Archive | Graham Linehan RSS feed for this section

Be In The IT Crowd Crowd

18 May

© Talkback Thames / Steven Peskett

Applications for audience tickets for the filming of the forthcoming IT Crowd special finale are now open!

Tickets are free, and SRO Audiences are running the audience selection process.  The filming of the show will take place on Saturday 8th June 2013 at Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire WD6 1JG; doors open at 6.45pm. Please note that the minimum age for attending the filming is 16 years.

To apply for tickets (max of 4 per person) visit SRO Audiences here. Be aware that, sadly, applying for tickets doesn’t guarantee you get them.

IT Crowd Back For Final Farewell

7 May

© Talkback Thames

Graham Linehan has confirmed that IT Crowd will be retirning for a one-off 40 minute special.

Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry are  expected to return for the new episode, which will be filmed  in three weeks’ time. As yet, there’s no news as to whether Noel Fielding will be joining the cast for the grand finale.

Last year that O’Dowd revealed that he would be interested in reprising the role of Roy, claiming that the show’s stars still “need closure”.

“I’d love to do something more with those characters,” he said. “I don’t think we said goodbye to them properly.”

The script for the special was written over a year ago, but the cast have been too busy with other filming commitments – and in one case a pregnancy – to work on it until now.

As yet there’s no news about when the special will air, but as soon as we hear anything we’ll be sure to let you know!

The FT Crowd

29 Dec

© Teebusters / Douglas Fir

Fans of Graham Linehan‘s seminal sitcoms need to rush on over to Teebusters to grab the latest limited edition shirt inspired by his work.

Mashing together Father Ted characters with The IT Crowd design, this delightful tee can be yours for just € 8.99, or if you’d prefer it on a hoodie, just € 28.49.  

What’s more, if you use the voucher code F7THERT3D you’ll get another Euro off the price – which has to be an absolute bargain in anyone’s books.

But you’ll have to be quick – as the design is only on sale until noon on Monday 31st December.  Pick yours up here!  Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on…

We’d like to thank @PaulDawson76 for sending us this news, but that would be an ecumenical matter…

Count Yourself In The Audience Of Linehan’s New Show

23 Dec

© Tristram Kenton

If you’re a regular TVO reader you’ll probably already be aware that Graham Lineham‘s new project Count Arthur Strong,  will be hitting the TV airwaves soon. Well now you can be in with a chance to watching it being filmed!

The six-part BBC2 series will be directed by Linehan and produced by Richard Boden, repeating their partnership from The IT Crowd. It stars Steve Delaney as his Sony Award-winning Radio 4 character, Count Arthur Strong, the show-business “legend”.

Linehan says of the character, ”He’s Sgt Bilko, the classic wheeler-dealer of US sitcom, played by Phil Silvers, except instead of trying to make $1,000 in Las Vegas he’s trying to make £50 collecting bottle tops. The only aspect of the show that’s familiar is that sense of dealing with out-of-control older people. Arthur is a great way of spending time with them without actually spending time with them. I have a feeling that when people get to know him, they’ll be seeing Arthurs everywhere.”

If you’d like to watch the show being filmed audience tickets are now available at SRO Audiences. It will be shot on Friday evenings during January & February 2013 at Pinewood Studios. Booking is now open so if you fancy being there apply now via SRO’s website at http://www.sroaudiences.com. Please note that the minimum age for attendance at the show is 16.

 

Turning It On Again?

18 Dec

© Talkback Thames / Steven Peskett

Buzz has been spreading across the internet about the long awaited grand finale of The IT Crowd which is due in 2013.

The show was initially pencilled in for a fourth series, with creator Graham Linehan opting for co-writers to help ease the load.  However, this plan was scrapped and a special was announced over a year ago.

What happened next was surprising.  Chris O’Dowd became a Hollywood movie-star, Richard Ayoade became a highly acclaimed movie director, Katherine Parkinson kept adding to her incredibly busy CV with roles on radio, television and in film, as well as preparing to become a mum for the first time, and Matt Berry continued to be generally awesome wherever he turned up throughout 2012.  Linehan too, was also busy, with his stage show The Ladykillers and his forthcoming new sitcom Count Arthur Strong.

