The comedy week ahead

The comedy week ahead

Today

TV: Tim Vine joins the cast of BBC One's charming period comedy Blandings, based on PG Wodehouse's classic stories as it returns for a seven-part series tonight. Timothy Spall and Jennifer Saunders reprise their roles as Lord Emsworth and his indomitable sister Connie. BBC One, 6.30pm.

LIVE IN LONDON: Fourteen years after Arthur Smith first sang Leonard Cohen, the veteran comic returns to the dour singer-songwriter to illustrate a new show in which he muses on dementia, enthusiasm, comedy and death. His ‘singing’ is backed by the Smithereens: Kirsty Newton, Carrie Marx and Ali Day. Soho Theatre, 5pm Sundays, otherwise 7.30pm. Until March 2

Monday February 17

TV: Chris O’Dowd returns with Moone Boy, one of the best new comedies of recent years, playing the imaginary friend of 12-year-old Irish schoolboy Martin Moone (David Rawle). This second series is set in 1990, as the Republic Of Ireland play in the World Cup finals for the first time… Sky One, 9pm Here’s a trailer:

TV: 8 Out of 10 Cats is back, too, with the usual crew: Jimmy Carr, Sean Lock and Jon Richardson. Channel 4, 10pm

Tuesday February 18

LIVE IN LEICESTER: I Say… is a special event at the ongoing Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival in which Alexei Sayle reflects on how the comedy industry has changed over the years. De Montfort University, 6.30pm

TV: Emily Mortimer and Dolly Wells write and star in Doll And Em, a new comedy about a British actress in Hollywood who hires her best friend as her assistant. This scene-setting opener is OK, but things really develop from episode 2… They talk about the show here - and the opening scene is below Sky Living, 10pm

Wednesday February 19

RADIO: King of the one-liners Milton Jones, returns to Radio 4 for his 10th series. In a new format, Thanks A Lot Milton Jones!, the comic has decided to set himself up as a man who can help anyone anywhere - whether they need it or not. Radio 4, 6.30pm

LIVE IN BRIGHTON: John Robertson recreates the random sadism of the old Choose Your Own Adventure books with the fiendishly difficult – but great fun –The Dark Room at Caroline Of Brunswick at 8pm. Prepare for good-natured interaction. Review.

LIVE IN EDINBURGH: Will Mars’s fun material-swapping night, Joke Thieves, comes to The Stand for a one-off. Review

Thursday February 20

LIVE IN BRISTOL: So it begins… The first heat of the 2014 Chortle Student Comedy Award kicks off at the University Of Bristol Union, hosted by the irrepressible Ray Peacock. The quality of talent the competition has unearthed in the past 10 years speaks for itself, so come and see tomorrow’s stars today. This year’s contest is again backed by ALCATEL ONETOUCH and Universal Pictures (UK).

LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM: Club gig of the week is probably the weekend line-up at the Glee, in which the ferocity of Ian Cognito is the Yin to Joe Lycett’s charming Yang. The ever-solid Paul McCaffrey completes the bill.

LIVE IN LONDON: Marcel Lucont, the Frenchman you love to hate, presents another instalment of his Cabaret Fantastique with an eclectic bill featuring poet Murray Lachlan Young, compelling American stand-up Al Lubel, comic weirdo The Human Loire, and musical oddball Tina T'urner Tea Lady. Prince of Wales Brixton, 8pm.

Friday February 21

LIVE IN READING: It’s a fun-filled line-up at the Scoundrels Comedy Club at South Street Arts Centre with the ebullient Jarred Christmas, the sweet and quirky 2012 BBC New Comedy Award winner Lucy Beaumont, and Canadian emigrée Katherine Ryan, fast becoming a TV panel-show regular.

Saturday February 22

LIVE IN LEICESTER: The city’s comedy festival provides the launchpad for two national tours tonight. Red Dwarf star Norman Lovett brings his ultra-deadpan show Old And New to Just The Tonic at 6pm, before embarking on these tour dates. Then Kerry Godliman, buoyed by the acclaim her acting in Derek has attracted, embarks on her observational stand-up tour Face Time at the Firebug at 8pm. Her full schedule is here.

Published: 16 Feb 2014