A tight 5: January 29

Jack Whitehall's sitcom Bad Education has proved a hit on iPlayer, with 2.9million requests. The figure – third only to Top Gear and Doctor Who – came after the BBC decided to launch the programme on demand a week before its broadcast on BBC Three.

Louis CK is to release the first movie he made, Tomorrow Night, as a download today. Shot in black and white in New York in 1998, it features several comics before they got famous – including Steve Carell, JB Smoove and Wanda Sykes. CK said: 'Tomorrow Night is a bizarre little indie film and it gets pretty weird. It was a labor of love for me.' It will be released here at 5pm, priced $5 (£3).
/p>

A NEW competition seeking the next great comic play is offering a £10,000 cash prize. Run by Liverpool Hope University and the Royal Court Liverpool, the nationwide contest seeks plays longer than 80 minutes and require no more than eight actors. However there is no restriction on setting or theme. Entries close on May 30 and there’s a £20 fee to enter. Full details./p>

LENNY HENRY has been honoured by theatre critics for his role in August Wilson's classic American drama Fences. The comedian picked up the best actor prize at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards for his 'titanic performance' as anti-hero Troy Maxson./p>

ELLEN DEGENERES is to co-produce a new lesbian-themed sitcom for NBC, called One Big Happy. It involves a woman who becomes pregnant as her straight male best friend finds the love of his life. The pilot comes as NBC cancels another other gay-themed comedies: Sean Saves the World with Will and Grace's Sean Hayes, and eight months after it pulled Ryan Murphy’s The New Normal.

Published: 29 Jan 2014