And so, the special fell into limbo, though the unwritten rule was simple – as soon as the cast can all be assembled in one place, then it will happen.  Which is exactly what Linehan clarified to a fan on Twitter last week, sending the already fairly obvious faint news into a bit of a tizzy, as these reports from brilliant sites like British Comedy Guide and Den Of Geek confirm.  His actual comment was simple: “Hoping to do a special middle of next year.”

Which is exactly what we’d anticipated, given everyone’s schedules.  This isn’t confirmation of the show’s return, but a nice reminder that it’s still on the agenda.  Here’s hoping for one last adventure with Roy, Moss, Jen and Douglas as soon as possible.  As always, if you want confirmed news, you know which onion to peel…

Linehan And Hypno Dog

12 Dec

© Hammer Toe Records

Graham Linehan is one of the Irish artists who have contributed to a music album of canine-themed tracks in aid of Irish charity, Dogs in Distress.

The Christmas album includes 15 tracks of festive cheer with a doggy twist.

The Daily Shift gave it a big thumbs up, saying, “At first, one could mistake Oscar the Hypno-Dog as a novelty Christmas album aimed at making a profit during the festive season; however, what we are given has much more depth and features some of the best performances from each of its respective artists.” To read the review in full click here.

You can buy the album on iTunes for 9.99 Euros (it’s like being in an episode of the Boosh!)

The track co-written by Linehan – with Lisa Hannigan – is track 2, ‘I don’t know what we’re fighting for’. You can purchase the track individually for 0.99 Euros. Go on, it’s for a good, furry cause!

Standard Nerds

27 Oct

© Qwertee

It’s that time again… Qwertee have launched their latest IT Crowd inspired tee… and this one is the best yet!

Paying homage to the video-game influenced title sequences, this Nintendo-styled tee features the polygonal likenesses of Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade and Katherine Parkinson, and can be bought for the next 48 hours over at Qwertee, before being retired indefinitely… so get in there whilst you can!

Pop on over to their website over yonder to buy the shirt for just £8, €10 or $12 plus postage and packaging in the next 24 hours, with the price popping upwards a little after that.

In other related news, the long awaited grand finale of The IT Crowd saga looks likely to film next Spring, according to creator Graham Linehan – who has mooted a filming date of May 2013.  We’ll keep you peeled on any further developments, and in the meantime, spread your love for the show by buying this epic tee!

Funny Fortnight Favourites: Father Ted

27 Aug

© Channel 4

This weekend saw Father Ted come up trumps in Channel 4′s 30 Greatest Comedy Shows countdown.  With an impressive three shows in the top four, it cemented Graham Linehan’s place as a king of comedy.

Helen Cowlyn looks back at a timeless classic, below…

Father Ted was shown from 1995 to 1998, and was written by Graham Lineham and Arthur Matthews, who both have TVO connections. When you read a description of Father Ted – a comedy about three Roman Catholic priests living in a small parochial house on a tiny outcrop of rock somewhere off the west coast of Ireland, with their housekeeper – it does not sound like a comedy at all. Luckily for us, the show was commissioned by Hat Trick Productions and we now have 25 episodes of Father Ted to enjoy. There are 6 in series 1, 10 in series 2, with an hour-long Christmas special, and 8 in the third series. Another TVO connection is that Christine Cant was the make-up designer for all three series.

© Hat Trick

The theme tune was written and performed by The Divine Comedy, who  later reworked it into Songs of Love, which became a track from their album Cassanova. It’s not a typical comedy tune, being quite melancholy and slow. Neil Hannon, (who is mostly The Divine Comedy) wrote most of the original music, including My Lovely Horse, from the episode Song For Europe and My Lovely Mayo Mammy from the episode Night of the Nearly Dead. ‘Father Neil Hannon’ was also one of the names Mrs Doyle guesses in A Christmassy Ted, the 1996 Christmas special.

