Writing award for Holy Flying Circus

The Monty Python docu-comedy Holy Flying Circus has won a top accolade for its writer, Tony Roche.

He scooped the best TV comedy award at the Writers’ Guild Of Great Britain ceremony last night for the BBC Four special, about the televised 1979 debate in which John Cleese and Michael Palin had to defend Life Of Brian against charges of blasphemy.

The former stand-up saw off competition from fellow nominees Simon Amstell and Dan Swimer for Grandma's House, and PhoneShop creator Phil Bowker.

It’s the second honour for Roche this week, as ‘ominshambles’ – a word he coined for The Thick Of It’s Malcolm Tucker – was named word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary, after it was used in the Commons to describe George Osborne’s Budget.

Meanwhile Mighty Boosh regular Matt Berry won the Writers’ Guild radio award for his darkly surreal series I, Regress, in which he played a twisted therapist.

Also shortlisted were Milton Jones and James Carey for Another Case of Milton Jones and Miles Jupp for his sitcom In And Out Of The Kitchen.

A special award for outstanding writing went to Dr Who and Sherlock’s Steven Moffat, who also created the sitcoms Joking Apart and Coupling.

Published: 15 Nov 2012