Comedy news: All site news

Adam Buxton, fresh from wanting to challenge the BBC Director General Mark Thompson to a fist fight over the closure of 6 Music, has announced his return to the airwaves with a solo show called Adam Buxton’s Big Mix Tape.

In a blog on the BBC Comedy site Buxton said: “If all goes to plan Joe and I will be back together for our show later in the year but until then I'm hoping to do a show on my own and this week I'll be recording a pilot for a weekly 2 hour show with our regular producer James Stirling in London.”

The show is set to have guests join Buxton to go through their own favourite tracks as well as music from some less well known artists.

Buxton’s pilot episode will see Mighty Boosh star Julian Barratt join him in the studio.;

Buxton added: “Julian is not only one of my favourite actor/comedians but is a big music fan himself and likes weird music almost as much as he loves jazz.”

To read more see Adam’s blog post here

Hollywood star Uma Thurman's new comedy Motherhood has become one of the most spectacular flops at the UK box office this side of the millennium.

The film, which has been directed by Katherine Dieckmann and was screened at the Apollo on Picadilly Circus last weekend, has taken a paltry £88 at the UK box office. Reports also suggest that only one person went to see the film on Sunday.

Motherhood has been critically panned on both sides of the Atlantic, saw disappointing sales in the U.S. where it grossed just over £33,000 when it debuted last October.

Here were wondering what Ms Thurman could spend that £88 on.

Comedian Roy “Chubby” Brown has denied hitting a 21-year old woman in the face in a supermarket car park.

Teeside Magistrates’ Court heard how the comic allegedly hit Kelly Oliver in Middlesborough last September after almost colliding with her grandmother’s car.

Brown is said to have reacted angrily, getting out of his car and shouting at Miss Oliver.

Eyewitness, Rachel McKenna, claimed that he swore at Miss Oliver before striking her.

The court was told that Brown drove off after Miss Oliver’s grandmother, Linda McAleer, said that she would note down his registration number.

CCTV images of the altercation were shown to the court, but the chairman of the Bench, Fran Wood, said that the evidence was not helpful to either side.

The comedian, known for the explicit sexual content of his material, denied common assault and described the incident as “handbags at 20 paces”.

He admitted confronting Miss Oliver; however he said that when she raised her arm he thought he was going to be hit.

The court heard how Brown was fined £300 and ordered to pay compensation after being charged with common assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his ex-wife in 1996, while Miss Oliver has previously received two cautions related to violent incidents.

The hearing will continue on Tuesday.

ITV has announced the line-up for Jason Manford’s new prime-time variety show Comedy Rocks.

Manford has been lined up to star with some of the country’s favourite entertainers including Merseyside comedian John Bishop, comics Jo Brand and Joe Pasquale as well as ventriloquist Paul Zerdin.

The show, which Manford said would be a success if ‘it was half as successful as Live At The Apollo’, will feature live music performances by Pixie Lott (‘Mamma Do’, ‘Boys and Girls’) and Scouting for Girls whose hits include ‘She’s So Lovely’ and ‘Heartbeat’.

Manford said: “It's essentially a variety show, a mix of music & comedy. But the music will all be live, none of this miming palava! And the comedy will be varied, Paul Zerdin, the best Ventriloquist in the world (says me & my Mum), new star & good mate of mine John Bishop, who's set to have an amazing 2010, very funny, lovely but naughty Jo Brand & to mix it up a bit, Joe Pasquale.”

The programme will record the day before TX to ensure no topical subjects are out of bounds or missed by the razor sharp comedians.

Jason says, "I'm really looking forward to being part of this variety event on ITV - music & comedy & a look back over the week, perfect for a Friday night, hopefully there'll be something for everyone"

Elaine Bedell, Director of Entertainment and Comedy for ITV said: “Comedy Rocks will showcase some of the hottest new comedy and music talent around as well as some of the most popular and much-loved. And Jason is the perfect host for a show that celebrates that kind of entertainment variety.”

Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford will be made by ITV Studios for ITV1.  Executive Producers are Katie Rawcliffe, Lee Connolly and Saurabh Kakkar with Fiona Clark as Producer.

The BBC has unveiled the cast for its new BBC  Three comedy pilot Dappers.

The show, which has been written by Mamma Mia writer Catherine Johnson and produced by Mammoth Screen, is set to star Being Human’s Lenora Crichlow and The IT Crowd’s Ty Glaser.

Dappers is set to follow the lives of two young Bristolian mothers Ashley (Crichlow) and Faye (Glaser) who live in housing-association flats in the posh suburb of Clifton.

During the course of the show the pair are set to annoy everyone around them as they sit in a house full of barking dogs.

The show also has many of the usual comedy clichés such as the odd couple who live in the basement and the recently-moved-from-London-neighbours who are looking for a quiet life in Bristol.

Other cast include Darren Boyd from Smack The Pony and Olivier Poulet from The Thick of It who are set to play the disgruntled neighbours while Eddie Large from Little and Large and Gwen Taylor from Barbara make up the 'odd couple.

The show is set to be produced by BBC Wales and Mammoth Productions and has been commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller of Drama, Danny Cohen, Controller of BBC Three, and Piers Wenger, Head of Drama for BBC Wales.

Sandra Bullock prick up your ears, Quentin Tarantino has indicated that he harbours plans to make a romantic comedy.

The director, whose film Inglorious Basterds won a best supporting actor (Christoph Waltz) Oscar at the Academy Awards last weekend, has said that he would like to free the genre from the ‘Ghetto its been exiled to’.

In an interview with Film.com Tarantino said: “I'd love to make a romantic comedy and take it out of the ghetto it's been exiled to. I have done love stories; they've just been in my other movies,"
Though to many the idea of a Tarantino rom-com is about as far from the Kill Bill or Reservoir Dogs as you can get, the director insists that he is able to ditch the gritty violence conjure up a love story when he can.

