an emotional milestone marking the end of his career, cut short by the cruelties…
© C4/Framestore Ofcom to consider Channel 4's alternative message
29/12/2020 … More than 200 people complained about Channel 4's deepfake version of the Queen’s speech.
© BBC/Thomas Atilla Lewis Boyle accused of hypocrisy after calling out Gervais over trans jokes
29/12/2020 … Frankie Boyle has slammed Ricky Gervais over his jokes about trans people.
Stewart Lee on his campaign to get to No 1 with Asian Dub Foundation
28/12/2020 … Move over Miley Cyrus and tell Ed Sheeran the news.
Designer also created C4's logo and more
28/12/2020 … The designer who first came up with the idea for Spitting Image has died at the age of 75.
Chortle's most-read stories of 2020...
28/12/2020 … It goes without saying that 2020 has been an odd year for comedy… and everything else on the planet.
© BBC Comic cashes in on Vicar Of Dibley character
27/12/2020 … Dawn French says she’s been asked to perform exorcisms, in the guise of the Vicar Of Dibley.
© BBC/BOC Pix As sitcom slumps in the Christmas Day ratings
27/12/2020 … Mrs Brown’s Boys star Gary Hollywood is suing the show’s creator Brendan O’Carroll in a row over pay.
© Netflix Review of Charlie Brooker's end-of-year round-up for Netflix
27/12/2020 … It fast became a cliché to say that the spiralling dystopia of 2020 was like an out-of-control episode of Black Mirror.
© ITV The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
27/12/2020 … The week’s best comedy on TV and radio.
26/12/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
...now can we get Stewart Lee to No 1?
25/12/2020 … The Kunts have made it to No 5 in the Christmas charts with their not-so-festive track Boris Johnson Is A Cunt.
© BBC ...and Fin Taylor's 'bomb Glastonbury' gag
24/12/2020 … The BBC’s has rejected complaints about Sophie Duker’s ‘kill whitey’ joke on Frankie Boyle’s New World Order – and Fin…
24/12/2020 … The BBC has released a bloopers reel from the first series of Ghosts.
For Australian TV show The Yearly
24/12/2020 … Andy Zaltzman has offered his opinion of the events of 2020 for Australian TV show The Yearly.
© C4/Framestore Impressionist Debra Stephenson delivers C4's alternative Christmas message - read the transcript
24/12/2020 … Dead Ringers impressionist Debra Stephenson will deliver this year Alternative Christmas Message on Channel 4 – in the guise of the Queen.
Even though he hasn't even thought of it yet...
23/12/2020 … Netflix has bought Ricky Gervais’s next TV show - even though he hasn’t decided what it is yet.
© BBC/Two Brothers Pictures Cockfight as artist accuses Fleabag of ripping off his 'wall of penises' sculpture
23/12/2020 … An artist has accused Fleabag’s producers of ripping off one of his ideas: a wall of penises.
© BBC/Merman Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, Ghosts, Motherland, QI and King Gary
23/12/2020 … The BBC has been slammed for a Christmas schedule that’s heavy on animated films, reruns and Mrs Brown’s Boys – criticism which seems a bit…
YouTube announces virtual NYE party
23/12/2020 … Katherine Ryan, the People Just Do Nothing crew, Natasia Demetriou, Nigel Ng and Ellie White are to take part in a star-studded virtual New Year’s Eve party…
Eileen Pollock passes away in London
23/12/2020 … Eileen Pollock, best known for playing Lilo Lil in Carla Lane’s sitcom Bread has died at the age of 73.
© Netflix 22/12/2020 … London Hughes is just a teensy bit less coy than the semi-censored title of her show suggests.
22/12/2020 … Amazon Prime has released the first trailer for Coming 2 America, the sequel to the 1988 John Landis classic.
Try our festive Tuesday Trivia Quiz, part 2
22/12/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© BBC Shakespeare misses his dad's funeral in lockdown storyline
22/12/2020 … Harry Enfield has been written out of Upstart Crow.
© BBC/Channel X/Chris Harris Rough plans to 'get the old band back together'
22/12/2020 … Mackenzie Crook says he’s planning to revive Detectorists.
Is this the first zombie country song?
22/12/2020 … Introducing a new musical genre: zombie country Writer, director and composer Alastair Clayton is to release an EP exploring the idea under his alter-ego Clayton…
© BBC BBC releases the first promo image
22/12/2020 … Filming has wrapped on the second series of This Time With Alan Partridge.
Netflix special reviewed by Steve Bennett
21/12/2020 … Rhys Nicholson’s first Netflix special starts with melancholic monochrome shots of the deserted streets of Melbourne, the camera swooping into the Atheneum…
With Phil, Uncle Mick, Bonzo the Dog and Jim the Elf
21/12/2020 … Phil, Uncle Mick, Bonzo the Dog and Jim the Elf wish all the children a very merry Christmas in the Funz And Gamez Christmas message.
21/12/2020 … A greetings card company has released a list of the worst Christmas Cracker jokes – and you might have trouble distinguishing them from some lists…
Sweary Boris Johnson song storms the charts
21/12/2020 … Kunt And The Gang’s attempt to storm the Christmas charts has got off to a flying start, becoming the second highest new entry so far this week.
© Netflix As Charlie Brooker reveals more about the show
21/12/2020 … Netflix has released the trailer for Charlie Brooker’s Death To 2020 – and revealed that it will be released on December 27.
21/12/2020 … Scott Bennett has been named the best stand-up of 2020 by his fellow comedians.
Netflix's mathematically perfect addition to the genre
21/12/2020 … Spoiled for choice when it comes to Christmas movies? Well, Netflix has created the mathematically perfect holiday film, using bots to analyse every such film…
© C4 Rosalind Knight's 70-year career spanned Carry On to Gimme Gimme Gimme
20/12/2020 … Rosalind Knight, who played Horrible Grandma in Friday Night Dinner has died at the age of 87.
© BBC The week's best comedy on TV and radio
20/12/2020 … The week’s best comedy on TV and radio.
© Sky UK Fans praise comic for switching pronouns
20/12/2020 … Fans and fellow comics are congratulating Eddie Izzard for switching to female pronouns.
Streaming show is 'a Nicorette patch for live theatre'
20/12/2020 … Robin Ince and Josie Long are to host a live virtual gig on Christmas Day.
© BBC 'It feels surreal, extraordinary and wonderful.'
19/12/2020 … Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse have been crowned the winners of this year's Strictly Come Dancing.
© BBC / Guy Levy Comedian's route through Strictly Come Dancing
19/12/2020 … Bill Bailey has won Strictly Come Dancing's 2020 glitterball trophy.
The week's best comedy on demand
19/12/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
'Don't criticise the sponsors,' comics told
18/12/2020 … Comedians attending a major arts festival next year have been told they mustn’t say anything to offend the sponsors, who include a controversial fossil fuel…
Broadcaster announces comedy pilots
18/12/2020 … Sketch duo The Delightful Sausage are making a Radio 2 pilot.
18/12/2020 … Quote of the week ‘To all critics of stand-up comedy: do you understand that when your piece comes out, we’ve already left town – with the money’…
18/12/2020 … Meet Samantha, a woman who will dump your partner, so you don’t have to.
Channel 4 books no female comics for its year-end quiz
18/12/2020 … Channel 4 has been criticised for including no female comedians in its Big Fat Quiz Of The Year.
© C4 Tom Davis, David Walliams and Rosie Jones too
18/12/2020 … Aisling Bea, Tom Davis and David Walliams have joined the cast of the BBC’s virtual pantomime Cinderella.
© ITV Pete Strauss joins from indie Spirit Media
18/12/2020 … The BBC’s programme-making arm has appointed a new comedy producer to develop new formats and podcasts.
Leicester Comedy Festival announces wordplay finalists
18/12/2020 … Leicester Comedy Festival has announced the contestants for its annual UK Pun Championship.
Contestants revealed as series 10 winner crowned
17/12/2020 … The line-up has been revealed for the next series of Taskmaster.
17/12/2020 … Legendary record producer and former Majjik frontman Woody Brown looks back on the making of his classic festive hit Christmas (Is The Perfect Time For) Christmas…
© BBC Hear an exclusive extract of Al Murray as an alien...
17/12/2020 … Comedians including Al Murray, Desiree Burch and Rufus Hound have recorded audio adaptations of a raft of 2000AD short stories.
Tina tells of rescuing a kayaker
17/12/2020 … Tina Fey has told how she saved a man's life, after she heard his cries for help in New York’s Hudson River.
Sky renews comedian's topical show
17/12/2020 … Sky has ordered two more series of The Russell Howard Hour.
© Carla Speight 17/12/2020 … Kiri Pritchard-McLean is to present her own show on BBC Radio Wales.
17/12/2020 … Irish sketch trio Foil Arms and Hog have released their Christmas song – and make no bones about their aims.
Robin Ince extends his 24-hour Nine Lessons show
17/12/2020 … It seems that 24 hours just isn’t enough for Robin Ince’s annual celebration of rational and curious thought.
Museum buys Peter Kay's purple Amarillo suit
17/12/2020 … The purple suit Peter Kay famously wore in the video for the 2005 Comic Relief single (Is This The Way To) Amarillo has been saved for the nation.
© BBC Studios Brendan O’Carroll reveals new BBC contract
17/12/2020 … Mrs Brown's Boys creator Brendan O’Carroll has signed a deal to keep his sitcom on the BBC for seven more years.
Up to 20 Life Lessons sketches to be commissioned
17/12/2020 … The BBC has revealed more details of its Laugh Lessons initiative to make more short comedy films.
'It's a dark day' says the woman who brought charges
16/12/2020 … Gilbert Rozon, the founder of Montreal’s Just For Laughs comedy festival, has been acquitted of rape and indecent assault.
Two weeks of quarantine before gigs
16/12/2020 … Russell Howard is to become the first Northern hemisphere comedian to play New Zealand since lockdown.
Adrian Edmondson takes part in University Challenge... for real
16/12/2020 … What a difference 36 years makes! In 1984 Adrian Edmondson appeared on a fictional version of University Challenge as Vyvyan, representing Scumbag College alongside…
Comic working on semi-autobiographical film Hot Mess
16/12/2020 … London Hughes is set to star in her first Hollywood comedy film, loosely based on her own life.
'Bren Rents' being developed for Fox
16/12/2020 … Jamie Demetriou is working on an American remake of Stath Lets Flats.
As Richard Ayoade joins the cast
16/12/2020 … Netflix has released a trailer for the third series of its animated comedy Disenchatment.
Estate of Del Boy's creator sues tribute show
16/12/2020 … The copyright battle over a ‘hooky’ dining show based on Only Fools And Horses has made it to the High Court.
Try our festive Tuesday Trivia Quiz
15/12/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Talking about Stath Lets Flats
15/12/2020 … Jamie Demetriou appeared on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers yesterday.
Comic blasts 2020 to raise money for The Samaritans
15/12/2020 … Comedian John Robertson is to host a three-hour Twitch show roasting the miserable events of 2020 to raise money for the Samaritans.
Comedian signs first book deal as a novelist
15/12/2020 … Comedian Ian Moore has turned mystery writer – signing his first book deal for a work of fiction.
15/12/2020 … It's often hard to get noticed in business meetings – especially if you're a woman.
© Pierre Vogel/CC BY-SA 4.0 15/12/2020 … The cast has been announced for Stephen Merchant’s new BBC One comedy-drama The Offenders, including Christopher Walken and Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson.
© BBC/Nit TV/Ray Burmiston 'Playing fast and loose with the facts'
15/12/2020 … Harry Hill has written a comedy rock opera about Tony Blair.
Comics revealed for next run of Big Zuu's Big Eats
15/12/2020 … Comics James Acaster, Judi Love, Mo Gilligan, Mel Giedroyc, Natasia Demetriou, Rob Delaney and Rose Matafeo will be taking part in the next series of Big Zuu’s…
Theatre review by Steve Bennett
14/12/2020 … No sooner has The Comeback hit the West End stage than it will be forced to close, as London goes into Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions from Wednesday.
14/12/2020 … Simon Bird’s directorial debut is to get a US cinema release.
...and Jeff Dunham biggest in the world
14/12/2020 … He may have had less competition than in a normal year, but Jack Whitehall was Britain’s highest-grossing touring comedian this year.
by Jorge Hordestadt & The Little Brick Walls
14/12/2020 … Christmas wouldn't be Christmas - even in a pandemic - without a plethora of festive comedy songs.
New life for Peter Serafinowicz character
14/12/2020 … Peter Serafinowicz has revived his Brian Butterfield character for a new podcast.
BBC comedy chief Shane Allen on why the Corporation set up a Comedy Association
14/12/2020 … British comedy is one of our greatest cultural triumphs exported the world over; from Chaplin to Fleabag it’s something we’re exceptional at.
14/12/2020 … The words of comedy and theatre have today paid tribute to ebullient producer David Johnson, who died yesterday at the age of 60.
Commentating on awkward enocounters
14/12/2020 … Comedians are to set members of the public up with blind dates in a new series being made for Sky One.
New festival, financing and programmes, especially focussed on the under-represnted
14/12/2020 … The BBC has announced a raft of new measures to boost its comedy output by encouraging new talent.
14/12/2020 … Rowan Atkinson is to make a series of physical comedy shorts for Netflix entitled Man Vs Bee.
© Andrew Perry Eight-episode show based on his experiences as a stalking victim
14/12/2020 … Netflix is to make an eight-part series based on Richard Gadd’s award-winning one-man show Baby Reindeer.
Stevie Martin and Lola-Rose Maxwell share your pain
13/12/2020 … Stevie Martin and Lola-Rose Maxwell have recreated the frustrating experience of trying to track down an online parcel in a new video.
In support of the Gilded Balloon
13/12/2020 … David O'Doherty tells his favourite Christmas joke in this new video.
© Steve Best Comic crowned Amused Moose winner
13/12/2020 … Lew Fitz has won this year's new comic award run by the Amused Moose club.
© Sky The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
13/12/2020 … The week’s best comedy on TV and radio.
Minor glitch as 24-hour science, comedy and variety show raises £22k
13/12/2020 … It’s the gig that features the finest scientific brains alongside comedians and musicians.
Duo's £267,000 windfall as they wind up company
13/12/2020 … Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are sharing a £267,300 windfall after winding up one of their companies.
Bill Bailey's entertaining - if imperfect - Strictly semi-final
13/12/2020 … It's not a traditional track for a tango – but Bill Bailey perfumed the Argentinan dance to Metallica's metal anthem Enter Sandman last night.
According to a campaign group seeking more right-wing views on air
13/12/2020 … Three-quarters of comedians appearing on BBC shows are Left-wing Remainers with progressive views, an anti-woke pressure group has claimed.
The week's best comedy on demand
12/12/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
11/12/2020 … Eddie Izzard is to run a marathon every day in January – with a gig every night.
Comedy special drops on Netflx this month
11/12/2020 … Netflix has released the trailer for London Hughes’s first Netflix special.
11/12/2020 … Tweets of the week Actually I think you’ll find that it wasn’t that the Emperor in the story wasn’t wearing any clothes, he was wearing Australian-style…
Comedy club brand revived by comedian Kev Orkian
11/12/2020 … Jongleurs comedy clubs are making a comeback.
With husband-and-wife comics Diona Doherty and Sean Hegarty
11/12/2020 … BBC Radio Ulster has commissioned a full series of a true crime mockumentary, following a pilot earlier this year.
11/12/2020 … Frankie Boyle's Tour of Scotland has been released on DVD this week – and we have six copies to give away.
Radio 4 reveals first guest hosts since his death
11/12/2020 … Just a Minute is to continue despite the death of Nicholas Parsons, Radio 4 has revealed.
(...and makes a doll's house comedy club)
11/12/2020 … John-Luke Roberts has recorded a new comedy album, It Is Better, which he hopes to release on vinyl.
'The whole country is in mourning today'
11/12/2020 … Carry On star turned EastEnders matriarch Barbara Windsor, has died at the age of 83.
© Sully1989/CC BY-SA 3.0 With Bradley Walsh and Joanna Scanlan
10/12/2020 … The Larkins are returning to ITV, with Bradley Walsh and Joanna Scanlan in the lead roles.
With London Hughes and David Spade
10/12/2020 … Netflix has released a trailer for its new show about its own shows.
Rob Brydon, Stewart Lee, Henning Wehn and more
10/12/2020 … Rob Brydon, Stewart Lee and Henning Wehn have been added to the programme of next year’s Slapstick festival.
The Kunts' bid for Christmas No 1
10/12/2020 … Looking for an erudite satirical barb at the hubris, disinformation and cronyism at the top of the Conservative government? Then look elsewhere, as Kunt &…
‘To say we’re gutted is an understatement'
09/12/2020 … The Gilded Balloon has permanently closed its year-round Edinburgh venue after three years.
Star Ncuti Gatwa picks up a gong too
09/12/2020 … Sex Education has scooped two accolades at the international Rose d’Or TV awards.
09/12/2020 … Billy Connolly’s Great American Trail has been released on DVD this week – and we have six copies to give away.
09/12/2020 … You might not exactly want to recall all the events of 2020.
© Endemol Shine UK 09/12/2020 … The Future Of Politics is not a full book, more like an extended version of one of Frankie Boyle’s newspaper columns – a throwback, perhaps, to…
Plans approved... if the public fund it
09/12/2020 … Bobby Ball could get a statue in his hometown, after councillors agreed to set the wheels in motion.
...with Stanley Baxter honoured for outstanding contribution
08/12/2020 … Jack Docherty has won a Scottish Bafta award, after seeing off competition from… himself.
08/12/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Takin on 'the year’s most divisive topics'
08/12/2020 … Netflix has ordered a four-part comedy series from New York comic Andrew Schulz.
'No more stress of where my next pay cheque is coming from'
08/12/2020 … Comedian Njambi McGrath has been awarded thousands of pounds to help her write her next book.
08/12/2020 … Imran Yusuf is to record his first stand-up special for Radio 4.
Talk show back on Dave after four years
08/12/2020 … Alan Davies’s talk show As Yet Untitled is to return for a sixth series.
Dominic Cummings gag tops the list
08/12/2020 … The Gold TV channel has released its annual list of topical Christmas cracker jokes.
© BBC 07/12/2020 … With Christmas being one of the few times a family sits down to watch TV together, broadcasters tend to turn to much-loved sitcoms: comforting, amusing programmes…
London venue back in use after eight months
07/12/2020 … Live comedy is returning to London’s Soho Theatre this week for the first time since the first lockdown bit on March 16.
© C4 Filming starts on second series for Netflix (but not Channel 4)
07/12/2020 … Netflix has ordered a second series of Mae Martin comedy Feel Good.
From Samuel L. Jackson to Diane Morgan
07/12/2020 … The full cast has been released for Charlie Brooker’s Netflix special, Death To 2020.
© Geraint Lewis Theatre review by Steve Bennett
07/12/2020 … It’s not, of course, the normal panto season.
07/12/2020 … The cast of Veep are to stage a live reading of one of the episodes tonight, to raise money for a democracy campaigners.
© David A Ellis / Creative Commons 3.0/CC BY-SA 3.0 Promising the real story of the notoriously secretive comedian
07/12/2020 … Ken Dodd’s widow is to write an intimate biography of her late husband.
New hour-long retrospective of his life and work
07/12/2020 … ITV is giving Bobby Ball an even bigger send-off.
07/12/2020 … We already know this is going to be a Christmas like no other, Now here are the carols to match.
© UKTV Meet The Richardsons and the rest of the week's best live comedy
06/12/2020 … The week’s best comedy on TV and radio.
06/12/2020 … The best of the week’s live comedy.
Only slightly more absurd than the real thing
06/12/2020 … Saturday Night Live returned last night with a parody of Rudy Giuliani's attempts to overturn the Michigan election results.
© BBC Viewers forgive Bailey's missteps
05/12/2020 … Bill Bailey dodged the Strictly dance-off this weej after coming fourth out of the six remaining dancers tonight.
© Matt Crockett Customers too 'worried about safety' to attend
05/12/2020 … An attempt to run a series of large-scale comedy gigs before Christmas has been abandoned, because customers were too wary about attending.
The week's best comedy on demand
05/12/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
© Jill Wellington/Pexels 04/12/2020 … Tweets of the week I never get an advent calendar; I always make a real-life version at home by just opening a different cupboard every day.
04/12/2020 … Two major charity initiatives – plus a longstanding comedy circuit stalwart – are in line for an outstanding achievement award this year.
Winners are selected by jobbing comedians
04/12/2020 … Awards handed out at the end of each year by comedians on the circuit hailing their peers.
New head of comedy at Objective Fiction
04/12/2020 … Gameface producer Charlotte Lewis has been named head of comedy at top independent production house Objective Fiction.
Fergus Craig adds new voices to a news report
04/12/2020 … 'Today, as part of an initiative to help the Cabinet understand the needs of real people, the Health Secretary met his own woman.
...followed by the Big Bang Theory
04/12/2020 … The final instalment of The Office is the most-loved festive sitcom episode of all time, a new survey has found.
© Netflix/Matt Holyoak End-of-year mockumentary for Netflix
04/12/2020 … Charlie Brooker is making a Wipe-style round-up of the past 12 months for Netflix.
Band Aid coronavirus parody from Katia Kvinge
03/12/2020 … Katia Kvinge has made a Band Aid parody with a vast cast of singers.
Tim Vine mulls the big question
03/12/2020 … Is comedy art? It's a much-debated question, and now Tim Vine has weighed in with a new video.
Comedian John Mulaney quizzed after SNL monologue
03/12/2020 … America’s Secret Service opened an investigation after John Mulaney after he made a joke about Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.
By Tom Houghton featuring Iain Stirling
03/12/2020 … Iain Stirling has swapped Love Island for the North Pole in this new festive music video.
© Angst Productions Maff Brown steps up at the last minute
03/12/2020 … It may be the moment every comedian doing TV warm-up secretly hopes for.
© BBC Cooper siblings among a star-studded cast for BBC Two panto
03/12/2020 … The Country siblings Daisy May and Charlie Cooper are to play the Evil Step Sisters in a star-studded virtual pantomime being broadcast by BBC Two this Christmas.
Stories To Make You Smile out in April
03/12/2020 … Comedians-turned-authors Jenny Éclair, Helen Lederer and Mark Watson are among the writers contributing to a new, free, book of comic tales.
New web series with a wealth of comedy talent
02/12/2020 … An impressive array of comedy talent has been assembled for a new web series, offering behind-the-scenes footage of a fictional, crowdfunded short film.
© BBC Playing a woman hoping to marry a Death Row prisoner
02/12/2020 … Diane Morgan is to star as a woman bidding to marry a Death Row prisoner in a new BBC Two comedy pilot.
'This award-winning little lesbian is so full of love'
02/12/2020 … Rosie Jones has won this year’s comedy award handed out by LGBTQ+ magazine Attitude.
© C4 Trio to run riot in London toyshop
02/12/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Beckett and Tom Allen have been named as the comedians spending a night in London toy store Hamleys for a one-off Channel…
Nabil Abdulrashid follows Jon Courtney and Steve Royle in announcing dates
02/12/2020 … The three comedians who made the final of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent final have all announced 2021 tours.
Christmas Day radio special for Joanna Page, Mathew Horne and other cast members
02/12/2020 … Gavin and Stacey stars Joanna Page and Mathew Horne are to reunite for a Christmas Day radio special.
Watch the new video of their track Comin' Over Here
01/12/2020 … Stewart Lee has recorded a new video with Asian Dub Foundation.
01/12/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Festive shows from Wifi Wars and Keith Lemon
01/12/2020 … Comics including Jon Richardson, Rachel Parris, Jordan Brookes and Richard Herring are to take part in a charity online version of the comedy video game challenge…
Award for comedy that makes the world a better place.
01/12/2020 … His stand-up has not always been free of controversy – but Ricky Gervais is to receive an accolade for comedy that makes the world a better place.
Comic's thoughts following the death of George Floyd
01/12/2020 … Dave Chappelle’s ruminations on Black Lives Matter in the week George Floyd died was the No 1 trending video on YouTube this year, the streaming platform has…
01/12/2020 … Too few songs in popular music are about the origins of family games.
...and a League Of Their Own UK road trip
01/12/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan is living up to his reputation as one of the hardest-working comedians on TV by filming two new shows.
© BBC ...but she didn't tell me what she'd done in it!
01/12/2020 … Joe Lycett has revealed that Sarah Millican once gave him a car.
Will Smith sitcom available on demand from January
01/12/2020 … The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is coming to Sky Comedy from the new year.
First look at Brian Gittins movie
01/12/2020 … The Brian Gittins film, Brian & Charles, has begun filming in North Wales, after a nine-month delay because of coronavirus.
© UKTV Comedians replaced by celebs for one-off show
30/11/2020 … The line-up has been revealed for the Taskmaster New Year’s special – with the usual comedians replaced by celebrities.
About a woman in love with a Death Row prisoner
30/11/2020 … Angela Barnes has recorded a taster episode of a possible new sitcom In Bird, she plays an insecure woman fast approaching 40, who becomes pen pals – and…
Two part Radio 4 series for Graham Fellows
30/11/2020 … John Shuttleworth creator Graham Fellows is to appear as himself in a two-part Radio 4 series this Christmas.
Major stand-up gigs announced for summer 2021
30/11/2020 … John Bishop, Al Murray and Katherine Ryan are among the comedians announced for a major series of one-day outdoor comedy festivals next summer.
30/11/2020 … Christmas will be a little different this year, thanks to coronavirus.
© Damian Bennett About Australia's 'poisonous but beautiful' wildlife
30/11/2020 … Tim Minchin is to star in a new animated comedy, and provide the songs.
'Honest accounts of pregnancy, birth and life with a ratbag child'
30/11/2020 … Ellie Taylor is writing a book about her experience of becoming a mother.
30/11/2020 … James Acaster has recorded two more episodes of his BBC podcast Perfect Sounds to be released Christmas Day.
miles_jupp_16.jpg "Miles Jupp visits Santa's post office | Radio 4 reveals its comedy Christmas highlighs")
Radio 4 reveals its comedy Christmas highlighs
30/11/2020 … Miles Jupp is presenting a Radio 4 show about letters to Father Christmas.
Radio 4 show written by David Quantick
30/11/2020 … Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders star in new BBC comedy, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane Austen? In the one-off, to air on Radio 4 over Christmas, French plays…
© BBC Neil Innes also remembered in the week's best TV and radio comedy
29/11/2020 … The week’s best comedy on TV and radio.
Judges' verdicts on Bill Bailey's Strictly jive
28/11/2020 … Bill Bailey and Oti Mabuse scored the second-lowest score on Strictly Come Dancing tonight.
The week's best comedy on demand
28/11/2020 … The week's best comedy on demandNow HIDDEN IRELAND: Comedian Michael Stranney has launched this quirky podcast offering a look at the entirely fictional peculiarities…
Richard Herring revives his driving instructor character from Fist Of Fun
27/11/2020 … He was first seen on Fist Of Fun 27 years ago.
© Lucas Pezeta / Pexels 27/11/2020 … Tweets of the week another day of staring at the big screen while scrolling through my little screen so as to reward myself for staring at the medium screen…
27/11/2020 … Jo Brand is to offer advice on how to cope with life in the second lockdown in a new Channel 4 show.
New track from Munya Chawawa’s posh drill rappe
27/11/2020 … Munya Chawawa’s posh drill rapper character, Unknown P, has released his first single under his new deal with Atlantic record – and it’s entitled…
27/11/2020 … Tim Minchin’s comedy drama Upright has been released on DVD this week – and we have six copies to give away.
Awarded in honour of Galton & Simpson to develop a new script
27/11/2020 … Irish comedian Grace Mulvey has won the BBC’s first £5,500 Galton & Simpson bursary for comedy writing.
Comic releases a festive charity song
27/11/2020 … Matt Lucas has released a charity Christmas song.
...but clears Fin Taylor for 'bomb Glastonbury' gag
27/11/2020 … The BBC has censured Jack Whitehall for jokes he made about a dwarf on Live At The Apollo.
26/11/2020 … Spitting Image has released a Christmas song about Rishi Sunak.
Big Boys to star Dylan Llewellyn and Jon Pointing
26/11/2020 … Derry Girls actor Dylan Llewellyn and Jon Pointing from Plebs are to star in a new Channel 4 comedy series created by comedian Jack Rooke.
26/11/2020 … The popular image of John Belushi is of a wild, unruly performer – not too far from his Animal House fratboy persona – who lived fast and died young,…
26/11/2020 … Irish sketch outfit Foil Arms and Hog beat even Airplane! for the sheer number of cheesy airport-based puns crammed into a short scene in their latest video.
© C4 26/11/2020 … The Leicester Comedy Festival, has announced more shows for next year’s event.
...and another for Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones
26/11/2020 … Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa has won the ‘performance of the year’ accolade at the prestigious international Rose d’Or television awards.
Christmas Magic helps stand-ups in need
25/11/2020 … Christmas Magic – a charity song featuring 60 top US comedians – has been re-released today to raise money for struggling performers.
With music from Jerry Springer composer Richard Thomas
25/11/2020 … Jayde Adams is to record a Radio 4 stand-up special about being ‘a working-class girl riding high on the often middle-class wave of showbusiness’.
Never fear, catch-up passes are available here
25/11/2020 … Comedy fans who missed out on Chortle's book festival can still watch all the sessions with a special catch-up pass, launched today.
Fiddly Christmas raises funds for charity
25/11/2020 … Alex Horne's band The Horne Section are releasing a festive track, Fiddly Christmas.
148 dates for Bobby Dazzler in 2021-2022
25/11/2020 … Sarah Millican has announced a mammoth 148-date tour, Bobby Dazzler.
Baby Done to hit cinemas next year
25/11/2020 … Rose Matafeo’s movie Baby Done is to be released in the UK and Ireland on January 22, it has been announced today.
25/11/2020 … Bill Burr, Jim Gaffigan Tiffany Haddish, Patton Oswalt and Jerry Seinfeld have been nominated in the 2021’s Grammy Awards.
© Dave Chappelle/Instagram Because the comic asked them too
24/11/2020 … Chappelle's Show has been removed from Netflix at the request of the comedian himself.
24/11/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
24/11/2020 … Anyone who’s been on Twitter on March 8 will know the Sisyphean task Richard Herring has taken on in doing fighting trollery with trollery.
© BBC As he admits 'it's a terrible show to do' for the panelists
24/11/2020 … Dara O Briain has revealed that he once got so frustrated with Mock The Week that he considered quitting.
9 out of 10 most-loved moments come from sitcoms
24/11/2020 … The importance of comedy has been revealed in a new survey of the best Christmas TV moments of all time.
The greatest story ever mistold
24/11/2020 … The Goes Wrong.
About a family winter holiday in Margate
24/11/2020 … Tom Basden has written a one-off BBC One sitcom starring Katherine Parkinson.
© Rumpus Media New adventure is a lot closer to home than usual
24/11/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan has previously travelled from the Sahara to Mongolia to the Arctic in his travel series.
© Owl Power Festive special for Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
24/11/2020 … Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse have made a special Christmas episode of their fishing show.
© BBC Tom Davis sitcom returns for a one-off festive edition
24/11/2020 … Tom Davis sitcom Gary King is to return to BBC One for a Christmas special.
...and the first draft of a film script
23/11/2020 … Victoria Wood left behind a large tranche of unfilmed sketches – and the first draft of a film script.
Watch a trailer of Natalie Palamides one-man show to drop next week
23/11/2020 … Nate, Natalie Palamides’ confrontational clown show about consent, is coming to Netflix next Tuesday, the streaming service has announced today.
Depending which tier they're in... and we won't know that til Thursday
23/11/2020 … Some comedy venues shuttered since the start of the month will be allowed to reopen on December 2 under new rules Boris Johnson confirmed today.
© ITV 23/11/2020 … As a successful comic and TV host, Joel Dommett might look like he has the ideal job.
Munya Chawawa's alter-ego signs with Atlantic
23/11/2020 … Munya Chawawa has signed to Atlantic Records.
© Damian Bennett Tim wants to be taken seriously
23/11/2020 … He may have written some of the best musical comedy of the century so far – but don’t go calling Tim Minchin a comedian.
© C4/Ben Meadows Matt Berry's alter-ego set to return after five years - this time in America
23/11/2020 … Steven Toast is set for a comeback for the first time in more than five years – and this time he’s going to Hollywood.
Comedy's nominee for breakthrough talent
23/11/2020 … London Hughes has been shortlisted for the breakthrough award in this year’s South Bank Sky Arts Awards.
23/11/2020 … Bill Bailey has announced a series of live Christmas shows in the West End.
23/11/2020 … Kiri Pritchard-McLean is to record a new Radio 4 stand-up show.
The week's best comedy on TV and radio
22/11/2020 … The week’s best comedy on TV and radio Sunday November 22 GHOSTS: The first series of the delightful ensemble BBC comedy gets a repeat airing on Gold,…
© BBC Comic ends up mid-table in Strictly
21/11/2020 … Bill Bailey has had another successful week on Strictly Come Dancing, but not quite as spectacular as his Rappers' Delight routine last week.
© UKTV Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont on the return of their show
21/11/2020 … Meet The Richardsons is back on Dave for a two-part Christmas special next month.
© BBC Ewen MacIntosh's audition failure
21/11/2020 … He most memorably played the deadpan Keith in The Office.
And the rest of the week's comedy on demand
21/11/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
...according to funny novelist Caimh McDonnell
20/11/2020 … British publishing is scared of funny novels, according to Caimh McDonnell.
Laura Lexx fears comedy's more interesting voices will not return
20/11/2020 … The Covid pandemic will make comedy a much less interesting artform, stand-up Laura Lexx fears.
20/11/2020 … Tweets of the week He needs to be careful here she can move in any direction pic.
© Stolen Picture / BBC Directors The Blaine Brothers on creating the score for Out Of Her Mind
20/11/2020 … As the first season of Sara Pascoe’s BBC Two comedy Out Of Her Mind comes to an end next week, the show’s directors, The Blaine Brothers Ben and Chris,…
© Karla Gowett £1,000 to charity – after Chortle caught him out!
20/11/2020 … Geoff Norcott is to donate £1,000 to charity – after being caught out by Chortle.
© BBC ...even if it makes him look like his Mum
20/11/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan reveals a new clean-shaven look when he appears on Graham Norton’s chat show tonight – and for a very particular reason.
From the remastered 1961 comedy Dentist On The Job
20/11/2020 … Here's Bob Monkhouse advertising toothpaste in the 1961 comedy Dentist On The Job.
Alistair Campbell's daughter Grace on her upbringing, comedy career, and following her own path
20/11/2020 … As Tony Blair’s fearsome spin doctor, Alastair Campbell wasn’t always the kindest to those who put pen to paper.
Exclusive preview of new Radio 4 sketch show
20/11/2020 … Here's an exclusive preview scene from a new Radio 4 sketch pilot, Earwig.
Live events scheduled for spring 2021
20/11/2020 … London is to get a new podcast festival featuring the likes of Katherine Ryan, Bebe and Jessie Cave and Barry Dodds and Ian Boldsworth.
© C4 Aisling Bea and Sharon Horgan to return
20/11/2020 … Channel 4 has officially confirmed that Aisling Bea comedy This Way Up is to return for a second series.
© Matt Crockett Mark Watson on his literary career
19/11/2020 … He’s only just released one book – but Mark Watson is already talking about the next one.
With Kevin Hart as an executive producer
19/11/2020 … London Hughes has recorded her first Netflix special.
© UKTV But the line-up is under wraps
19/11/2020 … Taskmaster is to air a one-off Christmas special with a mystery line-up.
© Avalon/Sky 19/11/2020 … Matthew McConaughey wants to become a stand-up.
Memorabilia from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Kay and Joe Lycett on offer
19/11/2020 … Signed memorabilia from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Kay and Joe Lycett is being raffled off as part of a crowdfunder for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society.
© Steve Ullathorne James Acaster, Lou Sanders, Phil Wang and Sally Phillips
19/11/2020 … Comedians James Acaster, Lou Sanders, Phil Wang and Sally Phillips will take part in a live game of Dungeons & Dragons to raise money for Comic Relief.
© Eduardo Unda-Sanzana/CC BY-SA 2.0 With astronauts, musicians and more...
19/11/2020 … Eric Idle has been added to the line up of the annual Nine Lessons And Carols event mixing comedy, science and more, He joins Apollo 9 lunar module pilot Rusty…
Soho Theatre deal also includes 11 shows from the back catalogue
19/11/2020 … Twenty new stand-up specials are to be filmed for Amazon Prime Video, under a new deal with Soho Theatre.
Uh-Huh from singer/songwriter Litany
19/11/2020 … Joe Lycett has directed his first music video.
© C4 Mo Gilligan also triumphs at Edinburgh TV award
19/11/2020 … Mae Martin’s Feel Good was named best comedy series at the Edinburgh TV awards last night.
As Michel Spicer credits his comedy career to the Dalai Lama
18/11/2020 … Trevor Noah has apologised to Michael Spicer for using his ‘Room Next Door’ idea on the The Daily Show – but nevertheless kept the sketch online.
© BBC/Hat Trick/Ellis O’Brien Frank Skinner on his love of verse
18/11/2020 … Frank Skinner may be a huge fan of poetry – but he doesn’t want to write it.
Cummings immortalised in The Beano
18/11/2020 … Sir Thomas Moore, Marcus Rashford and Dominic Cummings have been immortalised in the first ever Beano comic written specifically for…
Along with Home star Youssef Kerkour
18/11/2020 … Comic Tim Renkow and Home star Youssef Kerkour have been named among Bafta’s breakout talents of 2020.
© Steve Ullathorne The next This Is Going To Hurt?
18/11/2020 … Comedian Benji Waterhouse has signed a book, TV and film deal for his memoirs about being a junior psychiatrist.
'A Reverend, an actress, a politician, a reality star, and a musical legend'
18/11/2020 … Channel 4 has revealed the names of the celebrities dabbling in comedy for Stand Up and Deliver.
18/11/2020 … Jason Manford, Jo Caulfield and Daliso Chaponda will all be appearing at this year’s Royal Variety Performance.
17/11/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Comic recalls Chequers incident
17/11/2020 … Matt Forde drunkenly jabbed Tony Blair in the chest after a party at Chequers.
Watch preview clips of new Irvine Welsh documentary on 'offence'
17/11/2020 … Stand-ups Geoff Norcott and Andrew Doyle say the fear of causing offence is stifling risk-taking in comedy.
© Matt Crockett 30 stand-ups write a new short story series
17/11/2020 … Thirty comedians including Phil Wang, Mark Watson, Ivo Graham, Ahih Shah, Felicity Ward and Eleanor Tiernan have contributed to a new series of audio short…
...with Horne interviewing old pal Tim Key
17/11/2020 … Alex Horne and Daliso Chaponda have joined the Chortle comedy book festival line-up.
Dawn French records three new sermons for BBC One
17/11/2020 … Dawn French is to reprise her role as Geraldine Grainger, with three new lockdown mini-episodes of The Vicar Of Dibley this Christmas.
From the creator of Modern Family
17/11/2020 … Alec Baldwin and Kelsey Grammer are to star in a new American comedy from the creator of Modern Family.
Looking at guests' teenage years
17/11/2020 … Rhod Gilbert is to front a new panel show for Comedy Central.
'Antidote to panel games’ tops poll
17/11/2020 … I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue has been voted the greatest radio comedy of all time.
And the rest of the week's comedy on demand
17/11/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
© BBC 16/11/2020 … The cast of hit 1980s sitcom Hi-de-Hi! are to hold an online reunion.
...and he mulls a sequel to his memoirs at the Chortle Comedy Book Festival
16/11/2020 … Adam Buxton is set to release a four-track musical EP next year.
16/11/2020 … The BBC has released the first trailer for Michael McIntyre's new Saturday-night entertainment show, The Wheel.
16/11/2020 … Graham Norton is joining Virgin Radio.
The week's best comedy on TV and radio
15/11/2020 … The week’s best comedy on TV and radio Sunday November 15 ROCK ON TOMMY - THE BOBBY BALL STORY: In this tribute, narrated by his long-term double-act…
Next Up's boss with his pick of the Chortle Comedy Book Festival events
15/11/2020 … The Chortle Comedy Book Festival kicks off this afternoon, with 22 funny and fascinating sessions over the next eight days.
Des O'Connor's encounters with comedians old and new
15/11/2020 … It's something of a cliché, but over a career spanning six decades, Des O'Connor really has has worked with them all, from Bernard Manning to Reeves…
© ITV 'Talented, fun, positive, enthusiastic, kind and a total professional'
15/11/2020 … Tributes have been paid to Des O’Connor, ‘the ultimate entertainer’ after he died at the age of 88 following a fall at his home.
© BBC / Guy Levy Bill Bailey wows with a Strictly street dance
14/11/2020 … Bill Bailey and dance partner Oti Mabuse collapsed to the floor in shock after scoring a perfect 10 on Strictly Come Dancing tonight.
Steve Carell comedy to return to Netflix
14/11/2020 … Netflix has ordered a second season of Space Force, its workplace comedy starring Steve Carell as the head of a new branch of the US military.
Comic to star in discussion show about the streamer's biggest hits
13/11/2020 … London Hughes is to star in a new Netflix show, discussing the streaming service’s best new releases.
13/11/2020 … Tweets of the week Never mind a coronavirus vaccine - Boris Johnson has managed to get rid of aides.
© BBC Double act still under contract... despite splitting up
13/11/2020 … David Baddiel says the BBC still owes him two more series of Newman and Baddiel In Pieces.
13/11/2020 … Funny thing, laughter.
13/11/2020 … Tom Allen is to stand in for Noel Fielding for the Great British Bake Off Christmas special.
© Netflix New Netflix series reviewed by Steve Bennett
12/11/2020 … ‘Madcap’ doesn’t always get a good rap as a comedy genre, but that’s what sketch trio Aunty Donna have been pumping out for the best part…
12/11/2020 … The IT Crowd has been named Britain’s funniest sitcom using a scientific - if fairly blunt – way of measuring quality.
© ITV The 1% Club coming this winter
12/11/2020 … Lee Mack is to host a new ITV primetime quiz show, The 1% Club.
Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine’s podcast to return
12/11/2020 … Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine’s hit podcast Dear Joan and Jericha is to return for a third season next week.
Pilot with Michael Sheen to air this Christmas
12/11/2020 … Jennifer Saunders is to host a new talk show in which she drives her guest around in a classic Jaguar E-Type.
Including a new interview with the star
12/11/2020 … ITV is to pay tribute to Billy Connolly with a one-off special this Christmas.
© BBC As are Aisling Bea’s This Way Up, Mae Martin’s Feel Good and mroe
12/11/2020 … Famalam and a raft of British sitcoms have been shortlisted for this year’s prestigious Rose D’Or international TV award.
With guests including Matt Lucas and Lolly Adefope
12/11/2020 … The People Just Do Nothing crew have made a second series of their podcast.
© C4 11/11/2020 … Rosie Jones is to make her debut on Question Time tomorrow.
'There's a significant market for homegrown comedy movies'
11/11/2020 … A new production house has been set up to develop a slate of comedy movies for the domestic UK market.
11/11/2020 … Dave Chappelle is the most watched stand-up on Netflix in the UK, new research has found.
11/11/2020 … Gig-starved comedians are trying anything to keep themselves occupied and employed during lockdown.
Comedy accidentally falls foul of rules to stop political misinformation
11/11/2020 … Facebook has removed a video of Donald Trump spreading false information about how to vote - despite it being a puppet version of the US President in a clearly satirical…
11/11/2020 … Need a lawyer to destroy your democracy? Then why not call Cornsworth & Pinchley today! This spoof advert from last night's edition of The Late Show with…
Comedian stands down after ten years
11/11/2020 … Graham Norton is quitting his Saturday morning Radio 2 show after ten tears.
Fury as scores of Alpine comedy gigs are axed because of Brexit
11/11/2020 … A string of comedy gigs in the Alps has been cancelled because of Brexit.
A Scottish comedy tradition is over
11/11/2020 … Scottish sketch show Only An Excuse? is to come to an end after 27 years.
© DoD News/EJ Hersom/CC BY-SA 2.0 Duke joins fundraiser for US military veterans
11/11/2020 … Prince Harry is to appear on the bill of an American stand-up show next week.
10/11/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Desiree Burch to host Bameshow
10/11/2020 … Radio 4 is making its first panel show featuring only comedians of colour.
Poems and conversations to be unveiled at next week's Chortle Comedy Book Festival
10/11/2020 … Tim Key has written a new book during lockdown, to be unveiled at next week’s Chortle Comedy Book Festival.
Unearthed: The first known recording of a comedian broadcast in the UK
10/11/2020 … Here is the oldest surviving recording of a comedian that aired in the UK.