Each episode involved the trials of Father Ted Crilly (Dermot Morgan) as he tries to get on with life on Craggy Island, hindered by Father Dougal McGuire (Ardal O’Hanlon), a young priest who gives the impression that he’s not sure what’s going on most of the time, and Father Jack Hackett (Frank Kelly), a very old priest with some nasty habits. Ted himself is not blameless, there are references to Lourdes money that was ‘just resting’ in his account, and Bishop Brennan inferred in the episode The Passion of St Tibulus, that all three of them were sent to Craggy Island as punishment for earlier misdeeds. The Priests are looked after by Mrs Doyle (Pauline McLynn), a lady of a certain age whose obsession with cups of tea, sandwiches and cakes is an integral part of her character. Continue reading →

Funny Fortnight Favourites: Black Books Remembered

26 Aug

It’s that time again… here’s another look back at a Funny Fortnight Favourite, as Paulyne Antoniou looks back at Black Books…

One thing that has stood out with Channel 4 sitcoms is taking the conventional format and turning it on its head. Black Books is the perfect example of this, and a huge love is shared for this show over at TVO.

Earlier this evening you might have caught one of its classic episodes as part of Ch4′s Funny Fortnight, and, to accompany it, we bring you our look back at the history of Black Books.

Starring Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey and Tamsin Grieg, the show follows Bernard Black (Moran) who attempts to run his failing book shop with the unwanted help of Manny (Bailey) and what seems to be the only voice of reason in his dim, boozed-up life, Fran (Grieg).

© Channel 4

Black Books first aired in 2000 on Channel 4 with the not-so watershed spot of 11pm. It went on to make 3 series (which has tended to be the standard amount for a British comedy – making it quite the success) and gain a loyal fanbase that still passes their DVDs over to others, and them to others, forever more.

Originally directed and written by Graham Linehan and co-written by Dylan Moran, the former then handed over the full reigns to Dylan after the first series for the remainder of its 2 years. The show was an interesting turn for Graham as this was coming off the back of his success with Father Ted.  No studio audience and a darker, much drier style of humour may not have been what fans would have expected, but the show thankfully won the BAFTA for Best Sitcom after its first series, giving the writers the nod to continue with this darker turn in comedy. After winning the BAFTA Moran commented on his win saying “The trend now is to get away from stage bound sitcoms. Black Books adheres to a more old fashioned, traditional sitcom format, which I think works, because in its own way, it’s quite theatrical.”  This rings true as it gives its own take on shows such as Open All Hours and On The Buses; the premise of funny activities in a usually mundane job.

Continue reading →

Funny Fortnight Favourites: Darkplace Remembered

25 Aug

© Dan Goldsmith / Avalon Television

This weekend sees Channel 4 countdown its top 30 comedy shows ever, as part of its Funny Fortnight. One show in the top 30 was somewhat unloved at the time, yet has since gone on to become widely regarded as a cult classic.  Here’s Michael Glynn’s take on why Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace is worth your attention…

Back in the 1980s, acclaimed horror writer Garth Marenghi set to transfer his talents the small screen; the results were a television program ‘so radical, so risky, so dangerous, so goddamn crazy’ that it didn’t see the light of day until Channel 4 broadcast it during the worst programming drought in broadcast history in 2004. To bump up the runtimes of the episodes we were treated to interviews with Garth’s publisher, Dean Learner, who also starred in the series, as well as the other cast members.

Except of course, none of that is true. GARTH MARENGHI’S DARKPLACE was actually spawned from the minds of Matt Holness and Richard Ayoade, and filmed in the early 2000’s – though you would be hard pressed to believe that last part. With an emphasis on cheap production values and bad acting it’s easy to believe you’re really watching a forgotten piece of TV, even the retro Channel 4 logo is present. Continue reading →

Count Gets Commissioned

23 Aug

© British Comedy Guide

Earlier this year we wrote about a new series being penned by Graham Linehan, called Count Arthur Strong. Now BBC2 has confirmed the commission of a full series.

The six-part series will star Steve Delaney as his Sony Award-winning Radio 4 character, Count Arthur Strong. He thinks of himself as a show-business legend, when in reality he is an pompous, out-of-work deluded thespian who was barely famous at the height of his success.

The show will follow Count Arthur recounting his life story to the son of his former double-act partner, and is due to go into production later this year.

BBC Executive Gregor Sharp has said: “We are absolutely delighted to see Graham and Steve join the immensely talented group of writers and comedians making brilliant shows across the BBC channels.”