"I have done love stories; they've just been in my other movies," Tarantino pointed out.

"True Romance's title was not ironic. Sure, James Gandolfini almost beats Patricia Arquette to death and she has to blow him away with a shotgun, but that doesn't mean it's not romantic. It just has to be done my way, and I think people want me to do it my way."

The director also revealed plans for a prequel to Inglourious Basterds: "At a certain point, there's a third Kill Bill movie. A prequel to Inglourious Basterds. And sooner or later I'll make another gangster film," he added.

In a week already rich with festival announcements Latitude have added the cherry to top the cake as the Suffolk festival unveiled a star-studded line-up to the 2010 festival.

This year the comedy stage - which is typically one of the most accomplished of any festival in the UK - offers a rich mix of both heavyweight performers and up-and-coming artists. Among the old guard are Rich Hall, Robin Ince, Marcus Brigstocke - and the Early Edition, Arthur Smith and Richard Herring, however this year's line-up also includes a fair amount of new talent including Edinburgh Comedy Award nominees Idiots of Ants and Sara Pascoe.

Another surprise inclusion to the line-up is Chicago-based comedian Emo Philips, who is making a rare appearance in the UK for Latitude.

The initial announcement is only the beginning of what is sure to be many more over the coming weeks as the festival season begins in earnest. Among the other notable announcements is the musical headliners; Florence and The Machine, Belle and Sebastian and Vampire Weekend.

This year also sees the introduction of a new area to the Latitude arena, The Faraway Forest, which is set to add to the darker underside of the festival with a Bacchanalian Ball.

Programmer of the Arts Arenas Tania Harrison said: "This year we have extended our imagination into the Faraway Forest and the Royal Opera House will be staging a very special show deep in the heart of it.

"I am very excited about the Masked Ball and a Bacchanalian party that we have planned there, plus I have quite a few more surprises that I am working on for the arts arenas"

The full comedy line-up (so far) includes: Emo Philips, Ardal O'Hanlon, Rich Hall, Tommy Tiernan, Marcus Brigstocke, Andre Vincent, Arthur Smith, Richard Herring, Russell Kane, Holly Walsh, Sara Pascoe, Seann Walsh, Russell Kane, Kevin Bridges, Charlie Baker, Doc Brown, Mark Olver, Joe Bor, Robin Ince's Book Club, Adam Buxtron, Rich Fulcher, Laura Solon, Jonny Sweet, Pappy's FUn Club, Cardinal Burns, Golden Lizard, Jon Ronson, and Mark Lamarr.

For more information visit. www.latitudefestival.co.uk

Comedian Johnny Vegas has said that he is willing to work as Susan Boyle’s double if his comedy career comes to an end. 

Vegas, who was appearing on the Chris Moyles show on Radio 1 said “It’s always good to have a back-up. I don’t mind doubling for Susan.”

The Benidorm star, 38, may have opened another career path last week when he arranged a fake wedding for a couple during one of his shows. 

Vegas cajoled Jamie Morton and Hazel Morrison into coming onstage at his club night Comedy Zoo after learning that they were engaged, and went on to perform a mock marriage ceremony before promising them a honeymoon out of his own pocket.

With no expense spared, Vegas treated the lucky couple to a night at the Park Inn Hotel in St Helen’s, Merseyside.

Jamie said: ‘I met Hazel through a dating website two years ago, We both love comedy and love watching Johnny in Benidorm.

‘When he found out we were getting married he dragged us up on stage. He pulled out a best man and bridesmaids and rehearsed the ceremony. It was a great laugh.

Vegas told the St Helens Star: “This impromptu wedding and honeymoon was exactly the kind of unpredictability that spurred us to set up The Comedy Zoo.

“I’m happy to have the audience play a big part in how the evening unfolds, which also helps because I’m probably the most disorganised compere ever. Because we have an audience who are so up for anything and the support of great local businesses like the Park Inn.

“The owner Paul and myself were always determined to give St Helens a regular comedy club that reflected the town’s individual spirited nature.

The couple are due to wed in July. 

TV production company Hat Trick Productions has seen a sales boom following the success of the BBC's hit sitcom Outnumbered.

U.S. sales have risen from £200,000 in 2008 to £4m in 2009, party due to the success of the BBC show.

Outnumbered, which stars Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner has been one of the stand out hits of the past year, picking up several gongs including best British comedy, and best sitcom at the British Comedy Awards last December.

The boost in sales has allowed Hat Trick, which is headed up by Jimmy Mulville, to pay off a £6million loan from August Equity Partners. 

Hat Trick also looks after Have I Got News For You and David Mitchell's latest venture, The Bubble.

Mulville said: "For a culture of creativity to flourish, risks must be allowed to be taken."

The BBC’s executive editor for comedy entertainment, Katie Taylor has been names as the BBC’s new head of entertainment and events.

The new post means that Taylor who has overseen shows such as Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Nevermind the Buzzcocks will now be in charge of many of the Corporation’s major shows such as Top Gear, Strictly Come Dancing and the Eurovision Song Contest. 

Taylor said: “I am very excited to be working with so many talented BBC faces, both on and behind the screen and look forward to both bringing on the next generation of artists and to creating brand defining and distinctive entertainment shows and events,”

Taylor has a long career in comedy commissioning, before her time at the BBC she was also worked on some of Channel 4’s biggest shows including So Graham Norton, 8 out of 10 Cats and Brass Eye.

Taylor has also overseen other comedy greats such as Father Ted, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Countdown, Channel Izzard and Comedy Labs during her time at C4.

Taylor is set to replace Jon Beazley, who is leaving the BBC, and expected to take up her role later in the spring.