Hunt on for new radio comedy scripts
09/11/2020 … Independent production company Pozzitive is on the lookout for new comedy shows to develop.
BBC Radio Wales orders third series
09/11/2020 … BBC Radio Wales has ordered a third series of its police comedy, Bravo Two Charlies.
Nathan Cassidy imagines PM's recovery from Covid
09/11/2020 … Stand-up Nathan Cassidy has written an imaginary three-month diary from Boris Johnson, describing his recovery from Covid.
'Master of the Malaprop' Norm Crosby dies at 93
09/11/2020 … Veteran American comedian Norm Crosby has died at the age of 93.
© BBC Plus full series for sketch show Age Of Outrage
08/11/2020 … BBC Wales has commissioned two more series of its sitcom The Tuckers, about an extended family of ‘loveable rogues’ with dubious ways of making a living.
© Rune Hellestad 'Sexist old fart' stays true to type
08/11/2020 … He has given a springboard to many of Britain’s top comedians, most notably Billy Connolly.
08/11/2020 … Dave Chappelle delivered a funny and powerful 16-minute monologue about the Presidential election, Covid-19 and racism as he opened Saturday Night Live last night.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
08/11/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio Monday November 9 THE CONVERSATION: WOMEN LAUGHING AT LIFE: A profile of two female comedians: New Zealander…
Weekend Update with Colin Jost and Michael Che
08/11/2020 … Saturday Night Live celebrated Joe Biden’s election victory last night – and they weren’t the only ones.
Bill Bailey wows Strictly judges
07/11/2020 … Bill Bailey scored a hugely impressive 26 points on Strictly Come Dancing tonight.
Alex's band lead the week's best comedy on demand
07/11/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
07/11/2020 … The drawn-out US election process may be frustrating - but one good thing to come out of it is a new video from Cassetteboy.
06/11/2020 … Donald Trump went off on another of his rambling digressions during his sore-loser press conference last night, complaining about Scooby Doo.
06/11/2020 … What a shame that all but essential travel is banned, because comedian Toussaint Douglass has done a bang-up job in advertising his corner of South London to potential…
© cottonbro/Pexels Tweets of the week... mostly about you-know-what....
06/11/2020 … Tweets of the week Biden - 253 Trump - 213 Luftballons - 99 — Dave Turner (@mrdaveturner) November 6, 2020 When I was 20 I was up all night…
Star of Butterflies, Reggie Perrin and As Time Goes By
06/11/2020 … Sitcom star Geoffrey Palmer, whose credits include Butterflies, As Time Goes By and The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, has died aged 93.
05/11/2020 … Planet Earth is being interviewed - and he's very pissed off.
Fan has a Tim Vine gag tattooed onto himself
05/11/2020 … A Tim Vine fan has had the set-up of one of the comic’s puns permanently inked on to his leg.
© Karla Gowett 05/11/2020 … Geoff Norcott is to publish his first book next year, about his right-leaning political tendencies.
© UKTV Half-hour retrospective coming soon
04/11/2020 … ITV is to air a tribute to Bobby Ball after his death last week at the age of 76.
04/11/2020 … To be truly patronising the following sentence should really have those handclap emojis between each word.
Dave Cohen accepts that 'political correctness' means sharing the opportunities
04/11/2020 … Last month, I wrote about the various stages of my career in an attempt to work out how much of my success was down to my own talent, and how much to the luck and…
Star to interview fellow stand-up Matt Forde
04/11/2020 … Jon Richardson has joined the Chortle Comedy Book Festival.
Pauline Quirke ducks out of Christmas special
04/11/2020 … Birds Of A Feather is to return to ITV for the first time in three years for a one-off extended Christmas episode.
Here are some rare, candid images from the film
04/11/2020 … Sky Documentaries has bought the rights to a new feature-length film about John Belushi.
Ceremony goes virtual, obviously
04/11/2020 … Social media comedian Munya Chawawa is to host this year’s Edinburgh TV Awards, it has been announced.
TV-based programme in the works at ITV
04/11/2020 … Paul Sinha is set to front his own TV-based game show, it has been reported.
Jon Ashworth's charity gig for Leicester Comedy Festival
04/11/2020 … Labour frontbencher Jon Ashworth is to turn his hand to stand-up.
© Fox 04/11/2020 … Britain’s Fox channel has brought the rights to American sitcom Outmatched.
Impressionist from 1970s show Who Do You Do? and more
03/11/2020 … Veteran comedian and impressionist Peter Goodwright has reportedly died at the age of 84.
Ari Eldjárn show drops next month
03/11/2020 … Netflix has announced that its first ever comedy special by an Icelandic comedian will be released on December 2.
© UKTV Lockdown limits numbers... but he will say farewell to Blackpool Tower
03/11/2020 … Fewer than 30 people will attend Bobby Ball’s funeral later this month because of the coronavirus lockdown.
Try our Tuesday Trivia Quiz - US election special
03/11/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Where to watch comedians commentate on the US Presidential race tonight
03/11/2020 … Many news networks and online outlets are offering coverage of the US Presidential election tonight, but of course stuck-at-home comedians are also keen to get in…
Comic believes assault was Covid-related
03/11/2020 … Comedian Nigel Ng has been assaulted in what he believes was a racially charged attack.
Some of the comic and actor's memorable appearances
03/11/2020 … Here are just a few of John Sessions’ screen appearances, to remember his varied career after his death at the age of 67.
© Greengo8cat/CC BY-SA 4.0 Comedian, improviser and impressionist suffers fatal heart attack
03/11/2020 … John Sessions, who came to prominence as an improviser on Whose Line Is It Anyway? in the 1980s has died at the age of 67.
Satirical movie from ex-South Park writer Jane Bussmann
03/11/2020 … Borat 2’s unexpected star Jeanise Jones is to play an angel in a new satirical film.
..says Britain’s Got Talent finalist Nabil Abdulrashid
03/11/2020 … Britain’s comedy circuit has a racist bias that keeps black comedians down, Britain’s Got Talent finalist Nabil Abdulrashid claims.
New comic wins Manchester contest
03/11/2020 … Dan Tiernan, who works in a care home for young asylum seekers, has won the annual new act competition run by Manchester’s Frog and Bucket.
'The most beautiful object I think we have ever produced'
02/11/2020 … The Elvis Dead, Rob Kemp’s cult live show which retold a classic horror movie through Elvis Presley-style songs, is to be released on VHS.
© UKTV Gold commissions new series from writer Jason Cook
02/11/2020 … Sian Gibson and Johnny Vegas are to reprise their crime-solving roles for a new series of murder-mystery films for Gold.
Virtual gig review by Steve Bennett
02/11/2020 … As if the world hasn’t been knocked off its axis enough this year, here comes another shock… a show from Daniel Kitson that’s – whisper…
...after repeating a season of the old ones
02/11/2020 … Radio 4 has commissioned another Count Arthur Strong Christmas special.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
01/11/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio Monday November 2 STAND UP FOR LIVE COMEDY: The last in the series comes from London, with Jamali Maddix…
01/11/2020 … Donald Trump claiming that doctors wanted patients to die of Covid so they would get richer - and the fact that his rallies have been deemed responsible for 700…
The week's best live comedy... at least until lockdown returns
01/11/2020 … A very limited pick of the best of the week’s live comedy.
01/11/2020 … Joe Biden – the guise of Jim Carry – offered a Halloween story to open last night's Saturday Night Live.
Comedy clubs, theatres and pubs forced to close again
31/10/2020 … Comedy clubs and theatres in England will have to close for a month from Thursday as Covid rates soar again.
© Pierre Rosa / Pixabay 31/10/2020 … London comedy venue 2Northdown has launched its third new act competition Heats will take place from January in its sister venue, 21Soho The…
© UKTV 31/10/2020 … Sir Lenny Henry is to write a series of seven children's books, with the first coming out next year.
The week's best comedy on demand
31/10/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
Sacha Baron Cohen donates $100,000 in the name of Borat 2's babysitter
31/10/2020 … Sacha Baron Cohen has donated $100,000 after the babysitter who featured in the Borat Subsequent Moviefilm lost her job because of Covid.
© Fox 30/10/2020 … The US remake of This Country is officially going ahead, with the Fox network ordering 14 half-hour episodes.
30/10/2020 … Tweets of the week Don’t forget to prepare for Halloween by stocking up on sugary treats and snacks.
© BBC No second series for Spencer Jones sitcom
30/10/2020 … Spencer Jones’s BBC Two sitcom Mister Winner has been axed, the comedian has revealed.
Lee Mack's woodworking show cancelled over tattoo storm
30/10/2020 … Sky has permanently dropped its Lee Mack fronted woodwork talent show after admitting a contestant’s tattoos could have far-right links.
© Steve Ullathorne Review of a new play about the legendary Frankie
30/10/2020 … Frankie Howerd may be the headline draw, but it’s his long-term partner Dennis Heymer who finally gets his story told in this new play about their lopsided…
To create new animated series, Rocky Robot
30/10/2020 … Sketch trio Big And Daft have reunited for the first time in 18 years to create a new family animation series.
Directorial debut from comedian Jessica Fostekew
30/10/2020 … Jessica Fostekew’s first short film has been released online.
Review of two books of stand-up material
29/10/2020 … Is This Anything? has been 45 years in the writing.
29/10/2020 … Here's No 10's top adviser pondering the annoying persistence of Covid-19, and considering whether Lee Mack or Miley Cyrus might be good at leading the race…
© Brett Sayles/Pexels Streaming service NextUp offers bespoke shows for firms
29/10/2020 … Comedians are set to host corporate Christmas gigs, despite the pandemic.
Young Ones star appeared on their show in 1984
29/10/2020 … It was an unlikely collision between old-school comedy and the new wave.
© UKTV 29/10/2020 … Bobby Ball died last night at the age of 76 after testing positive for Covid-19.
Apple TV+ wants more of the Jason Sudeikis comedy
28/10/2020 … Apple TV+ has ordered a third series of its comedy Ted Lasso, even before a second has started shooting.
28/10/2020 … College Humor has set every terrible thing Donald Trump has done as US President to a jaunty ditty.
Comic joins Chambers Management stable
28/10/2020 … Britain’s Got Talent Nabil Abdulrashid has signed with Jimmy Carr’s agent.
Website suggests a new name for Comic Relief
28/10/2020 … One weird factor of the internet are the automated content farms, which rip off news stories from respected sources and use software to rewrite them, swapping…
New from Matt Stone, Trey Parker and Peter Serafinowicz
28/10/2020 … South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have launched a new online series.
Guests include Stewart Lee and Reece Shearsmith
28/10/2020 … Robin Ince is launching a new podcast about the counterculture.
© Wittus Witt/Rodhullandemu/Creative Commons Vandals target comedian's headstone
28/10/2020 … Sir Ken Dodd’s grave has been desecrated by vandals.
Bombe Shuffleur to hit the road in April
27/10/2020 … Reginald D Hunter has announced a 35-date tour for next spring and summer.
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande goes into production next year
27/10/2020 … Emma Thompson is to star in a new movie written by Katy Brand.
Northern Ireland nominees announced
27/10/2020 … Mockumentary Soft Border Patrol and sketch pilot The Paddy Raff Show have been shortlisted for best scripted comedy in the Royal Television Society awards for Northern…
Try our Tuesday Trivia Quiz, with a Halloween theme
27/10/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
20 events with Frank Skinner, Adam Buxton, Richard Herring and more
27/10/2020 … Chortle’s Comedy Book Festival is back for a sixth edition, with 20 funny and fascinating sessions over eight days.
Behind the scenes of his n’ Another Fing tour
27/10/2020 … Sky One is to broadcast behind-the-scenes footage of Micky Flanagan’s last tour this Christmas.
With Black-ish creator Kenya Barris at the helm
26/10/2020 … Hollywood is to make another attempt at a Richard Pryor biopic - this time with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris behind the camera in his directorial debut.
Comic donates £6,000 to club the government won't help
26/10/2020 … Jack Whitehall has donated £6,000 to help keep Manchester’s Frog and Bucket comedy club alive, after it was snubbed for government bailout help.
© ITV No further action after 3,000+ viewers objected to BGT jokes
26/10/2020 … Ofcom has rejected more than 3,000 complaints about the material comedian Nabil Abdulrashid performed on Britain’s Got Talent.
Comic plays a probate lawyer in Fisk
26/10/2020 … Filming has started on Kitty Flanagan’s Australian sitcom, in which the stand-up plays a lawyer forced to take a job at a ‘shabby suburban firm specialising…
© Andrew Perry Stalking show Baby Reindeer wins top theatre gong
26/10/2020 … Richard Gadd has won an Olivier award for his one-man show Baby Reindeer.
What has Phoenix Nights psychic seen coming?
25/10/2020 … Let’s hope he hasn’t foreseen the future of live entertainment – but hapless psychic Clinton Baptiste has postponed his spring dates for…
© C4 The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
25/10/2020 … Sunday October 25 THE BIG SCOTTISH BOOK CLUB: One of the guests on this returning literary show is comedian Janey Godley, who will be discussing her book Handstands…
25/10/2020 … Bill Bailey came third from bottom in the Strictly leaderboard as he made his debut on the show last night.
The week's best comedy on demand
24/10/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
© BBC Radio 4 say the job's his as his initial stint comes to an end
23/10/2020 … Andy Zaltzman is to be the new permanent host of The News Quiz.
23/10/2020 … Zach Zucker shows how much he really likes rocks in this new video.
23/10/2020 … Tweets of the week I reckon the inventor of Ovaltine must be a malty millionaire by now.
© Jelly Legs 2008 Vicar Of Dibley and Catherine Tate Show too
23/10/2020 … More classic comedy box sets are being added to BBC iPlayer this autumn.
...but don't mention the pandemic!
23/10/2020 … BBC Two has ordered a Christmas episode of Two Doors Down.
Jamie Demetriou & Co return to Channel 4
23/10/2020 … Channel 4 has ordered a third series of Stath Lets Flats.
Comic joins Hitpig with Peter Dinklage
22/10/2020 … Hannah Gadsby is lending her voice to an animated movie for the first time.
© GCB Films/Infinity Hill New series for David Tennant and Michael Sheen's lockdown comedy
22/10/2020 … BBC One has ordered a second series of Michael Sheen and David Tennant’s lockdown comedy Staged.
BBC vs ITV for Children In Need
22/10/2020 … Dara O Briain, Iain Stirling, Joel Dommett, Steve Pemberton and Dane Baptiste are to take part in a charity edition of University Challenge.
Quibi, home of Nish Kumar's topical US show, to close
22/10/2020 … Quibi – the streaming service that introduced Nish Kumar to America - is shutting down.
Just a few screens announced so far
21/10/2020 … The Borat sequel is to get a limit cinema release from Friday.
Comedian had been blasted as '‘shocking, degrading and racist’
21/10/2020 … Des Bishop has issued a apology to Ireland’s Travellers after offensive comments he made on a US radio show came to light.
© Matt Crockett Marathon online fundraiser returns
21/10/2020 … Mark Watson is to host another 24-hour online comedy show.
21/10/2020 … The frustrations of working in retail are made painfully real in this new comedy sketch.
No copyright on satirist's back catalogue
21/10/2020 … Tom Lehrer has released all his lyrics into the public domain.
Comic vies with himself for Scottish Bafta
21/10/2020 … Jack Docherty is competing against his own alter-ego for a Bafta award.
But Sky History says The Chop contestant's tattoos are not hate symbols
21/10/2020 … Lee Mack’s new TV show has been pulled off air amid fears one of the participants has Nazi tattoos on his face.
© BritBox/Avalon US election special to air on Halloween
21/10/2020 … The revived Spitting Image is to air on broadcast TV for the first time, with a special to mark the US Presidential election.
21/10/2020 … John Oliver has officially opened the sewer plant named in his honour.
Trailer drops for six-part sketch show
21/10/2020 … Australian comedy trio Aunty Donna have made their own Netflix series.
Taking a majority stake in The Agency
20/10/2020 … Comedy management and production company Avalon has bought a majority stake in fellow talent company The Agency.
© Stolen Picture / BBC Review of Sara Pascoe's new BBC Two comedy
20/10/2020 … As opening lines go, ‘My name is Sara Pascoe and I’m going to destroy your faith in love’ is as bold and unambiguous a statement of intent as you…
20/10/2020 … Montreal’s Just For Laughs comedy festival is hailing its 2020 digital version a success, after attracting 778,000 viewers worldwide.
20/10/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Satirical show about the limited opportunities for black talent
20/10/2020 … Dane Baptiste is to front a one-off satirical show for BBC Three about the limited opportunities for black talent in the UK.
© BBC/Nit TV/Ray Burmiston 20/10/2020 … Harry Hill is launching a new podcast, with a big difference.
Simon Pegg on his hew comedy-horror, Truth Seekers
20/10/2020 … Truth Seekers, the new comedy-horror from Nick Frost and Simon Pegg about a team of part-time paranormal investigators, lands on Amazon Prime Video on October 30.
20/10/2020 … Comedian Pippa Evans has written a self-help book based around improv.
Nick Frost on his new comedy-horror, Truth Seekers
20/10/2020 … Truth Seekers, the new comedy-horror from Nick Frost and Simon Pegg about a team of part-time paranormal investigators, lands on Amazon Prime Video on October 30.
Trailblazing comedian and promoter dies at 63
20/10/2020 … The funeral takes place today of Stan Vernon, one of the founder members of the Manchester comedy scene, who died last month at the age of 63.
On The Late Late Show with James Corden
19/10/2020 … Michael McIntyre solves some British problems when he appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Miles Ketley dies at 52, days before Truth Seekers launches
19/10/2020 … Miles Ketley, the chief executive of Simon Pegg’s and Nick Frost’s production company, Stolen Picture, has unexpectedly died at the age of 52.
Alex Williamson angrily squares up to punter
19/10/2020 … YouTuber turned stand-up Alex Williamson says he’s seeking mental health advice after turning nasty on a punter in a comedy club this weekend.
19/10/2020 … It sounds like a fable for our times: to work hard and fearlessly on a comedy career for decades, only to end up working in a kitchen.
The week's best comedy on TV and radio
18/10/2020 … The best of the week’s comedy on TV and radio.
Weekend update with Michael Che and Colin Jost
18/10/2020 … Donald Trump was of course the subject of gags on Saturday Night’s Live’s ‘weekend update’ section last night, with his rallies being described…
ferry_18.jpg "Mick Ferry and Russell Kane to co-host R4 parenting show | Joining Tim Vincent on The Likely Dads")
Joining Tim Vincent on The Likely Dads
17/10/2020 … Russell Kane and Mick Ferry are to co-present a new Radio 4 series about parenting.
Including Comedy Store, Hot Water and Leicester Comedy Festival
17/10/2020 … More comedy outfits have received payments from the Government’s £1.
© Carla Spreight Liverpool's Hot Water club donates £5k to Manchester's Frog & Bucket
16/10/2020 … Hot Water Comedy Club has donated £5,000 to help a former rival to survive the coronavirus crisis.
Jaymes Todd loses his final appeal
16/10/2020 … The man who raped and murdered comedian Eurydice Dixon as she walked home from a gig in Melbourne has lost his last appeal.
© Nick Fewings/Unsplash 16/10/2020 … Tweets of the week New Covid19 restrictions: Medium low high tier: You can throw a satsuma at a cow.
16/10/2020 … Nish Kumar has been quick to comment on Donald Trump and Joe Biden's TV interviews last night.
Series especially popular with 16-34 year-olds
16/10/2020 … The first Taskmaster episode on Channel 4 attracted 1.
16/10/2020 … There have, understandably, been a few TV retrospectives of late hailing Britain’s black comedy heroes.
© BBC How Victoria Wood couldn't keep track of all her accolades
16/10/2020 … Victoria Wood won a lot of accolades in her esteemed career: from Bafta, the British Comedy Awards, the Royal Television Society – even Chortle.
Rare footage unearthed on the third anniversary of his death
16/10/2020 … Rare footage of Sean Hughes performing in Edinburgh on the year he won the Perrier has been unearthed on the third anniversary of his death.
Comics reunite with the grime star
16/10/2020 … The guests have been announced for the two Christmas specials of Big Zuu’s Big Eats.
15/10/2020 … Channel 4’s task in poaching Dave’s best programme was simple: don’t screw it up.
© C4 Interviews with the stars of Taskmaster
15/10/2020 … Taskmaster returns tonight and in a new home, Channel 4, after nine series with Dave.
© Angst Productions First line-ups for series 19 revealed
15/10/2020 … The line-ups have been announced for the first episodes in the new series of Mock The Week.
New Amazon comedy special with Phoebe Robinson and Rachel Brosnahan
15/10/2020 … A number of female comedians are to look back over 2020 in a new Amazon Prime comedy special.
15/10/2020 … Reports that Peter Kay made £1million in a year despite making just one charity appearance don’t show the full picture, Chortle can reveal.
DDLT Entertainment also creates a new production company
15/10/2020 … Production giant DLT Entertainment has further expanded its reach into the live comedy world, buying a stake in Manchester-based talent agency Gag Reflex.
Highlighting failings in the government response
15/10/2020 … Mash-up king Cassetteboy has made a new video mocking the government's coronavirus response.
Duo's play The Comeback to be staged this Christmas
15/10/2020 … Comedy double act The Pin are to star in a West End play they have written.
© UKTV Taskmaster day! Greg Davies and Alex Horne on the show's return
15/10/2020 … Where did the idea for Taskmaster come from? Alex: Eleven years ago, my wife and I had had a baby, so I didn’t go to Edinburgh Fringe for the first…
Taskmaster day! Meet Katherine Parkinson
15/10/2020 … Why did you sign up to Taskmaster? The truth is I hadn’t watched the show before I did it, but when I got the tasks I got very heavily into it.
Taskmaster day! Meet Mawaan Rizwan
15/10/2020 … Were a fan of Taskmaster? I saw clips of it on YouTube and I thought it was funny but I didn’t understand how the show works.
Taskmaster day! Meet Richard Herring
15/10/2020 … Why did you sign up to Taskmaster? I’ve loved this show for ages.
Taskmaster day! Meet Johnny Vegas
15/10/2020 … Why did you sign up for Taskmaster? My very good friend Sian Gibson did it, and she said it was really good fun.
Taskmaster day! Meet Daisy-May Cooper
15/10/2020 … Why did you want to sign up to Taskmaster? I absolutely love the show and my agent is a huge fan so there was no question really.
© Tiger Aspect Guz Khan comedy wins Broadcast award
14/10/2020 … Man Like Mobeen has been named best comedy at this year’s Broadcasts Digital Awards.
14/10/2020 … Katherine Ryan’s acerbic stand-up has been compared to Joan Rivers so often that it was surely a no-brainer to cast her as the younger version of her comedy…
14/10/2020 … What are your chances of becoming a writer? Of being successful enough to make a living? We’re always being told it will depend on a combination of talent…
© C4 Seeking accessible breaks in the UK
14/10/2020 … Rosie Jones has recorded a new travel series for Channel 4.
© Just For Laughs Comic to appear alongside Alison Hammond and Amanda Holden on on I Can See Your Voice
14/10/2020 … Jimmy Carr is to be one of the panellists on BBC One’s new primetime music game show I Can See Your Voice.
© CBS Tributes to 'beautiful human' Conchata Ferrell
14/10/2020 … Conchata Ferrell, who played housekeeper Berta in American sitcom Two And A Half Men has died at the age of 77.
EspañYOLO heads for album release
13/10/2020 … Half-Spanish, half-Welsh comic Ignacio Lopez is to record a stand-up special next month.
© BBC Comics sign up to nostalgic TV show
13/10/2020 … A raft of comedians are to take part in a new nostalgia show for BBC Two.
13/10/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Louise Rennison prizes awarded
13/10/2020 … Six young comedy talents have been named as winners in the first Louise Rennison National Funny Award.
BBC scheme unveils its class of 2020
13/10/2020 … The BBC has picked 19 aspiring comedy scribes to join its Writersroom development programme.
John Oliver gets his sewerage plant
12/10/2020 … John Oliver has finally got his sewage works.
© BBC Pub Landlord won't feature in new Radio 4 show
12/10/2020 … Al Murray is making a new Radio 4 sketch show, away from his Pub Landlord alter-ego.
© Carla Speight 'It's a real kick in the teeth'
12/10/2020 … The director of Manchester’s Frog and Bucket has spoken of her anger and disappointment at being rejected for a vital Arts Council grant.
12/10/2020 … Several comedy venue have received five- and six-figure sums from the Government to help keep them viable through the coronavirus pandemic.
12/10/2020 … Rosie Wilby is writing a book about her ‘obsession’ with relationship failures.
Official tie-in as show moves to Channel 4
12/10/2020 … Ed Gamble is to host an official Taskmaster podcast to coincide with the show’s debut on Channel 4.
Comic says she would fear 'haters' challenging edgy material
12/10/2020 … Dawn French has weighed into the so-called ‘cancel culture’ debate – saying she fears a censorious society could stop comedians experimenting…
...not 13 years of slogging around the US clubs
11/10/2020 … Gina Yashere has told how she slogged away around the American comedy circuit for years - only to get her big break when a Hollywood bigwig googled ‘Nigerian…
Highlights from Andy Kindler's State Of The Industry Address
11/10/2020 … Stand-up Andy Kindler has lashed out at comedians who become right-week commentators in his annual State Of The Industry address.
Matt Lucas got the Bake Off gig after Noel Fielding dreamt it, he reveals to Jimmy Carr
11/10/2020 … Matt Lucas got his Bake-Off job thanks to a dream Noel Fielding had.
© Channel 4 Taskmaster comes to Channel 4 and the rest of the week's top TV comedy
11/10/2020 … The week's best comedy on TV and radio.
11/10/2020 … The best of the week’s live comedy.
And is quick to joke about Trump's Covid diagnosis
11/10/2020 … Borat has joined Twitter and TikTok to troll Donald Trump.
Talking about cancel culture, the woke movement and gay pride month
11/10/2020 … Bill Burr hosted Saturday Night Live last night, and divided opinion with his edgy gags.
© ITV 10/10/2020 … Comedy musician Jon Courtenay has won this year's Britain’s Got Talent final.
Honour for services to charity and entertainment
09/10/2020 … The founder of the Comedy School, which uses stand-up for social good, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours.
Seinfeld character hits back at Trump's assault on the mail
09/10/2020 … A certain ‘friendly local mail carrier’ that Seinfeld fans might recognise has recorded an important public-service announcement.
© cottonbro 09/10/2020 … Tweets of the week "I'm afraid this line dance is dead" "What was the cause of death?" "An over dosey-doe".
...and writer Graham Linehan is furious
09/10/2020 … Graham Linehan has reacted angrily after Channel 4 removed an episode of the IT Crowd that has been widely condemned as transphobic.
Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine to appear in character
09/10/2020 … Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine are to perform live as their Dear Joan and Jericha alter-egos for the first time.
BBC's teen sketch show to return in 2021
09/10/2020 … The BBC has ordered a second series of its teen-orientated sketch show The Amelia Gething Complex.
'He was funnier after Mr Jolly'
09/10/2020 … Nicholas Parsons became a changed man after he took part in the anarchic Comic Strip film Mr Jolly Lives Next Door his co-star Adrian Edmondson said.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s forthcoming show
09/10/2020 … Amazon Prime has released two more preview clips from Truth Seekers, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s new horror comedy series.
08/10/2020 … The smash hit musical Hamilton has brought the story of one of America's founding fathers to a huge audience.
© Al Murray / Twitter Praise for his work seeking bone stem cell donors
08/10/2020 … Al Murray has won a major charity award for his work encouraging people to register as blood stem cell donors.
About how she rediscovered love with her childhood sweetheart
08/10/2020 … Katherine Ryan has announced a new stand-up tour, with dates spreading to May 2022.
© BBC First show for Gavin & Stacey star
08/10/2020 … Gavin & Stacey star Joanna Page is to present her first radio show.
About an aspiring writer trying to make it in Hollywood
08/10/2020 … US comedy Twenties, about an aspiring young black lesbian writer, is coming to BBC iPlayer.
Q&A with Bill Bailey on Strictly Come Dancing
08/10/2020 … What's the reaction been like since it was announced you were taking part in Strictly Come Dancing? Every reaction has been brilliant, overwhelmingly positive.
Bid for a private gig from the offensive comic-magician
08/10/2020 … Jerry Sadowitz is auctioning himself off on eBay.
Commission follows success of the pilot
08/10/2020 … Radio 4 has ordered a comedy series from Room Next Door comedian, Michael Spicer, following the success of a pilot episode.
Gold launches its annual Christmas cracker competition
08/10/2020 … ■ ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE TV comedy channel Gold has announced the return of its annual Christmas cracker joke competition The broadcaster is again seeking…
New producers at programme-making arm
08/10/2020 … The comedy department at BBC Studios has appointed four new producers.
07/10/2020 … It might be under half an hour long, but this nimbly witty film is both a fitting tribute and charming biopic of one of Britain’s best-loved comics.
© C4 Channel 4 announces show's return with a Stand Up To Cancer special
07/10/2020 … Channel 4 has confirmed that The Last Leg will return on October 23.
07/10/2020 … Randy Rainbow dares to dream what life would be like if Donald Trump were booted out of the White House in his latest music video.
© Mark Harriosn/Avalon/Britbox ...after first episode boosts Britbox numbers
07/10/2020 … The second series of the revived Spitting Image will air next autumn, Britbox has today confirmed.
To mark mental health awareness day
07/10/2020 … Comedians are to talk about their mental health in a new series of the Conversations Against Living Miserably podcast.
© Avalon/Mark Harrison Deal falls through at the last minute
07/10/2020 … American broadcasters have backed away from making their own version of Spitting Image for fear of causing offence, its producers have claimed.
Robin Ince's annual celebration gets supersized
07/10/2020 … Robin Ince is to stage a virtual version of his annual celebration of science and entertainment – lasting for a full 24 hours.
06/10/2020 … Comics have recalled some of their earlier memory for The Russell Howard Hour.
06/10/2020 … Nish Kumar has been quick to call bullshit on Donald Trump’s pronouncements about his health since contracting coronavirus.
Covid delivers a knockout blow
06/10/2020 … Netflix has cancelled the next series of Glow because of Covid-19.
© Angela George/CC BY-SA 3.0 06/10/2020 … Comedy magicians Penn and Teller have announced a series of UK shows entitled The First Final UK Tour.
Comic to play Carol Thatcher in Netflix series
06/10/2020 … Rebecca Humphries has joined the cast of The Crown, playing Margaret Thatcher’s daughter Carol.
Anil Gupta's credits include The Office and Citizen Khan
06/10/2020 … Comedy writer and producer Anil Gupta has joined Sky Studios as creative director for comedy.
New show Titting About drops today
06/10/2020 … Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders have reunited for a new podcast.
© Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com Ricky Gervais and Comedy Store announce gigs in North London venue
05/10/2020 … North London venue The Forum is to host a string of socially distanced comedy gigs - including a warm-up show from Ricky Gervais and a series of Comedy Store line-ups with…
05/10/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Cack-Handed to be published next year
05/10/2020 … Gina Yashere is writing her memoir, to be published next year.
In conversation with Bernardine Evaristo
05/10/2020 … Dawn French is to be in conversation with Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo to mark the launch of the comedian’s new novel, Because Of You.
With a remote 'studio' audience
05/10/2020 … Mock The Week is to return this month, with a remote ‘studio’ audience.
CBBC orders comedy series Monster Court
05/10/2020 … CBBC has ordered a new children’s comedy series, Monster Court.
Comic to host Saturday night show on Ireland's RTE One
05/10/2020 … Comedian Deirdre O'Kane is to host a new Saturday-night chat show in Ireland.
The week's best comedy on TV and radio
04/10/2020 … The week's best comedy on TV and radio.
Weekend update with Michael Che and Colin Jost
04/10/2020 … Saturday Night Live last night mocked the fact that Donald Trump tested positive for Covid Weekend Update anchor Michael Che admitted that it had to be…
04/10/2020 … The best of the week’s live comedy.
© ITV 04/10/2020 … Rufus Hound has today revealed that he is taking part in next year’s Dancing on Ice.
© ITV Comic praised for 'legendary' set
04/10/2020 … Nabil Abdulrashid has made it through to the final of Britain’s Got Talent thanks to a set with addressed racism.
On coronavirus and the flaws of the Presidential system
04/10/2020 … Chris Rock performed stand-up about the effects of the pandemic as Saturday Night Live returned to American TV screens last night.
© NBCU The week's best comedy on demand
03/10/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand Sunday October 4 DAVID O'DOHERTY: The week-long BCG/Next Up Laughter Lounge festival bows out in style with the Irish…
© Avalon/Mark Harrison Revived satire show divides early critics
03/10/2020 … The revival of Spitting Image has divided critics - with early reviews falling into either the two-star or four-star camps.
Based on a secret list she made of her favourite sketches
03/10/2020 … The BBC is to pay tribute to Victoria Wood using a newly unearthed list of her favourite sketches.
02/10/2020 … Here's the last of Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home.
02/10/2020 … Tweets of the week Breaking: Trump says he cannot release the results of his Covid test because they are under audit — Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) October…
The comic on getting recognised... sort of
02/10/2020 … Sara Pascoe says someone once approached her on the London Tube to say: ‘I am so sorry, this is going to sound ever so strange, but you look just like…
© BBC Grumbles after Sophie Duker's Frankie Boyle appearance
02/10/2020 … BBC chiefs have revealed that they received 1,305 complaints after Sophie Duker joked about killing while people.
Pair back together for Sky's There’s Something About Movie
02/10/2020 … Jennifer Saunders is to be reunited with her Ab Fab co-star Joanna Lumley on Sky One’s panel show There’s Something About Movies.
Comic hit back at verbal abuse
02/10/2020 … Sue Perkins has revealed she has been the victim of her 'first homophobic insult in 20 years'.
02/10/2020 … Nick Helm has released a new single, List Of Films.
© David A Ellis / Creative Commons 3.0/CC BY-SA 3.0 To harness the health benefits of comedy
01/10/2020 … Liverpool is to celebrate one of its most famous sons with an official Doddy Day – on the weekend of what would have been Ken Dodd’s 93rd birthday.
Coming to Amazon Prime this month
01/10/2020 … Amazon Prime has released the official trailer for the second Borat film.
...and Munya Chawawa mocks them
01/10/2020 … Comedian Munya Chawawa mocks Royal Mail’s decision to paint four of its 100,000 post boxes black to mark Black History Month in his latest video.
01/10/2020 … Radio 4 has commissioned a new stand-up series from Chris Neill following the success of his show Woof.
© BBC/Channel X So Awkward actor was Nicholas Lyndhurst's son
01/10/2020 … Archie Lyndhurst, the son of Only Fools and Horses actor Nicholas Lyndhurst and star of the CBBC comedy show So Awkward, has died at the age of 19.
© Ibsan73/CC BY-SA 2.0 Her production company launches new writing competition
01/10/2020 … Olivia Colman’s production company is launching a comedy script competition for writer-performers.
01/10/2020 … Daniel Sloss describes how he put together his first set for the Conan show in this new video.
© BBC Tony Robinson in talks with streaming giant
01/10/2020 … Sir Tony Robinson has been in talks with streaming giant Netflix to reboot classic 1990s kids’ comedy Maid Marian and Her Merry Men.
© Steve Ullathorne Hugh Dennis's odd childhood prize...
30/09/2020 … Harold Wilson once gave a teenage Hugh Dennis a copy of the Readers’ Digest Book Of Home Improvement.
New documentary for America's Showtime network
30/09/2020 … A new trailer has been released for a new feature-length documentary about John Belushi.
30/09/2020 … Taskmaster is to launch on Channel 4 at 9pm on Thursday October 15, the broadcaster has announced today.
© Sky Stand-up says that when it comes to God 'I'm with the weirdo mystics'
30/09/2020 … Frank Skinner is planning to write a religious book A Comedian’s Prayer Book, featuring his invocations to God.
Royal Mail gesture for Black History Month
30/09/2020 … The Royal Mail is celebrating centuries of black history - by painting a postbox black in honour of Lenny Henry.
Australian comic's compulsive pre-show ritual
30/09/2020 … Australian comedian Akmal Saleh has lost four wedding rings thanks to a compulsive performance ritual.
© ITV Celebs target what's left of the comedy circuit for new Channel 4 show
30/09/2020 … Five reality stars are to try their hand at stand-up for a new Channel 4 series, it has been reported.
Sacha Baron Cohen's film set to drop before US election
30/09/2020 … The second Borat is set to be streamed by Amazon Prime ahead of November's US Presidential election.
CollegeHumor vs the anti-maskers
30/09/2020 … American sketch-makers CollegeHumor have release a new single spoofing anti-maskers in the US.
© Avalon/BritBox Including James Corden and Piers Morgan
30/09/2020 … Spitting Image has unveiled some new puppets before the series launches on BritBox on Saturday.
Arena dates for En Route To Normal
30/09/2020 … Bill Bailey has announced a new arena tour for December next year.
29/09/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Satirical horror film out in November
29/09/2020 … Satirical horror movie Bad Hair has been given a UK release date.
Jimmy Carr, Noel Fielding and Gina Yashere
29/09/2020 … Jimmy Carr, Noel Fielding and Gina Yashere have been added to the line-up of this year’s digital Just For Laughs Festival.
29/09/2020 … Comedians reveal their sexual awakenings in this clip from The Russell Howard Hour.
© UKTV Episodes to be screened in London
29/09/2020 … Taskmaster fans are being given the chance to see the new series before anybody else.
© Avalon/BritBox Spitting Image's Roger Law on the show's return
29/09/2020 … Spitting Image creator Roger Law has defended the returning show against charges of racism – but admitted the show did go too far in the 1980s.
New research based on web searches
29/09/2020 … Ricky Gervais’s Humanity has been named Britain’s favourite Netflix stand-up special.
© UKTV/Gareth Gatrell Dimension Jump postponed to September 2021
29/09/2020 … The annual Red Dwarf fan convention has been postponed for a second time.
© Owl Power BBC Two orders six more episodes
29/09/2020 … Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing is to return for a fourth series Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse are to head back to the British…
Satirical puppet show from Fox
28/09/2020 … You wait ages for a satirical puppet show to come along - and then there are two.
28/09/2020 … The Dave channel has returned to its Richard Ayoade game show pilot after the original recording was hit by the coronavirus lockdown.
Pop-up performances to be staged across Birmingham
28/09/2020 … Frank Skinner and Janice Connolly – the comic behind stage creation Barbara Nice, pictured - are to write short plays to be performed around Birmingham.
28/09/2020 … Digital radio station Union Jack is to air stand-up clips thanks to a new tie-up with streaming service NextUp Comedy.
As he reveals his nephew is 'very ill but hanging in there''
28/09/2020 … Al Murray has made a TV appeal for people to joint he blood stem cell donor register, inspired by his seven-year-old nephew's diagnosis with a rare form…
Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13¾ out next year
28/09/2020 … Tez Ilyas is writing his first book, entitled The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13¾.
© Andy Gotts New specials based on Jack & The Beanstalk and Hansel & Gretel
28/09/2020 … David Walliams is to star in new versions of two more fairy tales for Sky One.
But Alan hates his husband's pet names
28/09/2020 … Alan Carr has revealed the nicknames his husband give him – and they are not flattering.
28/09/2020 … There are some amazing bargains at Foodfarms, as this advert shows.
Sacha Baron Cohen returning to screens
28/09/2020 … The new Borat sequel is to be subtitled Gift Of Pornographic Monkey To Vice Premiere Mikhael Pence To Make Benefit Recently Diminished Nation of Kazakhstan, it has…
27/09/2020 … The best of the week’s live comedy.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
27/09/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio Monday September 28 STAND UP FOR LIVE COMEDY: BBC One airs the stand-up showcase that has been on iPlayer…
27/09/2020 … The New Zealand version of Taskmaster has revealed the line-up for its first season.
27/09/2020 … Musical comedian Jon Courtenay has made it to the final of Britain’s Got Talent.
26/09/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
© Ellis O'Brien/Phil McIntyre Televisio Gig review by Steve Bennett at the taping of BBC's new stand-up showcase
25/09/2020 … This may not the confined, intimate venue where stand-up works at its very best, but this is not a bad way to watch socially distanced comedy, in a chilled-out…
25/09/2020 … Tweets of the week I've recorded an album called 'Obsessed With Sex'.
25/09/2020 … Nish Kumar compares the US and UK heads of state in the latest episode of Hello America.
© Stuart Hogben 25/09/2020 … Residents of Greenwich in South London have become used to a giant marquee popping up in the grounds of the historic National Maritime Museum each September, attracting…
© Mark Dunne / Creative Commons Epic legal letter for using the band's songs
25/09/2020 … The Doobie Brothers have fired a legal broadside at Bill Murray for using their music without permission – but in a memorably unique way.
Writer dies of heart attack at 56 while playing tennis
25/09/2020 … Comedy writer George Jeffrie, who co-created the Royal Family spoof The Windsors has died of a heart attack at the age of 56.
© Stuart Hogben Autumn seasons of indoor gigs announced
25/09/2020 … Live gigs are returning to London’s Alexandra Palace.
Hosting the first episode in the new series
25/09/2020 … Chris Rock will host the first episode of Saturday Night Live when it returns for its 46th season next month.
© Fox Black actor to voice the role for the first time
25/09/2020 … Producers of The Simpsons have announced that Alex Desert will be the new voice of Carl Carlson – the first time a black actor has played the black character…
Another track from his forthcoming album
25/09/2020 … Tim Minchin has revealed another new track from his forthcoming album, Apart Together, The comedian and musician describes Airport Piano as ‘almost definitely…
Immortalised at last (well, until Saturday)
24/09/2020 … A life-sized golden statue of Alan Partridge has been erected in Norwich.
Short film up for the Jarman Award
24/09/2020 … A short film in which a man walks along the South Coast wearing an Al Murray mask has been nominated for a film award.
Daisy Haggard show is nominated for best comedy
24/09/2020 … Back To Life – in which Daisy Haggard plays as ex-con returning to her community – has been nominated for an International Emmy Award.
24/09/2020 … Eddie Izzard is to sit for the finalists in this year’s Portrait Artist of the Year.
On what would have been his 97th birthday
24/09/2020 … Radio 4 is to dedicate a night of programming to Nicholas Parsons on what would have been his 97th birthday.
© BBC Comics share their sexual awakenings
24/09/2020 … Comedians have been sharing details of their sexual awakenings with Russell Howard.
24/09/2020 … Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers have both been renewed for two more seasons.
© Matt Crockett New tie-up with DLT Entertainment
24/09/2020 … Showbiz giant DLT Entertainment has bought a stake in Mark Watson’s production company, Impatient Productions.
David Walliams Ruth Jones and Liz Carr
24/09/2020 … Comedians David Walliams Ruth Jones and Liz Carr are to delve into their family history in the next series of Who Do You Think You Are? They join Doctor Who star…
Friends cast made into ducks. Don't ask why
23/09/2020 … Here’s the cast of Friends as you’ve probably never seen them before – as ducks.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Comedy Store, London
23/09/2020 … It’s a given that every gig is weird now, so spare a thought for the newer acts in the final of the Funny Women stage award this year.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's new show
23/09/2020 … Amazon has released the first trailer for Truth Seekers, its new horror-comedy about a team of paranormal investigators starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
Proceeds from a work-in-progress gig at the South London venue
23/09/2020 … Russell Howard has donated £5,000 to the fundraising campaign to save the Clapham Grand in South London.
Warning: Features latex penises
23/09/2020 … The first trailer has been released for the new Spitting Image - featuring the latex penises of Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
© Two Rivers With Frankie Boyle scooping two
23/09/2020 … Frankie Boyle, Janey Godley, Still Game and Mark Nelson are among the winners in this year’s delayed Scottish Comedy Awards.
23/09/2020 … More than a dozen visually impaired comedians are joining up to stage a gig next month.
TV scenes from around the world
23/09/2020 … Jon Richardson is to host a new clip show for Comedy Central.
23/09/2020 … Sara Pascoe and John Kearns are to host a new Comedy Central panel show.
© Channel 4 'The rapport was lovely to watch'
23/09/2020 … Matt Lucas’s Bake Off debut has been roundly praised by critics.
23/09/2020 … Izzy Askwith has won this year’s Funny Women stage award.
'Only a Liverpudlian could read this audiobook'
22/09/2020 … Alexei Sayle is to narrate the audiobook version of a new book offering an official history of The Sun newspaper.
22/09/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© Damian Bennett Tim Minchin on his career and his hang-ups
22/09/2020 … Tim Minchin says he’s achieved what he has because he has a chip on his shoulder.
Samson Kayo and Jane Horrocks start shooting paramedic comedy
22/09/2020 … Julian Barratt and Australian comedian Sam Campbell have joined the cast of Sky’s new paramedic sitcom Bloods.
