The best of the week's comedy on TV and radio

Sunday August 26

MURDER ON THE BLACKPOOL EXPRESS: The feature-length star-studded comedy whodunit, penned by comic Jason Cook, gets its Freeview premiere, having originally been made for Gold. Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson lead a cast that also includes Nigel Havers, Una Stubbs, Griff Rhys Jones, Nina Wadia, Sheila Reid, Kevin Eldon, Mark Heap, Kimberley Nixon, Katy Cavanagh, Matthew Cottle, Susie Blake and Javone Prince. A sequel, Death On The Tyne, has been announced and will air on Gold later this year. Drama, 5pm

Monday August 27

THIS IS Bob Hope...This definitive documentary about the legendary comic includes unprecedented access to Hope’s personal archives (with his writings voiced by Billy Crystal) and interviews with friends and family including Conan O’Brien, Dick Cavett, Brooke Shields and one of Hope’s adopted children, Linda,. Archive footage includes Woody Allen’s interview with Hope on The Tonight Show in 1971.PBS America, 9pm

Wednesday August 29

THE HISTORY OF COMEDY The acclaimed series returns to examine what makes people laugh and how comedy has affected the social and political landscape throughout history This time the spotlight falls on a broad range of comedy styles, from teams such as Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers and The Three Stooges, to clean cut family-friendly comics such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan and Ellen DeGeneres. It also takes a closer look at boundary-pushing sexual humour across stage, stand-up, TV and film and innovative animations such as Mickey Mouse, The Simpsons and South Park. Sky Arts, 9pm

UPSTART CROW Ben Elton's studio audience sitcom returns, with David Mitchell as Shakespeare, just finishing writing A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Elton’s old Young Ones mucker Nigel Planer guests in this episode as Lord Egeus, a rather old but very wealthy gentleman who has taken a shine to Kate (Gemma Whelan). BBC Two, 9.30pm

COMEDY CENTRAL AT THE COMEDY STOREEdinburgh Comedy Award Alex Edelman hosts this week's showcase, introducing fellow stand-ups Alistair Williams, Fern Brady and Darren Harriott.Comedy Central, 10.30pm

Thursday August 30

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN: The comedy sports quiz returns for a 13th series, with guests over the run including Alan Carr, David Walliams, Josh Widdicombe, Rob Beckett and Tom Davis. Sky One, 9pm

Friday August 31

THE NEWS QUIZ: Miles Jupp returns for a new series with Mark Steel, Angela Barnes and Helen Lewis in episode one. Radio 4, 6.30pm

8 OUT OF 10 CATS DOES COUNTDOWN: Sean Lock and Roisin Conaty take on Alan Carr and Joe Lycett. But we’re especially excited about Spencer Jones in Dictionary Corner. Channel 4, 9pm.

Published: 26 Aug 2018