Discover Top Posts Tagged with #comedyoftheweek

This week.....Sketchorama

Comedy of the Week - week beginning 3rd June 2013

Summary: "Sketchorama is a format for Radio 4 which offers the same popular showcase dynamic as stand-up shows, but purely for comedy sketch groups.

Sketchorama aims to bring hidden gems and established live acts to the airwaves offering a truly distinctive and ambitious show for Radio 4." (x)

Personal Opinion: This is brilliant for fans of sketch comedy as it give you a real taste of all different types. Definitely recommend for fans of John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme. My personal favourites from this series (it has already been on 4Extra so I've heard every episode) are the Beta Males, Wittank, Jonny & the Baptists and McNeill and Pamphilon.

Episode Guide: Series 2 is currently being broadcast on BBC Radio 4, on Wednesdays at 6:30pm GMT.

Each week the series 2 host, Thom Tuck (Probably best known for being a member of sketch troupe, The Penny Dreadfuls), invites sketch groups to display their talent. In each episode the sketch groups are:

Episode 1 (iPlayer) - the Beta Males, Shirley & Shirley, and Jonny & the Baptists Episode 2 (iPlayer) - So On and So Fourth, That Pair and Sheeps Episode 3 (iPlayer) - McNeill and Pamphilon, Barbershopera and Wittank Episode 4 (on Wed 19th June) - Endemic and Absolutely

Created and Produced by Gus Beattie

(I will add links for all the sketch groups when I'm not as busy with exams)

The little bit at the end: Information from here and here. This has not been proof read yet , so if there are any spelling or grammar errors please contact me, Thanks. Previous Comedy of the Week’s here. Any comments or suggestions drop something in my ask box.

There are still episodes of some of my previous Comedy of the Weeks, Watson and Oliver available on iPlayer.

#comedyoftheweek #Thom Tuck #Sketchorama #The Penny Dreadfuls #John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme #comedy #radiocomdy #ownpost

Sorry, there will be no Comedy of the Week this week as I've had a lot of exams this week.

#comedyoftheweek #sorry

This week.....Watson and Oliver

Comedy of the Week - week beginning 13th May 2013

(Just a quick one this week as it is exam time at the moment for me)

Summary: "Filmed in front of a live studio audience, this is Watson & Oliver - the BBC's latest sketch show, mixing a variety of different characters and styles. Characters include the Georgian ladies, Jean and Lou in their prison sketch, and Wills and Kate reminiscing about their wedding day. Series 2 sketches include how to escape from a boring conversation; some undercover Brownies; and a pessimistic Bassett Hound." "Best friends since school, Lorna Watson (Rush Hour, Hotel Trubble, The Wrong Door) and Ingrid Oliver (Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, The Penny Dreadfuls, Elvenquest, and she will also appear in the 50th Anniversary episode of Doctor Who) are well known on the live comedy circuit. They have had three consecutive sell-out Edinburgh Festival shows and appeared in a wealth of comedy greats such as the BAFTA-winning Peep Show, The IT Crowd and We Are Klang." from The British Comedy Guide The have also both appeared in a special of The Great British Bake Off in 2013 and Let's Dance for Sport Relief in 2012.

Personal Opinion: This is a truly hilarious sketch show. I am especially fond of the spoofs of popular television series including Call the Midwife and The Killing. There are also some great insights into what a Prime minster may be like at home. I think this is probably one of the best comedies at the moment for people who are less used to watching comedy - I am aware many of the things I recommend are quiet alternative.

Episodes: Series 2 of Watson and Oliver is currently being shown on BBC Two. It is on Thursdays at 10:30pm GMT. Past Episodes can be found on iPlayer (links below).

Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 You can also find clips from Series 1 along with online exclusives and behind scenes clips on the shows BBC Programmes page.

Watson and Oliver Series 2 is: Written by Lorna Watson, Ingrid Oliver, Kevin Cecil, Alex Lowe Produced by Gareth Edwards Directed by Simon Gibney The Exec Producers are Mark Freeland and Robert Popper The Editor is Simon Prentice Music Composed by Simon Prentice

The little bit at the end: Information from here, here and here. This has not been proof read yet , so if there are any spelling or grammar errors please contact me, Thanks. Previous Comedy of the Week’s here. Any comments or suggestions drop something in my ask box.

There are still episodes of some of my previous Comedy of the Weeks, Isy Suttie’s Love Letters and Down the Line available on iPlayer.

#comedyoftheweek #Watson and Oliver #Lorna Watson #Ingrid Oliver #Peep Show #comedy #tvcomedy

This week.....Down the Line

Comedy of the Week - week beginning 6th May 2013

Summary: 'Down the Line' is a spoof radio phone-in show on BBC Radio 4. It is written and performed with a huge amount of realism, to the point that when it was first broadcast in 2006, many people failed to notice that it was a spoof show, which lead to the BBC receiving a huge number of complaints. However this lead to the show getting a lot of publicity, and 'Down the Line' is now into it's 5th series.