An interview with Linehan also features in today’s Shortlist magazine, in an issue dedicated to comedy sitcoms. In the piece he describes the process behind writing successful comedy shows, such as Father Ted and The IT Crowd. He explains, “People always go, ‘You should set a sitcom in a post office or whatever’. That’s not the crucial thing. It all comes down to character. People might say ‘Oh, The IT Crowd is just about IT guys.’ But it’s really about a woman disrupting this male world.”

To read the interview in full mosey on down to Shortlist’s website.

Funny Fortnight Favourites: Brass Eye Remembered

17 Aug

As part of Funny Fortnight celebrations, we thought it’d be a good idea to look back at some of TVO’s favourite moments in the history of Channel 4.  Here’s Velveteer Paulyne’s take on the controversial classic, Brass Eye.

If anyone amongst our extensive list of acts would be considered a pioneer, it would be Chris Morris. And when Morris is mentioned, there are a few words that come to mind, controversy, outrage and utter genius (okay that is 2 words).

© Talkback Productions

Brass Eye began this distinct reputation for Chris, after creating The Day Today in 1994; a spoof news show with some out of this world headlines such as “Fist Headed Man Distroys Church”, and some very recognisable baby-faced faces for us (Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge), Morris then moved on to Brass Eye from 1997; a spin-off show which took spoof current affairs to the next level, up a few notches and then dusted off with some extra offences.

With more of our favourite stars making some stellar appearances, not even with co-writer Graham Linehan included (Julia Davis, Kevin Eldon, and even Jam‘s Mark Heap, and Bill Bailey amongst others!), the show gained a cult fanbase.
Each episode covering a different topic – Animals, covering an Elephant whose trunk got trapped in her anus. Drugs, which discusses the drug Cake that can make you cry all the water out of your body. Science, where you can find out about the woman who gave birth to a 2 Foot testicle. Sex, which can answer the question is sex “A sumptuous glam babe in a hall of donkeys”. Crime, with talks about “Pistol Apostles”. And Decline, covering Noel Edmunds’ killing rampage! Continue reading →

Funny Fortnight Favourites!

13 Aug

© Channel 4

Details have emerged of the exact transmission times for much of the programming in Channel 4′s Funny Fortnight – which features a number of TVO faces in new productions and old favourites.

These include Julia Davis and Sharon Horgan in Bad Sugar, Matt Berry in Toast Of London  Kevin Eldon and Colin Hoult appearing in The Function Room and repeats of The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, Brass Eye, Jam and more.

The season will also include new material from Vic & Bob and Harry Hill, archive programming long forgotten, stand-up from the likes of Steve Coogan, Lee Evans and Peter Kay, plus a count-down of the Top 30 Comedy Shows in the history of Channel 4.

© Talkback Productions

The special season starts this Thursday night (Aug 16th) with the broadcast of Peter Kay’s latest live show, followed by Phonejacker spin-off Verry Terry from Kayvan Novak.  The first TVO flavoured show crops up after these – with a repeat showing of the infamous Brass Eye at 11:30pm.

Not too long afterwards, the early hours of Friday 17th bring us a repeat of Russell Brand And Friends at 1:10am, which featured a memorable appearance from Paul Kaye as Mike Strutter.  Another Onion flavoured repeat comes along on Saturday night (Aug 18th) with another chance to see a firm favourite from The IT Crowd.  Series two opener The Work Outing is the chosen episode, which of course, was the one with the gay musical, the disabled toilet, and Richmond’s missing copy of Heat.

© Phil Fisk

Sunday evening (Aug 19th), sees the first new show to feature TVO faces, in the form of star-packed trad-sitcom The Function Room.  In this pilot episode, police officers hold a public meeting to discuss crime in the local area.  However, their plans for the event get derailed when it emerges local residents only want to talk about one thing – a notorious criminal with a highly offensive alias.

The Fucntion Room stars the legendary Kevin Eldon, League Of Gentlemen/Psyschoville star Reece Shearsmith, Fast Show favourite Simon Day, and The Vicar Of Dibley‘s James Fleet, alongside Paul Ritter, Daniel Rigby, Blake Harrison and our very own Colin Hoult!  Eldon portrays unflappable Inspector Marks, who wants to present a human face to the force, but is just a little bit weird.  Meanwhile Hoult and Josephine Bulter play local well-to-do couple Stuart & Marina, who effortlessly rub all the other locals up the wrong way.