'It's great for comedy - not relationships'
22/09/2020 … Chris Rock says he suffers from nonverbal learning disorder.
Resolution in court battle over the rights
22/09/2020 … The door could be open for a This Is Spinal Tap sequel following a legal breakthrough.
© Monumental Television 21/09/2020 … It’s been more than a year since Ghosts were on our screens - but it seems like they have never been away, such is the way these spooks from down the ages…
Gig review by Steve Bennett at Warwick Castle
21/09/2020 … Goodness knows that there aren’t exactly many benefits to the Covid restrictions which have clobbered live comedy so brutally.
21/09/2020 … Jenny Eclair is to present a new daytime Channel 4 show in which amateur artists will paint nude portraits of each other.
Major comedy festival axed over safety concerns
21/09/2020 … A major outdoor comedy and music festival has been cancelled with just days to go.
International TV awards will be online only
21/09/2020 … Nish Kumar is to host this year’s international Rose d’Or TV awards.
As interpreted by Darren Dutton
21/09/2020 … With Britain facing a prospect of another national lockdown if Covid numbers aren’t reined in, the government faces criticism that the social distancing rules…
© ABC Canadian comedy sets an Emmys record
21/09/2020 … Schitt’s Creek performed a clean sweep at the Emmys last night - scoping all seven comedy awards.
Comic Kae Kurd accused of ripping off a fridge routine he used on TV
21/09/2020 … Comedian Kae Kurd has been accused of stealing a routine he performed on Jonathan Ross’s Comedy Club last weekend.
BBC denies David Jason sitcom has been axed
20/09/2020 … The BBC has denied reports that Still Open All Hours has been cancelled.
© Helen Maybanks 20/09/2020 … The best of the week’s live comedy.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
20/09/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio Monday September 21 GHOSTS: Rejoice! BBC One’s hit comedy Ghosts returns for a second series, with…
© BBC Festive special for hit BBC comedy
20/09/2020 … BBC One is making a Ghosts Christmas special.
19/09/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Asian Dub Foundation sample his Ukip routine
18/09/2020 … One of Stewart Lee's routines has been made into a dance track by Asian Dub Foundation.
18/09/2020 … Tweets of the week can’t believe the news about everyone that has been in John Lennon airport this week having to self isolate 😧😧 imagine…
18/09/2020 … If you object to wearing a mask for health and safety reasons, ascending the O2 is probably not for you.
© Monumental Television How Ghosts team couldn't film fictional pandemic
18/09/2020 … Actors playing pandemic victims were dropped from BBC One comedy Ghosts at the last minute when reality overtook fiction.
...but the regime 'almost killed' pal Paul Tonkinson
17/09/2020 … Michael McIntyre has told how he lost a stone in six days at an extreme diet resort.
© BBC 17/09/2020 … W1A's Ophelia Lovibond is to star in a new comedy for America's HBO Max service.
17/09/2020 … Australian musical comedian Sammy J looks forward to the day when the coronavirus is a distant memory in his latest song.
16/09/2020 … Chris Ramsey has rescheduled the autumn dates of his 20/20 live tour to the same time next year.
...and how it drove him into comedy
16/09/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan has opened up about how seismic changes in his life when he was a child ultimately drove him to comedy.
From his new Netflix special, Showman
16/09/2020 … Michael McIntyre admits he has no clue what his wife finds sexy in this clip from his new stand-up special.
Comic condemned for his vile views
16/09/2020 … Jim Davidson has been widely condemned as racist after releasing YouTube video saying dance troupe Diversity should perform a routine about black men mugging people.
Comic to examine gender fluidity in Are You A Boy Or A Girl?
16/09/2020 … Sarah Keyworth is to record her first Radio 4 comedy series.
Awards triumph for Last Week Tonight
16/09/2020 … Last Week Tonight With John Oliver scooped three Emmy awards last night.
Netflix special reviewed by Steve Bennett
15/09/2020 … For a benign observational stand-up, Michael McIntyre can be a surprisingly divisive figure among comedy aficionados.
15/09/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© BBC This Country hailed in BBC annual report
15/09/2020 … This Country has been hailed as an example of what the BBC does best in the Corporation’s annual report.
Alongside Liz Hurley and Frasier's Kelsey Grammer
15/09/2020 … John Cleese has been cast in a new Christmas comedy film alongside Liz Hurley and Frasier star Kelsey Grammer.
With social distanced capacity boosted to 400
15/09/2020 … The Clapham Grand has announced a new season of socially distanced gigs featuring the likes of Russell Howard, Jimmy Carr and Daniel Sloss.
A genuine public service announcement on behalf of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
15/09/2020 … When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wanted to recruit an authentic voice of youth to tell the under-25s to wear a mask, he looked no further than Paul Rudd.
Showtime series about the legendary LA venue
15/09/2020 … Here’s a trailer for the new documentary series about the American Comedy Store.
At Comedy Women In Print awards
15/09/2020 … Ruth Jones, Posy Simmonds and Nina Stibbe have all been honoured at this year’s Comedy Women In Print Awards.
Rowan Atkinson on 30 years of his hit character
15/09/2020 … Mr Bean is this year celebrating his 30th anniversary - and still remains internationally successful, having racked up 11 billion total views on YouTube with clips…
With Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker and John C. Reilly
14/09/2020 … America’s Showtime network gas released the first trailer for its lunar comedy Moonbase 8.
© HBO 14/09/2020 … John Oliver's US series Last Week Tonight has been renewed for three more years.
Poppy Hillstead accuses Joe Wilkinson and David Earl of ungraciously dumping her from Gossipmongers
14/09/2020 … Comedian Poppy Hillstead has complained about being unceremoniously dumped from a hit podcast she helped establish.
Could the long-running comedy pop quiz be back?
14/09/2020 … Never Mind The Buzzcocks has been revived – with Greg Davies as the host.
Grime star's Big Eats comedy cooking show will return to Dave
14/09/2020 … The Dave channel has ordered a second series of Big Zuu’s Big Eats, in which the grime artist cooks meals for comedy stars.
Improv show's London residency from February next year
14/09/2020 … Austentatious have announced their return to the West End.
More than 100 dates as comedian hits the road for the first time in three years
14/09/2020 … John Bishop has announced more than 100 stand-up dates starting next year – his first full tour in more than three years.
14/09/2020 … Don't Hate The Playaz is returning to ITV2 for a third series.
14/09/2020 … Tommy Tiernan is to release a book based on his hit Irish talk show.
14/09/2020 … American comic Randy Rainbow has released his latest anti-Trump video.
© Fred Cooke/Instagram 14/09/2020 … Irish comedian Fred Cooke and Julie Jay have become parents together.
To write about his career and his battles with depression and drug addiction
14/09/2020 … Tony Slattery is to write about his battle with bipolar disorder and drug addiction in a frank new memoir.
© Carla Speight 13/09/2020 … The best of the week’s live comedy.
© ITV The week's best comedy on TV and radio
13/09/2020 … It's a very quiet week for comedy on TV and radio, but here are a few picks.
13/09/2020 … BBC One has released a trailer for the second series of Ghosts.
Comic at the vanguard of theatre reopenings
13/09/2020 … Adam Kay has announced a return to the live stage with his hit show This Is Going To Hurt.
12/09/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Backlash as McVitie's seeks free gags for its Penguin bars
12/09/2020 … Biscuit giant McVitie’s has been slated after asking people to supply jokes for its packaging for free.
Follow-up to 2010's Life And Laughing out next year
12/09/2020 … Michael McIntyre is writing a second volume of his autobiography, to be released next year.
But he'll be playing to empty theatres
11/09/2020 … Daniel Kitson has announced a new live show about the pandemic, which he will perform in empty theatres.
11/09/2020 … Tweets of the week hey girl are you a greggs steak bake cause you are so hot but also incredibly flaky — Joe Lycett (@joelycett) September 11, 2020 By…
'May the spirit of Sluggs live on!'
11/09/2020 … This Country co-creator Daisy May Cooper has named her new baby after her late co-star Michael Sleggs.
© Netflix Review of Katherine Ryan's new Netflix comedy
11/09/2020 … Katherine Ryan is a smart-mouthed, immature, difficult single mother, whose selfish needs are only trumped by doing all she can for her precious daughter.
Greg Davies and Alex Horne go up in the world...
11/09/2020 … Channel 4 has released a trailer for their first series of Taskmaster.
© Mark Harrison/Avalon/Britbox Comedians join cast and writing team, too
11/09/2020 … Spitting Image producers have released images of four more of their satirical puppets today, while announcing that the series will launch on BritBox on October 3.
© Keith Lemon/Instagram New team captains to join Keith Lemon
10/09/2020 … Emily Atack and Laura Whitmore are to be the new team captains on funnyman Keith Lemon’s Celebrity Juice, ITV2 has announced.
© HBO Max Ten-part series coming to BBC One
10/09/2020 … The BBC has bought the romantic comedy anthology series Love Life, starring Anna Kendrick.
Commissions for Shane Todd and Paddy Raff
10/09/2020 … Northern Irish comedians Shane Todd and Paddy Raff have been commissioned to make new shows for the BBC.
10/09/2020 … These memoirs are surely destined to find more listeners on audiobook than readers in print, given that Adam Buxton has found his niche in the world of podcasting.
From Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club
10/09/2020 … Rob Beckett talks about the unexpected perils of wearing a mask in this clip from Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club.
© Button Hall Productions Image Type: Portraits Programme Maker: Monumental 10/09/2020 … Ensemble comedy Ghosts is returning to BBC One on September 21, the broadcaster has announced.
Fox buys acclaimed Australian hitman comedy-drama
10/09/2020 … Australian comedy series Mr Inbetween is coming to the UK.
© David Shankbone/CC BY-SA 3.0 Could Fox-style broadcaster offer the satire the right-wing want?
10/09/2020 … Rupert Murdoch’s new UK news channel will have a nightly topical comedy programme.
Radio 4 show for comic Tom Mayhew
09/09/2020 … Radio 4 has ordered a four-part series from comedian Tom Mayhew.
09/09/2020 … Phil Ellis is unlikely to ever become embroiled in a debate about the politics of comedians on the BBC.
Stand-up special coming to Netflix next week
09/09/2020 … Netflix has released as trailer for Michael McIntyre’s new stand-up special, Showman.
Rule of 6 applies to social groups, not the whole audience
09/09/2020 … The government has confirmed that its new rules banning people from socialising in groups of more than six will not prohibit socially distanced comedy shows.
Sacha Baron Cohen's film is complete, report claims
09/09/2020 … Sacha Baron Cohen has already finished filming Borat 2 and even screened it for a select band of movie insiders, it has been reported.
09/09/2020 … Matt Lucas is to release a kids’ joke book next month.
Jennifer Saunders, Roisin Conaty and Jason Manford to appear in new primetime edition
09/09/2020 … Richard Osman’s House Of Games is to get a primetime BBC One slot Jennifer Saunders, Roisin Conaty, Jason Manford and footballer turned pundit Jermaine…
Headliners announced for digital event next month
09/09/2020 … Just For Laughs has unveiled the line-up for its first virtual festival, following the cancellation of its Montreal event for the first time in 38 years.
As she asks fans if she can drink while on medication
09/09/2020 … Amy Schumer revealed that she has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, which she may have had ‘for years’.
Old-ish with Laurence Fishburne and Jenifer Lewis
09/09/2020 … Black-ish creator Kenya Barris is working on a third spinoff from his hit comedy series.
Five days of live broadcasts next momth
08/09/2020 … One of the UK’s leading podcast producers has announced an online festival featuring live broadcasts of top comedy shows.
© Netflix In the new series of Jack Whitehall's Travels With My Father
08/09/2020 … He's normally full of respect for Britain's ancient traditions.
08/09/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© Amanda Searle Mackenzie Crook writing, directing and starring in another special
08/09/2020 … Mackenzie Crook is to return for another Worzel Gummidge film.
Nicko Vaughan praises Phil Nichol and Tony Law's Virtue Chamber Echo Bravo
08/09/2020 … I was thrust into the comedy world at the age of 20 when I was part of the first BBC Open Mic competition, back when the final was broadcast on BBC One.
08/09/2020 … Here’s the trailer for a new British comedy thriller film, Say Your Prayers.
Munya Chawawa's alter-ego remixes WAP
08/09/2020 … If there’s one thing the Cardi B track WAP needed, it’s an upper-class drill rapper.
© BBC 08/09/2020 … Actor Rodney Litchfield, who played Old Tommy in Early Doors, has died at the age of 81.
After Life wins its second TV choice award
08/09/2020 … Ricky Gervais’s After Life has been named best comedy at the TV Choice Award.
Including the recording of his Amazon Prime special
07/09/2020 … Iain Stirling has postponed the autumn leg of his Failing Upwards stand-up tour for a full year.
More venues host socially-distanced gigs
07/09/2020 … Stand-ups including Phil Wang, Flo & Joan and Sindhu Vee are to perform at Warwick Castle, as the medieval stronghold becomes the latest unusual venue to host…
Right-wing comic Leo Kearse seeks apology over tweet that 'smeared' him
07/09/2020 … Comedian Leo Kearse is demanding an apology after saying he was ‘smeared’ by a senior member of the newly formed Live Comedy Association who implied…
© BBC/Fudge Park 07/09/2020 … Sky’s Brassic and Breeders are up against BBC Three’s Enterprice, Man Like Mobeen, The Young Offenders and This Country for best comedy show at this…
Rosalie Minnitt and Alison Middleton suggest ways to level the comedy circuit playing field
07/09/2020 … It is a truth universally acknowledged that men get more laughs than women.
Uncle Roger's fried rice video makes comic go viral
07/09/2020 … Comedian Nigel Ng is celebrating after amassing more than one million subscribers on both YouTube and TikTok during lockdown.
© Sophia Spring For an evening with Graham Norton
07/09/2020 … The London Palladium is to open its doors for the first time in six months for an appearance by Graham Norton.
© ITV The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
06/09/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
06/09/2020 … The week's best live comedy Sunday September 6 LONDON: Dane Baptiste, Sara Pascoe and Laura Lexx make up another strong bill at the Bussey Rooftop bar…
Unanimous decision from judges
05/09/2020 … Comedian Steve Royle has become the first person through to the Britain’s Got Talent final.
Goodie, 78, reveals he had lithium toxicity
05/09/2020 … Bill Oddie has revealed that he has been close to death this summer.
05/09/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
05/09/2020 … Michael Spicer’s Room Next Door adviser gets some crossed wires when he’s trying to feed lines to Donald Trump in this new video.
© BBC But Tim Davie DOES want a wider range of viewpoints on air
04/09/2020 … New BBC director-general Tim Davie has dismissed ‘nonsense’ and ‘ridiculous’ speculation that he wants to shut down left-wing comedy.
Eight comics will now perform to an audience entirely made up of judges!
04/09/2020 … The finalists in this year's Funny Women Stage Awards have been announced.
04/09/2020 … Tweets of the week A 'foible' is something coughed up by cats in New York.
04/09/2020 … Nish Kumar discusses Donald Trump’s very fluid definition of law and order in the latest edition of his Quibi series Hello America.
© Hat Trick/BBC Academic Sebastian Bloomfield argues that dissent is always at the heart of comedy
03/09/2020 … The BBC’s incoming director-general, Tim Davie, is reported to be considering how to balance the broadcaster’s comedy output to showcase both sides of…
Audience was too small to cover his £40 fee...
03/09/2020 … Jack Whitehall once paid John Bishop for a gig in laughing gas – claiming couldn’t afford the £40 fee.
Special is being touted as 'this year's Nanette'
03/09/2020 … Nate, Natalie Palamides’ sometimes confrontational clown show about consent, is coming to Netflix.
How Jo Brand got revenge on an awful ex
03/09/2020 … Jo Brand has revealed how she got revenge on an ex who treated her badly – by having a bonfire of his underwear.
© Channel 4 Police interrogation series to return
03/09/2020 … Sharon Horgan has joined the cast of Netflix thriller Criminal.
© BBC About the historian who discovered his body in a Leicester car park
03/09/2020 … Steve Coogan is to star in a movie about the discovery of Richard III's remains beneath a Leicester car park.
A newly relevant experiment from his Armistice TV show
03/09/2020 … Armando Iannucci has added his voice to the raging debate on whether the BBC should employ more right-wing comedians – by reminding his social media followers…
Todd Abbott has a track record in production
03/09/2020 … Australian state broadcaster ABC has appointed producer Todd Abbott as its new head of comedy.
© BBC '‘I’m not Lord of the Dance, I’m more Caretaker of the Dance'
03/09/2020 … Bill Bailey has officially been confirmed for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
New tour... coronavirus permitting
02/09/2020 … Jenny Eclair is to embark on a 60-date tour to mark her 60th birthday.
© Netflix ...while filming sex scenes for The Duchess
02/09/2020 … She’s normally fairly unabashed in her comedy – but Katherine Ryan has made the shock discovery that she might actually be a prude.
Comic was best known as Britain's Got Talent's warm-up man
02/09/2020 … Tributes have been paid to comedian Ian Royce, best known for his warm-up work on Britain's Got Talent, after he died at the age of 51.
© Nick Wall 02/09/2020 … ‘Fish out of water’ is a stock comedy premise, and in Two Weeks To Live, Kim is a very strange fish indeed.
02/09/2020 … For comedians, a gig the O2 is the pinnacle of their career – now Suzi Ruffell is to become the first stand-up to perform ON TOP of the London landmark.
Comic denies claims collated by The Hollywood Reporter
02/09/2020 … HBO Max has dropped James Veitch’s stand-up special amid claims of rape and sexual assault.
And comic will make a show for the platform when it launches
01/09/2020 … John Bishop has invested in a new podcast network to be run by a team of former BBC employees.
Socially distanced gigs broadcast online
01/09/2020 … The London Podcast Festival has announced the first events in this year’s programme.
© Johan Persson Silent West End protest with the rest of the Only Fool And Horses cast
01/09/2020 … Paul Whitehouse is to stage a protest with fellow members of the cast and crew of the Only Fools and Horses musical to draw attention to the plight of theatre…
Unscripted special for HBO Max
01/09/2020 … Will Smith is to reunite with the rest of the cast of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air are to reunite to celebrate the sitcoms 30th anniversary.
01/09/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
01/09/2020 … A campaign to help those affected by the cancellation of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has raised almost £250,000.
01/09/2020 … The first hosts have been announced for the BBC's new stand-up series BBC Presents: Stand Up For Live Comedy.
Comic offers $55,000 to make it so
01/09/2020 … John Oliver has welcomed plans to name a sewage treatment plant after him –and even offered a $55,000 bounty to help grease the wheels.
© BBC/Endemol Shine Shows may be axed as Tim Davie seeks balance
01/09/2020 … New BBC chief Tim Davie is to target comedy shows often seen as too left-wing, it has been reported today.
Alan Partridge creator teases an 'odd and unusual' appearance
31/08/2020 … Steve Coogan has said he will definitely stage a show at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Production had been halted for 16 weeks
31/08/2020 … Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard have today resumed shooting the second series of their Sky comedy Breeders.
...as improv group Noise Next Door withdraw from contest
31/08/2020 … Comedians Myra Dubois, Steve Royle, Nabil Abdulrashid and Allen Finnegan have made it through to the live semi-finals of this year's Britain's Got…
Banana and Bearcat return... and the rest of the week's live comedy picks
30/08/2020 … Our pick of the week's best live comedy Sunday August 30 NEWCASTLE: Jason Manford plays the socially-distant Virgin Money Unity Arena, which used to be…
© Endemol Shine UK The week's best comedy on TV and radio
30/08/2020 … The week's best comedy on TV and radio.
29/08/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
28/08/2020 … Bill Bailey has reportedly signed up for the next series of Strictly Come Dancing.
On the Facebook page Tradesmen Banter
28/08/2020 … Channel 4 comedy builders Lee and Dean are releasing a new series of videos.
© Merbler/CC BY-SA 2.0 28/08/2020 … Tweets of the week Why the hell would somebody pick up my mobile, delete my Spandau Ballet ringtone, then put it back? It just doesn't ring true.
© David Robinson Dylan Jones even performed at mother-and-baby gigs
28/08/2020 … A comedian who has performed at mother-and-baby gigs has a conviction for child pornography.
Rudy Ray Moore's tracks that influenced rap stars
28/08/2020 … His story was recently propelled into the spotlight thanks to the Eddie Murphy film Dolemite Is My Name.
'But I'm not defined by it,' comic tells her sister in frank podcast
28/08/2020 … Jessie Cave has revealed that she was raped by her former tennis coach at the age of 14.
Museum donation joins Bobby Davro’s sock
27/08/2020 … Stewart Lee’s hand sanitiser is to be turned to stone, after he donated it to a quirky tourist attraction yesterday.
Jimmy Akingbola to host four episodes of Sorry I Didn’t Know
27/08/2020 … ITV has ordered a panel show designed to showcase the ‘gaping lack of knowledge’ most of Britain has when it comes to black history.
Hour-long documentary commissioned
27/08/2020 … ITV has ordered an hour-long documentary about black comedians past and present.
Ireland releases a set of Father Ted stamps
27/08/2020 … The Irish post office is marking the 25th anniversary of Father Ted with a new series of stamps.
© BBC Major online benefit gig next month
27/08/2020 … Some of the biggest names in British comedy – including Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, Stephen Merchant and Sir Michael Palin – to take part in…
We look back at the reviews from last year's Fringe
27/08/2020 … So we come bang-up to date with our recap of reviews from past Edinburghs, with a few from last year, all written by Chortle editor Steve Bennett.
Events impossible with Manchester in local lockdown
27/08/2020 … This year’s Women in Comedy festival has officially been cancelled.
All That Glitters seeks Britain's top designers
26/08/2020 … Katherine Ryan is to host a new BBC Two search for the UK’s next up-and-coming jewellery star, All That Glitters.
With one more virtual gig this week
26/08/2020 … A series of online gigs has raised almost £200,000 for those hit by the cancellation of the Edinburgh Fringe.
26/08/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© BBC BBC One orders new sitcom based on German comedy
26/08/2020 … Greg Davies is to star in a BBC One series about a crime scene cleaner.
A look back at the Edinburgh Fringe of 2018
26/08/2020 … Almost up to date now, as our travels through Edinburgh Fringes past reaches 2018, when the main comedy award went to a woman of colour for the first time, Rose…
Aisling Bea and Mae Martin shortlisted as breakthrough talent
26/08/2020 … Comics Aisling Bea and Mae Martin have been nominated for the breakthrough award at the Edinburgh TV festival.
Joz Norris grabbles with creative self-esteem
26/08/2020 … Comedian Joz Norris has written a jaunty rhyme about some of the months of the year - but the nagging voice inside his head isn’t happy with it.
© UKTV 25/08/2020 … Considering the writers and cast of The Lenny Henry Show features a lot of up-and-comers, the style of this new Radio 4 series is remarkably old-school, dated, even.
'Brutally funny, very clever, and a great writer'
25/08/2020 … Comedians have being paying tribute to former stand-up Gina Ryan, who has died at the age of 54.
...as Mo Gilligan hosts a Big Breakfast revival
25/08/2020 … Channel 4 is on the lookout for a black sitcom in a bid to make its schedules more diverse.
Revamped ceremony coming next spring
25/08/2020 … Channel 4 is launching a successor to the British Comedy Awards.
Great British, Female, Gay, Disabled, Covid Compliant Adventure
25/08/2020 … Rosie Jones is making a travel show for Channel 4 about exploring the UK on a budget.
Comedy Central at the Edinburgh Fringe
25/08/2020 … Fatiha El-Ghorri welcomes her audience to the ‘new to Islam’ meeting in this new short stand-up routine.
...but bear has a hefty price tag
25/08/2020 … It’s certainly not hooky gear - but it comes at quite a price.
© BBC How the BBC wanted Mr Humphries dropped from Are You Being Served?
25/08/2020 … He is one of the most memorable characters from Are You Being Served? – but Mr Humphries would have been axed had BBC bosses got their way.
A look back at the Edinburgh Fringe of 2017
25/08/2020 … 2017 saw the Edinburgh Comedy Awards panel at their most indecisive, with a record nine nominations (a figure matched in 2019) and splitting the big prize between…
Touching scenes in new reunion programme
25/08/2020 … The cast of The Fast Show have paid poignant tribute to their co-star Caroline Aherne in new retrospective marking 25 years since their sketch show debuted.
Jay Richardson reviews the entire 2020 Edinburgh Fringe
25/08/2020 … As a performer willing to compare himself favourably to Mozart, Nathan Cassidy isn't lacking in chutzpah.
© Bafta Biologist and illustrator says Flanimals book stole his ideas
24/08/2020 … A marine biologist is trying to take Ricky Gervais to court, claiming he stole the idea for his hit children’s book Flanimals.
© Ardfern/CC BY-SA 3.0 'Use it or lose it' as best you can, writes Steve Bennett
24/08/2020 … This weekend’s news that The Stand comedy clubs are teetering on the brink of collapse has brought home just how urgent and vital the various campaigns to…
24/08/2020 … As the Republican National Convention gets under way in the States, admittedly in virtual form, Nish Kumar offers some tips on how to pull off a successful event.
A throwback to the 2016 Fringe, where Bill Burr and Louis CK made flying visits
24/08/2020 … How long ago 2016 was; a time when it was still OK to like Louis CK - who got a five-star Chortle review on a flying visit to the Edinbugrh Fringe.
London's Etcetera Theatre battling for survival
24/08/2020 … London’s Etcetera Theatre has become the latest comedy venue to send up a distress signal as the impact of Covid-19 bites ever harder.
Bizarre beef with Connecticut city
24/08/2020 … Few comedians get immortalised by having a major public site named after them.
Rob Brydon,Jessica Hynes, Alison Steadman, Nick Mohammed, Nina Sosanya and Bill Bailey start filming
24/08/2020 … A raft of British comedy stars has joined the cast of a new family film inspired by the true story of when a six-year-old Roald Dahl met his idol Beatrix Potter.
Mo Gilligan presents documentary for Black History Month
24/08/2020 … Mo Gilligan is to present a Channel 4 documentary about Britain’s black comedy circuit.
© BBC/Nit TV/Ray Burmiston 23/08/2020 … Where have we seen this before? Harry Hill offering his surreal commentary on scenes from television… But Harry Hill’s World Of TV differs from the…
© BBC 23/08/2020 … It’s a shame the new series of Famalam has run into a racism storm on its release, as the row over offensive Jamaican stereotypes certainly doesn’t reflect…
Reviews of Katherine Ryan, Nish Kumar and more from the 2015 Fringe
23/08/2020 … A major change to Chortle’s reviews in 2015, as we introduced half-stars to try to add at least a little more subtlety to the blunt tool of the star-rating…
© The JPS/CC BY-SA 3.0 Love and concern as venues say they are on the brink of collapse
23/08/2020 … Comedians and comedy fans have rallied to the support of The Stand comedy club after it said it was on the verge of collapse.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
23/08/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
The week's best live comedy, finding venues where it can!
23/08/2020 … The week’s best live comedy Sunday August 23 LONDON: After a ‘soft opening’ last weekend, the Clapham Grand again hosts a ‘save live…
Black comedy show accused of racism
22/08/2020 … Jamaica’s Foreign Minister is to lodge a formal complaint with the BBC over a sketch on black comedy showcase Famalam that has been branded racist.
22/08/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Our look back at past festivals arrives at 2014
22/08/2020 … In 2014, John Kearns achieved the unique double of winning the main Edinburgh Comedy Award just 12 months after being named best newcomer – a title…
© The JPS/CC BY-SA 3.0 Venues make urgent plea for arts funding
22/08/2020 … The Stand comedy clubs have warned that they are on the brink of closure unless they get an arts funding bailout.
21/08/2020 … Tweets of the week I'm currently trying to sell a thermos with absolutely no capacity for any liquid.
Our look back at the Fringe of 2013
21/08/2020 … In 2013, Bridget Christie became the third female solo comedian to win the Edinburgh Comedy Award for her feminist-themed show A Bic For Her, while John Kearns…
Gig review by Steve Bennett on the River Cherwell, Oxford
21/08/2020 … Given the restrictions on gathering indoors, almost every comedy gig in these times has an unusual twist: it’s a drive-in, or in a stately home… or…
Helen Bauer on Comedy Central At The Edinburgh Fringe
21/08/2020 … Helen Bauer’s stand-up features in the latest instalment of Comedy Central At The Edinburgh Fringe.
Sky renews comedy for a second series
21/08/2020 … Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc's comedy Hitmen is to return for a second series.
Comedian Nathan Cassidy announces a gig as restrictions ease
21/08/2020 … At least one comedy event is to take place in Edinburgh this August.
Gavin Williamson gets the Room Next Door treatment
20/08/2020 … As sure as GCSEs was sure to end chaos, Michael Spice subjects Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to his Room Next Door treatment.
Our look back at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe
20/08/2020 … In 2012, James Acaster made the first of his five appearances on the Edinburgh comedy shortlist, though he has never taken the top prize.
© Xavier Mas 'I’m trying now to forge my own path' says Inbetweeners star
20/08/2020 … Simon Bird is considering a long-awaited return to the stand-up circuit.
Replacing Ken Jeong, who's grounded by Covid
20/08/2020 … Mo Gilligan is to join the panel of TV’s primetime show The Masked Singer.
And these are the comedians taking part
19/08/2020 … The Stand Up Sketch Show is to return to ITV2 for a second series – filmed in front of a socially distanced comedy-club audience.
19/08/2020 … Cabaret singer and comedian Dusty Limits has released a version of his traditional festival song The Twelve Days of EdFringe on YouTube.
Sacha Baron Cohen spotted filming in LA
19/08/2020 … Sacha Baron Cohen has been spotted filming new scenes as Borat.
© Jenni Walkowiak Hosted by a Jewish-Palestinian lesbian married couple
19/08/2020 … The BBC World Service is launching a new topical comedy show.
Nora from Queens coming to iPlayer this year
19/08/2020 … BBC Three has brought the rights to US comedy series Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.
Russian infiltrates the BBC....
19/08/2020 … Radio 4 has signed up Russian-born comedian Olga Koch for her own four-part comedy series.
From Comedy Central at the Edinburgh Fringe
19/08/2020 … Comedy Central has released a short stand-up set from Joanne McNally as part of its alternative Edinburgh Fringe series.
© ITV Comic to go wild in the aisles
19/08/2020 … Joel Dommett has achieved the pinnacle of stand-up achievement.
We look back at The Wrestling, and other highlights from the 2011 Fringe
19/08/2020 … Our nostalgia trip to Fringes past pulls in to 2011 today, the year Adam Riches won the main Edinburgh Comedy Award and Humphrey Ker won best newcomer in a crowded…
Cartoon strip that spawned a sitcom dropped after 25 years
19/08/2020 … The Guardian has axed its Clare In The Community cartoon, which also spawned a long-running Radio 4 comedy, after almost 25 years.
© David A Ellis / Creative Commons 3.0/CC BY-SA 3.0 His charity chips in £700,000 to Playhouse North
19/08/2020 … Ken Dodd is helping to build a new theatre from beyond the grave.
As Eddie Izzard, Ian Hislop and Hannah Gadsby appear as guests
19/08/2020 … Alice Levine is to take over as curator on Radio 4’s The Museum of Curiosity.
Dara O Briain is the first guest on Sarah Mills's new YouTube show
18/08/2020 … Comedian and TV producer Sarah Mills has launched the world's first chat show set in a chemotherapy ward.
© Just For Laughs Now he should be coming in September 2021
18/08/2020 … Trevor Noah has been forced to reschedule his UK dates yet again.
18/08/2020 … You don’t have to be a Jam fan to appreciate Ian Stone’s reminiscences about his formative experiences following the band, but you possibly have to be…
18/08/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Groundbreaking HBO series coming to the UK
18/08/2020 … A Black Lady Sketch Show is coming to the UK.
...but the comedians stay at home!
18/08/2020 … A theatre is opening its doors after lockdown with a comedy show with a live audience – but absent comedians.
Maisie Williams on her new Sky comedy Two Weeks To Live
18/08/2020 … In Sky’s new comedy, Two Weeks To Live, Maisie Williams stars as Kim Noakes, a strange young misfit raised in remote isolation by her survivalist mother Tina…
© Nick Wall Mawaan Rizwan on his new Sky comedy Two Weeks To Live
18/08/2020 … In Sky’s new comedy, Two Weeks To Live, Maisie Williams stars as Kim Noakes, a strange young misfit raised in remote isolation by her survivalist mother Tina…
Sian Clifford on her new Sky series, Two Weeks To Live
18/08/2020 … In Sky’s new comedy, Two Weeks To Live, Maisie Williams stars as Kim Noakes, a strange young misfit raised in remote isolation by her survivalist mother Tina…
A look back at the Edinburgh Fringe of 2010
18/08/2020 … 2010 was the year that Russell Kane took the Edinburgh Comedy Award with his Smokescreens And Castles show, reflecting on the overwhelming influence of his father…
18/08/2020 … Here's the trailer for James Veitch's HBO Max stand-up special, which is being released tomorrow.
Comedy Central at the Edinburgh Fringe
17/08/2020 … Thanyia Moore has kicked off Comedy Central's new series of short stand-up sets from comedians who should have been at this year's Edinburgh Fringe.
© UKTV Second series for Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont's mokcumentary
17/08/2020 … Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont are to make a second series of Meet The Richardsons, the mockumentary about their married life in Yorkshire.
17/08/2020 … Bill Bailey has thrown himself out a plane twice in just over a week The comic has done two tandem skydives, the first at 10,000ft – with 30 seconds of…
With Steen Raskopoulos and more
17/08/2020 … Netflix has released the official trailer for Katherine Ryan’s new comedy series The Duchess.
With Nigel Ng, Evelyn Mok and Ken Cheng
17/08/2020 … Radio 4 is to pilot a new sketch show from a team of East Asian comedians.
© Claire Haigh Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Clapham Grand, London
17/08/2020 … The Clapham Grand has hosted some sweaty rock gigs and raucous parties in its day - so to see it as a socially distanced comedy venue, a few tables sparsely scattered…
Our look back at Fringes past arrives at 2009
17/08/2020 … The 2009 Edinburgh Fringe, where Tim Key won the main comedy award for his show The Slutcracker.
16/08/2020 … Ever wondered what it would be like if REM sang the Wombles theme tune? Well, wonder no more as musical impressionist Darrell Maclaine has put on his best…
Darren Walsh performs to a sold-out crowd - of himselves
16/08/2020 … Is it the perfect audience - or the worst? Darren Walsh has performed a gig to a crowd comprising entirely of clones of himself.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
16/08/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
Comic criticises Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion for their raunchy video
16/08/2020 … Russell Brand is facing a backlash over a video berating Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion for their overt sexuality.
© UKTV Gold 15/08/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Our look back at the Edinburgh Fringe of 2008
15/08/2020 … Our journey through Fringes past today takes us to 2008: the year David O’Doherty won the main comedy award, and someone named Sarah Millican blew all away…
© UKTV 14/08/2020 … Sir Lenny Henry is reprising his eponymous sketch show - 36 years after it launched on BBC 1.
© UKTV/Adam Lawrence Paul Whitehouse on the legacy of the Fast Show
14/08/2020 … As the TV channel Gold prepares to air a Fast Show retrospective, entitled Just A Load Of Blooming Catchphrases, co-creator Paul Whitehouse looks back at the…
© uktv As a new retrospective airs, Charlie Higson mulls the show's legacy
14/08/2020 … As the TV channel Gold prepares to air a Fast Show retrospective, entitled Just A Load Of Blooming Catchphrases, co-creator Charlie Higson recalls working with Caroline…
14/08/2020 … It’s always fun watching before-they-were-famous clips of successful comedians to compare and contrast their early instincts with the gig-honed personas which…
Sky comedy with Maisie Williams, San Clifford, Mawaan Rizwan and more
14/08/2020 … Sky has released a new trailer for its new comedy Two Weeks To Live.
© Kamoompics 14/08/2020 … Tweets of the week A customer has just bought a 2021 calendar.
© BBC/Nit TV/Ray Burmiston Same date as new Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing and Famalam!
14/08/2020 … Harry Hill’s new TV series is to launch later this month – as part of a double-bill with the third series of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.
Next series to be a celebrity version
14/08/2020 … Comedians Ed Byrne and Desiree Burch are to take part in a new celebrity version of BBC One cooking show Best Home Cook.
We go back to the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe... and Micky Flanagan's debut show
14/08/2020 … Our Edinburgh Fringe Time Machine stops in 2007 today; the year that Brendon Burns wont he main prize with his audacious So I Suppose THIS Is Offensive Now – with…
© Hat Trick/BBC ...but they'll be in a different room!
14/08/2020 … Have I Got News For You producers are planning a return to filming with a studio audience… but they will be in a different room from the show.
© ITV Joel Dommett, Judi Love and Luke Kempner to appear in ITV2 series
14/08/2020 … Joel Dommett, Judi Love and impressionist Luke Kempner are to take part in ITV2s’ latest singing show, Celebrity Karaoke Club.
...though when they ACTUALLY will is still a moot point
14/08/2020 … Indoor comedy clubs can reopen from tomorrow, Boris Johnson has announced.
Streaming platform announces release date
13/08/2020 … Katherine Ryan's sitcom The Duchess is to be streamed from September 11, the platform has announced.
© BBC 13/08/2020 … She’s made her name on TV as Philomena Cunk and as Liz in Motherland, saying the words of some very talented writers.
Exclusive extract from a new book about the Goon's formative years with the wartime gang shows
13/08/2020 … From the Goons to Pink Panther and much more besides, Peter Sellers was one of the biggest comedy stars of the 1960s and 1970s.
Comic forced to cut new material set short by woman filming
13/08/2020 … A so-called comedy fan ruined a Russell Howard gig last night by filming his set on her phone.
Our look back at the Fringe of 2006
13/08/2020 … 2006 was the year the main Edinburgh awards were styled the if.
13/08/2020 … HBO Max has released a trailer for Rose Matafeo's first stand-up special, Horndog.
Stand-up routine gets animated
13/08/2020 … Animator Ken Grinell has made a cartoon version of one of Dane Baptiste's routines.
© Stuart Hogben Top comics gig to save historic London building
13/08/2020 … Dara O Briain Tom Allen and Joel Dommett are among the comics announced to play a new festival raising funds to save the historic Chiswick House And Gardens…
War of words over his 'limited vocabulary' when it comes to women
13/08/2020 … Keith Lemon creator Leigh Francis has hit back at presenter Melanie Sykes, after she slammed his alter-ego for the way he treats women.
Word-based show Lingo seeks contestants
13/08/2020 … Citizen Khan star Adil Ray is to host a new ITV show based on word games.
Title track from his first studio album
13/08/2020 … Tim Minchin has released the title track from his first studio album, Apart Together.
Dumping Taskmaster didn't boost the CW's audience
12/08/2020 … The American network executives’ decision to axe Taskmaster after just one episode has had almost zero effect on their ratings.
© Markus Spiske/Pexels An AI bot is generating some fake titles and blurbs - but are they any weirder than the real thing?
12/08/2020 … There may not be an Edinburgh Fringe show this year, but hundreds of shows are still being generated.
Bidding war sparked by viral video
12/08/2020 … Will Smith’s 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air is set to be rebooted – as a gritty drama.
How well do Alex Murphy and Chris Walley know each other?
12/08/2020 … How well do Young Offenders creators Alex Murphy and Chris Walley know each other? That's what Normal People star Paul Mescal tries to find out in this new…
Some of Chortle's reviews from the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe
12/08/2020 … 2005 was the year in which Laura Solon achieved the Edinburgh dream - an unknown playing a pub back room with a show she had to put together at the last minute because…
'I think in the next couple of years....'
11/08/2020 … Steve Coogan is considering a new tour in the guise of Alan Partridge, for the first time in a decade.
About his experiences of being blind
11/08/2020 … Radio 4 has commissioned a new stand-up series from comedian Jamie MacDonald.
© BBC Test your comedy knowledge (and your memory of 70s sitcom theme tunes) in our weekly trivia quiz
11/08/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Some of Chortle's reviews from the 2004 Fringe
11/08/2020 … Our journey back through the reviews archive arrives in 2004, when unknown Will Adamsdale took the Perrier for his show Jackson's Way, and…
11/08/2020 … Radio 4 has ordered more episodes of Darren Harriott’s stand-up show Black Label.
Taking over from Fearne Cotton on BBC Two show
11/08/2020 … Alan Carr is taking over from Fearne Cotton as presenter of BBC Two’s Interior Design Masters.
...as comedians perform for their staff meetings
10/08/2020 … The 700-plus employees of Octopus Energy are getting comedy performances as part of their weekly staff meeting.
10/08/2020 … HBO has ordered a two-part documentary about American comedy legend George Carlin from Judd Apatow.
Some choice reviews from the 2003 Edinburgh festival
10/08/2020 … Today we travel to 2003 to look at some of Chortle's reviews from the Edinburgh Fringe - the year in which Demetri Martin took the Perrier and Gary…
Period comedy far removed from Kerry & Kurtan Mucklowe
10/08/2020 … This Country creators Daisy May and Charlie Cooper have started work on their next show - an historical comedy.
10/08/2020 … Jesse Cave and her sister Bebe have made a new sketch for Channel 4.
Sky sets an air date for season 4
10/08/2020 … Sky One has set return date for The Russell Howard Hour.
Some choice reviews from the 2002 festival
09/08/2020 … Today we go back to look at some of the reviews Chortle editor Steve Bennett wrote for the 2002 Edinburgh Fringe; the year that Daniel Kitson won the Perrier and…
09/08/2020 … The week's best live comedy - yes, there is some! Sunday August 9 LONDON: Russell Howard brings the run of gigs at the Battersea Arts Centre courtyard…
© BBC The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
09/08/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio Sunday August 9 MORTIMER & WHITEHOUSE: GONE FISHING Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer’s life-affirming…
River gig with the punters on... well, punts
09/08/2020 … We’ve become used to live-streamed comedy during lockdown… but how about live comedy on a stream? Oxford-based Jericho Comedy is staging a stand-up…
© UKTV/Adam Lawrence 08/08/2020 … The Gold TV channel has set an air date for its Fast Show reunion.
08/08/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Some choice reviews from the 2001 Edinburgh Fringe
08/08/2020 … In lieu of any new Edinburgh Fringe shows, we continue our journey back through the reviews of Chortle editor Steve Bennett, this time looking at some of the picks…
07/08/2020 … Tweets of the week So what do we use as a phrase instead of: 'Avoiding it like the plague' now that we know that a lot of people don't, in fact,…
07/08/2020 … Nish Kumar talks about Trump's disastrous interview with Axios' Jonathan Swan in the latest monologue on Hello America.
£9,000 raised after circuit veteran suffered a stroke
07/08/2020 … Comedians are rallying around fellow stand-up Simon Clayton after he suffered a stroke.
Big top swapped for open-air shows
07/08/2020 … This year’s Greenwich Comedy Festival will go ahead, organisers have announced, swapping the usual big top for a more Covid-safe open air spectacle.
How Chortle reviewed Dave Gorman, Johnny Vegas and the Boosh in 2000
07/08/2020 … BY CHORTLE EDITOR STEVE BENNETT I've been covering the Edinburgh Fringe for 20 years for Chortle, seeing nigh on 2,500 shows in that time - not to mention…
Lottery to see every show at the venue in 2021
07/08/2020 … The Pleasance has launched a prize draw to win a pair of free tickets to every show it hosts at next year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
New radio series to tell the story of sitcom phenomenon
07/08/2020 … The BBC is dramatising the story of how pioneering 1950s comedy series I Love Lucy came to conquer the American airwaves.
© BBC/Open Mike Productions 07/08/2020 … BBC Two is to repackage some old Live At The Apollo routines for a new compilation series.
© BBC 06/08/2020 … The gimmick of Lee Mack’s new sitcom is that all the action happens in real time – though whether audiences would appreciate, or even notice, the restriction…
'Exploitation' claims after producers asked to be paid to consider sketch ideas
06/08/2020 … A production company has performed a U-turn following protests over its demands for comedy writers to pay a fee to have their sketches considered for a planned TV…
Based on her 2019 Edinburgh show, Accidental Coconut
06/08/2020 … Radio 4 has ordered a four-part series from comedian Njambi McGrath.
06/08/2020 … Comics Aisling Bea, James Acaster, Robert Webb, Ben Bailey Smith (aka Doc Brown) and Gemma Whelan have joined the star-studded cast of a new audiobook of Beatrix Potter’s…
06/08/2020 … Michael Palin is to reflect on his landmark travel series, in a new four-part documentary The new BBC show, Michael Palin’s Travels, will revisit his experiences…
Comic got down the last two for Lando Calrissian role
06/08/2020 … Ben Bailey Smith – better known on the stand-up circuit as Doc Brown – has revealed how he almost landed a major part in the Star Wars franchise,…
06/08/2020 … In one of the few TV programmes that can be made in isolation, Matt Berry provides his peculiarly stressed voiceover to a patchwork of unrelated archive clips.
