A tight 5: October 31

INSIDE No 9 is to get a Christmas special. The episode called The Devil Of Christmas, which Chortle reported on in May, will air as part of BBC Two's festive schedule, ahead of the third series in 2017. Starring Rula Lenska and Jessica Raine – as well as Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton – the episode is set in an alpine chalet and involves the horned 'half-goat, half-demon' Krampus from Bavarian mythology. Previously screened at the Starburst Film Festival in Manchester this summer, the episode was shot on 1970s equipment to give it a period feel.

STEPHEN FRY's new American sitcom, The Great Indoors, got off to a strong start in the ratings last week. The show, which stars Community's Joel McHale as an outdoorsman getting to grips with millennials, attracted 9.25 million viewers to CBS. Read our review here.

COMEDIAN Steve Bennett has won the Irish Comedian of the Year title at the Galway Comedy Carnival. He takes home €2,000 and a trip to the Perth and Adelaide Fringe festivals in the competition, which follows the longer-established Scottish and English comedian of the year events. Ryan Cullen came second and Jim Elliot third.

DOUG STANHOPE is to release his new stand-up album, No Place Like Home, on November 18. His 14th comedy special, it was recorded at his home town of Bisbee, Arizona – and its executive producers include his pal Johnny Depp. Preorder.

COMEDIAN Jessie Cave has landed a place on a year-long development programme for playwrights run by Soho Theatre. Cave – whose stand-up shows include Bookworm and I Loved Her – also played Lavender Brown in the Harry Potter series and Heather in Sky One’s Trollied. As one of this year's Soho Six, she will write a new piece for the venue and says: 'I aim to create something unique and honest and visually brave and bizarre. And ideally…funny.'

Published: 31 Oct 2016