Simon Bird's cult comedy (literally) returns
Our pick of the comedy on TV, radio and streaming this week…:
Tuesday October 15
RACHEL BLOOM: DEATH, LET ME DO MY SPECIAL:This 'whimsical and reflective' musical comedy special originally ran as an off-Broadway show, reflecting on the sudden death of the comedian's long-time musical collaborator Adam Schlesinger from Covid complications. It drops on Netflix today.
Thursday October 17
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: INSIDE OUT: Jennifer Saunders, Dame Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha and Jane Horrocks reunite for the first time since 2016 in the retrospective about the making of Ab Fab. Saunders shares her original handwritten notes and reveals the real people who inspired Patsy and Eddie. The cast and crew are joined by a batch of celebrity fans paying tribute including Ruby Wax, Tom Hollander, Emma Bunton, Meera Syal, Emerald Fennel, and Richard Curtis. Gold, 9pm
Friday October 18
EVERYONE ELSE BURNS: The doomsday cult sitcom returns for a new series, starring Simon Bird as the head of a strictly religious family from Manchester who believe the world will end within the next decade. Joining the cast for season 2 are Sian Clifford as Maud, set on seducing Bird's character David and stand-up Paddy Young as Jebediah - a tattoo-covered, 'cool-guy' Christian who's a possible love interest for David's daughte . It kicks off with a double-bill tonight. Channel 4, pm
THE OFFICE: The Australian version comes to Amazon's Prime Video today, with the big change being that the David Brent character is a woman for the first time in any of the 13 international editions. Stand-up Felicity Ward plays Hannah Howard, managing director of packaging company Flinley Craddick in the show, whose supporting cast includes Steen Raskopoulos.
HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU: Mathematician Hannah Fry hosts tonight, with Phil Wang and Carol Vorderman the guest panellists. BBC One, 9pm
THE CLEANER: In tonight's episode Greg Davies's Wicky has been called in to clean up after an elderly patron at a community centre has suffered a deadly fall… only to find the builidng houses a 'simmering cauldron of rivalries, gossip and drama'. Guest stars include Philippa Dunne, Derek Griffiths, Josephine Lloyd-Welcome, Sheila Reid, Roger Sloman, Ellen Thomas and Paula Wilcox. BBC One, 9.30pm
Published: 13 Oct 2024