Comedy

This week's Top TV: 12 - 18 September

Hooten and the Lady confront hair-raising obstacles as they travel the globe in search of hidden treasures (Credit: Sky)

Monday

Celebrity Home Secrets

ITV, 8pm


Janet Street Porter (Credit: ITV)

In this show, famous faces revisit their former homes to share memories and secrets from when they lived there.

This week we get an insight into the colourful life of Janet Street Porter as we look back at her various homes, including the ‘castle’ she built in the middle of London.

How to get started in TV comedy

Funny ha ha? The serious business of working in TV comedy” offered invaluable advice to an audience of wannabe comedy producers and writers. The panellists, expertly chaired by Rick Edwards, the writer and presenter of ITV2 panel show Safeword, demonstrated that there are many routes into the genre.

BBC Comedy head of talent Daniell Morrisey started out in TV as a trainee floor manager on BBC One drama Casualty. He recalled this being “a massive baptism of fire at the age of 20”.

Dave commissions new political satire

The comedy, titled Unspun With Matt Forde, is to feature interviews with leading political figures and will be recorded the day before airing to keep up with unfolding events in UK politics. 

Forde, who currently runs a weekly podcast called The Politicial Party with Matt Forde welcoming guests such as Nigel Farage and Alistair Campbell, will be joined by other stand-up comedians in reporting on stories of the week.

Event report: Funny ha ha?: The serious business of working in TV comedy

There were sobering words among the laughs generated by the panel, which was expertly chaired by writer and presenter of ITV2 panel show Safeword Rick Edwards.

BBC Comedy producer James Farrell, who boasts Mrs Browns’ Boys among his credits, warned the audience of would-be comedy producers and writers that “comedy is the most difficult genre by a mile to get into and make”. However, he added, “the flip side is that there are very few people who are good at it so, if you’re talented and tenacious, then you will make it”.

Mitchell and Webb reunite for new Channel 4 comedy

Back comes from Emmy-award winning writer Simon Blackwell, who worked with Mitchell and Webb on Channel 4’s popular comedy Peep Show.

When Stephen’s (Mitchell) father Laurie dies, it is finally Stephen’s time to take over the family business, a local pub. His mother and sister (Julie Deakin and Louise Brealey) are too busy aligning positive energies to take an interest in the family business.