Characters/Cast: 'Down the Line is hosted by the "awarding winning DJ Gary Bellamy" played by Rhys Thomas (Star Stories, The Fast Show,Fun at the Funeral Parlour), who invites "listeners" to call in about a wide variety of subjects. The "callers are played by Charlie Higson (The Fast Show, Bellamy's People), Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show, Bellamy's People, Harry and Paul), Simon Day (The Fast Show, The Simon Day Show), Lucy Montgomery (The Armstrong and Miller Show, Another Case of Milton Jones, The Museum of Everthing), Felix Dexter (The Fast Show, Bellamy's People, Citizen Khan), Amelia Bullmore (Sherlock, It's Kevin), Adil Ray, Robert Popper.

Regular "callers" include: Christopher Nibbs ("Nibbsy" or "The Nibbster") is a jokey character. Khalid, whos most used phrase is "what is point?" in response to topics. Pearly King, a cheery cockney. Humphrey Milner, an elderly man, with many examples to help make his point. Graham Downs, morbidly obese and since he is house bound he calls in often. Chuck Perry, laughs at his own feeble jokes. The military man, believes the solution to everything is van packed with explosives. Early D speaks with a 'street' sounding "Jafaican" accent, which slowly becomes less and less recognisable, but Gary never seems to notice.

Personal Opinion: I first got into this radio show after watching the spin-off show 'Bellamy's People: Of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island' on BBC Two in 2010. I also have vague memories of my Dad listening to the show when I was about 9 or 10, and being slightly puzzled by whether it was real or not. It is definitely worth a listen as each show stands alone. You will not be disadvantaged if you have not listened to any of the previous series. It really is a great listen.

Episodes: Series 5 is know being broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesdays at 6:30pm GMT. The show is then repeated the following Wednesday at 7:30am and 10:00pm GMT on BBC Radio 4Extra.

Episodes currently available on iPlayer - S05xE01 S05xE02 S05xE03

Series 1,2 and 3 are also available on AudioGo.

Written by: Simon Day, Charlie Higson, Lucy Montgomery, Rhys Thomas, and Paul Whitehouse Produced by:Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse A Down The Line Production for BBC Radio 4

There are still episodes of some of my previous Comedy of the Weeks, Isy Suttie's Love Letters available on iPlayer.

#comedyoftheweek #Rhys Thomas #Charlie Higson #Down The Line #Sherlock #radio #radiocom #comedy #ownpost

This week.....Bluestone 42

Comedy of the Week - week beginning 22nd 2013

Summary: 'Bluestone 42' is a BBC three comedy drama about a British bomb disposal detachment. It follows the relationships and banter between the soldiers whilst serving in Afghanistan, being required to risk their lives diffusing bombs. The writers worked closely with former and serving members of the forces and military experts in order to create an authentic, compelling and funny show.

Characters/Cast: Oliver Chris as Captain Nick Medhurst, the bomb disposal expert, whose favourite activities are drinking whiskey and having sex. He also gives the Padre a lot of attention (and not because he is a religious man). Kelly Adams as Rev (Major) Mary Greenstock. She is the Padre, desperate to do a good job and fit in. Gary Carr as Corporal Christian "Millsy" Mills, Nick's right hand man. He is very smart and retains a large amount of (often un-necessary) information making him often on the receiving end of Nick' banter. Tony Gardener as Lieut. Col. Philip Smith. He is in-charge of the entire battle group. Always seems to be popping up when he is definitely not needed. Jamie Quinn as Private Kevin "Mac" MacDowell, from Glasgow, encyclopaedic knowledge of filth and never knows when to keep his mouth shut. Scott Hoatson as Private Evan "Rocket" Armstrong, looks up to Mac and joined the Army on the basis that you get free food and a gun. Stephan Wright as Lance Corporal Simon "Skip" Landsley, dreams of being an Officer. He is engaged, but his fiancée definitely wears the trousers in their relationship. Katie Lyons as Corporal Lynda Bird, one of the lads and full of common sense.

Personal Opinion: I've enjoyed watching this series greatly. It's one of those things you look at and go "That'll never work!", But it does! Really brilliantly! The contrast between the funny, friendly banter and the seriousness of the situations they are put in everyday is amazing. There is some incredible work from the actors and writers alike.

Episodes: The series has just finished airing on BBC Three (so this was a bit of a stupid time to write this review, but hay-hoy) but it is still available on iPlayer (but only till Tuesday 30th April....opps...really bad review timing)

Bluestone 42 on iPlayer Although it is only available for a few more days if you are interested in watching you can download it (for Desktop iPlayer, Windows Media Player, or Portable Devices) and it will stay on you PC/device for 30 days.

WARNING: Contains strong language.

There are still episodes of some of my previous Comedy of the Weeks, Hut 33 and It's Kevin available on iPlayer.

#comedyoftheweek #Bluestone 42 #Comedy #TV #Review #ownpost #tvcomedy

Apoligies

There will be no Comedy of the Week for this week (week beginning 8th April), due to the fact I was away for a few days and I have been doing lots of revision.

Sorry........not that anybody cares......I don't think........

I will leave you with something hilarious I discovered this week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2k9JwGpm1w

It is a spoof series of 1970's educational videos shown in school. This one is about Calcium and it is just so, so funny.

