A tight 5: November 12

BILL COSBY is planning a return to prime-time family comedy. The 76-year-old told Yahoo! TV that he’s teaming up with Cosby Show producer Tom Werner to develop a new show with a gentler approach to humour. He said: 'There is a viewership out there that wants to see comedy, and warmth, and love, and surprise, and cleverness, without going into the party attitude.'

JAKE LAMBERT and Dave Green have made it through to the semi-finals of the BBC Radio New Comedy Award, after winning the listeners' vote. The semis will take place at the Arts Theatre, London, on November 18 and the Glee Club, Birmingham, on November 26 - with the final at the London Comedy Store on December 9.

ANTHONY JESELNIK's US Comedy Central show The Jeselnik Offensive has been cancelled after two series. The programme made international headlines in March when the comic performed a song-and-dance celebration over the death of a New Zealand father who was killed by a shark.

ENTRIES have opened for a new competition for South Coast Comedian Of The Year. All of the 2014 heats will be held in Portsmouth in March to June, with a final in July with a cash prize yet to be announced. Organiser James Alderson said: 'I launched the competition to give comedians who are from that part of the world a chance to shine and compete in a competition that isn’t in London. Sometimes people think the south coast is only a short journey from London, but for some it takes four hours or more, so I thought I’d start a competition that was closer to home.' Details.

Published: 12 Nov 2013