Welcome to The Velvet Onion – the central hub for an interconnected range of alternative comedy and more.  Click through for the LATEST NEWS, and see what’s so hot right now below.

DRUNK HISTORY

Over on Comedy Central UK, a brand new British version of Drunk History is about to begin – in which popular faces from the UK comedy scene get hammered, then try and share their knowledge of the past.

Based on the hit US show (which has sporadically featured Rich Fulcher), this first edition week features stand-up Rob Beckett tell the story of Henry VIII, which is then re-enacted by Mathew Horne, Tony Way and Tom Davis. Also on board for Episode One are Rebecca Front (Psychobitches), Dustin Demri-Burns (Cardinal Burns), Marek Larewood, Joel Fry, Mark Davison and Kerry Howard.

You can catch Episode One on Monday evening at 10pm. It gets repeated Tuesday evening at 11pm, and it will be available on demand via SkyGo and Now TV after transmission. For more info, and some preview clips to savour, visit the Comedy Central UK website.

CRIMS & COUNT CONTINUE

The latest episodes of BBC Three sitcom Crims and BBC One sitcom Count Arthur Strong air this week.

Crims – written by former Mongrels writer Adam Kay alonside Dan Swimer – stars Elis George & Kadiff Karwan as two hapless friends in a Young Offenders Institute, surrounded by guards and inmates even more stupid than they are.

In this second episode, Luke (George) tries to impress his girlfriend on the outside by getting himself an A-Level… enter the delightful Sylvester McCoy as a bonkers Latin teacher.

If you missed Episode One, it’s available on iPlayer now, and our interview with Adam Kay can be read over yonder. Episode Two airs on Thursday at 10pm over on BBC Three.

As for Count Arthur Strong, the Graham Linehan co-written series returns to BBC One on Tuesday evening, as the former variety star recalls his teddy-boy days in an unreliable flashback that takes in West Side Story, Oliver! and The Great Escape.

With a guest appearance from Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean), you can catch up with Arthur and friends on Tuesday evening at 10:35pm over on BBC One.

SECOND TIME AIRWAVES

Radio shows featuring TVO regulars also continue apace this week, starting with Love in Recovery, on Radio 4 starring Paul Kaye.

The show following the lives of five very different recovering alcoholics, played by Sue Johnson, John Hannah, Eddie Marsan, Rebecca Front and Paul Kaye, as well as cleaner Marion (Julia Deakin), continues on Wednesday evening at 11:15pm on BBC Radio 4.

Elsewhere, Colin Hoult brings us another edition of his Carnival of Monsters on Thursday evening.

The show features a combination of new material and vintage pieces from Colin’s seminal Edinburgh shows, and reunites the team behind those via supporting artists Stephen Evans, Dan Snelgrove and Zoe Gardner, produced by Sam Bryant (Alice’s Wunderland, I Regress).

You can catchup at 11:00pm on Thursday night – again on Radio 4.

BEAR IN THE USA

This weekend sees the US theatrical release of Paddington – the feelgood family movie from the makers of Harry Potter and director Paul King.

Starring Hugh Bonneville, Nicole Kidman, Peter Capaldi, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters, as well as former Nathan Barley star Ben Wishaw as the voice of Paddington, the film (as we’ve previously reported) features a bevy of TVO related cameo appearances.

Steve Oram, Tom Meeten, Alice Lowe, Simon Farnaby, James Bachman, Justin Edwards and Matt Lucas all feature, as do former Star Stories actor Matt King, The Thick of It actor Will Smith and Toast of London‘s Danny Boy himself – Tim Downie.

AND THE REST…

As always, here’s some of the news you may have missed during the last week, via our Twitter feed. We’ll see you again next Monday, and throughout the week for more news, reviews and interviews. Keep on peeling!

Doctor Who starts filming again today. Will there be cast and crew announcements soon we wonder…. 😉

— The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 5, 2015

Kim Noble brings his amazing show ‘Kim Noble: You’re Not Alone’ to Soho Theatre in Feb/March: http://t.co/lTQYlfAUSX — The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 5, 2015

Have you seen the amount of tvo comedy on Now TV atm? We are loving the selection!

— The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 6, 2015

Thanks @thevelvetonion – apparently @Petejackson79‘s new R4 series Love In Recovery is ‘so hot right now’ http://t.co/4f8Ks1NTuG — Ben Worsfield (@benworsfield) January 6, 2015

The lovely @Glinner tackles criticism of Count Arthur Strong and The Walshes in this Digital Spy interview. http://t.co/8wGpE5xXym

— The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 7, 2015

Remember the other day when we mentioned Doctor Who filming and casting? Well, there was a reason… and it’s leaked… — The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 7, 2015

The magnificent Paul Kaye is joining the latest series of Doctor Who, due to air this autumn. http://t.co/2HZr1j37sY

— The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 7, 2015

One for your commute home. We spoke to the brilliant @amateuradam about his new @bbcthree sitcom Crims. http://t.co/8cjxEB64rp — The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 7, 2015

Do we really need 8 hours of sleep? Join us for sleeplessness tonight with Matt Berry @porksmith & Prof Russell Foster @OxNeuro @ 10pm on R3

— BBC Radio 3 (@BBCRadio3) January 7, 2015

Here’s a direct link to that @porksmith radio show we just retweeted: http://t.co/TQ3jX8JVFa — The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 7, 2015

We’re watching the later episodes of Crims now, and it keeps on getting better and better. You’re gonna love it, we reckon!

— The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 7, 2015

And we cannot stress this enough… if all is right with the world, @kadiffkirwan is going to be a HUGE star after this. — The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 7, 2015

‘Father Ted The musical’. Reality or mere conjecture? See what @Glinner had to say about it: http://t.co/75bE6H7QXV

— The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 7, 2015

https://t.co/f0sneK1WAh pic.twitter.com/nVYNKAkzmY — andy hollingworth (@andyholl) January 6, 2015

Would I Lie To You? I would, with my very funny, not-so-French pal Marie & 😍June Brown😍 pic.twitter.com/IYxHIUINrb

— Aisling Bea (@WeeMissBea) January 8, 2015

2 Mongrels puppeteers will be appearing at this year’s FurCon (‘Furry Convention’) later this month in the US: http://t.co/eHDULlU8Rh — The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 9, 2015

Look out lads Dom Fez is back! Filthy as ever! Cor, ey lads? Cor http://t.co/Kg6ap851GN

— Colin Hoult (@colinhoult) January 10, 2015

My @TeleWonderWomen column on feminism and comedy. As you can imagine, the comments are life affirming as ever. http://t.co/VeXwfwBiTo — Katy Brand (@KatyFBrand) January 10, 2015

Paul King picks up 2 BAFTA nominations for Paddington: http://t.co/CSNnrR7Azk

— The Velvet Onion (@thevelvetonion) January 11, 2015