#comedyoftheweek #comedy

This week.....It's Kevin

Comedy of the Week - week beginning 1st April 2013

Summary: 'It's Kevin' is a new British television comedy on BBC Two. I was trying to think of the best way to summarise this show, and I could not find any words better that these from the British Comedy Guide (x): "It's sketches, it's songs, it's characters, it's guests, it's a man who's old enough to know better mucking about, with help from a number of his comedy friends. It's Kevin Eldon." And that really is it. It is a wonderful mix of anything and everything, that every one else has been too afraid to try. To conclude the summary I will add a quote from The Metro's review of the show: "any show featuring Bill Bailey in a pink jumpsuit can’t be all bad".

Comedians: The show is written by Kevin Eldon (Spaced, The IT Crowd, Elvenquest). He also stars in every sketch in the show, where he plays a great variety of characters, including The Incredible Moose Human, A Fictional Northern Man, John Lennon's Head, and many, many, many more. Eldon is joined by many other great comics and actors including Amelia Bullmore, Adam Buxton, David Cann, Rosie Cavaliero (Martin's sister in Cabin Pressure), Julia Davis, Simon Day, Simon Greenall, Felicity Montagu, Simon Munnery, and Paul Putner.

Personal Opinion: My own opinion is that this is the best new comedy out there. Literally the best! It is so original and new and different and just so hilarious, that I sit, watching it on my own, laughing out loud (I tend not to laugh out loud at comedy when I'm alone). I know I have not given you much to go on, but it is quite a hard show to explain. Just watch the opening song from the first episode and you'll see what I mean. (x) However , I warn you it is quite alternative, so may not be every bodies cup of tea.

Episodes: 'It's Kevin' is on at 10:30pm GMT on Sundays on BBC Two.

Episodes are also available on iPlayer: Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6

Written By Kevin Eldon with additional material from Jason Hazeley, Joel Morris, Arthur Mathews, Ali Crockatt, David Scott, Paul Putner, Glenn Richardson, and Daniel Maier Producer - Richard Webb Director - Al Campbell Exec Producer - Mark Freeland Production Design - Simon Rogers Composer - Martin Bird Editor - Charlie Fawcett

There are still episodes of one of my previous Comedy of the Weeks, Just a Minute, Another Case of Milton Jones, and Hut 33 available on iPlayer.

#comedyoftheweek #Kevin Eldon #Cabin Pressure #Elvenquest #BBC #comedy #tvcomedy #Honest it really is BRILLIANT

This week...Hut 33

Comedy of the Week - week begging 25th March 2013

Summary: Described as "a thrilling blend of Maths, sex and violence" by Jon Holmes, Hut 33 is a Radio 4 sitcom set at Bletchley Park in 1941. It follows the lives of a team of code-breakers, forced to share a dsughty wooden hut as they try and break the German codes. There have been 3 series, and the first episode was broadcast in 2007.

Characters/Actors: Tom Goodman-Hill (Cabin Pressure S03x03, Another Case of Milton Jones) stars as the stroppy Geordie, Archie, whose main goal is to antagonise Charles. Robert Bathurst (Downton Abbey, Wild at Heart) plays Professor Charles Gardner, an ultra-conservative snob. It was him who rejected Archie from Oxford University, due his inability to use a fish knife at the dinner table. 17-year-old, child maths prodigy, Gordon, is played by Fergus Craig (Sorry I've Got No Head, Get a Grip). Gordon is in love with Minka, the hut's Polish secretary, played by Olivia Coleman (Peep Show, Green Wing), who has an unbelievable talent for sneaking up on people silently and suddenly announcing her presence. Alex MacQueen (The Thick of It, The Inbetweeners) plays 3rd Lieut Joshua Fanshawe-Marshall - theoretically in charge of the hut. He was made 3rd Lt when he could not be demoted any further from 2nd Lt after drove a tank regiment into the sea in France. Lill Roughley (My Hero, A Touch of Frost) is Mrs Best their sex-obsessed landlady. Winstandley is a silent occupant of Hut 33, always working at his desk and with a strange dress-sense (whether this by pyjamas, a suit of amour, or just completely naked!)

Personal Opinion: Like with 'The Sofa of Time' I have only listened to the first episode so far, however I have listened to it 5 times, if that help to give you an indication of how much I rate this show. All the characters contrast each other so well, it is just brilliant! There is also lots of Maths and Science - including some Maths chat-up lines in the first episode.

Episodes: When it comes to listening to this amazing show you may hit some problems. Series 2 is available to download from AudioGo and Amazon. But the other series seem to be harder to get hold of. Series 1 is currently being repeated on BBC Radio 4Extra on Tuesdays at 11pm GMT. The episode is then on iPlayer for a week and I will add links below.

S01x01 - A Bridge Too Far S01x02 - Baghdad

S01xS06 - Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou

Written by James Cary Produced by Adam Bromley

There are still episodes of one of my previous Comedy of the Weeks, Just a Minute, and Another Case of Milton Jones available on iPlayer.

#comedyoftheweek #tom goodman-hill #cabin pressure #radio 4 #comedy #radiocomedy #science #maths #ownpost