X to air on three Vue screens next week
06/08/2020 … Daniel Sloss's stand-up special X is to be screened in cinemas again next week.
© UKTV UK original attracts poor ratings for The CW network
06/08/2020 … It has been successfully sold around the world – but an American broadcaster has pulled its run of Taskmaster from the schedules after just a single episode.
Set to be directed by Toni Collette
05/08/2020 … Mark Watson has written his first feature film, to be directed by Sixth Sense star Toni Collette.
As if the President needed any help looking dumb....
05/08/2020 … Justin Brown has won the internet.
By Sean Cullen and some of the 2001 Fringe comedians
05/08/2020 … Today is the day the first Fringe shows should have kicked off their month-long run.
Comedy Central revives 1990s animation
05/08/2020 … Comedy Central has announced it is to remake anarchic animated comedy Ren & Stimpy, just weeks after confirming it was also reviving Beavis and Butt-Head.
Arthur Smith's tour of Edinburgh falls to victim to Covid
05/08/2020 … The last remaining Edinburgh Fringe show has been cancelled, after Arthur Smith called off his unofficial guided walk.
With Nina Conti, Phil Wang, Ed Gamble and more
05/08/2020 … Brighton’s Open Air Theatre is to host a series of comedy gigs this summer, with line-ups including Nina Conti, Phil Wang, Ed Gamble and more.
The PRU will celebrate the 'beautiful chaos' of their lives
05/08/2020 … BBC Three is piloting a new comedy series about unruly pupils who have been removed from mainstream education.
© BBC/Objective Fiction 05/08/2020 … Matt Berry returns to BBC Two tomorrow as rogue historian Michael Squeamish, about with four more surreal mockumentaries, starting with the history of British…
© Avalon Plus caricatures of Dominic Cummings and Prince Andrew
05/08/2020 … The new Spitting Image puppets of Prince Andrew, Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings have been revealed.
05/08/2020 … Stand-up specials from Rose Matafeo and James Veitch are to drop on HBO Max on August 20, the American streaming service has announced.
© Isabelle Adam Last year's shows to be repeated on YouTube
04/08/2020 … The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society is to put 15 of last year’s Edinburgh Fringe shows online during the time this year’s festival should have taken…
04/08/2020 … The semi-finalists have been announced in this year’s Funny Women Stage Award.
© UKTV/Gareth Gatrell ...and other anecdotes from the making of the sitcom
04/08/2020 … The creators of Red Dwarf initially thought the preening, self-centred character of Cat might be racist, a new documentary recalls.
© BBC 04/08/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© Steve Ullathorne 6.5 Children 'fiinds funny in raising children with disabilities’
04/08/2020 … Radio 4 has ordered a new four-part series from comedian Ashley Blaker.
...backed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
04/08/2020 … Major Edinburgh Fringe operator Underbelly has launched a fundraiser for the performers who were due to appear at its venues this year.
© Idil Sukan Comedians in another virtual festival to help fill the gapp
04/08/2020 … Sara Pascoe, Mark Thomas and Rosie Jones are among the comedians taking part in another virtual festival aiming to help fill the void left by the cancellation of…
© Pierre Rosa / Pixabay Sebastian Bloomfield on stand-up comedy and the quest for cultural credibility
04/08/2020 … Arts Council England has recently taken the unprecedented step of including comedy as a form of theatre under the terms of the Culture Recovery Fund, part of the…
Recreate an Only Fools scene in your own home...
04/08/2020 … Only Fools And Horses star John Challis is flogging a hooky set of poker cards, with four extra kings in the pack.
03/08/2020 … Piff The Magic Dragon has been crowned winner of the Tournament of Laughs comedy competition run by America’s TBS TV network.
October gigs called off as social distancing makes it unviable
03/08/2020 … The Aberdeen International Comedy Festival, due to take place from October 1 to 11, has been called off.
Nish Kumar's latest Hello America monologue
03/08/2020 … Nish Kumar took a look at the congressional hearing into the big four tech companies - Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon – in the latest episode of his short-form…
Autumn's starting to look very barren...
03/08/2020 … More comedians have rescheduled their planned autumn tours until 2021.
For six of the next eight episodes
03/08/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan has effectively taken over as host of Sky panel show A League of Their Own.
Jamali Maddix to introduced ten comedians
03/08/2020 … Comedy Central has revealed the host and line-up of rising comedians who will star in the digital series it is making in lieu of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Jamali…
...but only because Mark E Smith died
03/08/2020 … Happy Mondays lead singer Shaun Ryder is making his TV acting debut in Diane Morgan’s sitcom Mandy - but only because Mark E Smith died.
© BBC/Objective Fiction The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
02/08/2020 … Monday August 3 TRAVEL MAN: Richard Ayoade’s globetrotting series arrives on Dave for the first time, with ten episodes stripped in double bills at the…
Awards for Sian Clifford, Mo Gilligan, Taskmaster and more - watch the acceptance speeches here
31/07/2020 … Stath Lets Flats was a double winner at tonight’s Bafta awards, scooping best scripted comedy and best male performance for its star and creator Jamie Demetriou.
31/07/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Based on questions asked on Zoe Ball’s Radio 2 show
31/07/2020 … QI’s researchers are to release a new book based on questions fans have set them.
31/07/2020 … Tweets of the week MAKE THE ENTIRE DESK OUT OF MOUSE PAD STUFF — r.
Government's last-minute U-turn throws industry into chaos again
31/07/2020 … The government has performed an abrupt U-turn and told comedy clubs in England that they CANNOT now reopen tomorrow.
© BBC Studios Brain In Gear heading to BBC Two
31/07/2020 … Famalam star Gbemisola Ikumelo is to make a new comedy series for BBC Two Brain In Gear was originally piloted as part of the broadcaster’s Comedy…
New short film to back conservation
30/07/2020 … Rich Hall and Romesh Ranganathan star in a new mockumentary short with an animal rights message.
Credits include Porridge, Yes Minister and so much more
30/07/2020 … Legendary comedy producer and director Sydney Lotterby has died at the age of 93.
© Carla Speight Manchester's Frog & Bucket has hosted a socially-distanced pilot. Steve Bennett was there
30/07/2020 … Are you ready for some comedy! Then please read and agree to this government-mandated 21-point health and safety briefing… That’s what punters…
...but some of it will be virtual
30/07/2020 … The producers of the Leicester Comedy Festival have vowed that next year’s event will go ahead.
© Trevor Leighton 30/07/2020 … Dawn French is releasing her first new novel in five years.
© C4 29/07/2020 … Derry Girls writer Lisa McGee has penned an official spin-off book to be published this autumn.
Accolade from Edinburgh TV Festival
29/07/2020 … Comedy writer Tasha Dhanraj has been named 'one to watch' by the Edinburgh TV Festival.
29/07/2020 … The full line-up of comedians has been announced the Edinburgh Unlocked audiobook, which aims to offer a taste of the cancelled Fringe.
© C4 Daisy May Cooper, Katherine Parkinson, Johnny Vegas, Mawaan Rizwan and Richard Herring
29/07/2020 … The line-up has been unveiled for the next series of Taskmaster, which will launch on its new home on Channel 4 this autumn.
Other guest stars will include Olivia Colman and Hannibal Buress
29/07/2020 … Michael Palin is to appear on The Simpsons.
With the 'most embarrassing and bleak anecdotes'
29/07/2020 … Alison Spittle and Fern Brady are to host a new podcast for BBC Sounds.
...but comedy IS included in government arts bailout
29/07/2020 … Hopes that the live comedy scene could make a relatively brisk return to normality have been dashed by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden.
26 years on, groundbreaking comedy can be seen again
29/07/2020 … Every episode of influential sketch comedy show The Real McCoy has been released on iPlayer.
© Karla Gowlett Brighton's new venue to beat Covid
28/07/2020 … Brighton Beach is to host a raft of comedy shows this summer, with the opening of a new outdoor venue, The Warren, the hub for the annual Brighton Fringe every…
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel leads shortlists
28/07/2020 … John Oliver, What We Do In The Shadows, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Hannah Gadsby have all been nominated for Emmy awards.
28/07/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© BBC Lee Mack speaks ahead of his new BBC comedy, Semi-Detached
28/07/2020 … What can you tell us about Semi-Detached? It’s about a man who lives with his much younger girlfriend and he’s living opposite his ex-wife who lives…
© BBC Interview with David Crow and Oliver Maltman, writers of new BBC comedy Semi-Detched
28/07/2020 … What can you tell us about Semi-Detached? It’s about divorced couple Stuart (Lee Mack) and Kate (Samantha Spiro), who live on opposite sides of the same…
'Lockdown has given us great opportunities'
28/07/2020 … The company behind spoof website Daily Mash has doubled its cash balance in six months Digitalbox plc, which also owns Entertainment Daily, swelled its bank…
27/07/2020 … Comic Matthew Highton has recreated yet another classic TV opening sequence using only stock footage: Duck Tales.
© BBC But 52-year-old comedy won't be banned
27/07/2020 … A 52-year-old episode of radio comedy Round The Horne has broken current BBC standards because of its potentially racist stereotypes, the broadcaster’s complaints…
Sara Barron on Nish Kumar's Hello America
27/07/2020 … Sara Barron sets out her plan to recruit an army of Karens when she appeared on Nish Kumar's Hello America.
Quite some feat 12 years after he died!
27/07/2020 … George Carlin is to make an appearance in the new Bill & Ted movie – 12 years after his death.
Gary Faulds had lost 4st to try to get in...
27/07/2020 … Comic Gary Faulds has revealed his bitter disappointment after failing to get into the Army – despite losing more than 4st.
© Comedy Central 27/07/2020 … Jimmy Carr and Adam Kay have been added to the bill of what’s being billed as the first socially distanced live music arena.
© BBC/Stephen Perry/Wall to Wall Alongside Jessica Hynes, Kermit and Miss Piggy
27/07/2020 … Greg Davies, Jessica Hynes, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy will be among the celebrities handing out Bafta awards this Friday.
Informal sequel to 1066 And All That
26/07/2020 … Al Murray has written a spoof history book, picking up the mantle of the classic 1066 And All That.
Baftas, Travel Man, and the rest of the week's comedy on TV and radio
26/07/2020 … Wednesday July 29 COMEDY’S COMING HOME: In this 2002 series, being repeated from today on Radio 4 Extra, British comedians visit their families' homelands…
The pick of the week's live comedy
26/07/2020 … Gigs are taking place outdoors and, tentatively, indoors from this week, adhering to social distancing guidelines.
25/07/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Comics will wear visors at Just The Tonic show
25/07/2020 … Nottingham’s Just The Tonic will next week become the second comedy club to host an indoor stand-up gig after lockdown.
© BBC 24/07/2020 … Of all the sentiments that follow the trite contemporary cliché ‘now, more than ever…’, the most unarguable is probably that we all need…
24/07/2020 … Tweets of the week Shoutout to anyone who has never questioned their own identity.
© BBC Allan Mustafa and Hugo Chegwin will be Chattin' Shit
24/07/2020 … People Just Do Nothing stars Allan Mustafa and Hugo Chegwin are to launch a new podcast.
24/07/2020 … Bec Hill has released a third instalment of her misheard lyrics videos.
Why There is No Hope show coming live from London
24/07/2020 … John Cleese is to perform his first live streaming gig.
Jon Petrie is new head of comedy at Broke & Bones,
24/07/2020 … Channel 4 comedy commissioner Jon Petrie has joined the new production company set up by Black Mirror creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones.
© Damian Bennett New track to be unveiled at next week's ceremony
24/07/2020 … Tim Minchin is to perform at this year’s Bafta awards.
Manchester's Frog & Bucket pilots a show next week
24/07/2020 … Manchester’s Frog and Bucket is to become the first comedy club to host an indoor gig since lockdown began four months ago.
Project axed following accusations of inappropriate sexual advances
23/07/2020 … Netflix has pulled the plug on Chris D’Elia’s upcoming prank show after the comedian was accused of soliciting underage girls on social media.
First teaser for Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's new comedy
23/07/2020 … Amazon has released the first trailer for Truth Seekers, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg's upcoming eight-part horror-comedy series.
23/07/2020 … Sofie Hagen is to co-host a new true crime podcast for BBC Sounds.
New homegrown series across Scandinavia
23/07/2020 … Nordic remakes of Taskmaster are proving a hit across Scandinavia.
But you'd need to be richer than the Brockmans to buy it....
23/07/2020 … Want to live like the Brockmans? The London house where BBC comedy Outnumbered was filmed in has gone on the market for £1.
© ITV News comes days after BBC revealed a similar show
23/07/2020 … Jonathan Ross is to host a major new stand-up show for ITV.
Milestone for Ed Gamble and James Acaster's podcast
22/07/2020 … Ed Gamble and James Acaster's Off Menu podcast has hit 30 million downloads.
Miles Jupp on fleshing out Mary Poppins actor David Tomlinson
22/07/2020 … When Miles Jupp played Mary Poppins actor David Tomlinson in the one-man show The Life I Lead last year, he got some generous support from the late thespian’s…
Satirist mixes memoir and politics
22/07/2020 … Satirist Matt Forde has written his first book, mixing autobiography with a behind-the-scenes view of politics from his time as a Labour party adviser.
(It's just Arthur Smith doing his walks)
22/07/2020 … Arthur Smith is not going to let a little thing like a global pandemic stop his annual trip to the Edinburgh Fringe… even if the festival itself has been…
© BBC Full cast announced for new BBC comedy
22/07/2020 … Comedians Mark Silcox, Michael Spicer and Jackie Clune have joined the case of Diane Morgan's BBC Two comedy Mandy.
First in a new character comedy web series
21/07/2020 … Comedian Thomas Millett has launched a new character comedy web series.
In The Long Run star Kellie Shirley shares the contents of her shelves...
21/07/2020 … In The Long Run, Idris Elba’s comedy based on his upbringing in 1980s London, returns to Sky One this week.
21/07/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Festival plans no live shows this year
21/07/2020 … Montreal’s Just For Laughs comedy festival is going digital this autumn.
Nick Frost and Simon Pegg's new horror-comedy
21/07/2020 … Amazon Prime has today released some new images Nick Frost and Simon Pegg's upcoming eight-part horror-comedy series Truth Seekers.
© Netflix Netflix special reviewed by Steve Bennett
21/07/2020 … During a mini-rant about vegans in his new special, Jack Whitehall acknowledges that he's going after 'low-hanging fruit'.
Six regional shows to give the circuit a shot in the arm
21/07/2020 … The BBC has announced a new stand-up series designed to support grassroots comedy talent hammered by the Covid-19 crisis.
I Can See Your Voice to air next year
21/07/2020 … Paddy McGuinness has been announced as the host of BBC One's new music game show I Can See Your Voice.
Odd honour during an international trade debate
20/07/2020 … Michael Spicer has achieved a rare, if dubious honour - being mentioned in the House of Commons.
Suggesting the US needs its own royal family
20/07/2020 … Nish Kumar has been reunited with Mash Report co-star Rachel Parris on his topical US series, Hello America.
© BBC/Open Mike Productions 16th series won't be taped this year
20/07/2020 … The next series of Live At The Apollo – its 16th – has been put on hold because of coronavirus.
This year's comedy showcase is a digital download
20/07/2020 … Chortle’s Fast Fringe is back - as a virtual event.
'Not with money, just this shitty little video...'
20/07/2020 … Ricky Gervais has backed a fundraising campaign for the comedy club that gave him his first paid stand-up gig.
© Vico Films 20/07/2020 … Famously, one of the mantras of the Seinfeld writers was ‘no learning’: whatever happened to their selfish characters, they would display zero emotional…
Mel Giedroyc to host new C4 craft series
20/07/2020 … Mel Giedroyc is returning to Channel 4 with a new challenge show putting Britain's most talented woodworkers to the test.
Deal to air Nick Mohammed and David Schwimmer comedy
20/07/2020 … Nick Mohammed and David Schwimmer's spy comedy Intelligence is to air in Canada.
Potato feat named Taskmaster's greatest ever moment
20/07/2020 … It was a remarkable and unexpected feat by any measure - Joe Wilkinson lobbing a spud into a golf hole from a distance on his first attempt.
Stars voice animals in new London Zoo ad
20/07/2020 … Comedians including Bill Bailey, Catherine Tate, Alan Carr, Tom Allen have recorded a new TV ad in aid of London Zoo.
The week's best live stand-up... yes it's back!
19/07/2020 … It's been a while since we've run this once-regular column, but with smatterings of outdoor, socially distanced comedy gigs tentatively returning to England,…
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
19/07/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio Monday July 20 ENTERPRICE: Landing on BBC One a few months after its BBC Three iPlayer debut is…
© Just For Laughs Plug pulled on a full series of socially distanced festivals
19/07/2020 … A major series of outdoor gigs have been cancelled within hours of announcing Jimmy Carr as the surprise headliner.
18/07/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Six half-hour shows start next week
18/07/2020 … Radio 4 is air a 'summer comedy festival', with a series of weekly showcases starting next Friday.
© C4 For This Way Up and Stath Lets Flats
17/07/2020 … Aisling Bea and Jamie Demetriou have picked up Bafta awards tongiht.
17/07/2020 … ITV2 has ordered a stand-up and sketch show from Emily Atack.
Two seasons of events announced
17/07/2020 … Two series of open-air comedy nights have been announced in South London.
© BBC ...but will social distancing make them unviable?
17/07/2020 … Boris Johnson has signalled that live indoor performances can resume as early as August 1.
Python film loses its stigma with film board's new rating
17/07/2020 … Monty Python's Life of Brian - the film so controversial it was banned from some British cinemas on its release in 1979 - has been reclassified as a 12A.
17/07/2020 … The BBC has released a trailer for Lee Mack's new sitcom Semi-Detached.
17/07/2020 … Richard Herring has written a book inspired by his annual battle with sexist trolls on International Women's Day.
16/07/2020 … The Just For Laughs comedy festival has announced a raft of programming on paid-for US digital radio network SiriusXM in place of its Montreal event.
© Matt Humphrey Recording of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s West End hit is being screened for the next week
16/07/2020 … Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s one woman stage version of Fleabag is returning to cinemas tomorrow.
© Comedy Central Other comics lined up for Popup Picnics, too
16/07/2020 … Jimmy Carr is to headline the socially-distanced Popup Picnics this summer, it has been announced.
Trailer for Muppets Now on Disney+
16/07/2020 … Disney has released a new trailer for the new Muppets Now series, featuring the characters in a Zoom meeting.
© Dave Morris / Monkeywing/CC BY-SA 2.0 Low ticket sales and new lockdown fears blamed
16/07/2020 … Organisers have pulled the plug on a second raft of drive-in comedy ventures, blaming insufficient ticket sales.
16/07/2020 … New Zealand based comedian Urzila Carlson has joined the judging panel of The Masked Singer in Australia.
Comedy Store shows cancelled over local lockdown fears
15/07/2020 … A nationwide series of Comedy Store drive-in gigs has been cancelled over fears of further coronavirus flare-ups.
15/07/2020 … Musical comedy duo Flo & Joan have released a new song, If I Could Change My Body.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge reveals the inside story of Fleabag
15/07/2020 … Fleabag has won countless plaudits for its razor-sharp writing, with every line bursting with wit and honesty.
© Cave Bear/Tiger Aspect US streaming deal for BBC One comedy
15/07/2020 … BBC One comedy The Other One is to air in America.
Full summer of gigs in Central London
15/07/2020 … Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has announced a summer season of comedy shows, featuring the likes of Russell Brand, Jimmy Carr and Rob Beckett.
© Vico Films The cast of The Young Offenders talk about the comedy's return
15/07/2020 … The Young Offenders – the coming-of-age comedy about loveable rogues Conor (Alex Murphy) and Jock (Chris Walley) and their mother/guardian Mairéad (Hilary…
© Two Rivers 15/07/2020 … BBC Two is to air a Frankie Boyle stand-up special shot in his native Glasgow Excited For You To See And Hate This was filmed at the end…
© Avalon/Mark Harrison 15/07/2020 … The revived version of Spitting Image has been sold to Belgium.
Steve Coogan's production company staffs up
15/07/2020 … Steve Coogan’s production company Baby Cow has appointed a new comedy development producer.
Even with nobody in the audience...
15/07/2020 … John Hastings appeared on America's Got Talent last night - performing to an almost entirely empty theatre.
14/07/2020 … Saturday Night Live star Michael Che is making his own sketch show for American streaming service HBO Max.
© BBC/Stephen Perry/Wall to Wall 14/07/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© C4 14/07/2020 … Netflix has had to remove the second series of Derry Girls from its platform in an apparent mix-up over rights.
With Jason Sudeikis , Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Nick Mohammed
14/07/2020 … Apple has today released the official trailer for Ted Lasso, a new comedy series from Jason Sudeikis and Bill Lawrence, that will premiere globally…
With Lauren Pattison and Lew Fitz
14/07/2020 … Comedians Lauren Pattison and Lew Fitz have relived all the worst Zoom date experiences they could muster for this new video.
New series looks back at the hit sci-fi comedy
14/07/2020 … The cast and crew of Red Dwarf have made a three-part series looking back over the sci-fi comedy’s 32-year history.
Rory Bremner recalls his stage nerves
14/07/2020 … It’s almost certainly the wrong reassurance to give to an impressionist.
14/07/2020 … It’s more than 30 years old, and often mocked for for being the obvious choice, but Del Boy falling through a bar in Only Fools and Horses has been voted…
Playing behind closed doors at Old Trafford
14/07/2020 … Jason Manford has been named as the first star to be taking part in this year’s Soccer Aid fundraising match.
Susan Wokoma records My Mum’s A Twat audiobook
14/07/2020 … Susan Wokoma has recorded an audiobook version of the theatrical monologue My Mum’s A Twat.
© Hungry McBear / BBC The Wheel coming to Saturday night telly
13/07/2020 … Michael McIntyre is to host new BBC One game show called The Wheel.
As alternative plans are unveiled
13/07/2020 … Here’s what this year’s Edinburgh Fringe programme would have looked like, had the festival gone ahead.
Comedians record segments for new release
13/07/2020 … More than 20 comedians will showcase their work in a new audiobook, which aims to offer a taste of the cancelled Edinburgh Fringe.
© BBC/So Television/Christopher Baines As comedians share their stories of the NHS
13/07/2020 … Graham Norton has revealed how he thought he was going to die after being stabbed during a violent mugging.
Online shorts in lieu of the real festival
13/07/2020 … Comedy Central is to highlight ten comedians who would have been performing at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, had it not been cancelled.
This week's comedy on TV and radio
12/07/2020 … The week's best comedy on TV and radio.
More accolades for Chris & Rosie Ramsey, Rob Auton and Rule Of Three
12/07/2020 … The Kurupt FM show from the People Just Do Nothing team has been name best comedy at the British Podcast Awards.
11/07/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
11/07/2020 … NBC has released a trailer for the 30 Rock reunion special.
© HBO No second series for Vicky Jones's Sky comedy
11/07/2020 … Sky’s rom-com thriller Run will not be returning for a second series.
10/07/2020 … Tweets of the week A fellow producer just sent me this and I've been crying for at least 5 minutes: pic.
© BBC / Fullwell 73 10/07/2020 … If you don’t follow sport, the opening few minutes of Jack Whitehall’s Sporting Nation are likely to grate more than the five minutes of every news bulletin…
Green Wing writer's death linked to Covid-19
10/07/2020 … Tributes have been paid to comedy writer Richard Preddy, who died this week.
© Mark Gordon/CC BY-SA 3.0 Nicola Sturgeon leads tributes
10/07/2020 … Glaswegian comedian Johnny Beattie has died at the age of 93.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at Bath Racecourse
10/07/2020 … ‘This is not a perfect way to do comedy,’ Mark Watson admits during the first of more than two dozen of his Carpool Comedy drive-in gigs.
10/07/2020 … Tom Allen’s UK travel show pilot is to air on Channel 4 this December, the broadcaster has announced.
...but it's up to £37 to see a warm-up show!
10/07/2020 … John Bishop has announced his tour dates for 2021.
Celebrity Game Night to be presented by Liza Tarbuck
10/07/2020 … Sue Perkins and Guz Khan are to be team captains in a celebrity game show newly commissioned by Comedy Central.
His second Netflix special, coming this month
10/07/2020 … Netflix has released a trailer for Jack Whitehall's second special for them, called I'm Only Joking.
© Sally-Anne Hayward/Twitter Government gives the OK for al fresco shows from this weekend
10/07/2020 … Comedy gigs can officially take place outdoors from Saturday.
Bethany Dawson and Tobias Soar call for a greater range of disabled characters in TV comedy
09/07/2020 … In British television comedy, disabled people are often the butt of cheap jokes: from the severely sight impaired Mr Magoo to the use of mental health problems for…
Tribute to comic on what would have been his 67th birthday
09/07/2020 … A Boston square has been renamed in tribute to Barry Crimmins, the activist comedian who was so instrumental in shaping the US city’s comedy scheme.
09/07/2020 … An anti-masker and someone who sees the public health benefits of covering your mouth take on each other in this rap battle.
As lockdown telly brings families together
09/07/2020 … The Simpsons are Britain’s favourite TV family, a new survey has revealed - pushing the Trotters from Only Fools and Horses into second place.
How the whole industry has been battered
08/07/2020 … As part of its report into how Covid-19 has decimated the comedy industry, the Live Comedy Industry asked comedians and other professionals in the business how lockdown…
Revealed: Full extent of how coronavirus has decimated the industry
08/07/2020 … The devastating effect of the coronavirus lockdown on the live comedy has been revealed in a major survey of the industry.
08/07/2020 … Bill Bailey has written a new book about how to be happy.
(Well, she has been dead for 25 years)
08/07/2020 … Bureaucrats have rejected calls to honour the late comedy trailblazer Marti Caine on a walk of fame - because she wouldn’t be able to attend the unveiling.
Now Amnesty blasts 'trumped up' charges against Idris Sultan
08/07/2020 … A comedian is facing criminal charges after laughing at the Tanzanian president.
Comedy returns to the BBC this month
08/07/2020 … BBC Three has released the trailer for the third series of The Young Offenders.
Idris Elba and Bill Bailey return
08/07/2020 … Sky has released a trailer for the third series of Idris Elba's comedy In The Long Run.
08/07/2020 … Paul Sinha is to make a second series of his Radio 4 show General Knowledge.
By Christian Brighty and Amy Greaves
08/07/2020 … Lockdown does strange things to people.
New industry body lobbies for access to emergency funds
08/07/2020 … The Scottish comedy circuit has formed a new trade body to try to secure a financial lifeline to save the industry as it stands on the brink of collapse.
© C4 With a show that sounds not unlike TV Burp...
08/07/2020 … Harry Hill is set to return to the BBC with a show that’s already being likened to TV Burp.
Netflix comedy special reviewed by Steve Bennett
07/07/2020 … On the face of it, Jim Jefferies doesn’t seem to be the ideal comedian for the moment.
With an emphasis on reusing materials
07/07/2020 … Stand-up Bec Hill is to make a comedy arts-and-crafts series for CITV.
© Just For Laughs Covid-19 'leaves us with no alternative'
07/07/2020 … Just For Laughs have pulled this year's JFL42 comedy festival due to be held in Toronto.
New Zealand romcom coming soon
07/07/2020 … Here's the first look at Rose Matafeo in the forthcoming New Zealand romcom movie Baby Done.
...it did for me, writes Connor Wallace
07/07/2020 … In 2016, I thought I was finished with comedy.
Newcastle Racecourse becomes a festival site
07/07/2020 … Jason Manford and Bill Bailey are to be the first comedians to play what’s being billed as the first socially distanced live music arena.
© Netflix Moving from Netflix to Comedy Central
07/07/2020 … America's Comedy Central has signed up stand-up John Mulaney to produce two more of his Sack Lunch Bunch children's musical comedy specials.
© HFPA 07/07/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Comic designs a pin to hail lockdown heroes
07/07/2020 … As an artist, Joe Lycett has already had a sculpture displayed at the Royal Academy.
Collection of one-liners out this autumn
07/07/2020 … Gary Delaney has signed a deal to publish some of his best one-liners in a new joke book.
07/07/2020 … Audible has created a trailer for Alan Partridge's new podcast, From The Oasthouse.
Shagged. Married. Annoyed now hits the road in 2021
06/07/2020 … Chris and Rosie Ramsey have rescheduled their live Shagged.
06/07/2020 … The first series of Sky’s cop comedy Code 404 has been released on DVD today - and we have six copies to give away.
© Suzy Hazelwood/Pexels Seven in ten workers furloughed
06/07/2020 … The full impact of the lockdown on the live arts and entertainment scene has been revealed in new research.
06/07/2020 … Funny Women have revealed the longlists for their comedy writing and comedy shorts awards.
06/07/2020 … Any rock mockumentary must exist in the long shadow of This Is Spinal Tap.
Clip from Tournament Of Laughs
06/07/2020 … Piff the Magic Dragon has mad the Eiffel Tower vanish in tribute to one of David Copperfield's best-known tricks.
© Richard Goldschmidt/CC BY-SA 3.0 Comedians eligible for £1,000 emergency grants
06/07/2020 … Netflix has donated £500,000 to give emergency help to comedians, actors and offstage workers left without an income during lockdown.
© Andrew Hurley/CC BY-SA 2.0 Tony Hadley distances himself from the Kemps' Spandau Ballet mockumentary
06/07/2020 … Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley has distanced himself from the BBC mockumentary about his former bandmates.
06/07/2020 … Jack Dee is writing a new book in which he ‘solves’ his fans’ problems.
...but questions remain over who will benefit
06/07/2020 … The government has announced a £1.
Sketch duo's Audible series packed with guest stars
05/07/2020 … Comedy duo The Pin are making a mockumentary series for Audible.
05/07/2020 … Here's the intro to classic sitcom Happy Days - but recreated with stock footage.
This week's comedy on TV and radio
05/07/2020 … Pick of the week's comedy on TV and radio Sunday July 5 THE KEMPS: ALL TRUE: Brian Pern co-creator Rhys Thomas interviews Gary and Martin Kemp about…
04/07/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Stevie Martin reveals more misogyny on the comedy circuit
04/07/2020 … A comedy promoter ‘paid’ men who played his gig with the phone numbers of female stand-ups, rather than money.
© ITV Spice Girl last just two series
04/07/2020 … Mel B has quit Celebrity Juice after just two seasons as captain.
03/07/2020 … Quote of the week " I really liked all the other women on the circuit, until they got more famous than me, then I hated them.
© Fung Wah Man Poem to be placed outside reopened London boozers
03/07/2020 … Tim Key has written a poem to celebrate the reopening of the pubs after lockdown.
...as it becomes part of the drama department
03/07/2020 … ITV has announced Nana Hughes as its new head of scripted comedy.
03/07/2020 … Jason Byrne has become the latest comedian to postpone his autumn tour.
Rhys Thomas on his new mockumentary The Kemps: All True
03/07/2020 … In The Kemps: All True, Brian Pern co-creator Rhys Thomas interviews Gary and Martin Kemp about their lives and careers following Spandau Ballet’s 40th anniversary…
03/07/2020 … Filming on Sky’s entertainment series There’s Something About Movies and A League of Their Own is set to start this month.
© Merman The cast and creators of There She Goes talk about the return of the comedy-drama
03/07/2020 … There She Goes – a comedy-drama based on the experiences writers Shaun Pye and Sarah Crawford had on bringing up a severely learning disabled girl returns…
Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin to return
03/07/2020 … Netflix comedy The Kominsky Method is to return for a third and final series, the streaming giant has announced.
The Curse in development for Channel 4
02/07/2020 … Three stars of People Just Do Nothing are reuniting on a heist comedy.
Alongside a behind-the-scenes book
02/07/2020 … The scripts from Inside No 9 are to be published for the first time.
From Ayo and Rachel Are Single
02/07/2020 … Here's the latest instalment of the Comedy Central US mini-series from comics Ayo Edibiri and Rachel Sennott.
...but Peep Show flat is bottom of the property heap
02/07/2020 … Want to live like a Birds Of A Feather character? Well it would cost you £2.
Autobiography No Shame to be published this autumn
02/07/2020 … Tom Allen has written his autobiography.
Plans for new events... and they're not drive-ins
02/07/2020 … Plans are afoot for the first non-drive-in comedy shows since lockdown began.
01/07/2020 … The US remake of Ghosts has cast its two main characters.
Animated duo to be 'reimagined for a Gen Z world'
01/07/2020 … Beavis and Butt-Head are coming back to TV, with Comedy Central ordering two new series from creator Mike Judge.
Stand-up speaks out about the the comedy industry’s revitalised #MeToo movement
01/07/2020 … Shappi Khorsandi has said that female comedians stayed silent about the ‘horrible stuff’ going on in the comedy circuit in the Nineties partly because…
© BBC He played the doctor in The Germans episode
30/06/2020 … Louis Mahoney, who played the doctor in the Fawlty Towers episode The Germans has died at the age of 81.
30/06/2020 … Larry David is to make an 11th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, broadcaster HBO has revealed.
30/06/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© Alan Light/CC BY-SA 2.0 30/06/2020 … Comedy legend Carl Reiner has died at the age of 98.
From ABC's At Home Alone Together
30/06/2020 … Here are some tips on how to deal with parenting guilt during lockdown.
Let's go beyond social media chatter and nail all the creeps, whoever they are, argues Chelsea Hart
30/06/2020 … Over the past few days, it seems as if a new reckoning has swept through the comedy circuit.
30/06/2020 … If you're a young, white, middle-class female comedian making a TV show with a frank scene about sex, you're going to be compared with you-know-who.
Comprising 'his 22 favourite jokes'
30/06/2020 … Former Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Alex Edelman is to release his debut comedy album Until Now, which will be released on July 10, is billed as a collection…
30/06/2020 … Talk about cross-fit! Let Jesus be your fitness nstructor in this new keep-fit video.
Comic Relief prize draw launched
30/06/2020 … Podcast fans are being offered the chance to be a guest on the favourite shows, thanks to a prize draw being run by Comic Relief.
© BBC / Fullwell 73 Jack Whitehall his new BBC One show, Sporting Nation
30/06/2020 … Jack Whitehall is to present a history of UK sporting achievements on BBC One next month, with a six-part series making some small attempt to fill the vast hole…
© Karla Gowlett New award to celebrate the top female talent
29/06/2020 … It sounds like an oxymoron - but a new award has been launched for the writers of unscripted comedy.
Sky's comedy sets binge-watching records
29/06/2020 … Sky says its comedy Brassic has set a record for binge-watching.
© Hopscotch Productions/Helen Jones TV company formed to exploit that talent
29/06/2020 … TV production companies Channel X and Hopscotch Films have combined to launch a new venture in Glasgow.
© C4 29/06/2020 … Netflix has edited an episode of Peep Show to remove a blackface scene.
Not a good sign for the early resumption of live comedy...
29/06/2020 … Milton Jones has become the first major comedian to reschedule his autumn dates – reflecting fresh fears about when live stand-up might be able to resume.
Playing a 'smart cookie' coder
29/06/2020 … Isy Suttie has joined the cast of the next Wallace & Gromit adventure, alongside Miriam Margolyes and Jim Carter.
The heroic battle songified...
29/06/2020 … Donald Trump's heroic victory over the most treacherous ramp in history - everybody's saying it - has been 'songified'.
Watch the video of him leading an offensive singalong
28/06/2020 … Sacha Baron Cohen has gate-crashed a right-wing pro-gun event in the US.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
28/06/2020 … Here’s the pick of this week’s comedy on TV and radio - although the cupboard is looking very bare this far into lockdown.
28/06/2020 … The Golden Girls has become the latest comedy to be removed from streaming service because of a blackface joke.
With Susan Calman, Aisling Bea and more
28/06/2020 … The producers of QI have released a compilation of cut scenes and pre-show banter from the current R series.
Jimmy Carr reveals his hair transplant
27/06/2020 … Jimmy Carr has revealed his hair transplant.
27/06/2020 … A Christian is surprised to find that Jesus isn't white in this sketch from Famalam.
The Simpsons and Family Guy recast... as The Office cuts blackface scene
27/06/2020 … White actors will no longer voice black and Asian characters on The Simpsons and Family Guy, producers have announced.
Tez Ilyas steps down from industry body over inappropriate behaviour
26/06/2020 … Tez Ilyas has stepped down from the steering group of new industry body the Live Comedy Association after admitting ‘inappropriate behaviour’ towards…
Suzuki-branded tour features comedy shows
26/06/2020 … A new batch of drive-in comedy gigs have been announced for the summer.
Sunrise put online and open for discussion!
26/06/2020 … Jesse Cave’s book Sunrise has been put online for free until Wednesday.
26/06/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
© Derdento/Pixabay
© UKTV New book to be published next year
26/06/2020 … Sir Lenny Henry is writing a manifesto about tackling the lack of diversity in TV.
As explained by Just These Please via the medium of song parody
26/06/2020 … Sketch trio Just These Please have released a new video explaining the new social distancing rules.
(But he didn't mention the £4.5m in the bank...)
25/06/2020 … He’s made a fortune from comedy over the years – but Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown says he’ll go broke if comedy gigs aren’t allowed to…
A bit of stand-up history goes under the hammer
25/06/2020 … Steve Martin is putting his trademark three-piece white suit up for sale.
New trade body vows to clean up the comedy business
25/06/2020 … A culture of 'abuse, misconduct, and harassment’ blights every corner of the live comedy business, a new industry body has declared.
More comedy episodes removed over blackface
25/06/2020 … Three episodes of medical comedy Scrubs have been removed from a US streaming service because they feature blackface.
Featuring a galaxy of stars sharing their stories
25/06/2020 … Adam Kay is to present a one-off BBC One programme paying tribute to NHS staff.
New Netflix special coming next month
24/06/2020 … Netflix has released a trailer for Jim Jefferies’ next stand-up special, Intolerant.
The exuberant Cuban singer Clive James discovered
24/06/2020 … Margarita Pracatan, the Cuban novelty singer who became famous in the 1990s thanks to appearances on Clive James’s TV shows has reportedly died…
Specific ban on comedians after lockdown is loosened
24/06/2020 … Comedy shows are still not allowed in pubs or bars despite the latest lockdown restrictions, the government has confirmed.
Playing a museum boss in Da Vinci Code prequel Langdon
24/06/2020 … Eddie Izzard has been cast in a major American TV drama based on a Dan Brown novel.
Second series for Kenya Barris comedy
24/06/2020 … Netflix has renewed #blackAF for a second season.
From Sacha Baron Cohen’s co-writer Ant Hines
24/06/2020 … Jack Whitehall is to star in a sci-fi comedy movie from Sacha Baron Cohen’s long-term collaborator Ant Hines.
Academics make a 3D virtual model of Sidebottom's head
23/06/2020 … It’s not normally the sort of thing archaeologists concern themselves with – but academics in Liverpool have created an accurate, high-res, 3D model…
Sitcom stars and set to be rendered in plastic brick
23/06/2020 … Seinfeld is to be released as an official Lego set.
'Roastmaster General' comic strenuously denies allegations
23/06/2020 … American comedian Jeff Ross has strongly denied allegations that he had a relationship with an underage girl more than 20 years ago.
© BBC 23/06/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Lockdown is eased, but not for theatres
23/06/2020 … Boris Johnson has given the green light for theatres to re-open, but not for stand-up comedy.
© Troy Conrad 23/06/2020 … One thing the world probably isn’t crying out for right now is more anger.
Angling series gets a second airing this summer
23/06/2020 … Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse’s angling show is to be repeated on Dave.
Only Murders In The Building revolves around true-crime fans
23/06/2020 … US streaming service Hulu has released more details of the new TV comedy from Steve Martin and Martin Short.
Taking over from DJ Greg James
23/06/2020 … Katherine Ryan is to take over as the host of Comedy Central’s clip show Most Ridiculous.
'Intent is not a free pass for white people to use these images'
23/06/2020 … Tina Fey has pulled some episodes of 30 Rock from on-demand services because of blackface.
Ricky Gervais says 'I've already made my mind up'
23/06/2020 … Ricky Gervais says he will bring After Life to an end after the forthcoming third series – whatever fans and Netflix want.
Roll-call of 2020's competitors released
22/06/2020 … Funny Women has announced a long list of names going forward to the virtual heats in their Stage Award.
Live At The Covid Arms hits a milestone
22/06/2020 … Virtual comedy gig Live At The Covid Arms has raised more than £100,000 for charity.
22/06/2020 … Kerry and Kurtan worry that the Mucklowe dynasty might be dying out in yet another previously unseen clip from This Country.
With David Tennant and Jessica Hynes
22/06/2020 … BBC Two has released the trailer for the second series of There She Goes.
The week's new comedy on TV and radio
21/06/2020 … This week's selection of comedy on radio and TV offers slim pickings as broadcasters start running out of new content made pre-lockdown… Tuesday June…
Irish comic shamed into making an apology
21/06/2020 … An Irish comedian has apologised after admitting sexually manipulative behaviour towards another comic.
US comic tests positive after collapsing on stage
21/06/2020 … American stand-up D.
© Idil Sukan/Draw HQ 20/06/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Another This Country deleted scene
20/06/2020 … Kerry and Kurtan Mucklowe reflect on the fact their best friend is a vicar in this previously unseen clip from This Country.
On that car-crash 'taking the knee' interview
20/06/2020 … Michael Spicer has given Dominic Raab the Room Next Door treatment.
Matt Lucas's song gets the West End treatment
19/06/2020 … Matt Lucas has released what he says is the 'ultimate' version of Thank You Baked Potato song.
19/06/2020 … Tweets of the week Yes New Zealand is doing a better job fighting the Coronavirus but the difference between them and us is New Zealand is an island.
Channel 4 orders a second series of comic's entertainment series
19/06/2020 … Channel 4 has ordered a second series of The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan.
19/06/2020 … It’s not just the 20 years of Big Brother in the UK which means the notion of watching strangers kill time while locked up in a house for hours on end lacks…
Seven-week run starts tomorrow
19/06/2020 … Kiri Pritchard-McLean is to host her own show on BBC Radio Wales.
By the company behind Alma's Not Normal
18/06/2020 … The production company behind Sky One sitcom Intelligence has optioned the rights to comedian Njambi McGrath's memoir, Through The Leopard’s Gaze.
And other new interpretations form Darrell Maclaine
18/06/2020 … Here's what the Danger Mouse theme would be like, if it were sung by Jarvis Cocker and Pulp.
18/06/2020 … ‘Nothing substantial ever comes from these brief moments of notoriety on social media.
© BBC ...as does sketch show Famalam
18/06/2020 … This Country is to get a new lease of life on Dave.
© BBC/Gary Moyes 18/06/2020 … Dawn French has teased a reunion with Jennifer Saunders.
But he calls it 'a sad old day'
18/06/2020 … Jim Davidson has vowed never to make a joke about black people again.
18/06/2020 … In memory of Dame Vera Lynn, who has died today at the age of 103, here's her appearance on Morecambe and Wise.
© Damian Bennett I’ll Take Lonely Tonight is a 'temptation tug-of-war'
18/06/2020 … Tim Minchin has today released his new single, I’ll Take Lonely Tonight.
But he admits 'I was a dumb guy... I will do better'
18/06/2020 … American comedian Chris D’Elia has denied pursuing underage girls and soliciting naked photographs.
© Fox Fathers are increasingly shown as inept, Erica Scharrer's research found
17/06/2020 … From Homer Simpson to Phil Dunphy, sitcom dads have long been known for being bumbling and inept.
New survey hopes to find the answers
17/06/2020 … A newly-formed lobby group is trying to determine the full extent of the financial damage the Covid-19 lockdown has wreaked on the comedy industry.
© UKTV The CW network snaps up the rights
17/06/2020 … Taskmaster is to air in the US.
It's Always Sunny...and Bob and David dropped
17/06/2020 … Netflix has removed more comedy shows because of blackface.
© Jason Manford/Facebook 17/06/2020 … Jason Manford has landed some work at Iceland after being turned down by Tesco.
...at least if you're a politician on Twitter
17/06/2020 … Politicians who want to show off their sense of humour should avoid puns, researchers have found.
17/06/2020 … The Miller family from Ipswich has been named Britain’s Funniest Family by the Beano.
...but it won't quite be a normal episode
17/06/2020 … 30 Rock is to return, seven years after it went off the air.
16/06/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
16/06/2020 … The controversial episode of Fawlty Towers has been restored to on-demand TV, with its strong racist language intact.
Loans and grants for the charity behind the festival
16/06/2020 … The Edinburgh Fringe has received a £1.
16/06/2020 … CollegeHumor has unveiled another in its hit series If Google Was A Guy.
