The best comedy on demand

The best comedy on demand.

Dad's Army: A Stripe For Frazer

- This is the episode that's never been since its original broadcast 47 years ago, on March 29, 1969, after the tapes were wiped by the short-sighted BBC. Thankfully an audio recording was recently rediscovered, and now the dialogue has been set to animation, so the full episode can finally be viewed, albeit in this two-dimensional form. The 30 minute episode was put up on BBC Store yesterday, where it can be bought for £2.99.

Desert Island Discs: Arthur Lowe

And while the Dad's Army movie marketing machine keeps the sitcom on the agenda, why not go back in time to listen to Arthur Lowe's Desert Island Discs from way back in 1970. The Captain Mainwaring actor told hour Roy Plumley his favourite track would be La Mer by Claude Debussy, the book he'd take would be a guide to tropical plants, and his luxury some claret. Listen here.

Nick Thune

We weren't so impressed with the American comic's change of direction into slow-burn narrative comedy, as displayed at London's Soho Theatre this week. But available on Spotify are his last two albums, including 2014's Folk Hero which features his offbeat one-liners languidly delivered to a lazy guitar strum... and a much funnier offering it is, too.

Dead Town

The latest zom-com to hit the internet imagines what would happen if the undead took over Runcorn. Despite its zero budget, Dead Town looks good and even the effects are decent. Although if we're being critical the gags in the script can be a bit cheap... our hero John uses the laminated pages of porno mags to fend off the zombies, for example. But a fine effort to get this project off the ground, and writer/director Peter Mckeirnon has already raised enough moolah from crowdfunding to pay for another two episodes.

I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again

This anarchic 1960s sketch show, featuring the likes of John 'Otto' Cleese and Tim Brooke-Taylor is a delightful fixture of the Radio 4 Extra schedules. But this week's episode, now on iPlayer, deserves special mention because of Bill Oddie's James Brown-inspired gospel number inspired by the 'Once more on to the breach, dear friends,' speech from Henry V... quite an inspired bit of musical comedy sitting alongside all the usual pun-filled knockabout nonsense. Listen

Published: 6 Feb 2016