Slough on the uptake...

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

Our pick of the comedy on TV, radio and streaming this week…:

Tuesday September 24

ELLEN DEGENERES: FOR YOUR APPROVAL: The second Netflix special from the comedian addresses what she’s been doing since being 'kicked out of showbusiness' amid plenty of stories she wasn't as good-natured to her staff as her persona suggested. In the trailer, below, she says: 'The "be kind" girl wasn't kind, that was the headline. Here's the problem: I am a comedian who got a talk show and I ended the show every day by saying, "Be kind to one another." Had I ended my show by saying "go fuck yourselves", people would've been pleasantly surprised to find out I'm kind'.

JAMALI MADDIX: FOLLOW THE LEADER: In this episode, the comedian travels to Medellin, Colombia, in search of the Passport Bros movement, which is enticing American men overseas to find traditional girlfriends and wives who will treat them like kings. U&Dave, 10pm

Wednesday September 25

LUDWIG: In this new detective series, David Mitchell plays John Taylor, a man who lives in quiet solitude designing puzzles for a living, under the nom-de-plume of ‘Ludwig’. But when his identical twin, James, a DCI leading Cambridge’s inner-city major crimes team, disappears, John takes over his identity in a quest to discover his whereabouts… Read an interview with Mitchell about the show here. BBC One, 9pm.

LMAOF: OFTV, the free - and non-adult - video platform from Only Fans releases a new edition of its stand-up showcase, as recorded at the Edinburgh Fringe. A second is due out on October 8, and between them they feature Harriet Kemsley, Micky Overman, Tom Ward, Jacob Hawley, Zoe Coombs Marr, Erika Ehler and Tiff Stevenson. Watch on the LMAOF page.

Thursday September 26

APOCALYPSE SLOUGH: Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson return as Terry and Gemma Bremmer in a new Murder, They Hope special from writer Jason Cook and featuring guest stars including Sanjeev Bhaskar, Shaun Williamson and Matthew Kelly as well as the return of Strictly's Sarah Hadland as Gemma’s wannabe influencer sister, Monica. In Apocalypse Slough, Gemma is recruited by the Serious Crimes Agency to become an official, specially trained investigator - although Terry is rejected because of his criminal past.With this new strain on their relationship, they are lured into solving a curious double murder at a rugby club, whose members all seem to have dark and disturbing behaviours… Gold, 9pm

BRASSIC: More mad capers as the team return for a sixth series. They may getting older and the question of growing up looms… yet still the series features man-eating crocodiles, naked cults and terrible spray tans. Sky Max, 10pm

NOBODY WANTS THIS: Opposites attract in this new Netflix romcom series in which Kristen Bell plays a woman who hosts a podcast about her sexual adventures… and who falls for a hard-working rabbi played by Adam Brody.

Friday September 27

THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW: Richard Ayoade is one of the guests, talking about his new book The Unfinished Harauld Hughes, as the talk show returns. Also on the sofa are Demi Moore, Lady Gaga and Colin Farrell, with live music from Jack Savoretti and Miles Kane. BBC One, 10.40pm

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Published: 22 Sep 2024