A few hours later, early into Monday, Aug 20th, is a very rare chance to see a compilation episode of The 11 O’Clock Show from 1999.  The satirical news-based show was a breeding ground for comedic talent – launching the careers of Iain Lee, Daisy Donovan, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mackenzie Crook and Ricky Gervais.  It also brought to prominence Rich Hall’s blossoming UK career, and boasted a fine writing staff which included James Bachman, Rhys Thomas, Tony Way, Phil Whelans, Charlie Brooker and Stephen Merchant, and one of it’s associate producers was none other than Spencer Millman!

© Kuba Wierczorek

Monday 20th is, perhaps, the biggest night for Onion fans – starting with the première of Toast Of London at 10pm- written by Matt Berry and Arthur Matthews, and starring Matt alongside Robert Bathurst, Geoff McGivern,  Tracy-Ann Oberman and Lee Cornes.  With that fantastic cast behind it, the lineage of both it’s writers, and the hilarious preview clip which appeared online recently, we’ve marked this one down as a must-see.

© Dan Goldsmith

Not long afterwards, the repeats kick in, with a re-run of Steve Coogan‘s 1994 live show Live & Lewd at 11:40pm, preceded by a new introduction from the comic.  This is followed by a repeat episode of Chris Morris‘ dark and devious project Jam featuring Kevin Eldon and Julia Davies, followed by a very rare chance to see Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace back on our screens with the classic episode, Skipper The Eye-Child.

For those who don’t know, Darkplace aired not long before the first series of The Mighty Boosh, and this sci-fi horror spoof featuring Matthew Holness, Richard Ayoade, Alice Lowe, Matty Berry, Kim Noble, Stuart Silver and occasionally, Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding too {though not in this episode, sadly} was a golden nugget of genius which sorely deserves en-mass reappraisal.

Things go a little quiet on the Onion front for a while after that, beyond Friday night’s short editions of Baby Cow’s Comedy Blaps which will feature the voice of Steve Coogan, but with the promise of Julia Davies & Sharon Horgan‘s Bad Sugar, repeats of Anna & Katy, Star Stories  and Black Books, plus the countdown of Channel 4′s greatest comedy shows ever still to come at some point between the 25th and the 31st, we’ll be keeping a close eye on the schedules for any news worth shouting about.

In the meantime, enjoy the gallery of images from Bad Sugar below.  With the likes of Olivia Colman, Reece Shearsmith, Peter Serafinowicz, Greg Davis & Kayvan Novak joining Davis & Horgan, this is looking likely to be an absolute cracker!

Funny Fortnight Forthcoming!

20 Jul

© Channel 4

Channel 4 have released more details of their Funny Fortnight next month, which features more than a smattering of TVO regulars and influences.

Over 30 hours of programming across two weeks of television, the season promises brand new shows, excellent stand up and familiar faces staging their returns to the channel.

A new video preview over on the Channel 4 press website showcases highlights from some of the channel’s flagship shows, and offers an exclusive look at a number of exciting specials.

© Tiger Aspect Productions

Amongst these new shows is Bad Sugar - written by Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong of Peep Show and Four Lions fame.  It combines three of comedy’s biggest names of the moment - Julia Davis, Sharon Horgan and Olivia Colman, and centres on a dysfunctional, wealthy mining dynasty, with an ailing patriarch and some greedy siblings.

The show also stars David Bradley, Peter Serafinowicz, Kayvan Novak and Reece Shearsmith, and it’s producer is Derren Schlesinger – who was previously responsible for both Four Lions and Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy.  Undoubtedly one of the most exciting shows on telly in some time, this Tiger Aspect Productions show has real potential to be a smash hit.

© Objective Productions

Also set to première is Toast Of London, the new sitcom pilot by Matt Berry and Father Ted/Big Train creator Arthur Matthews.  Matt stars as successful actor Steven Toast, who has recently made a career faux pass by electing to star in a controversial west end stage play.

Recently divorced, and attacked in the street by members of appalled public, the previously much loved actor auditions for a role in the long running television series, Inspector Somerset.  However, it’s producer has been imprisoned for racial chanting on set, so Toast auditions for the part of a gay corrupt detective during prisoner’s visiting time.  Made by Objective Productions, we’re keen to see if this show lives up to its potential.