© Anna Soderblom Series of gigs with venues around the UK
16/06/2020 … Musical comedy duo Jonny and the Baptists have announced a new tour, without hitting the road.
© BBC Another accolade from Canadian festival
16/06/2020 … Fleabag has another international TV award to add to its collection, after being named best English-language comedy at the Banff World Media Festival.
Part of a series of shorts in response to Black Lives Matter
15/06/2020 … Channel 4 is to air a short film about comedy sketches from the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
15/06/2020 … Too much has been written in response to Hannah Gadsby’s assertion of the truth that some traumas are too raw for comedy.
...and free workshop places are available, too
15/06/2020 … The BBC is showcasing new comedy writing across its network of local radio stations this weekend.
© Myriam Frenette For its Gags series of hidden-camera pranks
15/06/2020 … Just For Laughs, organisers of the annual Montreal comedy festival, have been given a YouTube award after hitting 10 million subscribers.
One show a night throughout July on NextUp
15/06/2020 … Comedy streaming service NextUp is staging a virtual comedy festival throughout July, with a new stand-up performing every night.
Parody response to white celebrities
15/06/2020 … A number of black American comedians have responded to the cringe-inducing #ITakeResponsibility video white celebrities released last week.
© Channel 10 Comic cameos on tonight's episode in Australia
15/06/2020 … Russell Brand is to make his cameo appearance on Australian soap Neighbours tonight.
Playing Adam Kay in TV adaptation of his NHS diaries
15/06/2020 … Ben Whishaw – who plays Q in the James Bond movies – is to play Adam Kay in the screen version of the comedian’s bestselling NHS diaries.
© Saatchi Art/C4 14/06/2020 … They’re not exactly photo-realistic – but Noel Fielding’s portraits of The Sex Pistols, Ed Sheeran and Michael Jackson have fetched nearly £1,000…
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
14/06/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio: Monday June 15 THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH: David Mitchell's panel game returns with Holly Walsh, Miles Jupp,…
© BBC Fresh apology over blackface characters
13/06/2020 … Matt Lucas and David Walliams have issued a fresh apology for using blackface in Little Britain.
13/06/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
13/06/2020 … Barnardo’s is raffling off the chance to have a 15-minute video chat with John Bishop.
With a new warning about context
12/06/2020 … The episode of Fawlty Towers pulled from on-demand service is to be reinstated with a warning about its content within days.
Addressing the killing of George Floyd
12/06/2020 … Dave Chappelle has released a surprise Netflix special addressing the death of George Floyd.
12/06/2020 … Tweets of the week Hahahahaha islamaphobes looking to find Islamic statues to pull down ahaha hahahahaha good luck, lads — Nadia Kamil (@NadiaKamil)…
© BBC / Alan Peebles As do Tudur Owen and A Perforated Ulster,
12/06/2020 … Two Doors Down was named best comedy at the Celtic Media Festival Awards last night.
Co-creator defends racist language on controversial episode
11/06/2020 … John Cleese has defended an episode of Fawlty Towers that was pulled from catch-up TV, saying those who don’t get the joke are ‘stupid’.
With Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams
11/06/2020 … Netflix has released a full trailer for its Eurovision Song Contest comedy The Story Of Fire Saga.
Helen Lederer shares the secrets of her shelves
11/06/2020 … Earlier this week the nominations for the Comedy Women In Print prize were announced – accolades set up by Helen Lederer after she became a comic…
By Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine
11/06/2020 … Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine have written a book in the guise of their agony aunt alter-egos Joan and Jericha.
Before his legacy 'disappears down the digital drain'
11/06/2020 … Judd Apatow is working on a documentary about American comedy legend George Carlin.
Michael Spicer's latest Room Next Door
11/06/2020 … Michael Spicer has given Matt Hancock the Noise Next Door interview.
New track about life in lockdown
11/06/2020 … Spencer Jones has released a new music video about life in lockdown.
'I don't think I regret it...'
11/06/2020 … Harry Enfield has defended using blackface in his comedy career, saying: ‘I don’t think I regret it.
Comic says he 'took a course' but didn't pursue it
11/06/2020 … Jerry Seinfeld has revealed that he flirted with Scientology as a youth.
'I think it will happen' says star Zach Braff
11/06/2020 … Zach Braff wants to make a movie version of his long-running hospital sitcom Scrubs.
© BBC 11/06/2020 … The Mighty Boosh has become the latest comedy to be pulled from Netflix because of scenes containing blackface.
...after initially refusing to bow to pressure
10/06/2020 … The BBC has quietly removed clips of Australian comedian Chris Lilley in blackface from its website.
'we are sincerely sorry to everyone that was offended'
10/06/2020 … Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly have apologised for using blackface in Saturday Night Takeaway.
© GCB Films/Infinity Hill 10/06/2020 … Everyone in lockdown feels variously bored, distracted and listless and struggling to hold on to reality.
With Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter
10/06/2020 … The first trailer has been released for Bill & Ted Face The Music, the third instalment in the season.
© C4 10/06/2020 … Aisling Bea and Nick Frost are to star in a crime-thriller movie described as ‘Fargo in England’ Sweet Dreams is about ‘a series of unfortunate…
As BBC faces questions over Chris Lilley clips still online
10/06/2020 … The League Of Gentlemen has been pulled from Netflix in the continuing row over blackface in comedy.
Ronnie Barker's lucky coin goes under the hammer
10/06/2020 … Ronnie Barker’s lucky penny is to go under the hammer this month, with an estimate of up to £5,000.
Channel 4 pulls show after Leigh Francis's 'blackface' apology
10/06/2020 … Bo’Selecta! has been pulled from Channel 4’s on-demand service amid the ongoing debate about comedians using blackface, Chortle can reveal.
'It'll be like Live Aid with gaffer tape and cardboard'
10/06/2020 … Rare and unseen Frank Sidebottom footage is to be screened online later this month to mark the tenth anniversary of creator Chris Sievey’s death.
With Ed Byrne, Shappi Khorsandi ... and celebrity chef Tom Kerridge
10/06/2020 … Mark Watson is spearheading a new series of drive-in comedy shows.
© Gage Skidmore/CC BY-SA 2.0 ...who already appears in their BBC Two comedy The First Team
10/06/2020 … The Inbetweeners creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley are working on a new show for Will Arnett.
Matthew Highton's tribute to Rik Mayall
09/06/2020 … To keep himself occupied during lockdown, comedian Matthew Highton has taken to recreating the title sequences of classic TV shows using only stock footage.
© C4 09/06/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© GCB Films/Infinity Hill Michael Sheen and David Tennant on their lockdown comedy, Staged
09/06/2020 … What can you tell us about the show? Michael Sheen: Well, it's about two young, plucky, upcoming actors David and Michael.
© BBC Matt Lucas and David Walliams's Come Fly With Me also vanishes from streaming services
09/06/2020 … Little Britain has been pulled from streaming services because Matt Lucas and David Walliams used blackface for some of their characters.
Four nods as shortlists revealed
09/06/2020 … Janey Godley leads the shortlists in this year’s Scottish Comedy Awards, securing four nominations.
09/06/2020 … Established comedy writers are offering a year's free mentoring to BAME talent hoping to break into the business.
Sketches from much-tipped stand-up
09/06/2020 … Toussaint Douglass has given some back-to-work tips, his take on home workouts and wonders about his girlfriend's sexual crushes in this collection of short…
© Stuart Hogben Bill Bailey, Jason Manford, Omid Djalili and more
09/06/2020 … Bill Bailey, Jason Manford, Milton Jones and Omid Djalili are among the big names line up for yet another drive-in comedy club that has been launched today.
Father and son trade jibes as they talk about their new BBC One show
09/06/2020 … Tell us about the show… Jack: The show is our attempt at trying to have some Father’s Day fun but from the comfort of our own homes, we’re…
According to Munya Chawawa's creation Barty Crease
09/06/2020 … Here's the truth about the Black Lives Matter protest, as reported by much of the media.
Presenter told comic she was hurt by his portrayal
09/06/2020 … Keith Lemon creator Leigh Francis was shamed into making his tearful apology over his portrayal of black celebrities by talk show host Trisha Goddard, it has been…
© BBC ...it's not just Leigh Francis
08/06/2020 … Keith Lemon creator Leigh Francis last week apologised for mimicking black celebrities including Michael Jackson and Craig David on Bo'Selecta! 'I've…
King Rocker selected for Sheffield Doc/Fest
08/06/2020 … A film Stewart Lee made about Birmingham post-punk band The Nightingales is to receive its world premiere at the Sheffield Doc/Fest.
08/06/2020 … This review was originally published in March, when Simon Bird's directorial debut was screened at the Glagsow Film Festival.
© C4 Almost 500 complained after she said she wished Boris Johnson dead
08/06/2020 … TV regulators Ofcom have decided not to take action against The Last Leg after Miriam Margolyes confessed on the show that she wanted Boris Johnson to die of coronavirus.
08/06/2020 … The image of Donald Trump cowering in the White House basement while firing off tough-talking tweets has been manna for comedians.
© Raph_PH/CC BY-SA 2.0 ..and got to meet the Rolling Stone with a VIP pass
08/06/2020 … It was an unusual display of democracy, with Mother Teresa, Israeli statesman Yitzhak Rabin, Marxist political terrorist Carlos The Jackal and Mick Jagger on the…
08/06/2020 … Another drive-in stand-up night has been announced as the comedy world struggles with ways to operate in the world of lockdown.
Comedy Women in Print Prize reveals its shortlists
08/06/2020 … The nominees have been announced for the second annual Comedy Women in Print Prize.
© GCB Films/Infinity Hill The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
07/06/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio Sunday June THE RANGANATION: This week, Romesh Ranganathan will be joined virtually by Paloma Faith…
A song using only three-letter words
07/06/2020 … Brett Domino has created a song containing exclusively three-letter words.
With Anne Edmonds and Greg Larsen.
07/06/2020 … Readjusting to normal life once lockdown is over won't come easy.
© Steve Ullathorne 06/06/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Gina Yashere and Piff The Magic Dragon among acts on US show
05/06/2020 … British comics Gina Yashere and Piff The Magic Dragon are to take part in a new televised comedy competition in America.
'I won't return unless another black person is in the credits'
05/06/2020 … Sophie Duker says she will no longer appear on The News Quiz unless it employs more black people.
05/06/2020 … Tweets of the week It's called the spine, Donald.
Podcast review by Steve Bennett
05/06/2020 … He’s just been named Britain’s top comedy character, and the preview episode of his first podcast gives more evidence why Alan Partridge has the well-rounded…
About a Dark Ages wizard in modern times
05/06/2020 … Simon Farnaby is writing his first children’s book, about a Dark Ages warlock who finds himself in the 21st Century.
'I didn't realise how offensive it was' says Keith Lemon comic
05/06/2020 … Keith Lemon creator Leigh Francis has offered a teary apology for mimicking black celebrities on his early TV shows, The comedian said he was 'deeply sorry…
© Cave Bear/Tiger Aspect The stars and writers of The Other One talk about the new BBC comedy
05/06/2020 … BBC One’s new sitcom, The Other One, starts tonight following its pilot on BBC Two in 2017.
...and episode one of From The Oasthouse is out as a teaser
05/06/2020 … Alan Partridge’s new podcast has officially been confirmed.
Special edition of Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj
04/06/2020 … Hasan Minhaj has released a special edition of his Netflix show Patriot Act in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
© ITV plc Auf Wiedersehen fans furious about cuts
04/06/2020 … Auf Wiedersehen, Pet fans – and even its star Tim Healy – have blasted broadcasters for butchering the 1980s comedy-drama.
04/06/2020 … There’s probably no need to be reminded of all we’re missing with live comedy on its enforced hiatus - but that’s what Nick Helm’s newly-released…
New parody from Father Ted co-creator
04/06/2020 … As the co-creator of Father Ted and Toast Of London, he’s used to writing both arrogant buffoons and disingenuous excuses.
04/06/2020 … Kerry and Kurtan Mucklowe have lifted the lid on a secret society beneath the noses of the respectable Cotswolds community.
Marathon streaming comedy show announced
04/06/2020 … Comics including Rosie Jones, Tiff Stevenson, Lloyd Langford and Stuart Goldsmith are to take part in a 24-hour charity streaming gig this weekend.
Bolds and World's Worst... titles out on the same day
04/06/2020 … David Walliams and Julian Clary are both releasing children’s books on the same day next month.
04/06/2020 … Burnistoun won the best comedy award at the Royal Television Society Scotland awards last night.
And Stath Lets Flats scores three nominations
04/06/2020 … Mo Gilligan, Joe Lycett, Guz Khan, Sarah Kendall and Aisling Bea have all been shortlisted for their first Bafta awards.
03/06/2020 … Comedian Dane Baptiste has posted a sketch from his BBC Three series Sunny-D in response to this week's news events.
03/06/2020 … American stand-up Jim Gaffigan has become the first top-flight comedian to announce plans to tour – as a drive-in experience.
03/06/2020 … Netflix has cancelled the comedy sketch show from all-black troupe Astronomy Club after one season.
© Martyn Burdon 03/06/2020 … This portrait of Sir Lenny Henry has been selected for this year’s prestigious BP Portrait Award show at London’s National Portrait Gallery.
03/06/2020 … Here's some more lockdown exercise tips from an Australian guru who goes by the name of Nic.
Fan gets comic's face tattooed onto her
03/06/2020 … A Joe Lycett fan has had the comedian's face tattooed on to her leg.
From The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
02/06/2020 … Comedian DL Hughley talks about his book How Not to Get Shot on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah last year.
From his 2017 stand-up special
02/06/2020 … Travis Jay is talking about going to a Black Lives Matter march in London in this 2018 stand-up special.
From his 2016 stand-up special
02/06/2020 … Michael Che jokes about how anyone could protest the idea of Black Lives Matters in this stand-up clip.
© BBC ...as Mackenzie Crook brings back Mr Bagshaw
02/06/2020 … Charlie Higson's smooth-talking used car dealer Swiss Toni and Mackenzie Crook’s ineffectual teacher Mr Bagshaw are both being revived by the BBC.
© Xavier Mas Interview with Simon Bird as his directorial debut film is released
02/06/2020 … The Inbetweeners star Simon Bird has directed his first film, Days Of The Bagnold Summer.
Honour from the High Sheriff of Greater Manchester
02/06/2020 … Jason Manford has been given a 'special recognition award' for helping the community during the coronavirus crisis.
© BBC 02/06/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Cast of Lost Episodes were in talks about a live show
02/06/2020 … The cast who recreated the lost Dad’s Army episodes have been asked to go on tour with a live version of the show.
With Mr Gilbert living with Mr Kennedy
02/06/2020 … Inbetweeners creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris once planned a spin-off revolving around Greg Davis's character, Mr Gilbert.
02/06/2020 … New act competitions are usually the bread-and-butter of the open mic comedy circuit.
01/06/2020 … This must have been one of the easiest comedy compilation shows to curate.
© Hossein Diba 3D modelling shows their weird features
01/06/2020 … Don't get nightmares, but this is what some of the Simpsons characters might look like if they were real humans.
© BBC / Alan Peebles BBC Two recommissions Scottish suburban sitcom
01/06/2020 … BBC Two's suburban sitcom Two Doors Down is to return for a fifth series, the corporation has announced.
Richard Herring to host NextUp show
01/06/2020 … Comedy streaming service NextUp is hosting a gala this weekend as a 'thank you' to supporters who have contributed nearly £100,000 to a fund to help…
Second comedy about a Kansas no-hoper joining an English soccer team announced
01/06/2020 … You wait forever for a comedy series about a no-hoper from Kansas joining a top-flight English football team – and then two come along at once.
© UKTV/Gareth Gatrell 01/06/2020 … The feature-length Red Dwarf special The Promised Land has been released on DVD today – and we have six copies to give away.
© Ralph_PH/CC BY-SA 2.0 Joe Lycett develops an anxiety nausea
01/06/2020 … He may have defended Swansea's Boss Brewing against legal threats from Hugo Boss, but Joe Lycett has admitted that the very thought of beer makes him throw up.
01/06/2020 … Comedian Alexis Dubus has written a jaunty ditty about the things that you don't need to say.
01/06/2020 … You probably don't need a body language expert to call out Dominic Cummings' bullshit.
© ITV ITV is back in the sitcom game
01/06/2020 … ITV has is poised to order a second series of comedy Kate & Koji, more than a year after apparently turning its back on sitcoms altogether.
New Radio 4 show for Tudur Owen
31/05/2020 … It’s not quite Tiger King, but Welsh comedian Tudur Owen is making a Radio 4 show about how he and his family became the owners of what was dubbed ‘The…
© BBC/Tiger Aspect Productions/Matt Squires Pick of the week's comedy on TV and radio
31/05/2020 … The week's best comedy on TV and radio Sunday May 31 THE RANGANATHAN: This week, Romesh Ranganathan will be joined virtually by Aisling Bea and…
The latest from John Finnemore
31/05/2020 … MJN air steward Arthur Shappey attempts a world record for beard pencil Jenga in this latest Cabin Fever vlog.
30/05/2020 … Here's Chortle's daily round-up of new comedy to watch at home during lockdown.
Semi-autobiographical show to air next month
29/05/2020 … Radio 4 is to air a semi-autobiographical sitcom from Room Next Door comedian Michael Spicer.
Infinite Monkey Cage taping is a BBC first
29/05/2020 … Robin Ince and Professor Brian Cox are to pioneer a new BBC technology to record radio show with a virtual studio audience.
£50 grants for those who need kit
29/05/2020 … Comedian Red Redmond has set up a fund to help working-class comedians from the north of England make online content during lockdown.
29/05/2020 … Tweets of the week The HMS Beagle was a notoriously slow ship because it could only do doggy paddle.
From Milton Jones, Tim Vine, Mark Simmons and more...
29/05/2020 … Punster Mark Simmons has roped in 26 other comedians who specialise in short gags to make this One-liner challenger.
29/05/2020 … Comics including Edinburgh Comedy Award winners Sofie Hagen and Jordan Brookes are creating new shows for a new online festival.
Pair to visit the Royal Albert Hall
29/05/2020 … Steve Martin and Martin Short are to play London next year.
29/05/2020 … Russell Howard has announced rescheduled tour dates for next year.
Livestreaming events next week
29/05/2020 … Amnesty International is to livestream three comedy events from its Secret Policeman’s Ball archives next week.
Critics unimpressed with BBC Two's new football comedy
29/05/2020 … BBC Two’s new football comedy The First Team has failed to score with critics.
Toby Ward has a long career in comedy and entertainment
29/05/2020 … Avalon TV – makers of the likes of Taskmaster, Not Going Out and The Russell Howard Hour – has appointed a new head of UK production.
Virtual ceremony to air on BBC One
29/05/2020 … Richard Ayoade is to host this year’s Bafta awards, it has been announced.
© BBC Comic reveals a wild night out with David Beckham
29/05/2020 … Alan Carr has revealed that he once did a provocative dance for Prince Harry.
James Corden reveals the story behind his eye surgery
29/05/2020 … James Corden has revealed that being repeatedly being hit in the head night after night has its consequences.
© Fudge Park/BBC 28/05/2020 … The Inbetweeners rightly raised Iain Morris and Damon Beesley to the comedy nobility.
28/05/2020 … Having children at home 24/7 can be a strain for any family.
By a new record label set up by the Monkey Barrel venue
28/05/2020 … Edinburgh’s Monkey Barrel comedy club is launching its own record label.
28/05/2020 … What lengths would you go to to get what you need? Like a haircut.
28/05/2020 … Maybe not everybody is obeying lockdown guidelines… but residents of one Residents of a Berkshire village are adhering to strict rules laid down by the Ministry…
HarperFiction snaps up two more novels
27/05/2020 … Hannah Begbie, the comedy agent turned author, has signed a new deal with HarperFiction to write two new novels.
27/05/2020 … ‘Brutal’ is probably an over-used adjective to describe edgelord comedy, but if any stand-up can lay claim to it, Doug Stanhope can.
Janet Bettesworth on why she can't be doing with stand-up via video link
27/05/2020 … A brave and talented promoter, whom I’ll call Graeme, has recently announced his plans to create a Zoom comedy night that really works, sourcing fresh technology…
27/05/2020 … Ant Dewson has added to the mountain of comedy shot during lockdown with this new song about meetings on Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Skype.
'Without it, we'll go out of business'
27/05/2020 … Major Edinburgh venues including Assembly, Underbelly, Gilded Balloon, Just The Tonic and Pleasance have asked for taxpayer support, saying they need it to survive.
© UKTV/Gareth Gatrell Red Dwarf is UKTV's most-watched programme in lockdown
27/05/2020 … The feature-length Red Dwarf special was the top-rated show on the UKTV network during lockdown, the broadcaster has announced.
© ITV/Syco Comic Barbara offers a free comedy course
27/05/2020 … Stand-up Barbara Nice is offering a free comedy course for carers and the over-50s in Birmingham.
About bluffing through adulthood
27/05/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan has signed a book deal for a new title about bluffing your way through adulthood.
© FX Series 15 renewal makes it the longest-running sitcom on US TV
27/05/2020 … It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia has been renewed for a 15th series, making it the longest-running live-action comedy series ever screened in the US.
Richard Herd had a five-decade screen career
27/05/2020 … Richard Herd, a veteran character actor who appeared in 11 episodes of Seinfeld, has died at the age of 87.
Comic impersonated Chris Rock in a 2000 SNL sketch
27/05/2020 … Jimmy Fallon has apologised for blacking up in a Saturday Night Live skit from 20 yearsago.
26/05/2020 … Organisers of Edinburgh’s Free Festival have announced plans to recreate this year’s event online.
26/05/2020 … Despite the core premise of the remarkable Nanette, Hannah Gadsby did not turn her back on stand-up.
26/05/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
With his partner Laura Whitmore
26/05/2020 … Iain Stirling and his girlfriend Laura Whitmore are to appear in the new series of Celebrity Gogglebox.
© BBC Ellie White says TV execs just want to carbon-copy the hits
26/05/2020 … TV executives are hoping to replicate the groundbreaking success Fleabag … by slavishly copying the same format.
25/05/2020 … A tale about the transformative power of comedy, at least for the social misfits who perform it, Pretty Funny is the first young adult novel from kids’ author…
Two-thirds say comedians should allowed to cross the line
25/05/2020 … More than two-thirds of people think that comedians should be free to tell jokes, even if they cause offence.
Fans mark the life and work of Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy author Douglas Adams today
25/05/2020 … Today is Towel Day, when fans of Douglas Adams celebrate the life and work of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy around the world.
Jeremy Lion posts his first YouTube video in nine years
25/05/2020 … Struggling to home-educate children? Let Jeremy Lion come to your aid.
© BBC WorldWide/Andy Seymour Steve Coogan's alter-ego tops Gold's list
24/05/2020 … Alan Partridge has been named Britain's greatest comedy character.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
24/05/2020 … The week's best comedy on TV and radio.
24/05/2020 … Improv comedy group The Noise Next Door and stand-up Mike Newall both scored four 'yeses' from the judges on Britain's Got Talent last night.
Previously unseen This Country scene
23/05/2020 … This Country may have finished two months ago, but that hasn’t stopped the BBC releasing a surprise extra scene today.
23/05/2020 … Every day during the coronavirus lockdown, Chortle will be bringing you a round-up of what's new to watch at home.
From Fascinating Aida's Dillie Keane
23/05/2020 … Fascinating Aida's Dillie Keane has written a new song about how older people have been marginalised by the official response to Covid-19.
Celebrating British sporting glories and Father's Day
23/05/2020 … Jack Whitehall is to make two new entertainment shows for BBC One.
Possible lockdown episode ahead
23/05/2020 … Birds Of A Feather could be returning for an episode set during lockdown.
FX renews vampire comedy with Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak and Natasia Demetriou
22/05/2020 … Vampire house-share comedy What We Do In The Shadows is to return for a third series.
22/05/2020 … Tweets of the week The 60s boxer with the worst flatulence was Gaseous Clay.
22/05/2020 … Damo Fox, the drummer from retired comedy rock outfit Dead Cat Bounce, has launched a solo act from lockdown.
22/05/2020 … David Tennant and Michael Sheen are to star in a new lockdown comedy for BBC One.
As Indonesian challenge show returns to Comedy Central
22/05/2020 … Stephen Bailey is to host the next series of Takeshi’s Castle.
21/05/2020 … Chelsea Handler is to record her first stand-up special in six years, for the HBO Max streaming platform in the US.
© Unitas Photography Learning a new medium can only be positive, argues Steve Hofstetter
21/05/2020 … With the global pandemic, many comedians have turned to virtual shows for the first time.
Dublin club takes the initiative
21/05/2020 … Dublin’s Laughter Lounge has become the latest comedy venue to announce it’s to stage a drive-in stand-up show.
Comedy club thanks the backers who pulled it from the brink...
21/05/2020 … London’s Angel Comedy Club says its future is secured after fans rallied to its fundraising drive.
© Sky UK Broadcaster sets series three air date
21/05/2020 … Sky One has confirmed the air date for the return of Idris Elba’s comedy In The Long Run.
Heed this public service announcement
21/05/2020 … During this time of crisis, we all look for clear-headed advice to get us all through.
Lockdown special sparks calls for BBC comedy's return
21/05/2020 … The cast of hit BBC comedy W1A reunited for a lockdown special last night – prompting hopes the show could make a return to the screen.
Festival society pleads for government help to stave off insolvency
21/05/2020 … The body that co-ordinates the Edinburgh Fringe says it is at risk of going bust after this year’s festival was cancelled.
© Fremantle Media/Talkback Highlighting forgotten figures from the past
21/05/2020 … Sandi Toksvig is writing a historical book inspired by the YouTube videos she has been making during lockdown.
© Judi Love/Monkeywing/CC BY-SA 2.0 21/05/2020 … Live stand-up comedy is definitely returning on July 3 – as a drive-in.
© C4 ...as Sharon Horgan revealed already
20/05/2020 … Aisling Bea has confirmed that she is making a second series of her acclaimed Channel 4 show This Way Up.
Netflix special reviewed by Steve Bennett
20/05/2020 … As the title suggests, Patton Oswalt is putting a positive spin on things in this Netflix special.
20/05/2020 … This story of what happened to Tony Slattery, 35 years after he set screens alight with his dazzling displays of mercurial comedy talent is not always an easy…
20/05/2020 … Joe Rogan has signed a reported $100million multi-year deal to move his podcast to Spotify.
...even though the ceremony wasn't until January
20/05/2020 … They were not due to take place until January next year – but the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain has decided to cancel its annual awards.
Recorded in comics' homes, of course
20/05/2020 … E4 has commissioned a series of at-home comedy gigs to air online.
Backed by Film Four and the BFI
20/05/2020 … After Life and Extras star David Earl is working on a movie based on his comedy circuit alter-ego Brian Gittins – and his robot best friend.
© BBC ...after producer Rupert Majendie was snapped up by Steve Coogan's company
20/05/2020 … A third series of BBC Three’s Bafta-nominated mockumentary Pls Like is in the pipeline.
...a mere 22 years after the last
20/05/2020 … Ardal O’Hanlon is writing a new book – 22 years after his last.
20/05/2020 … Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller have reunited to relaunch a comedy podcast.
Josh Thomas comedy returns next year
20/05/2020 … Australian comedian Josh Thomas is to make a second series of his comedy Everything’s Gonna Be Okay.
Comic argues it's a skill anyone can acquire
19/05/2020 … John Cleese has written a short guide to creativity, to be published this autumn.
19/05/2020 … This fascinating, well-written and meticulously researched guide to Britain’s alternative comedy revolution is probably the most accurate single retrospective…
Steve Carell's new comedy launches on May 29.
19/05/2020 … Netflix has released a new full trailer for Space Force – and it looks pretty darn good.
With Jack Barry and Henry Perryment
19/05/2020 … Meet S Cargo - a DJ collective comprising JJ and Ricardo who have just signed a new record deal.
After the success of Antiviral Wipe
19/05/2020 … Charlie Brooker is to host this week's Have I Got News For You, makers Hat Trick productions have announced.
The Showstoppers create a song about losing internet and phone signals in lockdown
19/05/2020 … Improv group the Showstoppers were challenged by Olivier award-winning West End star Jenna Russell to create a song about losing internet and phone connection in…
19/05/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Comedians up for British Podcast Awards
19/05/2020 … Richard Herring; Ed Gamble and James Acaster; Chris and Rosie Ramsey; the Kurupt FM crew; Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine; and Elis James and John Robins are among…
19/05/2020 … Comedian Tim Williamson is releasing a Netflix stand-up special recorded before the lockdown – and his jokes have NOT aged well.
New video message from the star of W1A
19/05/2020 … Ian Fletcher, the BBC's head of values as seen on the documentary W1A, has recorded a new speech from his home executive office.
Letter goes under the hammer in major memorabilia auction
19/05/2020 … George Formby may be known for his risqué double entendres – but he once had to warn his writers about for supplying ‘too much sex’…
Row after Stewart Lee mocks Tom Tugendhat's surname
18/05/2020 … Stewart Lee has been accused of antisemitism after mocking the surname of Tory MP Tom Tugendhat.
Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard comedy to return to Sky
18/05/2020 … Sky has confirmed a second series of Breeders – seven weeks after Chortle first broke the news.
Howard Read and family create a mini-spectacular
18/05/2020 … Howard Read and his family have created a mini-musical about Groundhog Day-style life still trapped in the house.
20 years on from the pain They Think They All Over caused to young Man Utd star
18/05/2020 … His appearance became such a running joke on They Think It’s All Over that it took a toll on his mental health.
US industry fears for the future of cable channel
18/05/2020 … A major shake-up of America’s Comedy Central channel has left industry figures reeling – just as their live business has been pummelled by coronavirus.
By James Brassett from the University of Warwick
18/05/2020 … The return of writer, presenter and social critic Charlie Brooker has filled a hole in the universe of misery that has overwhelmed our TV screens of late, resurrecting…
Being tall and Northern, according to this new research...
18/05/2020 … You’re more likely to be considered ‘naturally funny’ if you are from the North of England, are taller than average, are the youngest child in…
© Sundog Pictures The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
17/05/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio Wednesday May 20 WONDERDATE: Tim Key’s comedy short gets another outing, in which a man retraces his…
© BBC Partridge creator set to take the Roger Moore role
17/05/2020 … Steve Coogan’s long-standing plans to star in a remake of 1970s action comedy series The Persuaders! have juddered into life once more.
© Joe Mabel/CC BY-SA 3.0 Partner Marc Maron shares his grief
17/05/2020 … American director Lynn Shelton has died at the age of 54, her partner Marc Maron has announced.
© Angela George Tributes as comedy veteran Fred Willard dies at 86
16/05/2020 … Fred Willard, whose 50-year career as a comedy actor included Anchorman and Best In Show, has died at the age of 86.
16/05/2020 … Here's our pick of the best new comedy on demand.
16/05/2020 … Character comedian Myra Dubois is to appear on Britain’s Got Talent tonight.
Apple TV+ announces a lockdown special
16/05/2020 … Apple TV is to make a lockdown edition of its workplace comedy series, Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet.
Keith Lemon questions show's future now Holly Willoughby has quit
16/05/2020 … Keith Lemon has said that the future of Celebrity Juice hangs in the balance now Holly Willoughby has left the show after 12 years.
15/05/2020 … Tweets of the week Limerick for #NationalLimerickDay There was a young harpist called Niamh, Who would wear her heart on her sliamh.
Former law lecturer and stand-up comedian Ollie Horn explores...
15/05/2020 … Conan O'Brien said: ‘Short of murder, stealing material is the worst thing any comic can be accused of.
After cop show becomes Sky's biggest new comedy in eight years
15/05/2020 … Sky has ordered a second series of its spoof cop show Code 404 after it became the broadcaster’s biggest comedy launch in eight years.
© B Rosen/CC BY-SA 2.0 ...but few are booking tickets, and most not before November
15/05/2020 … Three-quarters of theatre audiences are itching for the return of a live event.
Teaching his son the most essential life skills
15/05/2020 … Rich Hall has been teaching his son the life skills he’ll REALLY need in the time of pandemic.
New book about the 'green shoots of hope' for humanity
15/05/2020 … Ruby Wax has written a new book, sharing hopeful news about the future of humanity.
Hart shares a cringeworthy lockdown anecdote
15/05/2020 … Miranda may have long ended, but it doesn’t mean its creator is avoiding the sort of embarrassing incidents she could include in the sitcom Speaking to…
© Netflix/Matt Holyoak 14/05/2020 … There’s no surer sign that the hairline cracks in the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ all-in-this-together, good-old British pluck response to Covid-19…
Production company snaps up rights to Come Again
14/05/2020 … Robert Webb's debut novel is set to be adapted for TV.
Comics come to the aid of former stand-up stuck in Cambodia
14/05/2020 … Comedians have rallied to the aid of a former colleague who has become stranded in Cambodia by coronavirus.
Frustration of the online comedy creator
14/05/2020 … An online comedian has spoken about his frustration after a video his sketch troupe made went viral – without any credit.
'Daft chat of absolutely no consequence' proves a winning formula
14/05/2020 … Jason Manford and Frank Skinner are celebrating a rise in their radio audiences.
© BBC / Mentorn 14/05/2020 … Dara Ó Briain is to release his third children’s science book, this one about the possible existence of aliens.
Lockdown tips from Anne Edmonds' alter-ego
14/05/2020 … To negotiate times of crisis, who better to turn to than a self-appointed social media influencer? In the new video, Australian fashion and lifestyle Helen Bidou…
...in a way that even he concedes might be 'needlessly contrary’
14/05/2020 … Daniel Kitson is to release his 2009 Edinburgh Festival show The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church online.
14/05/2020 … Sarah Kendall’s comedy Frayed is to air in the US.
© Netflix/Matt Holyoak Charlie Brooker Q&A ahead of the return of Screenwipe tonight
14/05/2020 … Why did you decide to make Antiviral Wipe? We were supposed to be making a new Philomena Cunk show — we’ve done the scripts and everything —…
Put your trivia knowledge to the test
13/05/2020 … Chortle staged an online comedy quiz tonight.
Marcus Brigstocke revives his character for new web series
13/05/2020 … Marcus Brigstocke is reviving his character Giles Wemmbley-Hogg for a series of lockdown videos.
13/05/2020 … Much fuss was made earlier this month when it was announced that the BBC was remaking Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues with a new cast.
Fascinating look back into the festival's history
13/05/2020 … The Edinburgh Fringe has started releasing copies of its old programmes in full online, starting with 1990’s.
New compilation series with unseen footage for BBC Two
13/05/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan is to repackage highlights of his BBC Two travelogue for a new ‘best of’ series.
Jacob Hawley shares the contents of his shelves...
13/05/2020 … Jacob Hawley has today launched a new BBC Sounds podcast, Jacob Hawley's Job Centre, with the first episode featuring interviews with comic Richard…
13/05/2020 … Avoiding the dread phrase 'the new normal', Australian musical comedian Grant Busé has released a track detailing all the changes to his life the…
Inventive comedians stage a gig outside a block of flats
13/05/2020 … Two comedians have put on an impromptu stand-up show outside a block of flats – and went down a storm.
New comedy from Bob's Burgers creator Loren Bouchard
13/05/2020 … Apple TV+has released the trailer for its new animated comedy Central Park.
© BBC BBC offers sitcom backdrops to spice up video calls
13/05/2020 … Your next Zoom call could be coming from Fletch's prison cell, the Fawlty Towers bar or Steptoe's junkyard.
Nudity on the set of Kath & Kim
13/05/2020 … Actresses having to take their kit off while their male co-stars remain fully clothed is one of the most enduring sexist tropes in the media.
13/05/2020 … Dave ‘Bagpipes’ Brooks – an early member of alternative comedy group The Greatest Show On Legs – has died at the age of 72.
City comedy festival launches a crowdfunder
13/05/2020 … The Bath Comedy Festival has set up a crowdfunder to help ensure its future.
12/05/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
12/05/2020 … Netflix has released the first trailer for Hannah Gadsby's new stand-up special, Douglas.
Comic Tom Binns has a plan to kick-start the circuit
12/05/2020 … Live comedy could return as a drive-in experience, long before clubs are allowed to reopen.
...so he switches to Instagram Live instead
12/05/2020 … Channel 4 had to abandon its live Mo Gilligan show at the last minute last night, after hitting technical difficulties.
12/05/2020 … Bob’s Burgers has been renewed for an eleventh season.
© Netflix Vic Reeves and Natasia Demetriou on The Big Flower Fight
12/05/2020 … Vic Reeves and Natasia Demetriou host the new Netflix series The Big Flower Fight, a Great British Bake-Off-style event in which teams compete to create the most…
Jacob Hawley launches a new podcast
12/05/2020 … Jacob Hawley is to launch a new BBC podcast about working lives in the time of a pandemic.
12/05/2020 … The special lockdown episode of Stath Lets Flats landed on the Channel 4 YouTube page last night.
Seeing as we seem to be in this for the long haul!
12/05/2020 … Chortle is now listing online comedy events across the UK.
That's according to a new survey of punters
11/05/2020 … Most people think it will be at least five months until they are ready to go out to live entertainment again.
© UKTV 11/05/2020 … It’s impossible to top Ralf Little’s own review of this new travelogue with his Royle Family dad Ricky Tomlinson as a ‘two-bob version of The Trip’.
Seinfeld topped a long career in comedy
11/05/2020 … Comedy legend Jerry Stiller has died at the age of 92.
11/05/2020 … Stand-up Laura Lexx has landed a book deal on the back of a successful Twitter thread.
© Netflix/Matt Holyoak The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
10/05/2020 … The best of the week's TV and radio.
...as impersonated by Chloe Finema
10/05/2020 … Phoebe Waller-Bridge made a return to Saturday Night Live last night.
10/05/2020 … Tina Fey returned to Saturday Night Live to gripe about the lockdown.
'Go to work... don't go to work'
10/05/2020 … Matt Lucas has perfectly captured the confusion of Boris Johnson’s lockdown advice in a new Twitter video.
Londoner gets Alesha Dixon's golden buzzer
09/05/2020 … Comedian Nabil Abdulrashid has got through to the live semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent after wowing Alesha Dixon.
© Hulu 09/05/2020 … Sarah Silverman and Seth Rogen are to star in a new animated comedy series, Santa Inc.
Apple renews comedy series, despite the question mark over shooting
08/05/2020 … Apple TV is to make a second series of its comedy Trying, star Rafe Spall has revealed.
08/05/2020 … Tweets of the week "Luke, I am your father.
© JohnMcKenzie/British Music Hall Society 08/05/2020 … May 16 is to be declared Annual Music Hall and Variety Day in honour of Roy Hudd.
A look back at the comedy on air in June 1945
08/05/2020 … Today is the much-vaunted 75th anniversary of VE Day.
Sir Timothy O’Shea won't be quitting in August
08/05/2020 … Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea is to remain as chair of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society because of the coronavirus.
Director's claim thrown out of court
08/05/2020 … Jerry Seinfeld has triumphed in a court case over who created his hit Netflix series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
08/05/2020 … It's the 75th anniversary of VE Day – and in this song comedian and folk singer David Eagle tells another tale of the day the Nazis were defeated.
Cast of US sitcom to reunite for a virtual read-through
08/05/2020 … The cast of US sitcom Community are to reunite, five years after the show ended.
© Fudge Park/BBC Inbetweeners creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley on their new football comedy, The First Team
08/05/2020 … How did The First Team come about? Damon: As far as I remember - I’m very old now - we started toying with the concept of a comedy set around professional…
08/05/2020 … Rich Hall isn't going to let a little thing like a global lockdown stop him from performing stand-up.
© BBC Romesh Ranganathan on making The Ranganation remotely
08/05/2020 … For those who aren’t familiar with it, could you tell us a bit about the show? The show is essentially myself and couple of celebrity guests, looking at…
© Steve Ullathorne 07/05/2020 … Paul Merton is to pay tribute to some of his comedy inspirations in a two-hour Channel 5 documentary.
07/05/2020 … I know it’s cowardice to start an article with a disclaimer, but now we're into the 1,500th hour of hiding inside.
Another blow to live entertainment
07/05/2020 … Britain’s largest theatre operator has announced that all its venues will remain closed until the end of June at least.
07/05/2020 … It's important to check in on your pals during lockdown.
© Phil180knight/CC BY-SA 4.0 Cambridge virologist expects comedy gigs to be cancelled until 2021
07/05/2020 … There will be no comedy gigs in the UK until at least next year, a top virologist has suggested.
So Jason Manford takes up a new job...
07/05/2020 … Jason Manford has revealed that he’s taken up a new job taking elderly people to medical appointments, after being turned down by Tesco.
© Netflix/Matt Holyoak 07/05/2020 … Charlie Brooker's Antiviral Wipe will air on BBC Two on May 14, the broadcaster has announced.
© Zeppotron Another topical comedy show made under lockdown conditions
07/05/2020 … The new series of Romesh Ranganathan’s topical discussion show The Ranganation is to be made under lockdown conditions.
Along with Good Omens, Succession and more
07/05/2020 … Fleabag, Good Omens and Succession have all been nominated in the esteemed Peabody Awards.
As Ricky Gervais signs a major new Netflix deal
06/05/2020 … Ricky Gervais is to make a third series of After Life after signing a new deal with Netflix.
CBS renews Bob Hearts Abishola
06/05/2020 … American broadcaster CBS has ordered a second series of Gina Yashere’s comedy Bob Hearts Abishola.
© Hungry McBear / BBC New compilation shows on the way
06/05/2020 … The BBC is to repackage some old footage from Michael McIntyre’s Big Show as the lockdown starts to take its toll on new programming.
Just the latest lockdown casualty
06/05/2020 … The Shrewsbury International Comedy Festival, which was due to take place in mid-July, is the latest live event to become a casualty of the coronavirus lockdown.
06/05/2020 … BBC Two has brought the rights to US comedy Dave, starring rapper Lil Dicky.
Fundraiser for Médecins Sans Frontières
06/05/2020 … Eddie Izzard is to lead a major online gig celebrating comedians from around the world.
BBC Scotland launches a major season dedicated to the comedy pioneer
06/05/2020 … BBC Scotland has announced a major celebration of Billy Connolly, based around the latest documentary series about the 77-year-old comedian.
06/05/2020 … Robbie Williams has collaborated with Alex Horne and The Horne Section to record a new version of Angels.
06/05/2020 … The stars of cult US sketch programme Mr Show are to reunite for an online charity gig.
06/05/2020 … Stand-up Jim Gaffigan is to play the controversial former mayor of Toronto Rob Ford in a new US TV series.
Steve Carell comedy coming to Netflix
05/05/2020 … Netflix has released the first full trailer for Space Force, starring Steve Carell as a four-star general leading a new branch for America's military.
Anna Morris's take on the situation...
05/05/2020 … It's no revelation to say that the perfect life projected on social media is often very different from reality.
Netflix comedy special reviewed by Steve Bennett
05/05/2020 … On the face of it, Jerry Seinfeld is not the ideal comedian for a pandemic.
05/05/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© HFPA Ricky Gervais reveals his weird debate with Golden Globes lawyers
05/05/2020 … Ricky Gervais has revealed that the biggest problem lawyers had about his last Golden Globes monologue was what term he could use for Dame Judi Dench’s genitals.
Unique memorabilia being auctioned off
05/05/2020 … Steve Pemberton is auctioning off some League of Gentlemen and Inside No.
Jamie Demetriou teases a lockdown episode of his C4 comedy
05/05/2020 … Jamie Demetriou has announced that Stath Lets Flats is to return for a lockdown special.
Jerry Seinfeld signals the end of his Netflix series
05/05/2020 … Jerry Seinfeld is preparing to park Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee permanently.
05/05/2020 … Radio 4 Extra is to launch a new series looking behind the scenes of some of Britain’s biggest television comedies.
For a one-off lockdown special
05/05/2020 … Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson are making a new episode of their hit Radio 4 comedy Down The Line.
With Vic Reeves and Natasia Demetriou.
04/05/2020 … Netflix has released the first official trailer for The Big Flower Fight, the new horticultural answer to Great British Bake Off hosted by Vic Reeves and Natasia…
Comic used to sell this recording after gigs
04/05/2020 … A rare recording of groundbreaking stand-up Lenny Bruce is to be released on vinyl for this year's Record Store Day.
Veteran comic insulted by audition offer
04/05/2020 … He was a familiar face on British TV in the 1960s and 1970s – but that didn’t stop Britain’s Got Talent producers trying to lure Freddie ‘Parrot…
Comedian Sofie Hagen's dismay as she finds herself on the Gove shelves
04/05/2020 … When she posted a photograph of her bookshelf on social media, Sarah Vine acknowledged it would be a ‘very special treat for my trolls’.
