News

The United Kingdom has perfected the panel show in a way that other countries can't quite hack. A combination of quiz show and comedy series, panel shows have a basic game structure but are much looser and lower stakes than actual game shows; the game itself is merely an excuse for different comedians, actors, musicians, and celebrities in general to crack each other up. 8 Out of 10 Cats, Qi, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Taskmaster, Have I Got News for You, Mock the Week, and many others have provided years (and often decades) of laughs, and one of the very best of the bunch is Would I Lie to You?

Would I Lie to You? has had the very funny Lee Mack (Not Going Out) and David Mitchell (Peep Show) as team captains since it began in 2007, and has been hosted by the wonderful Rob Brydon since 2009. The truly hilarious show recently finished airing its 18th series,...

For Red Nose Day 2025, two of the BBC’s most popular shows, Not Going Out and Beyond Paradise, are colliding in a special comedy sketch. The crossover, airing on Friday, March 21st, from 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, features a case of mistaken identity. Here’s the Lowdown: Sally Bretton, who plays Lucy in […]

Red Nose Day 2025: Not Going Out Meets Beyond Paradise in Hilarious Crossover!

Lee Mack and Chris McCausland star in festive comedy Bad Tidings. Here’s the trailer for the upcoming Sky TV production.

Comedians Chris McCausland and Lee Mack are building up quite a portfolio of work together. They previously collaborated on an episode of the latter’s hit sitcom Not Going Out last year, in which McCausland played a passenger travelling in the same carriage as Lee’s family. They also presented at the BAFTAs together, and McCausland appears alongside Mack on game show Would I Lie To You.

They are now starring together in festive film Bad Tidings for Sky. The synopsis reads as follows:

This year’s Sky Original Christmas special revolves around grumpy home-security expert Neil (Mack) and his neighbour Scott (McCausland), who insists on keeping his Christmas lights illuminated all-year-round. And mixing up their bins, criticising Neil’s ‘project’ car and generally winding him up. Basically, Scott’s a git.

Timothy West, the English star of stage and screen known for memorable turns in U.K. soaps “Coronation Street” and “EastEnders,” died on Tuesday. He was 90.

His children released a statement on Wednesday confirming the news. They said that West died “peacefully in his sleep” and was “with friends and family at the end.”

Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England on Oct. 20, 1934, West went on to have a long career on stage and screen. He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for three seasons in the ’60s, and throughout his life frequently played the leading roles in “Macbeth,” “Uncle Vanya” and “King Lear.”

His first big screen role came in 1975 with the TV series “Edward the Seventh,” in which he portrayed the titular king from the age of 23 until his death. From 1983 to 1990, he starred as patriarch Bradley Hardacre in the comedy drama “Brass,” and also appeared in...

Iconic BBC comedy Outnumbered is returning for a Christmas special after eight years.

Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton’s semi-improv comedy about a family perennially in crisis starring Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner joins the final Gavin & Stacey in what could be one of the BBC’s most-anticipated Christmas comedy lineups for years.

The news has been unveiled at the BBC Comedy Festival in Glasgow in the past few minutes by comedy boss Jon Petrie, who also announced second seasons of The Power of Parker and Mammoth, along with new shows Smoggie Queens and Funboys.

The stars of the original Outnumbered will return for the special including Dennis as dad Pete, Skinner as mum Sue, Tyger Drew-Honey as eldest son Jake, Daniel Roche as the middle child Ben, and Ramona Marquez as daughter Karen.

The kids have now grown up, and the Christmas ep will focus on the chaos of...

Exclusive: Christopher Landon’s Drop has added British writer/performer Ed Weeks to the Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse’s fast-paced thriller.

Weeks joins a cast that includes Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane and Jacob Robinson. Pic’s logline is under wraps. Universal is releasing the pic.

Weeks starred as “Dr. Jeremy Reed” in Fox’s The Mindy Project. He can currently be seen in Paramount+’s French Girl, opposite Zach Braff, which premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. He most recently starred in the Fox Broadcasting series LA to Vegas opposite Dylan McDermott. Additional feature credits include the HBO feature film The Leisure Class, produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and Negin Fasad and Jeremy Redleaf’s 3rd Street Blackout. His television credits include Channel 4’s The It Crowd, Dirty Sexy Funny (Comedy Central), and The BBC’s My Family and Not Going Out. Weeks has...

Kris Marshall will continue to fight crime in a Christmas special and third series of Beyond Paradise. More details here.

