A tight 5: August 12

THE BBC has vowed to double its marketing spend on BBC Three once the channel goes online only. Although the exact size of the advertising budget to woo people to the channel has not been disclosed, trade magazine ALF estimates the corporation spent £1.7million on external ads last year. The news comes days after Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Award producer Nica Burns called for extra promotion for the BBC's online shows at her speech at the start of the Fringe.

JIMMY TARBUCK and Des O’Connor are to unite for their first ever stage performance together. They will perform a fundraiser at the London Palladium on October 4 in aid of the Royal Variety Charity.

TICKETS for Comedy Central’s FriendsFest – a pop-up London exhibition featuring a full-size set as well as various items of memorabilia from the sitcom, sold out in just 13 minutes today.

STEVE MARTIN is to be honoured with a distinguished achievement award – for his banjo playing. The 69-year-old is to be honoured by the International Bluegrass Music Association in October for being an ambassador for the genre.

MICHAEL BOLTON is set to star in his own sitcom. America's ABC network is developing Housesitters, in which the singer plays a man sharing a house with two younger women. Hollywood trade website Deadline describes the show as a modern-day Three’s Company meets Two Broke Girls.

Published: 12 Aug 2015