Entire estate goes to his wife
04/05/2020 … Neil Innes left his entire estate of £360,000 to his wife Yvonne, probate records show.
Comedians create their own entries
04/05/2020 … With this year's Eurovision Song Contest cancelled, musical comedian Tom Taylor decided to stage his own version, recruiting 14 comedy and cabaret chums…
© European People's Party/CC BY-SA 2.0 But will social distancing kill the vibe – and the business
04/05/2020 … Theatres in Ireland will be able to reopen on August 10 - but only if they can maintain physical distancing between customers.
03/05/2020 … Comedians raised almost £100,000 this weekend from just three online gigs.
03/05/2020 … The week's best new comedy on TV and radio.
'Thank you for 12 years of fantastic chaos'
03/05/2020 … Holly Willoughby has Celebrity Juice after ’12 years of fantastic chaos’.
© Stuart Hogben The best of today's best comedy on demand
02/05/2020 … Here's our pick of the best new comedy on demand.
Association aims to give one voice to a fragmented sector
02/05/2020 … A total of 600 comedians, promoters, agents and others have signed up for a new comedy industry trade body within 24 hours of it launching.
...and needed to be rescued by my 86-year-old neighbour
02/05/2020 … Michael Palin has revealed he accidentally set fire to his house – and had to be rescued but 86-year-old neighbour The Monty Python star told how…
Star 'had cancer and a brain tumour'
02/05/2020 … Sam Lloyd, who played depressed lawyer Ted Buckland on the long-running US hospital comedy Scrubs, has died at the age of 56.
Jury to rank top 30 for new Gold series
02/05/2020 … TV channel Gold, has revealed the top 30 comedy characters of all-time, according to a public poll.
© Arno Mikkor/CC BY-SA 2.0 Warning: some of the tweets of the week may be sarcastic
01/05/2020 … Tweets of the week Congratulations to Boris Johnson on the birth of his 7th or 19th baby — joe heenan (@joeheenan) April 29, 2020 I’d like…
New comedy featuring Frasier star Peri Gilpin
01/05/2020 … Frasier star Peri Gilpin co-stars in a new web series about ageism in Hollywood,.
01/05/2020 … The BBC received more than 180 complaints that its Big Night In fundraiser included ‘offensive content or humour’.
Voldemort star to play Mrs Trunchball
01/05/2020 … Ralph Fiennes, has officially signed on to play the dictatorial headmistress Miss Trunchbull in the movie version of the Matilda musical.
01/05/2020 … Comedian Hannibal Buress has released a new single, Judge Judy, all about America's long-running TV show.
01/05/2020 … Chris O’Dowd has a dog called Potato – who can sing the theme tune to the American version of The Office.
...but as producers of content
30/04/2020 … A bunch of stand-up and cabaret stars have turned to a platform best known for its adult content to help them get through the lockdown.
Mrs Brown launches a range of Iceland frozen foods
30/04/2020 … It is surely the aim of every comedian to have their own range of frozen foods available from Iceland.
© Ardfern/CC BY-SA 3.0 30/04/2020 … The owners of Britain’s biggest comedy clubs are confident they can bounce back from the lockdown – but are uncertain when that would be.
How clubs will emerge from lockdown... in their bosses' own words
30/04/2020 … Chortle asked the bosses of some of Britain’s biggest purpose-built comedy venues for their thoughts on when and how they might reopen after lockdown.
Union Jack radio showcases the stars who can't compete...
30/04/2020 … Comedians Justin Moorhouse, Patrick Monahan, Zoe Lyons, Paul Sinha and Athena Kugblenu are to host a new sports series and podcast for Union Jack radio.
© Steve Ullathorne 30/04/2020 … Comedians Nish Kumar, Sue Perkins, Ed Gamble and Sara Pascoe are to play an online game of Dungeons & Dragons for charity.
As part of a season about the topic
30/04/2020 … A film about Tony Slattery is to be a cornerstone of a new BBC season about mental health.
Comic taking some time off his US talk show
30/04/2020 … James Corden is taking time off from his US talk show after undergoing eye surgery.
...but no new series for ITV2's ancient Roman sitcom
30/04/2020 … Plebs is to come to an end with a feature-length special.
...as his new show comes to Channel 4
29/04/2020 … Mo Gilligan is to perform a free stand-up show for NHS and key workers.
© Fernando Pereira/Nationaal Archief/CC BY-SA 3.0 My dad taught Abba to play snooker, says comic Rob Deering
29/04/2020 … It sounds like the sort of outlandish claim you might find on Would I Lie To You… But back in the 1970s, Rob Deering’s dad Barney taught Abba how…
© BBC/Goodnight Vienna Productions And release it as an iPlayer box set
29/04/2020 … BBC One is to repeat all 12 episodes of Peter Kay’s Car Share, the broadcaster has announced today.
29/04/2020 … A hero slain in the line of duty is brought back from the dead, but now given a high-tech upgrade.
29/04/2020 … Tom Allen is to present an archive show looking at the history of TV adverts for Channel 4.
Hoaxers spread fake news about Ab Fab creator
29/04/2020 … Jennifer Saunders has been the victim of internet hoaxers circulating a fake message about personal protective equipment (PPE).
© BBC £5,500 to develop a new sitcom script
29/04/2020 … The BBC has announced a major new bursary for comedy writing in honour of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
28/04/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
28/04/2020 … Stephen K Amos is starring in a new music video for eclectic Texan funk trio Khruanhgbin.
© BBC/Zeppotron With panelists including Maisie Adam
28/04/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan is to host Have I Got News For You for the first time.
28/04/2020 … Comedy rap-poetry duo Harry & Chris perform a song about lockdown with a little help from Chris Read's one-year-old .
Emma Sullivan celebrates the lo-fi
27/04/2020 … A huge amount of comic material is being produced in response to the pandemic and far from being professionally produced, much of it is emerging directly from the…
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt interactive episode coming soon
27/04/2020 … Netflix has released the first full trailer for the interactive special episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Kimmy vs.
© Stuart Hogben Major festival pulls the plug over coronavirus
27/04/2020 … This year’s Latitude Festival has officially been cancelled.
Viewers spotted what they thought was a major editing fail
27/04/2020 … Ricky Gervais has denied using digital trickery in After Life, after viewers spotted a very peculiar scene in the new series.
'Malicious' outburst after comic thanks crowdfunding donors
27/04/2020 … A stand-up has blasted a fellow comedian for taking crowdfunding – saying her family is too well-off for her to be worthy of support.
For singer-songwriter Alexander Wolfe
27/04/2020 … Spencer Jones has made a video for singer-songwriter Alexander Wolfe's latest track, Tired Of Me.
27/04/2020 … Here's Howard Read's latest video about trying to deal with being stuck at home with his children.
At the recording of his Amazon special
27/04/2020 … Iain Stirling has announced a free show for NHS staff in November.
Russell Howard on life in lockdown
27/04/2020 … Russell Howard has spoken of his ‘heartbreak’ at being forced to live away from his wife during lockdown.
Probably – if UK follows the Italian timetable
27/04/2020 … Britain’s theatres and comedy clubs may have to wait until the end of the year to reopen, if the UK follows the same timetable as Italy.
Matt Lucas on his new Channel 4 show
26/04/2020 … Matt Lucas’s new Channel 4 series Reasons To Be Cheerful starts at 7.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
26/04/2020 … The week's best comedy on TV and radio: Sunday April 26 REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL WITH MATT LUCAS: The king of lockdown celebrates what people are doing while…
26/04/2020 … He joked that if anyone was going to play him on Saturday Night Live, he'd want it to be Brad Pitt.
With Saturday Night Live's Chloe Fineman
26/04/2020 … Saturday Night Live's Chloe Fineman plays an Airbnb guest and her long-suffering host in this sketch from last night's show.
Allan Finnegan gets four yeses
25/04/2020 … Comedian and Baptist minister Allan Finnegan got four yesses from judges when he appeared on Britain’s Got Talent tonight.
25/04/2020 … Here's our pick of the best new comedy on demand.
25/04/2020 … No quibbles with the video description here: two minutes of Hollywood's pocket rocket sliding is exactly what you get.
...for most people in a 'virtual' pub
24/04/2020 … Comedians including Russell Howard, Nish Kumar, Jon Richardson, and Joel Dommett are to help set a record for the ‘most visitors to a virtual pub’.
24/04/2020 … Tweets of the week And also mice? We could train mice to run down into the lungs with a small dustpan and brush? Magnets on a string? Petrol - a small controlled…
New book following her Dirty Dancing hit
24/04/2020 … Katy Brand is writing a book celebrating Mary Poppins.
24/04/2020 … Given he’s known for brutally direct stand-up, it’s little surprise that Ricky Gervais doesn’t do subtext.
© BBC/Endemol Shine Mash Report frontman signs to on-demand service Quibi
24/04/2020 … Nish Kumar is exporting his brand of topical comedy to America.
Jerry Seinfeld's new stand-up special
24/04/2020 … Netflix has released the trailer for Jerry Seinfeld's new stand-up special 23 Hours To Kill – with the comic playing out a James Bond-style scene.
24/04/2020 … The cast of Parks & Recreation are to reunite five years after the hit sitcom ended Stars including Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari, Nick…
The sketches from last night's telethon ranked and rated
24/04/2020 … The BBC put together an ambitious three-hour telethon under social distancing rules last night, which raised £27.
85 per cent of comics and industry go without government help
23/04/2020 … More than 85 per cent of people working in the live comedy industry have secured no government aid, a month after the sector closed down completely.
Anna Maxwell Martin weighs in on THE sex robot question...
23/04/2020 … There are a lot of questions facing society at the moment, but few more persistent than this: If you cheat on your partner with a sex robot, is it really cheating? It…
Every episode of medical sitcom on-demand
23/04/2020 … Channel 4 has signed a deal to put every episode of Scrubs on to its on-demand platform All4.
23/04/2020 … Cabaret star Melinda Hughes has released a new song about romance during the lockdown.
Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan on the return of their Sky One series
23/04/2020 … Ahead of the second season of their Sky One series Rob & Romesh Vs.
Available on – *checks notes* – The Weather Channel
23/04/2020 … Big-name American comedians including Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy, and Billy Crystal are to take place in a live-streaming fundraiser next…
Vic Reeves, Joe Lycett, Harry Hill and Jessica Hynes
23/04/2020 … Vic Reeves, Joe Lycett, Harry Hill and Jessica Hynes are to take part in a new Grayson Perry art show for Channel 4.
© Sky TV Plus Jack Whitehall, Kurupt FM, Romesh Ranganathan and loads of stand-ups
22/04/2020 … Travel may be off the menu, but Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are to recreate The Trip for the BBC’s Big Night In extravaganza tomorrow night.
© Fung Wah Man 22/04/2020 … Tim Key's Late Night Poetry Programme is to be released on vinyl for the first time.
And Shameless writer to create Dan and Sam script
22/04/2020 … The movie version of Mark Watson’s 2015 graphic novel has found a director.
Broadcaster reveals launch date for new episodes
22/04/2020 … E4 has announced that it will air new episodes of Rick and Morty four days after they air in the US.
© C4 Last Leg to return – with hosts 17,000km apart
22/04/2020 … Adam Hills is to host the next series of The Last Leg from his garage in Melbourne.
...as the fate of comedy clubs is raised in the Commons
22/04/2020 … London’s Bill Murray comedy venue says it will not survive the coronavirus lockdown unless fans bail it out.
TikTok users go mad for Micky Flanagan lip-synchs
22/04/2020 … It’s becoming an unlikely trend on TikTok as Britons are not allowed out, let alone out, out.
© Marcin Wichary/CC BY-SA 2.0 Hub for sketch and improv comedy
22/04/2020 … It has been one of the most important cogs of the New York comedy scene for more than 20 years – but the Upright Citizens Brigade last night announced…
'Viewers would know what to expect'
22/04/2020 … Complaints that a joke about the sinking of the Belgrano went too far have been rejected by the BBC’s standards unit.
Fangs again! Broadcaster buys series two of vampire comedy
22/04/2020 … BBC Two has snapped up the rights to the second series of vampire houseshare sitcom What We Do In The Shadows.
© Netflix Natasia Demetriou to host Netflix's The Big Flower Fight with Vic Reeves
22/04/2020 … Natasia Demetriou is to co-host new Netflix series The Big Flower Fight with Vic Reeves, the streaming service has announced today.
© BBC / Expectation BBC Two orders Sophie Willan's sitcom after hit pilot
22/04/2020 … Sophie Willan’s sitcom Alma’s Not Normal has been commissioned for a full series, following the success of a pilot earlier this month.
22/04/2020 … Charlie Brooker is to make his first Wipe show in more than three years to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
© BBC New shorts on dealing with lockdown
22/04/2020 … Comics including Bob Mortimer, Kerry Godliman and Tom Allen are to take part in a new series of BBC Two comedy shorts shot in isolation.
© BBC/Objective Fiction Four Squeamish About… episodes ordered
22/04/2020 … BBC Two has commissioned Matt Berry to make a new series of offbeat mockumentaries.
Footage from old gigs to be streamed
21/04/2020 … The Comedy Store is to stream footage from its archives for the first time in a bid to generate income during the lockdown.
As Father Ted turns 25 today, we look at some of the men behind the priests...
21/04/2020 … Father Ted launched on Channel 4 on April 21, 1995.
© Bafta 21/04/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© BBC Radio Wales announces a Machynlleth Comedy Festival weekend
21/04/2020 … BBC Radio Wales is to air a virtual version of the Machynlleth Comedy Festival, despite the real thing being cancelled.
21/04/2020 … Working from home has led to a new range of problems for people to overcome.
Armando Iannucci on the creative dilemma he's facing
21/04/2020 … Armando Iannucci has admitted that trying to be funny during a pandemic is causing him a profound creative dilemma.
21/04/2020 … Matt Lucas is writing a children’s picture book based on his fundraising song Thank You, Baked Potato.
Two fans are trying to make it happen
20/04/2020 … Two video game designers are working on a game based around the Seinfeld sitcom.
20/04/2020 … Comedian Joz Norris plays an actor who landed the role that changed his life in this newly released comedy film.
20/04/2020 … Shown on E4 in the UK, American sitcom Black-ish has not made anything like the impact here as it has in the States, where it has run for six seasons in a primetime…
20/04/2020 … Daniel Kitson has started a breakfast show on London-based Resonance FM.
Previously unseen sketch from a planned TV series
20/04/2020 … Here's a previously unseen skit from a sketch series clownish double act Zach & Viggo were pitching for TV.
Secrets of The Room Next Door revealed
20/04/2020 … Michael Spicer has signed a book deal thanks to the success of his Room Next Door web series.
Rob & Romesh Vs…returns next month
20/04/2020 … Sky One has released the first pictures from the second series of Rob & Romesh Vs… as it announces at air date of May 5.
© BBC BBC to air major new documentary
20/04/2020 … BBC Two is to air a documentary to mark the 40th anniversary of the death of Peter Sellers.
Entitled Entitled it's about the entitled
20/04/2020 … Australian comic Kitty Flanagan is making a TV comedy down under about a probate lawyer.
For published and unpublished work
20/04/2020 … The Comedy Women in Print Prize, the literary awards set up by Helen Lederer last year, has unveiled its 2020 longlists.
BBC flooded with complaints over Peter Kay's breastfeeding gag
19/04/2020 … The BBC says it has received 175 complaints over a breastfeeding joke on the new episodes of Peter Kay's Car Share.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
19/04/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio Sunday April 19 KEEP CALM - IT'S CARRY ON…BBC Two has been running some classic old movies…
June 15 suggested under 'traffic light' system of easing lockdown
19/04/2020 … Comedy clubs could reopen on June 15 under a three-stage ‘traffic light’ plan to end lockdown.
Dawn French revives her character for Big Night In
18/04/2020 … Dawn French is to revive the Vicar Of Dibley for the BBC’s Big Night In lockdown extravaganza this week.
But this time it's good, not creepy
18/04/2020 … Louis CK has donated $30,000 to help staff at one of the few comedy clubs to welcomed him back to the stage after his sexual misconduct was exposed.
18/04/2020 … Here's our pick of the best new comedy on demand.
...and it only took her a week
18/04/2020 … Katherine Ryan’s new podcast has gone to the top of the iTunes comedy podcast chart within a week of release.
18/04/2020 … You might think everyone loved Tim Brooke-Taylor.
17/04/2020 … Tweets of the week VET: You said your dog has been acting strange? Like lethargic, or not eating? CHARLIE BROWN: He’s been pretending to murder people…
Show from Nick Mohammed’s alter-ego Mr Swallow goes on demand for charity
17/04/2020 … Nick Mohammed’s Mr Swallow show about Houdini is to be released online to raise money for NHS charities.
Russell Howard praised – and mocked – for drinking cider on TV at 9am
17/04/2020 … Russell Howard has become a British hero – by swigging cider live on TV just after 9am Several fans even jokingly suggested he should be knighted for his…
Mark Thomas kicks off the new venture
17/04/2020 … Some of the sessions from the last Chortle Comedy Book festival are being released as a weekly podcast.
Laura Lexx crowdsources a novel in lockdown
17/04/2020 … Stand-up Laura Lexx is surely not the only person killing time during the lockdown by writing a novel.
Sky's new Robocop-style comedy
17/04/2020 … Sky has released the first trailer for its new Robocop-style comedy, Code 404, ahead of its launch later this months.
Adam Kay compiles a collection of stories from the stars
17/04/2020 … Adam Kay is to curate stories about the NHS from 100 celebrities to help raise money for health service charities.
Comics to broadcast shows via NextUp
16/04/2020 … Comedy on-demand service NexUp has announced a partnership with Brighton Fringe to keep the festival going digitally during lockdown.
Comedian switches his name back
16/04/2020 … Joe Lycett is back to being himself – a month after changing his name to Hugo Boss.
Theme tune from the West End stars in lockdown
16/04/2020 … The cast of the Only Fools And Horses stage musical have reunited over Zoom to record a special version of the show's theme tune Hooky Street, Tom Bennett,…
Another life in lockdown series
16/04/2020 … Some top comedy duos are reuniting for a new podcast about living under lockdown.
© BBC David Walliams and Matt Lucas record a sketch for BBC One’s Big Night In
16/04/2020 … Little Britain is to return to TV for the first time in more than ten years as part of BBC One’s Big Night In.
With sketches, music and games
16/04/2020 … Mo Gilligan is to return to Channel 4, hosting a new lockdown gameshow.
16/04/2020 … Matt Lucas is to front a new Channel 4 comedy entertainment series written by Harry Hill.
16/04/2020 … The comics at College Humor have revived one of their most popular formats for the coronavirus epidemic.
As comic highlights the dedication of care workers
16/04/2020 … A new episode of Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience has been rushed on to the schedules in honour of Britain’s care workers.
Netflix names release date for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
16/04/2020 … Netflix has announced an air date for the final – and interactive – episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt via a teaser video.
Comic reveals her embarrassing mistake
16/04/2020 … Amy Schumer has revealed that she had to change her son's name – after realising it sounded rude.
15/04/2020 … Joz Norris entertains himself during lockdown by reviewing a cuckoo clock in this new video.
Netflix comedy special reviewed by Steve Bennett
15/04/2020 … It’s all ‘bro’ and ‘dude’ and ‘man’ with Chris D’Elia; a style of stand-up that’s long started to feel stale.
© HBO 15/04/2020 … Rarely does a viewer care who carries the executive producer credits on a TV series.
...but it's not saying who's taking part
15/04/2020 … Comedy Central has ordered a series of social media shorts from comedians stuck in lockdown.
Part of a package of lockdown projects
15/04/2020 … London’s Angel Comedy club has launched live-streamed content five nights a week during the lockdown.
A quarantine fashion and beauty song from Hannah Warman
15/04/2020 … Musical comedian Hannah Warman offers some fashion and beauty tips for the lockdown in her new track.
'I will be like Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner'
15/04/2020 … Frank Skinner is to launch a new podcast all about poetry.
Decision made 'with a heavy heart'
15/04/2020 … This year’s Larmer Tree festival has been cancelled.
One of four comics honoured by Australia Post
15/04/2020 … Adam Hills has been immortalised on an Australian stamp.
Comic records a sketch for James Corden's show
15/04/2020 … British comic Michael Spicer has made his American debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden, thanks to his Room Next Door web series.
© C4 Channel 4 passes on any more episodes of builders' comedy
14/04/2020 … Channel 4 sitcom Lee And Dean will not be coming back for a third series, its creators have revealed.
© Noel Fielding/Saatchi Gallery Noel Fielding talks about his art as it goes on sale at a virtual Saatchi gallery
14/04/2020 … Noel Fielding is put some of his artwork up for sale through an online endeavour art gallery.
Just seven dates so far - but free tickets to NHS staff
14/04/2020 … Johnny Vegas has announced his first live tour in more than a decade.
New spoof from comedy troupe The Lampoons
14/04/2020 … Comedy quartet The Lampoons have launch a new mock news programme from their 'home isolation stations'.
© BBC Weekly trivia quiz: special edition
14/04/2020 … For this week's quiz, we pay tribute to the much-loved Tim Brooke-Taylor with questions all about his long career.
Old-school comic Jeff Stevenson tells how he joined the alternative circuit
14/04/2020 … In the 1990s, Jeff Stevenson was a journeyman ‘old school’ comedian, performing on cruise ships, doing TV-warm-ups, panto, and the occasional bit of…
14/04/2020 … Hannah Gadsby has announced that her new Netflix special, Douglas, will be released on May 26.
Lenny Henry, Paddy McGuinness and others to host lockdown extravaganza
14/04/2020 … Matt Baker, Zoe Ball, Lenny Henry, Davina McCall and Paddy McGuinness are to host BBC One’s Big Night In extravaganza, the corporation has announced.
Belated release for I Used To Say My Mother Was Shirley Bassey
14/04/2020 … Stephen K Amos has recorded an audiobook version of his memoirs – eight years after it was first published.
First in a new series of web sketches, That Guy
13/04/2020 … Stand-up David Mills is launching a new series of web sketches entitled That Guy.
© S4C Gavin & Stacey star even joined long-running soap Pobol y Cwm
13/04/2020 … Ruth Jones has been learning Welsh for a new TV series.
A new poem about being a travelling comedian
13/04/2020 … Comedian and poet Alexis Dubus recalls a bad hostel experience in Perth, Australia, in this new verse.
Dave Gorman fulfils an ambition...
13/04/2020 … Dave Gorman has achieved a long-held ambition – by setting a cryptic crossword for a national newspaper.
© Stuart Hogben Online gig aims to rebuild society... 'in a silly way'
13/04/2020 … Mark Watson is to stage another of his marathon comedy shows – but this time via webcam.
Some of the comedian's most memorable moments, as he dies at 79
12/04/2020 … Some memorable Tim Brooke-Taylor moments, as he dies at 79 At Last The 1948 Show With John Cleese, from 1967 Broaden Your Mind The precursor to The…
'A funny, sociable, generous man who was a delight to work with'
12/04/2020 … Former Goodie Tim Brooke-Taylor has died at the age of 79 after contracting coronavirus.
12/04/2020 … What happens to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when they aren't teenagers any more.
According to Saturday Night Live
12/04/2020 … Donald Trump phoned into Saturday Night Live last night – during the first edition of the show to come from the homes of its cast.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
12/04/2020 … The best of the week’s comedy on TV and radio: Sunday April 12 MORECAMBE AND WISE FOREVER: Both parts of this affectionate documentary are…
11/04/2020 … Here's our pick of the best new comedy on demand.
11/04/2020 … The BBC has made an official trailer for This Country – as if it were a horror film.
© BBC/Goodnight Vienna Productions 10/04/2020 … The BBC has sunk millions into its Sounds app for its audio output.
10/04/2020 … Tweets of the week Was nice to see the Queen, forgotten what she looked like as I don’t have money anymore — Mark Simmons (@JokesWithMark) April…
© Mark Seliger Netflix announces release dates
10/04/2020 … New stand-up specials from Jerry Seinfeld and Patton Oswalt are coming to Netflix next month.
Comic Will Franken's claims after falling out with Comedy Unleashed
10/04/2020 … It was a night set up to champion free speech – but today Comedy Unleashed has been accused of trying to censor comedians who do not agree with its agenda.
Rugby league legend Paul Sculthorpe turns barber while keeping 2m away
10/04/2020 … Here's Johnny Vegas having his hair shaved for charity by rugby league legend Paul Sculthorpe – while obeying social distancing rules and staying at least…
'Joe Lycett' on the return of his consumer show
10/04/2020 … He famously changed his name to Hugh Boss for the new series of the now inaccurately named Joe Lycett's Got Your Back.
New track lays into Aussie Prime Minister Scott Morrisson
10/04/2020 … Tim Minchin has released a new music video slamming Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison over his response to coronoavirus and the wildfires that swept the nation…
One family breaks the lockdown boredom
10/04/2020 … A bored family broke the lockdown tedium by creating their own version of The Simpsons title sequence.
Good figures, but far from its peak
10/04/2020 … Modern Family bowed out with 7.
How Breeders tried to protect its child actors from the non-stop expletives
10/04/2020 … Sky’s new parenting sitcom Breeders is almost defined by the torrent of expletives coming from the mouths of Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard as their characters…
10/04/2020 … Have I Got News For You and The Mash Report are already doing it, and now American comedy institution Saturday Night Live is to air an edition made from its stars’…
Ricky Gervais's comedy returns
09/04/2020 … Netflix has released the trailer for the second series of Ricky Gervais's series After Life.
As the Slapstick Festival starts opening up its archives
09/04/2020 … Bristol’s annual Slapstick festival of classic screen comedy has begun sharing previously unreleased footage of its events.
© UKTV/Gareth Gatrell 09/04/2020 … Feature-length versions of sitcoms have, at best, a chequered history.
Courtesy of streaming service Stan
09/04/2020 … Australian streaming channel Stan has commissioned a virtual comedy festival, following the cancellation of real festivals down under The new series will be filmed…
Charity stunt to air on Channel 4
09/04/2020 … Most of us are having to go without a haircut during the current lockdown.
© ITV New at-home programme with his wife Hannah
09/04/2020 … Joel Dommett is to host an ITV2 show from his own home.
© C4 Adapting the children’s novel Harry And The Wrinklies
08/04/2020 … Stephen Mangan is to write his first film, an adaptation of the children’s novel Harry And The Wrinklies.
New Netflix comedy with Steve Carell
08/04/2020 … Lisa Kudrow has joined the cast of Space Force, the new Netflix comedy from Steve Carell and Greg Daniels, his former showrunner on The Office.
08/04/2020 … A new instalment of Peter Kay’s Car Share is to be released as an audio download.
Daniel Sloss becomes a Marvel superhero
08/04/2020 … The normally mild-mannered Daniel Sloss has been made into a fearsome superhero by the Marvel comics team.
New one-man spoof hair metal band
08/04/2020 … Isolation is affecting different people in different ways.
As part of BBC One's Big Night In spectacular
07/04/2020 … Peter Kay will make his first TV appearance in two years later this month as part of a live three hour charity spectacular on the BBC.
With Ben Schwartz and Thomas Middleditch
07/04/2020 … Netflix has released the trailer for its first improvised comedy specials.
Fox renews Amy Poehler's comedy, shown on C4 here
07/04/2020 … Amy Poehler's new animated comedy Duncanville has been renewed for a second season.
How many more will coronavirus claim?
07/04/2020 … Bromsgrove’s Artrix arts centre has ceased trading after being forced to close its doors because of the coronavirus pandemic.
© BBC / Expectation 07/04/2020 … For a pilot episode, Alma’s Not Normal easily achieves what it’s meant to do and introduces a cast of intriguing, sympathetic characters we’d like…
07/04/2020 … Russell Howard is to host a new twice-weekly Sky One show from his old childhood bedroom.
With Little Howard and his real children
07/04/2020 … Howard Read is just one of the countless parents confined to barracks with his children at the moment.
07/04/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Series snapped up by London Live
07/04/2020 … An online sitcom featuring guest appearances by the likes of James Acaster, Joel Dommett and Lou Sanders has been picked up by TV channel London Live.
© UKTV/Gareth Gatrell Craig Charles on coming to terms with his Red Dwarf legacy
07/04/2020 … Red Dwarf returns to our screens on Thursday, with a feature-length episode entitled The Promised Land.
© UKTV/Gareth Gatrell Chris Barrie on the return of Red Dwarf
07/04/2020 … Red Dwarf returns to our screens on Thursday, with a feature-length episode entitled The Promised Land.
© UKTV/Gareth Gatrell Robert Llewelyn on the comedy's return
07/04/2020 … Red Dwarf returns to our screens on Thursday, with a feature-length episode entitled The Promised Land.
© UKTV/Gareth Gatrell Interview with Danny John-Jules as the comedy returns for a feature-length episode
07/04/2020 … Red Dwarf returns to our screens on Thursday, with a feature-length episode entitled The Promised Land.
© BBC Streaming figures for Dad's Army more than treble
07/04/2020 … Britain is turning to classic comedies for reassurance and laughs in these unusual times.
Admired stand-up dies of pulmonary embolism
07/04/2020 … The American comedy world has paid tribute to stand-up Vic Henley, who died suddenly yesterday.
Comic John Robertson to stage a 48-hour version of his Dark Room show
06/04/2020 … Comedian John Robertson is to host a mammoth 48-hour marathon version of his interactive videogame comedy The Dark Room.
© Matt Humphrey One-woman show raises money for charity
06/04/2020 … Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s one-woman stage version of Fleabag is being offered as an online download to raise money for charity.
...say more than half of parents
06/04/2020 … More than half of parents say their children are better behaved after watching a funny TV show.
Online help for those struggling through the lockdown
06/04/2020 … Comedians including Pierre Novellie, Olga Koch and William Stone are among those contributing to a digital mental health magazine to help people cope during the…
From It's Personal with Amy Hoggart
06/04/2020 … Amy Hoggart reads some age-inappropriate literature to children in an ill-fated attempt to persuade them of the benefits of forgiveness in this clip from her American…
Extended shutdown hits comedy shows
06/04/2020 … All the theatres in London's West End will remain shuttered until at least May 31, it was announced this morning.
Marcel Lucont will pour scorn on any topic, for a donation
06/04/2020 … Comedians are having to do what they can to earn money while every gig remains cancelled.
© C4 06/04/2020 … The third series of Channel 4's outlandish royal comedy The Windsors has been released today, and we have five copies to give away.
Comic guest stars on pre-school show Daisy & Ollie
06/04/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan has been turned into a cartoon, to appear on Jason Manford's pre-school show Daisy & Ollie.
Chart entry for NHS fundraiser
05/04/2020 … Matt Lucas’s Thank You Baked Potato has made No2 in the charts.
Review of the stand-up special he unexpectedly released last night
05/04/2020 … Last night, while much of America’s comedy industry was staging a marathon virtual fundraiser for colleagues left high and dry by the lockdown, its pariah,…
Good news from star and writer Daisy May Cooper
05/04/2020 … This Country will ‘definitely’ be back for a Christmas special, co-creator Daisy May Cooper has said.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
05/04/2020 … The week's best comedy on TV and radio.
© BBC Today's comedy on-demand picks
04/04/2020 … Here's our pick of the best new comedy on demand.
New series of online dating sketches
04/04/2020 … Imagine a world when you can't leave the house and have to date via webcam.
Review of the topical TV shows in lockdown
04/04/2020 … Many people have had to get used to working from home in recent weeks, and purveyors of topical quips are not exempt, with both Have I Got News For You and The Mash…
Montreal festival put off until the autumn
03/04/2020 … Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival, the year’s biggest comedy industry event, has become the latest victim of the coronavirus lockdown.
Rory Bremner pays tribute to the 'brilliant gagsmith' John Langdon, who died this week
03/04/2020 … You may not know the name John Langdon, who died on Monday, but you’ll very probably have laughed at his jokes, heard his lines or even read his pun-packed…
03/04/2020 … Tweets of the week I'm a big fan of the Irish goodbye.
Feature-length episode coming soon
03/04/2020 … The Dave TV channel has released the first five minutes of the new Red Dwarf feature-length episode, The Promised Land.
Adele parody from Donna Preston
03/04/2020 … Musical comedian Donna Preston has rewritten Adele's Hello to reflect these difficult times.
03/04/2020 … The Greater Manchester Fringe has been put off until the autumn.
03/04/2020 … With five stand-up specials already available on Netflix, American comic Iliza Shlesinger has branched into sketch – but it doesn’t feel she’s…
But no clues about a proper comeback
03/04/2020 … The cast of Frasier reunited last night for an hour-long video interview.
© C4 02/04/2020 … At the start of Maxxx, it’s hard not to have some sympathy for O-T Fagbenle’s title character, a former boy-band star so washed up he’s reduced…
Glimmer of hope for some sort of festival this August
02/04/2020 … The body behind the Edinburgh Fringe say they will still be able to support and promote events should a slimmed-down festival happen this August.
© David Betteridge Comedian contracted coronavirus
02/04/2020 … Eddie Large has died at the age of 78 after contracting coronavirus.
02/04/2020 … Netflix has released a trailer for its upcoming romcom Love Wedding Repeat.
© BBC More than 52million iPlayer requests puts it on a par with Fleabag
02/04/2020 … BBC Three has hailed This Country as one of its biggest comedies after revealing that episodes have been requested more than 52 million times on iPlayer.
Hulu renews Aidy Bryant comedy, co-starring Lolly Adefope
02/04/2020 … Aidy Bryant’s US comedy Shrill – which co-stars British comic Lolly Adefope – has been renewed for a third series.
© BBC/Endemol Shine Satirical website boosted by lockdown
02/04/2020 … Not everyone is suffering during the coronavirus lockdown.
Volume three to be published this autumn
02/04/2020 … Sir David Jason has written a third volume of his memoirs, to be published in October According to publishers Century, A Del Of A Life: Lessons I’ve Learned,…
Sophie Willan on her new BBC sitcom, Alma's Not Normal
02/04/2020 … Next week BBC Two broadcasts the pilot episode of Alma’s Not Normal, the semi-autobiographical sitcom from comedian Sophie Willan, about Boltonian wild-child…
Being paid for videos will help hard-up comics
01/04/2020 … The Comedy Unleashed stand-up night has set up a £10,000 fund to pay comedians for new content for its YouTube channel.
New dates in London, Glasgow and Dublin
01/04/2020 … Trevor Noah has announced rescheduled UK and Ireland dates The Daily Show host pulled his Loud & Clear tour at the last minute last month, becoming one of…
01/04/2020 … Larry David has made a public service announcement to urge people to stay inside.
Second part of season 4 coming next month
01/04/2020 … Adult Swim has released a trailer for the long-awaited second half of Rick and Morty's four season.
Despite government advice to curb non-essential travel
01/04/2020 … Comedian Ashley Blaker is to stage a theatre show with no audience this weekend – despite government instructions that non-essential workers should not travel.
Success for the Awkward Silence
01/04/2020 … Comedy duo The Awkward Silence have won a national comedy competition, bagging a £1,000 prize for their video sketch.
01/04/2020 … Markus Birdman has become Markus Boredman during the lockdown.
'We will return with a renewed purpose. We will persevere.'
01/04/2020 … The 'big 4' Edinburgh venues have all issued their own statements in the wake of its afternoon's news that the Edinburgh Fringe is not going ahead as…
As issued by the Festival Fringe Society
01/04/2020 … Following today's announcement that the 2020 Edinburgh Fringe would not be going ahead in anything like its normal form, the Festival Fringe Society, which puts…
But a slimmed-down Fringe MAY be possible
01/04/2020 … Edinburgh’s Free Fringe and Free Festival says they too will be cancelling all their shows for this year’s Fringe.
Most the judging to take place online
01/04/2020 … Entries have opened for this year’s Funny Women Award.
Earl Okin defiant amid Facebook storm
01/04/2020 … Veteran comedian Earl Okin has sparked a racism storm after posting a photograph likening Chancellor Rishi Sunak to Buster Keaton dressed as a monkey.
Title to be published in Israel, Finland, Romania and the Czech Republic
01/04/2020 … Adam Kay’s forthcoming children’s book is to be published in Israel, Finland, Romania and the Czech Republic.
01/04/2020 … This year’s Edinburgh Fringe will not go ahead, the official Festival Fringe Society has confirmed.
In honour of author Louise Rennison
01/04/2020 … A comedy award has been launched in honour of writer and comic Louise Rennison to showcase the comedy talent of young people.
31/03/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
...as Russell Crowe advertises the comic's services
31/03/2020 … Vulnerable residents of St Helens may see a family figure dropping off their essential supplies: Johnny Vegas.
Jim Beckett writes two kids' novels
31/03/2020 … Jim Beckett, formerly of comedy duo Bob and Jim, has sold two children’s books to publishers Egmont.
31/03/2020 … Comedians including James Acaster, Joe Lycett, and Richard Herring have recorded videos for a new charity social media push to cheer up children, especially those…
While Karl Pilkington says Sick Of It is over
31/03/2020 … Parenting sitcom Breeders is returning for a second series, Chortle can reveal.
31/03/2020 … Remember when the biggest social dilemma you faced was where to go for dinner? Well, the situation was recreated by Holly Burn and David Mills in this sketch,…
Air date for Daniel Mays and Stephen Graham AI crimefighting series
31/03/2020 … Sky has confirmed the air date of its new Robocop-style comedy Code 404.
31/03/2020 … Olaf Falafel has recorded a new version of Billy Joel's We Didn't Start The Fire for the lockdown.
After new version of Shooting Songs track went viral
31/03/2020 … Matt Lucas is to release a reworked version of his famous Baked Potato Song to aid NHS workers.
'It's not nice, I promise you'
31/03/2020 … Paul Chuckle has revealed that he was laid low with coronavirus.
© BBC As Leicester Comedy Festival hands out its gongs
30/03/2020 … Johnny Vegas has been named this year's 'legend of comedy' by the Leicester Comedy Festival.
© C4 C4 comedy attracts a record audience
30/03/2020 … Friday Night Dinner returned to Channel 4 with its biggest ever audience on Friday.
30/03/2020 … Apple has released the official trailer from Trying, its first new British comedy series.
30/03/2020 … Adult Swim has unexpectedly released a new mini-episode of Rick and Morty.
Derren Litten quits comedy writing after the BBC passed on Scarborough
30/03/2020 … Benidorm creator Derren Litten has quit comedy to open a karaoke bar – in Benidorm.
His stand-up is most-watched show on Sky One
30/03/2020 … Maybe everybody really does turn to stand-up comedy in times like this… Viewing figures show that the most-watched show on Sky One on Saturday night was…
30/03/2020 … Japanese comedian Ken Shimura, a household name in his country since the 1970s, has died of coronavirus.
Comedian's success in Australia's Strictly
29/03/2020 … Comedian Celia Pacquola has won Australia’s Dancing With The Stars.
© C4 This week's comedy on TV and radio
29/03/2020 … The week's best comedy on TV and radio Sunday March 29 PATRICK KIELTY'S COMEDY HEROES: An interview as part of Radio 2's Funny Fortnight in which…
Cops raid comedy club for breaching lockdown - with a pre-recorded gig
29/03/2020 … When Liverpool’s Hot Water comedy club decided to stream an old stand-up night, it must have seemed like a good idea to cheer people up and raise some much-needed…
© BBC 29/03/2020 … It was a groundbreaking sitcom that defined a generation of comedy – but its star Adrian Edmondson reckons The Young Ones hasn't aged well.
28/03/2020 … Here’s another deleted scene from This Country’s third and final series.
28/03/2020 … During the lockdown Chortle will be bringing you a round-up of new comedy on demand – updated every weekday at around 3pm.
Sharing stories of isolation in Now Wash Your Hands
28/03/2020 … Radio 4 has launched a new show and podcast in which comedians will share stories of their isolation under the coronavirus shutdown.
© Gartenbaukino/CC BY-SA 3.0 Preview of Radio 2's latest Funny Fortnight pilot
28/03/2020 … Greg Hemphill’s done all right out of writing about pensioners, given that he first co-created the Still Game characters when he in his late 20s.
27/03/2020 … The BBC has released a blooper reel of outtakes from This Country series 3.
© Fremantle Media/Talkback 27/03/2020 … Sandi Toksvig has joined the army of comedians offering online content from her home.
27/03/2020 … Delivery drivers are currently ringing the doorbell and then stepping well away, which I’ve decided to call Lockdown Ginger.
Socially Distant for BBC Scotland
27/03/2020 … Susan Calman is to film a new TV show from the bottom of her garden.
Gagsmith had a 30-year partnership with Rory Bremner
27/03/2020 … Comedy writer John Langdon, who worked on Not The Nine O’Clock News and The News Quiz and had a 30-year partnership with Rory Bremner has died.
© BBC Matt Lucas also confirms Netflix talks
27/03/2020 … Little Britain could be returning as a stage show, Matt Lucas has revealed.
Taskmaster's second 'home tasking' challenge
27/03/2020 … Here are the results of the second 'home tasking' challenge set by Taskmaster'a Alex Horne.
27/03/2020 … Here's episode three of Cabin Fever, the web series a locked-down John Finnemore is making in the guise of his Cabin Pressure creation Arthur Shappey.
With Frankie Boyle, Daniel Sloss and Fred MacAulay and others
26/03/2020 … The Stand comedy clubs are offering a second virtual stand-up club this Saturday night.
© Steve Ullathorne 26/03/2020 … BBC Two has confirmed a broadcast date for Alma's Not Normal, the semi-autobiographical from comic Sophie Willan The pilot – about Boltonian wild-child,…
26/03/2020 … Improv theatre Hoopla is offering free lessons in their craft during the coronavirus lockdown.
Deborah Frances-White’s Guilty Feminist tour is axed
26/03/2020 … Deborah Frances-White’s Guilty Feminist live tour has been cancelled.
Man Like Mobeen’s Tolu Ogunmefun shares his comedy favourites
26/03/2020 … As Guz Khan’s sitcom Man Like Mobeen starts its third series on BBC One next week, Tolu Ogunmefun, who plays Nate, shares his Perfect Playlist… Jim…
People's Choice champ and wildcards named
26/03/2020 … George Totill has won the People’s Choice place in the semi-finals of the Chortle student comedy award.
...and he's already fed up of the 'not going out' gags
25/03/2020 … Lee Mack has been struck down with the symptoms of coronavirus.
25/03/2020 … Any Bake Off fan tuning in to Hitmen to see those two nice ladies with the cheeky double entendres will be in for a rude awakening.
From Channel 4's new animated comedy
25/03/2020 … Here's an exclusive clip from Channel 4's new imported animated series, Duncanville.
...and not just in the way you're thinking!
25/03/2020 … Many comedians may be turning to pornography to get them through these difficult times – but none quite like this.
© UKTV The perfect answer to lockdown boredom
25/03/2020 … Alex Horne is setting the nation some Taskmaster challenges to alleviate the boredom of social distancing.
© BBC/Colin Hutton 25/03/2020 … Spencer Jones is one of the funniest, most inventive comedians to have emerged in recent years – which is why it’s so disappointing to see him in…
Contest to find the funniest virus-themed song
25/03/2020 … The producers of the Musical Comedy Award have launched a competition to find the funniest song based around the coronavirus.
Part of its #StandUpToCorona strand
25/03/2020 … Union Jack Radio is to feature stand-up clips from 1990s TV show Live At Jongleurs as part of its new comedy strand.
From Ellie & Natasia and Lazy Susan
25/03/2020 … The BBC has ordered two new comedy series, from Ellie & Natasia and Lazy Susan.
New series about the links between musicians
25/03/2020 … Marcus Brigstocke is to return to Jazz FM to host a new series called Jazz Family Trees.
24/03/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
© BBC/Endemol Shine Producers work around lock-in rules
24/03/2020 … The next series of BBC Two’s Mash Report will be broadcast from the homes of its presenters.
Comics talk about the realities of relationships with other couples
24/03/2020 … Real-life couple Catherine Bohart and Sarah Keyworth have made a new Radio 4 podcast about relationships.
24/03/2020 … Musical comedy duo Jonny & The Baptists embrace the short-form format of TikTok in their new video.
But plans to do something online...
24/03/2020 … This year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival has been cancelled amid the ongoing public health emergency.
© Mark Jones/CC BY-SA 2.0 'I hear she wants to do voiceover work'
24/03/2020 … The Simpsons producers have made a play to get the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to cameo on their show.
24/03/2020 … The coronavirus lockdown has left sports TV channels with swathes of airtime and nothing to fill it with.
O-T Fagbenle on his new E4 comedy, Maxxx
24/03/2020 … E4's new sitcom Maxx revolves around a boyband star turned drug-shamed tabloid laughing stock trying to make a comeback.
Trailer for Eugene Mirman documentary film
23/03/2020 … The trailer has been released for It Started As A Joke, a documentary film about Eugene Mirman and the alternative New York comedy scene that built up around him.
