Gregor Sharp

Morgana Robinson brings new impressions show to BBC Two

Morgana Robinson as Russell Brand

Impressions of Fame will take a comic look at the lives of celebrities on and off the screen, as Robinson couples new impressions of Joanna Lumley, Gregg Walace and Miranda Hart, along with the acts she has become known for such as Eastenders actors Danny Dyer and Natalie Cassidy.

Robinson, who previously demonstrated her skills in Channel 4's The Morgana Show, will be joined by ‘big name’ actors, comedians and guest stars who will play the friends and colleagues of celebrities.

'Great comedy will always find an audience' says BBC's Gregor Sharp at RTS event

Nerys Evans, Simon Lupton, Boyd Hilton, Jessica Knappett, Gregor Sharp

Plans to put BBC Three online could rob a new generation of comedy writers and performers of the opportunity to find an audience, said Jessica Knappett, creator of E4 sitcom Drifters.

Knappett, who writes and stars in the series said: "I feel like BBC Three going online is a door closing, it's an opportunity that's been taken away from me. I feel personally it's exactly the sort of channel I would write for and I found it difficult enough to get an audience on E4."

No laughing matter: how does comedy fight back?

Key industry players provide an insight into the evolution of sitcoms and discuss whether the genre has become more risk averse because of the pressure to land a hit, or simply evolved to meet the changing taste of viewers. We also examine if money is being redirected into genres that are cheaper and easier to make, how BBC Three moving online might affect the development and growth of new comedies, and who is putting their head above the parapet and trying to put scripted comedy back at the heart of TV viewing.

Panel: