E4 Udderbelly returns to Southbank

April 18, 2010 – 2:47 pm | by Peekay

E4 Udderbelly at Southbank Centre is back for its second year to graze on the banks of the Thames this summer from 13th May to 18th July 2010. In partnership with Southbank Centre, the hugely popular, giant inflatable 410-capacity cow, which established itself as one of the Edinburgh Festival’s most exciting and unique venues in 2006, will return this year with an even bigger and better lineup, nestled comfortably between the famous London Eye and Royal Festival Hall.

Dubbed one of the best programmes of live entertainment in London last year, over 100,000 visitors flocked to the purple cow to see top acts including Joan Rivers, Reginald D Hunter, Tom Tom Crew and Rhona Cameron. This year’s programme is even bigger and better. Highlights include rare appearances by Alexei Sayle, Sandi Toksvig, Ben Fogle and Irish legend Tommy Tiernan. US comedians Michael Winslow (Sergeant Jones from the Police Academy films) and Rob Schneider, Ardal O Hanlon, Arthur Smith and Milton Jones are all set to perform in Udderbelly’s comedy programme alongside Andrew Lawrence, David O’Doherty, Gina Yashere and Dan Clark. Some of the hottest new acts include Tom Wrigglesworth, Pete Johansson, Carl Donnelly and Jack Whitehall (all Edinburgh Comedy Award nominees 2009).
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Good News coming back

February 26, 2010 – 3:24 pm | by Peekay

Russell Howard returns to BBC Three this spring with a brand new series of Russell Howard’s Good News.  The show’s debut run was the most requested BBC Three programme on iPlayer last year, and the channel’s most successful studio-based entertainment show ever drawing in 2.5 million viewers a week. 

With each episode put together just days before transmission, there’s no knowing what will feature in the first show, but the new series will see Russell turn news-junkie once again as he puts his spin on the week’s headlines, as well as highlighting some of the more overlooked stories that have caught his eye as he sifts through the papers, news websites and TV news channels.
 
Russell Howard’s Good News is recorded in front of a live studio audience but viewers at home will have the chance to shape the news agenda by submitting stories online at www.bbc.co.uk/russellhoward (where you will also be able to view exclusive extra features) or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/bbcgoodnews. The series will run for seven weeks, followed by an hour-long best of, which will also feature previously unseen footage.

Gorman announces more Genius moments.

February 9, 2010 – 1:08 pm | by Peekay

Dave Gorman has announced on his blog that the BBC have decided to commission another of his Genius series.

Gorman wrote, “I said in my last post that there might be some good news to announce soon… well, here it is.

“We’ve got the go ahead to make a new series of Genius for BBC2. Which means the hunt for new geniuses is stepped up once again.”

The series transferred successfully to TV after starting life on BBC Radio 4 – a familiar route for comedy shows.

“The best way to submit ideas is via the Genius website where you can either e-mail the team or upload a video of you explaining your idea.”

The Genius website is http://www.bbc.co.uk/genius/

Keith Farnan arrives at Soho Theatre

February 6, 2010 – 10:42 pm | by Peekay

Whilst working in a restaurant in the USA, Keith came across this old-fashioned sign in the manager’s office. Stranger still is that the employees consisted of a young African-American, a Jewish waiter and his Irish self, but no dogs to be seen, so perhaps certain prejudices never die. ‘No Blacks. No Jews. No Dogs. No Irish. All Welcome’ is the exploration into racism and religion-ism in the bad old days as well as the issues raised by immigration today.

Critically acclaimed comic Keith Farnan has always found being Irish an advantage – who doesn’t love a good old Irish accent whilst sipping on a pint of stout? But it wasn’t always like this and signs such as “No Irish Need Apply” were commonplace where the Irish landed in droves. So what happened to change people’s mind? And how have the Irish treated their own immigrants over the years?
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