Becoming the second doctor-turned-comic to reveal symptoms...
23/03/2020 … Simon Brodkin has become the second comedian in 24 hours to say he's got coronavirus.
23/03/2020 … The BBC reckoned Kerry Mucklowe deserved her own statue – so they made one.
Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal's LA's alternative comedy showcase streams tonight
23/03/2020 … The hippest alternative comedy night in Los Angeles is being live-streamed tonight, although Brits will have to stay up very late to watch it.
Surprise news after original publisher bowed to backlash
23/03/2020 … Woody Allen’s memoirs have been unexpectedly released, after its original publisher was forced to drop the title amid widespread protest.
Arthur Shappey's back... but in self-isolation
23/03/2020 … John Finnemore has revived one of the characters from his hit sitcom Cabin Pressure for the coronavirus lockdown.
23/03/2020 … Comics Matthew Highton and Joz Norris have shot a comedy sci-fi horror short in the confines of their kitchen.
Comic's interview show switches platforms
23/03/2020 … Comedy podcast Dane Baptiste Questions Everything has been snapped up by the world’s biggest podcast company Acast.
Comics recreate cancelled football fixtures on Fifa
23/03/2020 … Comedians missing the football season came up with their own solution to cancelled fixtures – running the matches on Fifa 20.
23/03/2020 … We will get though the coronavirus with love – according to musical comedian Hannah Warman.
Comic hasn't been tested, but has symptoms
23/03/2020 … Paul Sinha has revealed that he probably has coronavirus.
© BBC Daisy May and Charlie Cooper said they've 'spunked up' the money they got from their series
23/03/2020 … This Country may have become a huge hit – but sibling creators Daisy May and Charlie Cooper say they are still penniless, thanks to some reckless…
Review of Suzi Ruffell and Ahir Shah's entertainment pilot as part of Radio 2's Funny Fortnight
22/03/2020 … With her gregarious, in-control nature, it was probably only a matter of time before Suzi Ruffell landed a presenting slot of her own.
Virtual gig review by Steve Bennett
22/03/2020 … Nothing beats a live gig, but if this is to be the new normal of stand-up comedy for a while… well, it’s not too bad.
22/03/2020 … Those people who stay at home binge-watching box sets and ordering food in are the real heroes of the coronavirus.
Review of Vicki Pepperdine and Morgana Robinson's sitcom pilot as part of Radio 2's Funny Fortnight
22/03/2020 … Funny Fortnight, Radio Two’s annual season of comedy pilots kicked off last night with Ed Patrick’s medical-based talk show, Infectious Personalities,…
Review of Ed Patrick's talk show pilot as part of Radio 2's Funny Fortnight
22/03/2020 … Given there have been talk shows and panel shows based on just about every topic known to man, it’s a surprise there hasn’t been a medical-themed one…
© C4 Stuck in? Here's the best of the week's comedy on radio and TV
22/03/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
22/03/2020 … Kerry and Kurtan run into an old friend at the railway station in this deleted scene from last week's episode of this country.
© BBC Mister Winner writer Matt Morgan on his new BBC sitcom
20/03/2020 … Why did you want to write this show? I wanted to do a family show that centred on physical comedy.
'Our view is that there will be a festival – but we don't know what form it will take'
20/03/2020 … The publication of the Edinburgh Fringe programme is to be put back by at least four weeks.
Spencer Jones on Mister Winner, and his own slapstick life
20/03/2020 … Spencer Jones returns to TV next week as the hapless Leslie Winner in the sitcom Mister Winner, following a successful pilot in 2017.
The Stand hosts a live-streamed gig to beat coronavirus lockdown
20/03/2020 … The Stand is to host a free live-streamed show from one of its comedy clubs this weekend, headlined by Phill Jupitus.
Coming to Sky Comedy on April 15
20/03/2020 … Sky has released a trailer for its new series Run, featuring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and written by Fleabag stage director Vicky Jones.
20/03/2020 … Tweets of the week Day 36 of self-isolation.
Our new daily round-up of comedy to consume at home
20/03/2020 … During the coronavirus lockdown Chortle will be bringing you a round-up of new comedy on demand – updated every weekday at around 3pm.
Life imitates art as coronavirus forces comic to sign on
20/03/2020 … He shot to fame as a man pounded by the bureaucracy of Britain’s benefits system.
...to anyone who makes a donation to food banks
20/03/2020 … Mark Thomas is using one of his acclaimed stand-up shows as a virtual benefit gig for food banks Fans who make any donation to the Trussell Trust…
20/03/2020 … A trailer has been released for the new feature-length episode of Red Dwarf, giving tantalising hints about the plot.
In two special podcast episodes
20/03/2020 … The Dave channel is releasing two special episodes of its comedy mental health podcast Conversations Against Living Miserably to help people stuck indoors…
20/03/2020 … E4 have released the first trailed for their new comedy Maxxx.
Should they go down The Winchester?
19/03/2020 … They have some experience in dealing with an apocalyptic situation in which ever-larger numbers of the population become infected.
Star announces second pregnancy
19/03/2020 … This Country star Daisy May Cooper has announced that she is pregnant with her second child.
Fund to help comics in need tops £50k
19/03/2020 … A new fund to help comedians struggling because of the coronavirus lockdown has hit its £50,000 target within a day.
Robin Williams vs Alison Spittle
19/03/2020 … Some people are more inventive than others when it comes to entertaining themselves during the coronavirus lockdown.
Big honour from Forbes magazine
19/03/2020 … Comic Mawaan Rizwan has made the 30 Under 30 list of hotly-tipped movers and shakers compiled by financial magazine Forbes.
© BBC The latest cancellations and other news
19/03/2020 … This page will be updated to include the latest developments throughout the day.
His memoir dubbed one of the biggest titles in the past 30 years
19/03/2020 … Adam Kay’s NHS memoirs This Is Going To Hurt has made a list of the top 11 books to have been released in the past 30 years.
Including Bob Mortimer, Rhod Gilbert, Jessica Fostekew and more...
19/03/2020 … Jessica Fostekew was a double winner at this year’s Chortle Awards, with other accolades going to the likes of Bob Mortimer, Rhod Gilbert and Kiri…
© C4 18/03/2020 … We should be wary of likening any complex comedy with a screwed-up central female character to Fleabag – although certainly those who loved Phoebe-Waller Bridge’s…
But it plans to live-stream shows instead.
18/03/2020 … Top London comedy venue The Bill Murray has announced it is to close for at least two weeks in light of the latest advice on the COVID-19 outbreak.
Coronavirus lockdown claims 5,500 performances
18/03/2020 … This year’s Brighton Fringe will not be going ahead in May, organisers have announced.
18/03/2020 … Whisper it, but ITV could just have created that rarest of creatures – a mainstream sitcom that’s constantly funny; deserving of critical praise…
18/03/2020 … Organisers have pulled the plug on next month’s Bath Comedy Festival.
Bobby Mair to unleash his terrible singing for charity
18/03/2020 … The coronavirus semi-quarantine could test the most loving of relationships – and that includes comedian couple Bobby Mair and Harriet Kemsley.
18/03/2020 … Sisters Bebe and Jessie Cave are offering some tips for survival in self-isolation in their new video The clip promises how to be efficient, hard working incredible…
© Button Hall Productions Image Type: Portraits Programme Maker: Monumental 18/03/2020 … Shooting has wrapped on the second series of hit BBC One comedy Ghosts.
Comic's comeback as a DJ hit by coronavirus
18/03/2020 … Peter Kay’s return to the stage has been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Union Jack station launches a showcase for stuck-at-home comedians
18/03/2020 … Union Jack Radio has launched a new show to showcase the work of comedians left out of work from the widespread cancellations of gigs.
Lucy Robinson joins Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s indie
18/03/2020 … Comedy Central’s head of original content Lucy Robinson is leaving the broadcaster to join Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s company Stolen Picture.
But dates rescheduled for autumn
18/03/2020 … Jeff Dunham has pulled his Seriously!? UK tour.
The latest cancellations and other news
18/03/2020 … This page will be refreshed to provide updates over the day Top London comedy venue The Bill Murray has announced it is to close for at least two weeks –…
Robin Ince harnesses the 'show must go on' spirit
18/03/2020 … Comedians including Jo Brand, Sara Pascoe and the League Of Gentlemen’s Mark Gatiss are to take part in a new festival – to be streamed direct into people’s…
Other gongs for Derry Girls, Fleabag and Sex Education
17/03/2020 … Comedian London Hughes has won the Royal Television Society award for best entertainment performance for her work on the rap panel show Don't Hate The Playaz.
...just two weeks after announcing it
17/03/2020 … Netflix has been forced to pull its mammoth comedy festival just two months after announcing it.
© BBC This Country star posts from his sickbed
17/03/2020 … This Country star Charlie Cooper has revealed how he believes he 'most definitely' has come down with coronavirus.
Try our St Patrick's Day comedy trivia quiz
17/03/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
More accolades revealed tomorrow!
17/03/2020 … The winners of the best comedy clubs and venues in this year’s Chortle Awards can be revealed tonight.
And fans sent home from Celebrity Juice taping
17/03/2020 … Topical radio comedies The Now Show and Newsjack are to be taped without a studio audience this week.
Today's cancellations in brief
17/03/2020 … Nick Helm has postponed his upcoming Phoenix from the Flames tour.
Including Simon Amstell, Jason Manford and Reginald D Hunter
17/03/2020 … It may not be the right time to be thinking of it – but a new tranche of shows have just gone on sale for this year's Edinburgh Fringe.
...and support the comics making it
17/03/2020 … Although the world's on lockdown – and live comedy on an indefinite hiatus – no one need be without stand-up.
17/03/2020 … Here’s the first exclusive interview with Covid-19.
© Gareth James/CC BY-SA 2.0 Coronavirus lockdown claims popular event
17/03/2020 … The Machynlleth Comedy Festival has been cancelled because of the ongoing coronavirus.
Mel and Sue on their new Sky comedy, Hitmen
17/03/2020 … In Sky’s new comedy, Hitmen, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc play misfits Fran and Jamie who accidentally stumbled into a career in contract killing.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Leicester Square Theatre, London
16/03/2020 … For a sketch comedy competition, there weren’t a lot of sketch groups.
No10 tells everyone to avoid pubs, clubs and theatres
16/03/2020 … Boris Johnson has effectively cancelled all live comedy for the foreseeable future by calling for an end to ‘all unnecessary social contact’ to combat…
...which also announces air date for last Schitt's Creek series
16/03/2020 … All six seasons of Community are coming to Netflix, the streaming giant has announced.
Spate of new coronavirus cancellations
16/03/2020 … Tom Rosenthal has become the latest comedian to pull his tour dates because of the coronavirus.
Comic Sanders joins Giedroyc’s panel show
16/03/2020 … Lou Sanders is to be the sidekick on Mel Giedroyc’s new entertainment show Unforgivable, the Dave channel has announced.
Biggest shows of the festival called off
16/03/2020 … The biggest shows at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival have been pulled as the coronavirus lockdown tightens.
Comedian Corrie star and music hall aficionado
16/03/2020 … Comedian Roy Hudd died yesterday at the age of 83.
As depicted by comic Charlie Berens
16/03/2020 … Comic Charlie Berens contrasts two separate approaches to the coronavirus in this new video.
Bulldog passes just after the final episode
16/03/2020 … The French bulldog who played Stella in Modern Family has died, just days after the filming of the final episode Beatrice was around 10 years old, The…
16/03/2020 … Comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean has won this year’s Caroline Aherne Bursary to develop her writing.
Coronavirus would have affected promotional activities
16/03/2020 … It’s not just live comedy events that have been hit by coronavirus.
16/03/2020 … Emily Atack has announced her second stand-up tour in as many years.
Dave Mounfield, a stalwart of the Brighton comedy scene, succumbs to cancer at 50
15/03/2020 … Comedian Dave Mounfield, a regular part of the Count Arthur Strong cast, has died at the age of 50, a few months after being diagnosed with cancer.
Glasgow International Comedy Festival review by Jay Richardson
15/03/2020 … As a cynical Scot with a strong grip on current affairs who enjoys attacking politicians with witheringly grotesque dismissals of their physical appearance, Mark…
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Vault Festival, London
15/03/2020 … Genius is an odd beast: designed to show the improvisational skills of double act Willis and Vere, even though their strengths lie in an entirely different direction.
© ITV The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
15/03/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
Comics dedicate a whole night to Covid-19
15/03/2020 … While the coronavirus is closing down comedy nights left, right and centre, one enterprising promoter has decided to make the best of it.
The best of the week's live comedy
15/03/2020 … The best of the week's live comedy.
© Comedy Central ...yes, it's coronavirus again
14/03/2020 … Trevor Noah has pulled his UK and Irish dates in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Outtake from this week's episode
14/03/2020 … Here's this week's deleted scene from This Country.
14/03/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
14/03/2020 … Here's the 'lost scene' from Line Of Duty, as aired on BBC's Sport Relief telethon last night.
But festival still intends to go ahead
13/03/2020 … Organisers of the Edinburgh Fringe say they are working to minimise the financial impact on performers if they were forced to pull this year’s festival…
Royal Albert Hall will be empty this weekend...
13/03/2020 … Steve Martin and Martin Short have cancelled their London gigs this weekend.
13/03/2020 … Tweets of the week The World Health Organization has announced that dogs cannot contract Covid-19.
Why be a parent when you could be a sharent?!
13/03/2020 … Why be a parent when you could be a sharent?! The new service Sprog lets you have all the perks of child-ownership with none of the responsibilities.
13/03/2020 … The creepy twins from The Shining are the latest guests in the weird web interview series How To Date A Magical Creature, Lucy Trodd and Susan Harrison…
Rob Brydon on being mistaken for Ben Miller
13/03/2020 … Rob Brydon admits he sometimes gets mistaken for Ben Miller – and at some cost to his ego.
Short run at London's Bloomsbury Theatre
13/03/2020 … David Baddiel has announced four extra London shows for his tour Trolls: Not The Dolls.
Ncuti Gatwa triumphs at Broadcasting Press Guild Awards
13/03/2020 … Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa has won the Breakthrough award at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.
...and the album features Jason Manford
13/03/2020 … Comedians Vikki Stone and Katie Mulgrew have written a new musical about a troupe of loveable zoo animals, for adults.
© Damian Bennett Watch the animated video for Leaving LA
13/03/2020 … Tim Minchin today releases the first single from his debut studio album, Leaving LA.
'Devastating' shutdown over coronavirus fears
13/03/2020 … The Melbourne International Comedy Festival has been cancelled.
12/03/2020 … Here's the first episode of Squatters, a new sitcom from Irish sketch trio Foil Arms and Hog.
Comic will 'go after every kind of relationship'
12/03/2020 … Daniel Sloss is writing his first book Everyone You Hate Is Going To Die aims to pick up the themes of his Netflix special Jigsaw – which he claims…
Jaymes Todd will spend at least 35 years behind bars
12/03/2020 … The killer of Melbourne comedian Eurydice Dixon will spend at least 35 years in jail after losing an appeal against his life sentence.
Coronavirus measures nix comedy festival
12/03/2020 … The Altitude Comedy Festival in the Austrian Alps has become the latest stand-up event to fall victim to the coronavirus.
12/03/2020 … Martin Freeman is the perennially good-natured screen everyman.
With Dara O Briain, Simon Amstell and more
12/03/2020 … Dara O Briain, Simon Amstell, Alan Davies and Sara Pascoe are among the stars heading to Bristol’s Comedy Garden, it has been announced today.
12/03/2020 … Edinburgh best newcomer Catherine Cohen has pulled the rest of her London dates, becoming the latest victim of the coronavirus scare.
Our round-up of the major cancellations
12/03/2020 … Given the government's advice that everyone should avoid social contact, such as going to pubs and theatres, the assumption now is that all comedy…
'In light of the ever-evolving global situation' with coronavirus
12/03/2020 … Steve Martin and Martin Short have pulled their show in Belfast tonight in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Following a ‘substantial’ seven-figure deal
12/03/2020 … Adam Kay has a signed a ‘substantial’ seven-figure deal to write two more books.
12/03/2020 … Russell Howard has announced the cancellation of almost the entrire European leg of his world tour because of coronavirus.
...as US talk shows ditch their live audiences
12/03/2020 … A major US comedy benefit has been shelved because of coronavirus.
© Jaimie Gramston 11/03/2020 … The publicity team behind the Billy Connolly anthology Tall Tales & Wee Stories have won a publishing industry award.
11/03/2020 … John Cleese’s silly walk is ‘exactly’ 6.
Line-up for final episode of Dave's stand-up showcase
11/03/2020 … Jo Brand is to host the third episode of Dave’s stand-up showcase Comedy Against Living Miserably.
© Paul Curtis What a wonderful day for getting your picture drawn on a wall and shouting: 'I'm plastered!
11/03/2020 … Ken Dodd has been honoured with a new mural in his native Liverpool – two years to the day since he died.
West End theatre adds stand-up shows
11/03/2020 … London’s Ambassadors Theatre is to host a new series of late-night stand-up shows.
11/03/2020 … Matt Lucas is to be the new host of Great British Bake Off.
Lifers coming to Spotify next week
11/03/2020 … Ed Gamble is to launch a new heavy metal podcast.
Comic to front new BBC One talent hunt
11/03/2020 … Chris Ramsey is to host a major new BBC One entertainment show.
Marek Larwood just has to keep performing...
11/03/2020 … The coronavirus is causing widespread cancellation of public gatherings across the world – although the UK comedy scene has escaped unscathed so far.
More cast announced for the US remake of James Acaster's courtroom sitcom
11/03/2020 … More casting has been revealed for the US remake of James Acaster’s BBC comedy pilot We The Jury.
10/03/2020 … This Country fans are trying to figure out which secret A-list star played Kurtan Mucklowe's nan after she made a cameo appearance in last night’s…
10/03/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
10/03/2020 … Woke social justice parody Titania McGrath has written a spoof children's book, Chortle can reveal.
© C4 Mae Martin on her new Channel 4 and Netflix show, Feel Good
10/03/2020 … What was the genesis of Feel Good - how did you and Joe Hampson come together to write this story? Channel 4 approached me about writing a scripted pilot off…
10/03/2020 … American comics Doug Stanhope and Maria Bamford have announced UK dates later this year.
© Gage Skidmore/CC BY-SA 2.0 US comic defies #MeToo claim to keep touring
09/03/2020 … Deadpool and Silicon Valley star TJ Miller has announced a rare UK stand-up gig – as he attempts to continue his career in the wake of sexual abuse allegations.
For a belated 25th anniversary celebration
09/03/2020 … The cast of The Fast Show are to reunite for a belated 25th anniversary celebration, in which they will reprise some of their favourite creations.
Sunday Brunch serves butter to vegan Jon RIchardson
09/03/2020 … Sunday Brunch host Simon Rimmer has had to apologise after feeding Jon Richardson a dish that broke his vegan diet On yesterday’s show,…
09/03/2020 … The fifth series of Inside No 9 goes out on a high tonight – though that’s a position it’s rarely left.
Infected woman had previously attended venue
09/03/2020 … Russell Brand has pulled a sold-out tour show because of the coronavirus The comedian had been due to perform his show at the Perth Concert Hall in Western Australia…
09/03/2020 … Amazon Prime has confirmed the release of its stand-up specials from ten Australian comedy acts including Celia Pacquola, Alice Fraser and Lano & Woodley Lucy,…
09/03/2020 … Jo Brand has been named as the final comedy headliner for this year’s Latitude festival.
Tommy Tiernan ponders the role of his energetic Father Ted scene
09/03/2020 … Tommy Tiernan has opened up about the inadvertent role he may have played in the death of Father Ted star Dermot Morgan.
With Matt Lucas as the tearaway schoolboy
09/03/2020 … Animators have released the first trailer for the new Molesworth movie, starring Matt Lucas as the tearaway schoolboy.
Taking Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's show to its seventh season
09/03/2020 … The BBC has commissioned TWO more series of Inside No 9.
08/03/2020 … The 'girl you wish you hadn't started a conversation with at a party' explains the coronavirus on SNL last night.
How the first Monty Python pitch meeting could have gone...
08/03/2020 … Could this have been what happened when Monty Python first pitched their sketch show to the BBC 50 years ago? Comedy writers Lorelei Mathias with Emmy McMarrow…
Best of the week's TV and radio comedy
08/03/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
Another outtake from This Country
07/03/2020 … The BBC has released another outtake from This Country.
In a stage adaptation of Notes From A Small Island
07/03/2020 … Jon Culshaw is to play Bill Bryson in a new stage adaptation of the writer's Notes From A Small Island.
The week's best comedy on demand
07/03/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
But Only Fools star said the character 'wasn't for him'
07/03/2020 … Sir David Jason has claimed he was in line to play Father Ted – but turned it down because the character was too ‘pious’.
© April Rose Pengilly/Instagram Comic films a cameo appearance
07/03/2020 … Russell Brand has joined the cast of Neighbours for a cameo appearance.
..about his secret relationship
06/03/2020 … A new play about the clandestine relationship between comedy legend Frankie Howerd and his lover Dennis Heymer is to have its world premiere next month.
06/03/2020 … Tweets of the week I’m stocking up on photos of empty supermarket shelves.
Comic and medic offers a guide to the human body
06/03/2020 … Medic-turned-comic-turned-bestselling author Adam Kay is writing a children's book.
Ed cancels his European tour over coronavirus fears
06/03/2020 … Ed Gamble has had to pull all his European dates because of the coronavirus epidemic.
More costs for comedians playing the Edinburgh Fringe
06/03/2020 … The Pleasance has hiked its fees for comedians performing at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
Simon Callow to star in new play about Yes Minister's characters in their obscurity
06/03/2020 … Yes Minister’s Sir Humphrey Appleby and Jim Hacker are to be revived in a new stage play.
...as UK box office take revealed
06/03/2020 … Daniel Sloss’s stand-up special X is to be shown in Australian cinemas The show, filmed at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney, will be screened in…
Comic – and his son – making a film about artistic comedians
06/03/2020 … Vic Reeves is to be the focus of a new film about artistic comedians, Chortle can reveal.
With Susan Harrison and Alex Holland
06/03/2020 … Journalist Toby Vanilla tries to discover the low-down about Medusa's love life in the latest episode of the web series How To Date A Magical Creature.
Six-part series for Amazon Prime
06/03/2020 … Cult Canadian sketch troupe The Kids in the Hall are reuniting for a new eight-part series on Amazon Prime.
Comic takes drastic action against punters filming his gigs
05/03/2020 … Big-name comics such as Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and Hannah Gadsby prevent fans from recording shows by demanding audiences lock their phones in custom-made pouches.
© BBC/Stephen Perry/Wall to Wall British remake of a German cult hit
05/03/2020 … Greg Davies is piloting a dark BBC One sitcom about a specialist crime scene cleaner.
nbc.jpg "Get paid to watch The Office | US firm offers $1,000 to view 45 episodes")
US firm offers $1,000 to view 45 episodes
05/03/2020 … Have you ever thought: ‘I wouldn’t watch that show if you paid me?’ Well, now that’s a possibility.
Comic to tape Philly Philly Wang Wang in London in May
05/03/2020 … Phil Wang is to record a Netflix special.
Alongside Juliet Stephenson, Cariad Lloyd and Scroobius Pip
05/03/2020 … Adrian Edmondson has joined the cast of Sara Pascoe’s sitcom Out Of Her Mind.
This Country remake casts its leads
05/03/2020 … The American remake of This Country has cast its new Mucklowes.
Award wins for Toby Foster and Jacob Hawley too
05/03/2020 … Elis James and John Robins have the funniest show on radio – according to the biggest awards in the business.
Comic also confirms his retirement from stand-up
05/03/2020 … He may be one of the most famous people to have been diagnosed with the condition, but Billy Connolly says he won’t take part in events linked to Parkinson’s…
Comic Leo wins 2Northdown new act contest
04/03/2020 … Leo Reich has won the £500 new act competition run by London venue 2Northdown.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Soho Theatre, London
04/03/2020 … Jacob Hawley had a clear sense of identity from the moment he exploded on to the comedy scene as a white, working-class lad who has seen the error of his bantz.
Buffy creator Joss Whedon makes a surprise appearance at comics' Buffy tribute
04/03/2020 … Buffy The Vampire Slayer fans who turned up to watch comedians sing songs from the cult show’s famed musical episode got a huge surprise last night – when…
Cariad Lloyd also cast in fellow comic's BBC sitcom
04/03/2020 … Juliet Stevenson is to play Sara Pascoe's mother in the comic's BBC Two sitcom, Chortle can reveal.
04/03/2020 … Jonny Pelham, Jessica Fostekew, and Catherine Cohen are all double nominees in this year’s Chortle Awards.
Opposite Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat in a movie about a girl band
04/03/2020 … Nick Helm is to star in his first feature film, alongside Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat.
Channel 5 signs Strictly comedian
04/03/2020 … Susan Calman is the new Jane McDonald.
Streaming service BritBox orders two new series
04/03/2020 … Spitting Image is to return to screens after 25 years.
Laura Lexx on her most memorable gigs
03/03/2020 … Laura Lexx, who is currently on tour with her stand-up show Knee Jerk, recalls her five most memorable gigs.
© Matt Humphrey 03/03/2020 … Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s dominance of the awards season has become so complete that she has just been nominated for her fourth and fifth major gong today alone.
© BBC Dave Allen, Ricky Gervais, The Goodies and more
03/03/2020 … Dave Allen, The Goodies and Ricky Gervais are to be celebrated at this year’s BFI and Radio Times TV Festival.
03/03/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
03/03/2020 … It surely goes without saying that Jeremy Hardy’s death last year at the age of 57 was a loss to comedy.
© C4 Comedy dominates the breakthrough categoty
03/03/2020 … Aisling Bea, Tim Renkow and Motherland star Tanya Moodie are up for the breakthrough accolade in this year’s Royal Television Society awards.
– and get to play at Old Trafford
03/03/2020 … Russell Howard, Joel Dommett, Lee Mack, Mo Gilligan and Tom Davis are to play football at Old Trafford, in the annual Soccer Aid fundraiser.
© Channel 4 03/03/2020 … If you thought fashion house Hugo Boss might react to the the news that comic Joe Lycett changed his name to match theirs with something in the same…
Lisa Kudrow and Kristen Schaal among the guests
02/03/2020 … British stand-up James Veitch is to host a comedy show on new US streaming service Quibi.
New film about a failing open-spot comedian, reviewed by Jay Richardson
02/03/2020 … Films about stand-ups tend to focus on the unsuccessful – mindful of the difficulty, perhaps, of recreating those lightning-in-a-bottle moments of the best…
02/03/2020 … Mat Ewins and John Kearns are launching an improvised podcast in which they attempt solve some of the world’s biggest mysteries.
Jack Whitehall, Russell Howard, Alan Carr and more to represent the UK
02/03/2020 … Netflix has conquered the realm of the stand-up special – and now the streaming service is staging the most star-studded comedy festival there has ever…
© Rose d'Or Comedy star offers personal video conversations
02/03/2020 … John Cleese is offering fans the chance to ‘meet’ him via video call for up to £235 a pop.
02/03/2020 … The BBC has released an outtake from last week's episode of This Country.
© Channel 4 Deed Poll action to wind up the fashion giant
01/03/2020 … Joe Lycett has legally changed his name to Hugo Boss in a bid to take on the fashion empire.
© UKTV Writers Martin Collins and Alex Finch on their new comedy Sandylands
01/03/2020 … This week Gold airs its new comedy Sandylands, featuring the likes of Sanjeev Bhaskhar, David Walliams, Simon Bird and Hugh Bonneville.
Jemma Bennett explains why she is such a fan of Chris and Rosie Ramsey’s podcast
01/03/2020 … Chris and Rosie Ramsey are to break a world record for the world's biggest live podcast audience – and I’m not surprised.
© Sky TV The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
01/03/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
01/03/2020 … The best of the week’s live comedy.
Opposite Kick Ass’s Aaron Taylor-Johnso
01/03/2020 … Steve Pemberton is to star in the West End premiere of award-winning dark comedy The Pillowman.
29/02/2020 … The week's comedy on demand.
Comedians and businesses up for accolades
28/02/2020 … The Leicester Comedy Festival has announced the nominees for its annual awards.
28/02/2020 … Ruth Jones is to embark on a UK tour to tie in with the publication of her new novel Us Three.
Duo now on course for the record books
28/02/2020 … Chris and Rosie Ramsey are to break the record for the world’s biggest live podcast audience after selling out their gig Newcastle’s Utilita…
And Radio 4 Extra is celebrating
28/02/2020 … Radio 4 Extra is to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the first episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy next week.
© EdgarCurious 28/02/2020 … Tweets of the week People used to call me an attention seeker, but LOOK AT ME NOW! — George Rigden (@grigdencomedian) February 27, 2020 M.
Comic isolated after Hong Kong visit
28/02/2020 … Comedian Bec Hill has had to cancel a week’s worth of gigs after being quarantined for suspected coronavirus.
Comic supernatural thriller out next year
28/02/2020 … Former comedian Caimh McDonnell has sold the book and screen rights to his latest novel – a comic supernatural thriller about a newspaper that reports…
Star of Just A Minute and Hancock's Half Hour
28/02/2020 … Andree Melly, the last surviving cast member of the Hancock’s Half Hour radio cast and a one-time regular on Just A Minute, has died at the age of 87.
Stand-up wins £1,000 for wiring himself up to electricity...
28/02/2020 … Who needs material when you can just wire yourself up to electricity for a laugh? Stand-up Sean Turner has just won £1,000 in a comedy competition…
Players write the questions in Who's Asking?
28/02/2020 … Richard Ayoade is piloting a new comedy game show in which the players write the questions.
New series about a 'misanthropic, narcissistic, fantasist'
28/02/2020 … Channel 4 has ordered a new comedy series from actor brothers Brian and Domhnall Gleeson.
27/02/2020 … The line-up of comics taking part in the annual Teenage Cancer Trust comedy night at London's Royal Albert Hall has been announced.
27/02/2020 … The finalists have been announced for 2Northdown's New Act of 2020 award.
© UKTV 27/02/2020 … If you were looking for a British answer to Larry David, you could do worse than set-in-his-ways curmudgeon Jon Richardson.
27/02/2020 … Did you know the theme tune to BBC One's Grandstand had lyrics? Well, it didn't – until now.
Subscribe or your butthole gets it
27/02/2020 … Marek Larwood has got into the webcam blackmail game.
26/02/2020 … Netflix has released a trailer for Marc Maron's new special End Times Fun.
New exhibition of the comedian's work
26/02/2020 … Simon Munnery's stand-up has been called ‘the closest comedy gets to modern art’ – and now it has jumped that divide.
Period comedy with Elle Fanning
26/02/2020 … Channel 4 has bought the rights to a new period comedy about Catherine The Great.
Tom Allen's unlikely hosting gig
26/02/2020 … Tom Allen is one of the main hosts of BBC One's Sports Relief this year – and no one is more surprised than he is.
Stand-up special about small talk
26/02/2020 … Joz Norris is to record a half-hour stand-up special for Radio 4.
Duo to play 11,000-seater arena
26/02/2020 … Rosie and Chris Ramsey are set to break the record for the biggest live podcast with their show Shagged.
BBC axes Sue Perkins panel show
26/02/2020 … The BBC has dropped Sue Perkins’ panel show Insert Name Here.
© BBC/So Television/Christopher Baines 'My most personal story to date'
26/02/2020 … Graham Norton his writing his third novel, about the consequences of a devastating fatal car crash in rural Ireland.
Just in time for his new tour...
26/02/2020 … He may have come to prominence when his ‘coupla cans’ catchphrase went viral – but comedian Mo Gilligan has largely spurned the world’s…
26/02/2020 … It might not be the most immediately obvious casting, but Matt Lucas has been cast as diminutive ballet star Wayne Sleep in a new US comedy-drama.
Seann William Scott cast in US remake
26/02/2020 … The American remake of This Country has found its vicar: Stifler from the American Pie movies.
25/02/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Festival announces its comedy line-up
25/02/2020 … The Larmer Tree Festival has announced its comedy line-up for 2020 Mark Steel and Suzi Ruffell will headline the event, which runs on the Wiltshire/Dorset border…
Tour review by Steve Bennett at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking
25/02/2020 … Comedians reading out their internet abuse on stage is as old social media itself.
Including Jason Byrne and Paul Merton
25/02/2020 … More Edinburgh Fringe shows have gone on sale today, including the return of Jason Byrne and Paul Merton.
Pete Davidson lays into Louis CK
25/02/2020 … Saturday Night Live's Pete Davidson has expressed concern and sympathy for Louis CK over his career freefall in the wake of his sexual misconduct admissions.
25/02/2020 … Here’s a timely song about Pancake Day from the Horne Section.
Comedy stars walk to Istanbul for BBC Two series
25/02/2020 … Dom Joly and Father Ted star Pauline McLynn are to join BBC Twos next Pilgrimage.
Comic to 'hang up his mic' after 50 years in the business
24/02/2020 … Veteran Cornish comedian Jethro has announced his retirement at the age of 72.
Like Me to hit the road in 2021
24/02/2020 … Jason Manford has announced a mammoth new tour, comprising 99 UK and Ireland dates in 2021.
© C4 Aisling Bea's comedy to return, Sharon Horgan reveals
24/02/2020 … Aisling Bea is to make a second series of her acclaimed comedy This Way Up – and has joined the cast of the Home Alone reboot, Chortle can reveal.
BBC Scotland wants more of Robert Florence and Iain Connell's comedy
24/02/2020 … BBC Scotland has ordered a full series of its sitcom The Scotts, from Burnistoun creators Robert Florence and Iain Connell.
Career retrospective and 'social history'
24/02/2020 … Billy Connolly has made another series about his career and how it links to his native Scotland.
Comic cast in 'poignant' London play
24/02/2020 … Anna Crilly has been cast in a London play about adoption and family secrets.
...of his Dance For Life charity party nights
24/02/2020 … Peter Kay is to return to the stage three years after cancelling his tour over his ‘unforeseen family circumstances’.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Vault Festival, London
23/02/2020 … Someday, Henry Moss might turn out to be a West End musical star – but based on this ultra-theatrical but gossamer-thin one-man show, it’s harder to…
© C4 The Windsors return, and the rest of the week's TV and radio picks
23/02/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
The best of the week's live comedy
23/02/2020 … The best of the week's live comedy.
Kurtan gets a shopping trolley
23/02/2020 … The BBC has released a deleted scene from the new series of This Country.
23/02/2020 … Funny Or Die are sharing some tips on what to do (and not do) on a first date.
Festival crowns new act champion
23/02/2020 … Eric Rushton has been crowned this year’s Leicester Mercury Comedian Of The Year.
...and the best of the week's other comedy on demand
22/02/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
One-off special more than 15 years after sitcom ended
22/02/2020 … The cast of Friends are to reunite, more than 15 years since the hit sitcom ended.
21/02/2020 … Tweets of the week I used to be a librarian spy, but I can’t talk about it, as it was all very hush hush.
© UKTV Lucy Beaumont and Jon Richardson on their new autobiographical sitcom
21/02/2020 … How did Meet the Richardsons come about? Lucy Beaumont: We did Married To A Celebrity on Channel 4, which we really enjoyed as we were basically arguing…
21/02/2020 … Comedies these days are as much about the narrative and the drama than the laughs – if not sometimes more so.
Preview of Sky's new Nick Mohammed and David Schwimmer comedy
21/02/2020 … The wait for TV to use Nick Mohammed to his full comic potential is finally over, thanks to Sky One’s new sitcom, Intelligence.
21/02/2020 … Sweet Steve, one of the quirkier characters on London’s open mic comedy scene, has died of heart failure The stand-up kept his background an enigma…
Movie review by Jay Richardson
21/02/2020 … Steve Coogan's collaborations with writer-director Michael Winterbottom tend to focus on brash, self-made men who forge a glamorous myth of themselves.
© C4 21/02/2020 … Harry Hill, Robin Ince and Angelos Epithemiou have been added to the line-up of this year’s Wells Comedy Festival.
Stars to tour tour with Still Gaun
21/02/2020 … Some of the stars of Still Game are to launch their own spin-off stage show on the back of the sitcom’s success.
21/02/2020 … Frances Cuka, who played ‘nice grandma’, Nelly Buller in Friday Night Dinner, has died aged 83.
Older And Wider out this summer
21/02/2020 … Jenny Eclair is writing a ‘refreshingly honest menopause survival guide’ to be released this summer.
20/02/2020 … Comedy group The Penny Dreadfuls are to make another historic comedy-drama for Radio 4, this time about Richard III.
To help support community work
20/02/2020 … Comedians including Jo Brand, Arthur Smith, Hal Cruttenden, and Milton Jones have helped raise more than £20,000 to support the Leicester Comedy Festival.
Right-wing journalist says he 'just about got away with it' on his comedy debut
20/02/2020 … He’s got a track record of getting involved in things without much experience – and now Toby Young has turned his hand to stand-up.
20/02/2020 … Rhys Thomas has written a Dickens-inspired children’s comedy for the BBC.
Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont
20/02/2020 … Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont apparently had some trouble recording the teaser trailers for their new sitcom Meet The Richardsons.
20/02/2020 … Armando Iannucci is to make a new comedy film comedy set in the world of amateur sumo wrestling.
© BBC 20/02/2020 … Man Like Mobeen and comedian Cariad Lloyd have been nominated for awards to honour those who make a social impact in the arts.
How the comic was overshadowed by his double-act partner
20/02/2020 … In his double act, Griff Rhys Jones was never quite as recognisable as Mel Smith – as he occasionally felt to his frustration.
Irreplaceable memorabilia taken from Navy Lark tribute show
19/02/2020 … ‘Irreplaceable’ memorabilia from classic radio comedy The Navy Lark was stolen from a theatre staging a tribute show last night.
New book addresses notions of beauty and her own feelings of unattractiveness
19/02/2020 … Angela Barnes is writing her first book, exploring her feelings of unattractiveness.
Lenny Bruce's time as a babysitter
19/02/2020 … He was the oft-arrested bad boy of comedy, a drug addict who frequented dubious dives, had a tumultuous relationship with a stripper and was regularly accused of…
19/02/2020 … A stand-up comedian risked bringing the Covid-19 coronavirus into the US because he didn’t want to cancel a gig.
19/02/2020 … Jimmy Tarbuck has revealed that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
18/02/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
...but there are no clues about her role
18/02/2020 … Andi Osho has joined the cast of Line Of Duty.
Coming to Channel 4 next month
18/02/2020 … Channel 4 has released the first trailer for Feel Good, the new semi-autobiographical comedy from Mae Martin.
She played nurse Kellye Yamato in 167 episodes
18/02/2020 … Kellye Nakahara, who played Lieutenant Nurse Kellye Yamato on M*A*S*H, has died at the age of 72.
© Johan Persson Theatre review by Steve Bennett at the Gielgud Theatre
18/02/2020 … With the Only Fools musical and now Upstart Crow, are sitcoms slowly taking over London’s West End? But while Ben Elton’s Shakespearean comedy…
© C4 Simon Day and Julia Deakin also join cast
18/02/2020 … Miriam Margolyes, Simon Day and Julia Deakin are to appear in the new series of The Windsors.
British comics win Australian comedy awards
18/02/2020 … British comedian Chris Turner has won two comedy awards at Perth's Fringe World.
Royal Albert Hall gig returns for another year
17/02/2020 … John Bishop is to host this year’s Teenage Cancer Trust comedy night at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
17/02/2020 … Here is the trailer for Phoebe Waller-Bridge's new comedy Run – although the Fleabag star doesn't feature in it.
17/02/2020 … Sky has released a trailer for its new film version of the classic novel Four Children And It starring Russell Brand and Sir Michael Caine Renamed as Four Kids…
17/02/2020 … Every episode of Inside No.
© BBC 17/02/2020 … ‘Since you were last here, we’ve had some very sad news,’ says Rev Francis Seaton at the very start of This Country’s third series.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Soho Theatre, London
17/02/2020 … Arbitrary gender roles are at the heart of Olga Koch’s sophomore show.
Theatre review by Steve Bennett at the Vault Festival, London
17/02/2020 … With Oddball, Francesca Forristal takes on the topic of eating disorders with the intention of ‘exploring thought processes which don’t always make sense…
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Vault Festival, London
17/02/2020 … Imagine sperm as a battalion of infantrymen preparing to embark on a do-or-die mission inside dangerous enemy territory, variously worried or gung-ho about what…
New act of the year at the Hackney Empire
16/02/2020 … Stand-up Ali Woods has been named 'top of the bill' at this year's NATY new act of the year award.
Classic London Palladium performance... plus a busy week of new comedy on TV and radio
16/02/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
© Idil Sukan 16/02/2020 … The best of the week's live comedy.
With Maisie Williams and Sian Clifford
16/02/2020 … Sky One has released the first trailer for its new comedy Two Weeks To Live.
15/02/2020 … Jason Manford has tonight been unmasked as the man behind the hedgehog outfit on The Masked Singer.
The week's best streaming comedy
15/02/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
15/02/2020 … Dominic Frisby offers his alternative to aggressive hip-hop in his new track, Passive-Aggressive Hip-Hop, 'Instead of grime, we're calling it whine,'…
14/02/2020 … Cult musical comedian Brett Domino has released a new single for Valentine's Day.
14/02/2020 … It’s impossible to write about The Parapod Movie without acknowledging the remarkable way it was financed.
© Karla Gowlett 14/02/2020 … Rufus Hound and Katy Brand are to join the West End cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
© Mischief Screen Limited 2019 Second series for The Goes Wrong Show
14/02/2020 … The BBC has ordered as second series of The Goes Wrong Show.
14/02/2020 … Tweets of the week Roses are red Violets are blue That thing that you’re into Is what meatloaf won’t do — Skillsmcgill (@skillsmcgill)…
No third series for Jason Manford show
14/02/2020 … ITV has pulled the plug on Jason Manford’s family game show What Would Your Kid Do? The show has run for two series and challenged parents on how well…
14/02/2020 … Actress and comedian Susan Harrison gives some tips on dating a vampire in this new Valentines Day video.
© BBC/Baby Cow ...and Steve Coogan's alter-ego will also front a new podcast
14/02/2020 … Alan Partridge is returning for a second series of his BBC One show This Time… as well as a new podcast.
A cautionary Valentine's Day tale from Matt Green
14/02/2020 … Just in time for Valentine's Da comes this new video about how a romantic gesture could go terribly wrong.
...and Russell Kane will teach them
14/02/2020 … Russell Kane is to teach celebrities how to become stand-up comedians in a new Channel 4 show.
Comic turns down Strictly 'every year'
14/02/2020 … Alan Carr has revealed that he’s asked to take part in Strictly Come Dancing ‘every year’.
Lightning strikes BBC Two's teatime slot
14/02/2020 … Zoe Lyons is to host a new teatime quiz show on BBC Two.
13/02/2020 … Netflix has announced the date Ricky Gervais’s comedy After Life will return.
Second series for Armando Iannucci's sci-fi comedy
13/02/2020 … Armando Iannucci’s space comedy Avenue 5 has been renewed for a second season.
...in a new play written by Steven Moffat
13/02/2020 … Reece Shearsmith is to be reunited with his League of Gentlemen co-star Mark Gatiss in a new play.
© Edwardx/Catherine Harbour/CC BY-SA 4.0 Comic laughs off NME awards controversy
13/02/2020 … Rapper Slowthai has apologised for his ‘shameful’ actions towards Katherine Ryan at the NME awards last night.
Alex Kealy on his most memorable gigs
13/02/2020 … As Alex Kealy prepares to hit the road with his new stand-up show, Rationale, he shares some of his most memorable gigs.
Comic in talks for a TV series about geology
13/02/2020 … Joe Pasquale has rocks in his head, with a geology series in the works for Channel 4.
13/02/2020 … Jonny & The Baptists have come up with some ideas on scamming the super-rich – and of course they've set it to music.
© Steve Ullathorne 13/02/2020 … Filming has started on the new BBC Two comedy pilot, Alma’s Not Normal, created by comedian Sophie Willan.
Festivals announces more comedy acts
13/02/2020 … Simon Amstell has been announced as one of the stand-up headlines for this year’s Latitude festival.
© BBC Broadcasting Press Guild nominees out
13/02/2020 … Fleabag looks set to add to its huge awards tally after being shortlisted in three categories of the annual Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.
Sky unveils its next batch of Urban Myths
12/02/2020 … Katherine Ryan is to play her comedy heroine Joan Rivers in the new series of Sky’s Urban Myths, She has been cast opposite Jessica Barden from The End…
12/02/2020 … Greg Davies is to star as a demotivated small-time psychotherapist in a new comedy.
Second series for David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed comedy
12/02/2020 … Sky has ordered a second series of David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed’s new comedy Intelligence, more than a week before the show starts.