Other new shows include: Them From That Thing  – a two part sketch show featuring Kayvan Novak, Sally Phillips and many more, co-written by one Charlie Brooker; The Function Room - a traditional looking sitcom featuring the likes of Reece Shearsmith, Kevin Eldon, Simon Day and James Fleet; Lucky Sexy Winners - a new panel show from Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer; Very Terry - a Phonejacker spin off from Kayvan Novak focusing on car salesman Terry Tibbs; Harry Hill: The Reunion - in which the madcap comic seeks out the cast of his old Channel 4 show to find out “where are they now?”; The Boyle Variety Performance  – a spoof of the annual royal-attended show from Frankie Boyle; Just Around The Corner  – from the creators of Drop The Dead Donkey; and I’m Spazticus  - a prank show featuring disabled performers which has been seven years in development since its pilot aired in 2005.

© Avalon Productions

And that’s not all!  As we previously reported, Channel 4 are counting down their 30 Greatest Comedy Shows, which will feature the Onion flavoured vehicles Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, The IT Crowd, Brass Eye, Father Ted, Star Stories, Spaced, Black Books, and Friday Night Dinner. 

These classics will be up against the likes of The Comic Strip Presents, Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out, The Adam & Joe Show,  Da Ali G Show, Trigger Happy TV, Pheonix Nights, Bo’ Selecta!, Peep Show, Green Wing and The Inbetweeners and more.

© Talkback Thames

The channel have also turned to the writers of classic shows to name their favourite episodes, which will air across the fortnight.  These include Graham Linehan‘s favourite ever The IT Crowd  and Father Ted; Chris Morris‘s legendary Brass Eye; mockumentary series Star Stories which featured Fergus Craig, Alice Lowe, Tom Meeten, Laura Patch, Rhys Thomas and Dolly Wells in it’s expansive cast; plus episodes of Spaced, The Inbetweeners, Peep Show and Vic Reeves Big Night Out.

There’s also a chance to catch tv premieres of live shows from Alan Carr, Peter Kay, Lee Evans and Micky Flanagan, plus the early and rare Vic & Bob special The Weekenders, Harry Endfield one-off Norbert Smith: A Life and Peter Cook’s interview with Clive Anderson, plus editions of Comedy Labs featuring Dynamo, Peter Kay, Karl Pilkington and TVO’s very own Anna And Katy!  Plus we’ll still have The Midnight Beast featuring Simon Farnaby every Thursday too!

Phew – we think we’ll need a lie-down after all that!  Exciting times indeed.  We’ll aim to bring you a complete run-down of exactly when each show will air as soon as possible, so stay peeled.  In the mean time, check out the video preview over on the Channel 4 press website – and you can pick up a string of Channel 4 classics in The Velvet Onion Amazon Store.

Thirty Greats

22 Jun

© Avalon Productions

It may be hard to believe for some of our older readers, but Channel 4 hits the big 30 this year, and as we’ve previously mentioned, there’s a whole host of comedy content to savour during their anniversary.

Part of that collection of comedy old and new looks set to be a countdown of The 30 Greatest Comedy Shows – and predictably, a number of shows with an Onion connection are in the running.

Shows with a TVO connection on the list include Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, The IT Crowd, Brass Eye, Father Ted, Star Stories, Spaced, Black Books, and Friday Night Dinner, whilst the list also contains healthy competition from The Comic Strip Presents, Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out, The Adam & Joe Show,  Da Ali G Show, Trigger Happy TV, Pheonix Nights, Bo’ Selecta!, Peep Show, Green Wing and The Inbetweeners to name but a handful.

It’s a stellar list, which viewers can impact upon by voting for their three favourites over yonder.  Voting closes on 4th July.

Usually, these shows feature new interviews with members of the cast and crew, so we’ll undoubtedly be watching this one very closely.  As soon as we hear of a confirmed transmission date we’ll be sure to keep you peeled.

Linehan And The Count

5 Jun

Graham Linehan is working on a new sitcom for BBC2, based around the character of Count Arthur Strong.

© Tristram Kenton

Count Arthur Strong is a character created by and played by Steve Delaney, Arthur is a confused ex-variety star with delusions of grandeur and a unique way of mixing up his words. Some of you may remember him from the 2008 Teenage Cancer Trust comedy night, hosted by Noel Fieding, when he shared the bill with a bevy of TVO favourites: Dan Clark, Matt Holness, Oram and Meeten, Noel and the Mighty Boosh Band.