Bloods to co-star Jane Horrocks
12/02/2020 … Sky has commissioned a new comedy starring Samson Kayo as a paramedic.
© C4 Comedy nominated for a heavyweight literary prize
12/02/2020 … Derry Girls has been shortlisted for a heavyweight literary prize that normally goes to serious historical books or probing investigative journalist.
Comedian becomes a big cheese in the gourmet world
12/02/2020 … Marcus Brigstocke is a cheesemaster.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Komedia, Brighton
12/02/2020 … The pool of new comedy talent often seems to be getting better with each new act final, every one stronger than the last.
Sir Timothy O’Shea had served the maximum term
12/02/2020 … Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea is to step down as chair of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society’s board in August.
...despite never having done it before last year!
12/02/2020 … Emily Atack is piloting a new stand-up and sketch comedy show for TV.
© Pamela Stevenson/Twitter Billy Connolly puts his groceries through the car wash
12/02/2020 … Billy Connolly had something of a senior moment – when he drove his pick-up truck through the car wash, forgetting that he still had his groceries in the back.
Overseas line-up bills announced
12/02/2020 … The Melbourne International Comedy Festival has confirmed the line-ups of its regular line-up shows.
Six-month placement to boost her comedy writing career
12/02/2020 … Stand-up Athena Kugblenu has been awarded this year’s Felix Dexter Bursary by the BBC.
‘If there’s hope for him, there’s hope for all of us.
12/02/2020 … If you’re going to have your face plastered on billboards across the US, you might want to look your best.
© Channel 4 Matt Berry will be back on Channel 4
11/02/2020 … Channel 4 has confirmed the second series of Matt Berry’s Victorian police comedy Year of the Rabbit.
...drag queen Glamrou, that is
11/02/2020 … Shappi Khorsandi is being lined up to play the mother of drag queen Glamrou in a semi-autobiographical TV comedy, Chortle can reveal.
11/02/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
11/02/2020 … Want 46 Star Trek puns in under 100 seconds? Well, like a Singer repair technician, comedian John Robinson has made it sew.
Hannah Gadsby, Joe Lycett, Susan Calman and Suzi Ruffell all nominated
11/02/2020 … Hannah Gadsby, Joe Lycett, Susan Calman and Suzi Ruffell have been nominated in the British LGBT Awards Gadbsy has been named one of the top ten LGBT…
The Knitwit hits the road this September
11/02/2020 … Jon Richardson has announced a major autumn tour.
11/02/2020 … Bristol is to get a new comedy festival.
Some of the gags from the UK Pun Championship as Adele Cliff takes the crown
11/02/2020 … Adele Cliff has been crowned the 2020 UK Pun Champion – becoming the first woman to win the award in its six-year history.
© BBC 11/02/2020 … Daisy May Cooper chokes up with tears as she recalls Michael Sleggs, her co-star in This Country, who died last summer at the age of 33.
Season 3 of high school comedy confirmed
10/02/2020 … Netflix has renewed high school comedy Sex Education for a third season.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Queens Theatre, Hornchurch
10/02/2020 … It’s an odd honour to be Simon Cowell’s favourite comedian, given his background’s in music moguling.
UK tour for Ian Boldsworth and Barry Dodds film
10/02/2020 … Comedians Ian Boldsworth and Barry Dodds are to tour the country with their Parapod Movie, the first podcast ever to be turned into a film.
© BBC/Zeppotron Playing a mouse footman alongside James Corden
10/02/2020 … Romesh Ranganathan is to star in a new movie version of Cinderella.
© Shiny Button/Ollie Upton 10/02/2020 … BBC One has commissioned a second series of King Gary.
© Fred MacAulay/Twitter 'I walked away with bruised ribs'
10/02/2020 … Fred MacAulay has shared images of a horrific crash he was involved in last week.
10/02/2020 … Dave Chappelle has added two more dates in London this weekend.
© Stuart Hogben 10/02/2020 … Comic Relief is to stage its second comedy spectacular at Wembley Arena.
© BBC BBC orders more episodes of Liam Williams comedy
10/02/2020 … BBC Three has ordered a second series of Liam Williams’s coming-of-age comedy Ladhood.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Vault Festival, London
09/02/2020 … It’s possible that more comedians have parodied life gurus than there are real ones, but Anna and Helen use the tried-and-tested formula to strong effect.
As covered by Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update
09/02/2020 … There was only one story to lead Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update last night – Donald Trump's impeachment acquittal.
The best of the week's live comedy
09/02/2020 … The best of the week's live comedy.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
09/02/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
© BBC 08/02/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand.
Broadcaster announces air date
07/02/2020 … Phoebe Waller-Bridge's new comedy Run is coming to Sky Comedy on April 15, the broadcaster has announced.
07/02/2020 … Tweets of the week Just before my grandad passed away he told me that William Shakespeare invented the word 'Multitudinous' which meant a lot to me.
Finalist Kojo Anim on his big break, being a foster child and how Dave Chappelle helped him
07/02/2020 … Tell us a bit about your background… I was raised in Hackney, East London.
Special to be taped in London next month
07/02/2020 … Michael McIntyre is to record his first stand-up special for Netflix.
07/02/2020 … Radio 2 has announced the return of Funny Fortnight, two weekends of comedy show pilots.
Tamsin Greig on her Episodes co-star
07/02/2020 … Thanks to Friends, Matt LeBlanc became one of the most recognisable actors in the world.
Work in progress gigs announced
06/02/2020 … Johnny Vegas is preparing for a major return to the live stage.
06/02/2020 … Jack Whitehall's Netflix show Travels With My Father is to return for a fourth series – this time set in Australia.
Karen Dunbar on her take on Lady Bracknell
06/02/2020 … Here’s the first look at Scottish comedy star Karen Dunbar as Oscar Wilde’s comedy icon, Lady Bracknell.
Comic and Silent Witness star cast in sci-fi blockbuster
06/02/2020 … Liz Carr is to appear in her first Hollywood film.
Stays in Sydney and Adelaide added to the package
06/02/2020 … More Australian comedy clubs are backing the Chortle Student Comedy Award to ensure this year’s winner gets a trip of a lifetime.
06/02/2020 … Tommy Tiernan, Al Murray and Iain Stirling have extended their tours.
06/02/2020 … Fleabag has been named best comedy at the TV industry’s Broadcast Awards after one judge called it ‘literally the best show in the world last year’ Another…
06/02/2020 … BBC Two has ordered a full series of Mandy, a new comedy from Philomena Cunk star Diane Morgan.
Joe Rogan tops Forbes rich list
05/02/2020 … Let no one say there's no money in podcasts.
Comic fools journalist into thinking Omid's his uncle
05/02/2020 … Never take a comedian at face value.
Try our weekly comedy trivia quiz
05/02/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Stand-up show to be taped at London's Southbank Centre
05/02/2020 … Ahir Shah is to record his HBO Max comedy special in London next month, it has been announced.
05/02/2020 … When Sky unveiled its new comedy channel to journalists last month, it was not established hits like Curb Your Enthusiasm or Last Week Tonight that they used to…
© Button Hall Productions Image Type: Portraits Programme Maker: Monumental CBS network advances the project
05/02/2020 … The American remake of Ghosts has taken a step closer to fruition.
Duo's culinary travels end with Greece
05/02/2020 … Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon will make no more series of The Trip.
05/02/2020 … Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule will not be coming back for a fourth series.
Comics to be seduced by grime star culinary talents
05/02/2020 … The Dave channel has revealed the comedians signed up to appear in its upcoming series Big Zuu’s Big Eats.
Sara Pascoe show returns to Dave
05/02/2020 … Comedians Giving Lectures has been renewed for two more series.
© UKTV Josh Widdicombe and James Acaster to return
05/02/2020 … Josh Widdicombe and James Acaster’s comedy show Hypothetical has been renewed for a third series.
Mel Giedroyc to front confessional new panel show
05/02/2020 … Mel Giedroyc is to host a new panel show in which celebrities will confess their sins.
He's the curse of St Custard's prep school, as any fule no
04/02/2020 … Matt Lucas is to voice unruly pupil Nigel Molesworth in a new animated film based on the classic 1950s boarding school books.
First acts announced for Montreal's Just For Laughs
04/02/2020 … Montreal’s Just For Laughs comedy festival has announced its first shows of 2020.
First three seasons land this week
04/02/2020 … Seinfeld is coming to Channel 4’s free catch-up service, All 4.
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon return
04/02/2020 … The Trip is returning to Sky One on March 3 at 10pm, the broadcaster has announced.
....and other secrets from the 11 O'Clock Show
04/02/2020 … Ali G was originally going to be called 'The Yoof Wanker’ when he was first introduced on the 11 O'Clock Show.
Based on his obsession with the music of 2016
04/02/2020 … James Acaster is to launch a new BBC podcast based on his belief that 2016 was the best year ever for music.
Win £250 plus a coaching session
04/02/2020 … Entries have opened for the Comedy Bloomers LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year competition.
Nick Mohammed and David Schwimmer on Sky's new show Intelligence
04/02/2020 … Later this month Nick Mohammed is to appear opposite David Schwimmer in a new Sky One comedy, Intelligence, set in the GCHQ eavesdropping centre.
Alistair Williams takes a stance against 'bias and propaganda'
03/02/2020 … A comedian has refused to appear on the BBC because of what he sees as the broadcaster’s ‘anti-British’ agenda.
© BBC 03/02/2020 … If conjuring up a fresh set of characters, circumstances and even cinematic style for every new half-hour episode of Inside No 9 takes its toll on Reece Shearsmith…
All shows cancelled after World War 2 device discovered
03/02/2020 … The Soho Theatre has been forced to cancel all its shows tonight – after an unexploded World War Two bomb was discovered in central London.
03/02/2020 … American rapper Lil' Test Ease addresses criticism that he's a misogynistic in this new Channel 4 video.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at Rich Mix, London
03/02/2020 … Stand-up specials come in all shapes and sizes.
03/02/2020 … Meet Lars and Ulrich, the Norwegian singers behind pop sensation Fjörd.
03/02/2020 … Radio station Union Jack has confirmed its coverage of the Leicester Comedy Festival, which kicks off this Wednesday.
© Button Hall Productions Image Type: Portraits Programme Maker: Monumental ...but the BBC is suddenly coy about its Horrible History links
03/02/2020 … The BBC has announced that filming has begun on the second series of its hit comedy Ghosts – but has tactfully chosen not to mention that the series was created…
Dave Chawner came to victim's aid
03/02/2020 … Comedian Dave Chawner has spoken of how he came to the aid of one of the victims of the terrorist attack in Streatham yesterday afternoon.
Broadcaster to have first refusal on his ideas
03/02/2020 … Sky has signed a first-look script deal with Romesh Ranganathan.
03/02/2020 … Christopher Bliss reads an extract from his latest novel Get A Brain in this new clip from Channel 4.
Success for Alexei Sayle, Phil Wang and Rebecca Front
03/02/2020 … Alexei Sayle, Phil Wang and Rebecca Front all scooped awards at the BBC Audio Drama Awards last night.
02/02/2020 … Here's the exact moment the UK left the EU – and Adam Hills's beard was shaved off.
© BBC/Colin Hutton 
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
02/02/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
Other gongs for JoJo Rabbit, The Simpsons, Barry and more
02/02/2020 … John Oliver's writing crew has won a top US accolade.
Sketch troupes switch members in festival experiment
02/02/2020 … The best comedy sketch groups are a perfect alchemy of talents – but what would happen if skilled performers were thrown together in random new combinations? That’s…
© Tiger Aspect 
01/02/2020 … Eddie Izzard has vowed to run 28 marathons in 28 countries in 28 days as a reaction to Brexit.
EU anthem, Ode To Joy, sells more
01/02/2020 … Comedian Dominic Frisby as fallen well short of his dream of having a Brexit Day No 1.
Sky comedy starring Nick Mohammed and David Schwimmer
31/01/2020 … Sky has released the first trailer for Intelligence, its new comedy set in the GCHQ eavesdropping centre starring Nick Mohammed and David Schwimmer.
31/01/2020 … Quote of the week ‘People have got sick of hating me’ Ben Elton Tweets of the week When God gives you lemons, ask Him/Her for…
Impersonating Boris Johnson, Donald Trump... and Diane Abbott
31/01/2020 … Radio 4 comedy Dead Ringers is heading out on its first UK tour.
New book from Chris and Rosie Ramsey
31/01/2020 … Chris and Rosie Ramsey are to release a book based on their top-rated Shagged, Married, Annoyed podcast.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Vault Festival, London
31/01/2020 … Set at a funeral, this new show from sketch comedy team Leopardess shows off the acting chops of performers Rosie Frecker and Rosie Abraham but is let down by an…
Bill Murray pub gets a new mural
31/01/2020 … London’s Bill Murray stand-up venue has had a makeover – with new portraits of comedy icons spray-painted on to its walls.
31/01/2020 … Andi Osho has written her first novel, which will be published next year.
American remake for BBC Three comedy confirmed
30/01/2020 … This Country's US remake has been confirmed, with the Fox Network ordering a pilot.
30/01/2020 … Leading stand-up promoters Live Nation are to announce a series of six comedy festivals across Europe tomorrow – the very day Britain leaves the EU.
© Mark Seliger Stand-up routines to be published this year
30/01/2020 … Jerry Seinfeld is writing his first book of comedy in more than 25 years.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Vaults Festival, London
30/01/2020 … Strip Club Einstein is a good title for Jamali Maddix, a comic who is at once a wastrel and an intelligent and astute social philosopher.
Repeating an interview with chef Brian Turner
30/01/2020 … The BBC is to pay tribute to Nicholas Parsons by repeating a 2015 interview with the star.
Dot Con gets a US release as his profile rises
30/01/2020 … Comedian James Veitch has sold his book Dot Con to an American publisher.
Comic justifies 'sickening' Kobe Bryant tweet after huge backlash
30/01/2020 … American comic Ari Shaffir has been forced to offer a lengthy explanation after making a sick joke about the death of Kobe Bryant.
30/01/2020 … Comedian Dominic Frisby is hoping to have a Brexit Day No 1 with a song deliberately designed to rile Remainers.
Joel Dommett's quiz show to return
30/01/2020 … Joel Dommett’s ITV2 quiz show Hey Tracey has been commissioned for a second series.
30/01/2020 … Carry on Camping has been named viewers’ favourite Carry On film.
Producer confesses to meddling with the soundtrack
29/01/2020 … It is a dark art, widely practised but rarely admitted to.
© Catherine Harbour Katherine Ryan to front awards show
29/01/2020 … Katherine Ryan is to host the NME Awards with broadcaster Julie Adenuga, it has been announce today.
© BBC Plus what we know about the episodes so far
29/01/2020 … The fifth season of Inside No 9 kicks off next Monday.
Robin Morgan on his most memorable gigs
29/01/2020 … Robin Morgan – a comedian and Mash Show writer who has supported comics including Rachel Parris, Ellie Taylor, Iain Stirling and Stephen Bailey on their UK…
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Soho Theatre, London
29/01/2020 … ‘That is SO interesting,’ Alfie Brown concludes after dissecting one or other of his astute observations.
29/01/2020 … It might be depressing for comedians considering what they might bring to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe – but the first shows for 2020 have already…
© UKTV New channel to plug ames Acaster and Josh Widdicombe’s show
29/01/2020 … Comedy TV channel Dave has launched a TikTok account, starting with a series tied in with James Acaster and Josh Widdicombe’s panel show Hypothetical The…
George Carlin's comedy partner and Muppet Show co-creator
29/01/2020 … Jack Burns – the former comedy partner of George Carlin who went on to co-create the Muppet Show – has died at the age of 86.
29/01/2020 … Tim Minchin’s adaptation of Matilda is reportedly to be made into a movie for Netflix.
© BBC National Television Awards results
29/01/2020 … Mrs Brown’s Boys was won the comedy award at last night’s National Television Awards – at the expense of Fleabag and Derry Girls.
A black-tie do on the banks of the Thames
29/01/2020 … Al Murray, Rory Bremner and Milton Jones are among the comedians just announced for this year’s Henley Festival.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Soho Theatre, London
28/01/2020 … It’s the height of the Madchester scene: tunes are banging, pills are popping and the venue is filled with wide-eyed, hyperactive youngsters burning their…
Another series for cop-turned-comic
28/01/2020 … The BBC has commissioned a fifth series of Radio 4 series It’s A Fair Cop from policeman-turned-comic Alfie Moore.
© C4 Comedy now being hawked around Hollywood again
28/01/2020 … Plans for a US comedy based on an idea by Sharon Horgan and Aisling Bea have hit the buffers.
Try our Tuesday Trivia Quiz in honour of the legendary straightman
28/01/2020 … Test your knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, with this week's edition a special trubute to Nicholas Parsons.
Clips show how Nicholas Parsons's career was full of deviation...
28/01/2020 … Here's a selection of clips from Nicholas Parson's long comedy career, starting with Arthur Haynes in his 1961 TV show With Arthur Haynes (and future…
Tributes flood in for Nicholas Parsons
28/01/2020 … Tributes have been flooding in for Nicholas Parsons, who died in the early hours of this morning at the age of 96.
The final whistle blows on an incredible career
28/01/2020 … Nicholas Parsons, who hosted Radio 4's Just a Minute since its inception in 1967, has died aged 96 after a short illness.
28/01/2020 … It is an irritant every stand-up has faced: audience members whispering to each other unaware at how distracting their self-absorbed lack of engagement is for everyone…
Eerie scene in Legends Of Chamberlain Heights
28/01/2020 … Comedy Central has pulled an episode of an animated sitcom which depicted Kobe Bryant dying in a helicopter crash.
© marianasbits Comics named for Edinburgh showcases
27/01/2020 … The comedians taking part in this year's Best In Class scheme to champion working-class voices in comedy have been announced.
Michael Sheen and David Tennant show named comedy of the year
27/01/2020 … Good Omens has been named comedy of the year for 2019.
...as a new movie based on the musical is also announced
27/01/2020 … The stage musical version of Mean Girls is being turned back into a movie – as well as heading to London’s West End.
(if you take a particular definition of that term)
27/01/2020 … The BBC says the Gavin & Stacey Christmas special has attracted the biggest audience for any of its TV programmes outside of sporting and national…
Jon Stewart's political comedy starring Steve Carell
27/01/2020 … Here's the first trailer for Irresistible, a new film written and directed by Jon Stewart.
27/01/2020 … The stage version of The Good Life, starring the IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson as Barbara, has been confirmed.
Ofcom won't take any action against Jo Brand
27/01/2020 … Broadcasting regulator Ofcom as drawn a line under the controversy over Jo Brand’s battery acid joke, finally ruling that it will take no further action.
© BBC Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith on the return of Inside No 9
27/01/2020 … The world of TV comedy is full of anecdotes of meddling executives handing meaningless, confusing notes to creative writers to justify their jobs.
The 'Brummie Stud' who fell from fame and fortune
27/01/2020 … Brummie comedian Johnny Carroll, a star of The Comedians who later fell on hard times, has died at the age of 78.
27/01/2020 … Alan Carr has announced his first tour in four years.
Hat trick for his Netflix specials
27/01/2020 … Dave Chappelle has won this year’s Grammy award for best comedy album for his stand-up show Sticks & Stones, taking the accolade for the third year…
© Eduardo Unda-Sanzana/CC BY-SA 2.0 To help research into demential
27/01/2020 … Terry Jones donated his brain to science, it has been revealed.
(And it's also on Virgin). The week's best comedy on TV and radio
26/01/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
Stewart Lee's tour and the rest of the week's live comedy picks
26/01/2020 … The best of the week's live comedy.
© GS TV Productions Ltd What judges were told by award's own organisers
26/01/2020 … Gavin & Stacey could be denied a major comedy award – because it included the Pogues song Fairytale Of New York.
Comic admits screwing up a radio competition
26/01/2020 … Jason Manford has revealed how he almost cost a radio station £50,000 when he accidentally gave away the answer to a big-money competition.
26/01/2020 … Adam Driver reprised his Star Wars role as Kylo Ren in a parody of Undercover Boss on Saturday Night Live last night.
26/01/2020 … James Acaster’s failed BBC Two pilot We The Jury is going to have a second shot at series – but this time in America.
Marion Turner praises the Python's love of history – and how it informed his comedy
25/01/2020 … In 2013, Terry Jones said that he wanted to be remembered not for the Life of Brian or the Meaning of Life, but as a children’s book writer and for his "academic…
24/01/2020 … Tweets of the week I’m never jogging behind a Council van in Winter again, he said through gritted teeth.
West End run ends after four years
24/01/2020 … The Comedy About a Bank Robbery is to end its West End run after four years.
Geoff Norcott picks his comedy favourites
24/01/2020 … As Geoff Norcott, the Tory-voting, Brexit-backing comedian from the Mash Report heads out on tour, he shares some of his comedy favourites.
Daily Express falls for Monty Python spoof
24/01/2020 … The Daily Express has long lobbied to bring back blue passports as some tangible benefit of Brexit.
Just 18 nights of the best names in British comedy...
24/01/2020 … You could go to a different comedy show for 18 consecutive nights, seeing some of the biggest names in British comedy, for the price of a single ticket to see Dave…
But they too sell out instantly, unless you've got hundreds of pounds to spare
24/01/2020 … Dave Chappelle has added five more nights to his run of dates in London.
Shetland star in C4's refugee comedy
24/01/2020 … Shetland star Douglas Henshall has joined the cast of Channel 4’s refugee sitcom Home.
24/01/2020 … Daniel Sloss's stand-up show X is to be screened in Vue cinemas around the UK.
Opposite Michael Ball in Hairspray
24/01/2020 … Paul Merton is to make his West End debut in the musical Hairspray – despite admitting he’s no singer or dancer.
© BBC/Two Brothers Phoebe Waller-Bridge comedy sold to Latin America
23/01/2020 … Fleabag is going to South America.
'I'm scared, but not surprised' admits comic facing probe into the jokes
23/01/2020 … A Russian comedian has been forced to flee his homeland after his jokes attracted the attention of the police.
© Eduardo Unda-Sanzana/CC BY-SA 2.0 After the former Python dies at 77
23/01/2020 … The death of Terry Jones at the age of 77, after succumbing to dementia, has inevitably revived some anecdotes and odd facts about his long career in comedy.
Samson Kayo's pizza-delivery sitcom gets another series
23/01/2020 … Dave has ordered a second series of Sliced, the comedy starring Samson Kayo and Theo Barklem Biggs as pizza delivery guys.
22/01/2020 … Leicester Comedy Festival has received a £20,000 grant to create more shows for older people.
22/01/2020 … It revolves around a hapless band of out-of-their-depth chancers trying to maintain a public veneer of trusted competence while privately reacting in panic to events…
Four years after his dementia diagnosis
22/01/2020 … Michael Palin, Eric Idle and John Cleese are among those who have paid tribute to their Monty Python colleague Terry Jones after he died at the age of…
© Andrew Perry Comedian's 'terrifying' show then transfers to New York
22/01/2020 … Richard Gadd’s acclaimed one-man show Baby Reindeer is heading to London’s West End.
Russell Brand's audacious lie to get off work
22/01/2020 … Russell Brand is not known for doing things by halves – and even before he got into comedy he pulled the most audacious sickie of all time.
© BBC Sketches set in a supermarket night shift
22/01/2020 … Transgender stand-up Jordan Gray has landed her own series of shorts of Comedy Central.
Instant bid to cash in on intimate London gigs
22/01/2020 … Greedy touts are already asking more than £400 for tickets to see Dave Chappelle in London.
A bitter-sweet comedy short about running into an old friend
22/01/2020 … Ghosts actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe stars in this new comedy video about running into an old friend in the street.
New animated comedy with Orlando Bloom and Tom Hollander
22/01/2020 … Orlando Bloom, Tom Hollander and Alan Cumming are to lend their voices to a new animated comedy series about the Royal Family.
© BBC Walliams and Lucas encouraged by reaction to radio Brexit special
22/01/2020 … More Little Britain is on the way – 12 years after the last TV series.
Comedy Women in Print celebrates funny female writers
22/01/2020 … Comedy performers Joanna Scanlan, Lolly Adefope and Pauline McLynn have joined the judges for the UK’s only award celebrating witty female writers.
21/01/2020 … This Country is set to end after its upcoming third series, the BBC Three has announced.
Review of his Amazon Prime special by Steve Bennett
21/01/2020 … Rob Delaney’s been a British resident since his sitcom Catastrophe took off – and this country seems like the right home for him.
He was not the model employee...
21/01/2020 … With his lackadaisical persona and bedraggled appearance, Seann Walsh is probably no one's idea of a model employee.
21/01/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
Five-night residency at Leicester Square Theatre
21/01/2020 … Dave Chappelle has announced an intimate week-long run at the Leicester Square Theatre in London.
© Alan West Line-up announced for second episode of Comedy Against Living Miserably,
21/01/2020 … Joel Dommett is to host the second episode of Comedy Against Living Miserably, Dave’s stand-up programmes promoting better mental health.
© Idil Sukan Melbourne International Comedy Festival shows announced
21/01/2020 … British-based comics Rob Auton, Jessica Fostekew (pictured) and Nigel Ng are to make their Australian debuts at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, it has…
© UKTV 5 of its top 6 shows are original comedy programmes
21/01/2020 … New comedy shows have been the main driving force behind a 4 per cent growth in audience for UKTV’s family of channels.
Bids fell short of £8,000 reserve
21/01/2020 … The original camper van driven by Phoenix Nights bouncers Max and Paddy has failed to sell.
'Shocking, raw and darkly funny;
21/01/2020 … Comedy actor Katy Wix is writing a ‘shocking, raw and darkly funny’ memoir.
HBO's Run to air on Sky's new comedy channel
21/01/2020 … Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s next comedy, Run, is coming to British TV, thanks to Sky's new comedy channel.
New stage production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
21/01/2020 … Scottish comedy star Karen Dunbar is to play Lady Bracknell in a new stage production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
21/01/2020 … Noel Fielding is piloting a new TV show celebrating the creativity of celebrities.
...in 2,000-seaters with tickets priced up to £38!
20/01/2020 … When is a tour not a tour? John Bishop has announced almost 50 dates running across the whole of the year – yet all are described as ‘warm-up…
20/01/2020 … American pay channel TruTV have released a trailer for It's Personal With Amy Hoggart.
20/01/2020 … John Oliver has released an online rant about push notifications sent to mobile phones.
Legal action launched over Only Fools dining experience
20/01/2020 … Producers of a ‘hooky’ live show based on Only Fools and Horses are being sued by the estate of the sitcom's creator John Sullivan.
20/01/2020 … Lee Mack is piloting a new game show for ITV.
Streaming services orders new Britcom with Imelda Staunton and Rafe Spall
20/01/2020 … Imelda Staunton and Rafe Spall are to star in a relationship comedy called Trying for Apple's on-demand TV service.
And already it's been sold to America for a six-figure sum
20/01/2020 … Jenny Lecoat, one of the pioneers of the alternative comedy circuit, has written her first novel - and it has just been sold to an American publisher in a six-figure…
Tracking four would-be comedians
20/01/2020 … Netflix is making a fictional series about four young comedians trying to make it in the Paris stand-up scene.
Co-created with Grace and Frankie producer
20/01/2020 … Steve Martin and Martin Short are making a new comedy series inspired by the true-crime craze.
Fleabag star triumphs at Screen Actors’ Guild awards
20/01/2020 … Phoebe Waller-Bridge has yet another accolade for her mantelpiece after scooping the Screen Actors’ Guild award for best actress in a comedy last night.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
19/01/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
The best of the week's live comedy
19/01/2020 … The best of the week's live comedy.
New short-form series in the pipeline
18/01/2020 … Bill Burr and a host of fellow comedians are making an ‘outrageous psychological thriller series’ for new short-form video platform Quibi.
Saluting Theatreland in the Royal Albert Hall
18/01/2020 … Jason Manford is to host this year’s Olivier Awards, honouring the best of British theatre.
© Fox Hank Azaria steps aside following racism controversy
17/01/2020 … Hank Azaria says he will no longer provide the voice of Apu in The Simpsons, after years of controversy.
Gig review by Steve Bennett at the Soho Theatre, London
17/01/2020 … Not only is this Tom Basden’s first stand-up show in a decade, but it’s also only his third overall, following his Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning…
Created by Pure writer Kirsty Swain
17/01/2020 … BBC Three is piloting a comedy-drama about a stand-up reunited with her lost daughter.
© Andrew Hurley/CC BY-SA 2.0 17/01/2020 … Tweets of the week oh fuck this was in an actual medical journal I'm gonna cry lmao pic.
17/01/2020 … Les Dennis has joined the Chortle Comedy Book Festival.
Shows to appear on NBC's Peacock
17/01/2020 … British comedies Lady Parts, Intelligence, Code 404, and Hitmen are to be aired in the US on a new streaming service from the NBC network.
Also known for Basil Brush and Heartbeat
17/01/2020 … Yes Minister star Derek Fowlds has died at the age of 82, his family has confirmed.
© BBC Spoof Spandau Ballet documentary coming to BBC Four
17/01/2020 … The full cast has been revealed for The Kemps: All True – the spoof documentary in which Spandau Ballet’s Gary and Martin Kemp will play a fictional…
To talk about their comic inspirations
17/01/2020 … Five comedians are to talk about their comic inspirations in a short series of talks on Radio 3.
Rich Hall, Josie Long and John Kearns
17/01/2020 … Rich Hall, Josie Long and John Kearns have joined the line-up for the 2020 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Comic talks about her first straight acting job
17/01/2020 … Jennifer Saunders has said that being funny has become so hard-wired into her brain that she struggles to act straight.
Prince marvels at Adam Hills' luxuriant beard
16/01/2020 … Prince Harry resumed his royal duties today, which included marvelling at Adam Hills' incredible beard.
© BBC Second series for Toby Jones's dark comedy
16/01/2020 … Toby Jones’s comedy Don't Forget The Driver is returning for a second series, Chortle can reveal.
© C4 Noel Fielding says he feels like 'Tom Without Jerry'
16/01/2020 … Noel Fielding has said he was left feeling like 'Tom without Jerry' after Sandi Toksvig announced she is quitting the Great British Bake Off.
League Of Gentleman star becomes Phantom of the Opera
16/01/2020 … Here's Mark Gatiss as you've never seen him before… as The Phantom of the Opera.
16/01/2020 … People Just Do Nothing, Chris Ramsey and John Robins and Elis James are among the comics shortlisted for the most prestigious awards in radio.
15/01/2020 … The BBC has released the first teaser trailer for series 5 of Inside No 9.
Has he finally conquered his demons?
15/01/2020 … Netflix has released the trailer for the last episodes of Bojack Horseman.
Toni Kent on translating her material for the deaf
15/01/2020 … As a 15-year-old hell-bent on oblivion, I spent a lot of time with my good friend Laura.
15/01/2020 … For his first memoirs, Russell Kane has returned to the subject that has most won him acclaim in his stand-up: the relationship with his overbearing, alpha-male…
© C4 Creator Lisa McGee hints that we might
15/01/2020 … Derry Girls could become a movie, creator Lisa McGee has suggested.
Tim Vine drops the stand-up to tour as Plastic Elvis
15/01/2020 … Tim Vine is taking his Elvis Presley tribute show on the road.
Comedy club expands into Midlands town
15/01/2020 … Just The Tonic comedy club is launching a new venture in Leamington Spa.
© BBC/Zeppotron 15/01/2020 … BBC Two has ordered a second series of Romesh Ranganathan’s topical comedy show, The Ranganation.
Brendan O’Carroll pilots a peacekeepers' comedy for BBC One
15/01/2020 … As the creator of Mrs Brown’s Boys, he is not known for the most subtle of comic touches.
Amazon decides not to make the series
14/01/2020 … The American remake of People Just Do Nothing has been axed.
Comedian's rant about shoddy – but official – cash-in YouTube videos
14/01/2020 … Rowan Atkinson has been accused of 'watering down' Mr Bean's legacy with incessant recutting and churning of old material on the character's YouTube…
© Jose Francisco Del Valle Mojica/CC BY-SA 2.0 ...but I ended up getting wasted instead
14/01/2020 … Noel Gallagher has revealed that he was meant to appear on The Fast Show – but was too busy getting wasted instead.
In honour of the Chortle Comedy Book Festival, try our literary-themed Tuesday Trivia Quiz
14/01/2020 … Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster and comedy historian Hayden Parker.
(It's a new stage play in London)
14/01/2020 … Controversial comedian Dapper Laughs is becoming an actor.
Sandi Toksvig fronts Channel 4 literary series
14/01/2020 … Sandi Toksvig is to front an ‘empowering and uplifting’ two-part series about illiteracy.
New animation from Amy Poehler and Simpsons writers
14/01/2020 … Channel 4 has acquired the rights to the new US animated comedy Duncanville, co-created by Amy Poehler.
Comic to take part in Australia's version of Strictly
14/01/2020 … Comedian Celia Pacquola is to take part in the next series of Dancing With The Stars, Australia’s version of Strictly Come Dancing.
© Matt Writtle Full text of awards speech hailing John Finnemore
14/01/2020 … Last night, the Writers’ Guild Of Great Britain hailed John Finnemore with their award for outstanding contribution to writing – the first time…
Radio 4 star wins an outstanding contribution gong
13/01/2020 … John Finnemore has been presented with the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Writing accolade at the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain awards tonight.
Tech travel show for Jon Richardson, Phil Wang and Alice Levine
13/01/2020 … Jon Richardson, Phil Wang and Alice Levine have made a technology travel show for Channel 4, Chortle can reveal.
Second series of the Aidy Bryant and Lolly Adefope sitcom will come to the UK
13/01/2020 … BBC Three has bought the UK rights for the second series of the American sitcom Shrill.
Voting now open to choose the winners
13/01/2020 … The shortlists have been released for this year’s British Comedy Guide awards.
© Lorne Campbell / Guzelian £13million attraction for Blackpool’s Golden Mile
13/01/2020 … Stan Laurel's bowler hat, costumes belonging to Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise and one of Tommy Cooper's props are to go on display in a new entertainment…
13/01/2020 … Cold Feet star Fay Ripley has revealed how she used to supplement her income as a struggling actor by selling George Michael's sweat.
© BBC Recognising young people in the business
13/01/2020 … David Walliams is to host this year's Into Film Awards.
Meet the comic whose grandfather was a right-wing US Secretary Of State
13/01/2020 … A scion of one of conservative America’s most influential families is forging a career as a stand-up.
© BBC/Two Brothers/John Bauld/CC BY-SA 2.0 Phoebe Waller-Bridge pays tribute at Critics' Chouce Awards
13/01/2020 … Phoebe Waller-Bridge has won so many awards must be running out of people to thank in her acceptance speeches.
Even celebs are off-limits as he finds 'evil white men' are better targets
13/01/2020 … Greg Proops has said he no longer tells jokes about women – because there are much better targets to take aim at.
Channel 4 series about a sleazy movie producer
13/01/2020 … Steve Coogan and Sarah Solemani are to star in a new Channel 4 satire about sexual politics inspired by the #MeToo movement in Hollywood.
Radio X launches six more from comedians
12/01/2020 … Radio X has launched six new comedy podcasts including shows from comics Rhys James, Heidi Regan, Tom Houghton, Chris Washington, Maisie Adam, Tom Lucy and Matt…
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
12/01/2020 … The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio.
Mr Skinner, and the rest of the week's best live comedy
12/01/2020 … The week's best live comedy.
Why do so many comedians support Arsenal?
11/01/2020 … Arsenal seems to be the club of choice for comedians - and Milton Jones has a theory why.
© Edward Moore New comedy-history podcast and the rest of the week's comedy on demand
11/01/2020 … Pick of the week's comedy on demand.
© BBC/Sophie Mutevelian 'We have certainly talked about it,' says Steve Pemberton
11/01/2020 … Inside No 9 could become a stage show.
with Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard
11/01/2020 … Here's the first trailer for Breeders, the new Sky comedy starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard.
© BBC 10/01/2020 … At the press launch for King Gary, the creators spoke off the lack of working-class voices in sitcom.
10/01/2020 … Tweets of the week My Nan’s got a dripping tap in her kitchen, which goes to show how much she loves dripping.
To star Game Of Thrones actors Mark Addy and John Bradley
10/01/2020 … Inside No 9’s Steve Pemberton has written a film about Les Dawson.
10/01/2020 … Stand-ups have lined up to pay tribute to Laughterhouse Comedy Club worker Pete Fitzmaurice, who has died of cancer.
Yes, it could become a real TV show
10/01/2020 … It sounds like one of Alan Partridge's more desperate pitches.
Keeley Hawes's dark comedy-drama for ITV
10/01/2020 … Joanna Lumley and Nigel Havers have joined the cast of ITV's black comedy-drama Finding Alice.
Another blow for online comedy
10/01/2020 … Online comedy creators CollegeHumor has laid off almost all its staff after its corporate backer pulled out.
© C4 Sharon Horgan reveals whether her character lived or died
10/01/2020 … It was one of the most agonisingly ambiguous series endings since The Sopranos.
New teaser for Armando Iannucci's forthcoming comedy
09/01/2020 … Here’s an introduction to Avenue 5, the spa hotel in space that’s at the centre of Armando Iannucci’s new HBO comedy.
Comedy on demand service reveals its January releases
09/01/2020 … Comedy video subscription service NextUp has announced its January releases.
09/01/2020 … The full list of comedians and other celebrities taking part in series 4 of Comedy Central’s Roast Battle can be revealed today.
Including Caroline Aherne, Victoria Wood and Ronnie Corbtt
09/01/2020 … Caroline Aherne, Victoria Wood and Ronnie Corbett and have been added to a prestigious and definitive list of the greatest ever Britons.
Organiser comes to his Witts' end...
09/01/2020 … The Great Yorkshire Fringe is no more.
Regional comedy awards handed out
09/01/2020 … Winners have been announced for the second annual North West Comedy Awards, with Dan Nightingale scooping two of them.
From In Loving Memory and Last of the Summer Wine
08/01/2020 … Christopher Beeny, who starred in the sitcoms In Loving Memory and Last of the Summer Wine has died at the age of 78.
When the comedy dream doesn't work out...
08/01/2020 … A new trailer has just been released for Standing Up, Falling Down – a movie that tells of what happens when a failed stand-up returns home.
© Andrew Hurley/CC BY-SA 2.0 Rhys Thomas and the Kemp brothers are making a Spandau Ballet mockumentary for the BBC
08/01/2020 … BBC Four had an unexpected hit with their Bros documentary After The Screaming Stops.
© Just For Laughs 07/01/2020 … The Glasgow International Comedy Festival has announced its full 2020 programme, featuring the likes of Trevor Noah, Steve Martin and Martin…
07/01/2020 … Netflix has released a trailer for the second series of Sex Education.
07/01/2020 … Test your knowledge of some of the big comedy events of 2019 with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled – as always – by broadcaster…
...but no women in the comedy categories
07/01/2020 … Alexei Sayle, Terry Alderton, Phil Wang and Mark Steel are among the nominees in this year’s BBC Audio Drama Awards.
On the day movie gets its premiere
07/01/2020 … Ian Boldsworth has released an outtake from their forthcoming ParaPod movie.
Josh Widdicombe loses his laptop in New York
07/01/2020 … Josh Widdicombe has lost his laptop in New York.
07/01/2020 … After Life, Derry Girls, Fleabag, Mrs Brown's Boys and Sex Education have all been nominated for best comedy in this year’s National Television Awards.
Koko played host to the Goons, Python and more
07/01/2020 … The London venue Koko, which was badly damaged in an overnight blaze, has rightly been hailed as a major landmark in the capital’s music scene, having played…
By Venezuelan stand-up Ivan Aristeguieta, currently performing at the Soho Theatre in London
07/01/2020 … If you ask me about what I watch online in terms of comedy my answer will be: Patton Oswalt, Mike Birbiglia, Sarah Silverman and Jerry Seinfeld.
Comedians join The Great Celebrity Bake Off
07/01/2020 … Russell Howard, Joel Dommett, Mo Gilligan and Jenny Eclair are among the stars taking part in the next series of The Great Celebrity Bake Off.
Comic will be the new team captain
06/01/2020 … Katherine Ryan is to become a full-time team captain on E4’s 8 out of 10 Cats when the series returns tomorrow night.
Comic reveals he's an unpaid court jester...
06/01/2020 … Omid Djalili has revealed that he writes gags for Prince Charles.
06/01/2020 … Radio 4 has picked up a nature-based comedy show fronted by Sue Perkins for a full series.
06/01/2020 … When Ashtar Al Khirshan was making a serious-minded profile of Ken Dodd for the BBC’s Arena arts strand in 2007, the director kept pushing to find out what…
Fans make donations after his show
06/01/2020 … Rhod Gilbert’s fans have raised more than £25,000 for Alzheimer’s research.
For a new TV show just snapped up by Amazon
06/01/2020 … Stephen Merchant’s forthcoming BBC comedy-drama The Offenders is to get a worldwide release on Amazon.
© BBC 06/01/2020 … Inside No.
Stephen Bailey and Brennan Reece climb aboard the bus
06/01/2020 … Stand-ups Stephen Bailey and Brennan Reece have joined E4’s Celebrity Coach Trip.
Union Jack radio recommissions comedy talk show
06/01/2020 … Digital radio station Union Jack has commissioned a fourth series of its comedy talkshow Geoff Lloyd’s Hometown Glory.
Best comedy and best actress for Phoebe Waller-Bridge
06/01/2020 … Phoebe Waller-Bridge now has two Golden Globes to add to her crowded trophy cabinet.
Comic hosted Hollywood ceremony again
06/01/2020 … Here are some of Ricky Gervais's best lines from last night's Golden Globes monologue.
...but we've heard that before
06/01/2020 … Peter Kay has hinted that Phoenix Nights could return – as a film.
Nikki Osborne and Dilruk Jayasinha enter jungle
05/01/2020 … Comedians Nikki Osborne and Dilruk Jayasinha have joined the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio
05/01/2020 … The week’s TV and radio comedy highlights: Sunday January 5 PATRICK KIELTY’S COMEDY HEROES – MEL BROOKS: In this interview, Mel…
The best of the week's live comedy
05/01/2020 … The best of the week's live comedy.
Song sheets and posters go to Kent Uni
04/01/2020 … Roy Hudd is set to donate his vast collection of music hall memorabilia to an academic archive.
London Hughes reveals the drinking culture of kids' TV
04/01/2020 … London Hughes has claimed that CBBC presenters used to drink shots while filming in the afternoon.
© C4 04/01/2020 … Peter Kay made a rare appearance at a charity screening of Phoenix Nights last night - but only on video.
04/01/2020 … The week's best comedy on demand… Jayde Adams: Serious Black Jumper Jayde Adams's 2019 Edinburgh show, The Ballad Of Kylie Jenner's…
Mark Steel, John O’Farrell, Shappi Khorsandi and Brenda Gilhooly
03/01/2020 … Mark Steel, John O’Farrell, Shappi Khorsandi and Brenda Gilhooly have all been added to the line-up for the Chortle Book Festival.
03/01/2020 … Tweets of the week Baby Yoda implies the existence of a Sporty Yoda, Scary Yoda, Ginger Yoda, and Posh Yoda — Orli Matlow (@HireMeImFunny) December 30,…
© BBC 03/01/2020 … Noel Fielding has teased a possible return of The Mighty Boosh.
Starring Katherine Parkinson as Barbara
03/01/2020 … The Good Life is set for a stage revival, with the IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson cast as Barbara.
Catch-up viewing brings ratings to 17million – making it the biggest scripted TV show of the 2010s
02/01/2020 … The final viewing figures are in for Gavin & Stacey – and they make the Christmas special the UK's most-watched scripted TV programme of the 2010s.
© BBC 02/01/2020 … The BBC is launching the next series of This Country with a free preview screening in the Cotswolds.
His impersonations were THAT good...
02/01/2020 … Rory Bremner’s impersonation of John Major was so good that it could have brought down his Government, Whitehall’s top civil servant at the time feared.
02/01/2020 … A motivational speaker gives a talk to prisoners in a new sketch by Irish sketch trio Foil Arms and Hog.
02/01/2020 … Who are the comedians you’ll be seeing more of in 2020? We asked a handful of business insiders – bookers, promoters and producers who witness hundreds…
Comic admits he still finds it hard
01/01/2020 … He might make it look easy, but Tommy Tiernan says he finds writing stand-up 'hellishly difficult'.
© BBC/Monkey Kingdom 01/01/2020 … Like a middle-class Mrs Brown’s Boys, Miranda Hart's self-titled sitcom is usually considered a love-it-or-hate-it affair.
Beating Kevin Hart into No2 in the UK
01/01/2020 … Jack Whitehall’s Christmas With My Father was most watched Netflix live comedy special in the UK in 2019.
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