The TV sitcom will introduce  a new character to Arthur’s world, called Michael. The son of a famous comedian, Michael meets up with Arthur to learn more about the double-act he and his father had, which he intends to include in the biography he is writing about his Dad. However, given Arthur’s tendancy to muddle things, it’s not that straightforward!

In a recent interview with The Irish Times, Linehan said of the new show, “I’m really looking forward to getting to know Arthur better, creating an obstacle course for him to stumble on. Every time Steve channels him and does the voice I’m cracking up, and I suddenly know what the next line should be, or the next scene, exactly how and where he can be funny. Steve has an approach to Arthur that is instinctive and warm, and I’m looking forward to getting deeper into that.”

We’ll be sure to let you know if we hear any more about the production. In the meantime, if you want to find out more about Count Arthur Strong, check out this youtube page.

Read About The Early Days

24 May

© Go Faster Stripe

You Are Nothing, a new book by Robert Wringham, tells the story of the early performances of a host of TVO-related comedians at Cluub Zarathustra

Cluub Zarathustra was an unorthodox comedy club based beneath an Islington pub between 1994 and 1997. Audiences got to see Kevin Eldon, Waen Shepherd, Graham Linehan and Julian Barratt, amongst many others. According to the book they were also insulted, dribbled on, and forced to wear dunce’s caps. We like!

The book is based on new interviews with the principal cast, supporting artists, and audience members, and includes “drunken half-memories from two decades ago.”

For more information and to purchase a copy for £12 click here.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to @elincat for this information.

Linehan Has News For You

21 Apr

© BBC

Graham Linehan was one of the guest panelists on last night’s Have I Got News For You.

Linehan joined team captain Paul Merton on the BBC2 current affairs quiz show, which was hosted by Jo Brand. The episode is available to view on BBC iPlayer for 6 further days, and you can see it by clicking here.

Linehan also features in this month’s Mat Ricardo’s London Varieties, which is available to download as a podcast. Every month, juggler and comedian Mat Ricardo hosts a variety show live from the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club in East London – and this month Mat sat down to chat about comedy, writing, naked women and penguin webcams with Linehan. To listen to the podcast visit The British Comedy Guide website.

The Lim-IT-ed Crowd

24 Feb

© Qwertee / TomTragor

A limited edition t-shirt homage to The IT Crowd can now be yours to own via Qwertee.

The design, entitled Crowded by TomTragor, is available for just £8 (plus postage) until late on Saturday evening – whereupon it will be discontinued, and entered into the site’s voting system for a possible return.

Featuring a string of classic quotes from the show, and pixel versions of stars Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, Chris Morris & Noel Fielding (sadly no Matt Berry!), the shirt is surely a must for any real-life Roy’s out there…

For your chance to own this tee, which has been given the IT Crowd’s official Twitter seal of approval, visit www.quertee.com now!

Spring Back In Time: A Look Back At April-June 2011

2 Jan

So far our review of 2011 has covered January to March. Today we bring you the sequel: April to June. Aaaah, Springtime…the time of fresh starts and new beginnings! And it turned out to be a very busy time in the Booshniverse too!

April

© BBC

April started with the news of Chris O’Dowd’s appearance in The Crimson Petal and The White, a Victorian drama adaptation miles away from The IT Crowd! It was a fantastic production with a great cast and Chris was excellent in it.

The London Comedy Writers Festival took place this month, with input from TVO favourites Alice Lowe, Jaqueline Wright and Colin Hoult. It was a very busy month for Alice, she starred in  Tap at the Window, appeared with Antony Elvin at Popcorn Comedy, and had the pilot  Alice’s Wunderland broadcast on BBC Radio 4. At the time we were lucky to bag an interview with her which you can read here. We also reviewed Jackal films 2010 calendar project.

Colin Hoult announced the second New Adventures show and Paul Foot was in Australia, tweeting as he went.

TVO enjoyed a bit of a spring clean itself in April with a revamp of the TVO Amazon store, making it even easier to cater for all your comedy needs!

Continue reading →

← Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 2,376 other followers