When Robert Thorogood pitched his idea about police drama set in the Caribbean, he could scarcely have imagined the gargantuan hit it would become. Death In Paradise recently broadcast its 13th series, with Ralf Little departing. His replacement has not yet been revealed.

The huge success of the series led to a spin-off, Beyond Paradise. Developed by Thorogood and Hustle creator Tony Jordan, Kris Marshall reprises the role of Humphrey Goodman, who solves crimes in the fictional town of Shipton Abbott, near Devon, as he attempts to juggle his job with his relationship with Martha, played by Not Going Out star Sally Bretton

It is rare for a spin-off to equal the success of its parent show, but since it launched in 2023, Beyond Paradise has grown into one of the UK’s most popular dramas,...

Chris McCausland and Lee Mack will star as feuding neighbours in Sky Max Christmas comedy Bad Tidings.

Comedians Chris McCausland and Lee Mack are building up quite a portfolio of work together – they previously collaborated on an episode of the latter’s hit sitcom Not Going Out last year, in which McCausland played a passenger travelling in the same carriage as Lee’s family, and they also presented at the BAFTAs together, as well as McCausland making appearances on Mack’s game show Would I Lie To You.

They are now starring together in festive film Bad Tidings for Sky Max. The synopsis reads as follows:

This year’s Sky Original Christmas special revolves around grumpy home-security expert Neil (Mack) and his neighbour Scott (McCausland), who insists on keeping his Christmas lights illuminated all-year-round. And mixing up their bins, criticising Neil’s ‘project’ car and generally winding him up. Basically,...

Sitcom Things You Should Have Done is heading to BBC Three, and here’s the trailer for the new show.

Sadly, new comedy on television is becoming rarer and rarer, as budgets tighten and production companies become ever more risk averse. Currently, Mrs Brown’s Boys and Not Going Out stand as the only two studio audience sitcoms still on the air, and even then, Not Going Out has not yet officially been recommissioned.

BBC Three has long been a champion of new comedy, from Sean Lock’s wonderful 15 Storeys High to Gavin And Stacey, Him & Her and Back To Life.

Now, it is home to new sitcom Things You Should Have Done. According to the BBC Media Centre, the synopsis reads as follows:

Self-confessed stay-at-home-daughter, Chi (Lucia Keskin), is suddenly forced to fend for herself when her parents die. Chi will inherit the house on condition she completes...

In 2021, Pointless fans had to come to terms with the fact that change is the only constant in this crazy, crazy world when the show’s co-creator and co-host Richard Osman left to pursue other career opportunities such as being an incredibly successful crime novelist, and taking the main seat on his own game show Richard Osman’s House of Games.

Good for Richard Osman, it all seems to be very going well for him. But for Pointless?

Taking its cue from satirical current affairs show Have I Got News For You?, which settled on a revolving carousel of guest hosts when its regular host Angus Deayton was forced to step down instead of plumping for a permanent chair, Pointless has welcomed a series of co-hosts in the past couple of years.

First up were Sally Lindsay, Stephen Mangan, Lauren Laverne, Alex Brooker, Konnie Huq and Ed Gamble. Next came Andi Oliver,...

Death In Paradise returns to our screens in February, and the BBC have released plot and cast details.

Death In Paradise has been one of the BBC’s most successful dramas in recent years. Created by Robert Thorogood in 2011, the show’s thirteenth series is about to hit our screens. It has seen Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon and current detective Ralf Little solve a remarkably high number of murders for such a small Caribbean island.

Last year, Marshall’s character Humphrey Goodman starred in spin-off Beyond Paradise, which paired him with Not Going Out star Sally Bretton and relocated the action to Cornwall. Proving popular with viewers, it recently returned for a Christmas special and a second series will be broadcast this year.

A further spin off, entitled Return to Paradise was announced last year, with action taking place in Australia.

Death In Paradise itself is back for a new series,...

British stand-up comedian and actor Lee Mack fears the death of the traditional TV sitcom is upon us.

The star of BBC comedy Not Going Out – which celebrates its 100th episode this Christmas and becomes the second longest-running homegrown sitcom (only Last of the Summer Wine ran longer) – told The Times he feared the demise of the genre:

“We have no young comics coming through who really see, let alone want to write, studio sitcoms. And if we’re not careful it’s going to die.”

The article included the statistic that in 1984 there were 60 newly commissioned studio sitcoms in the UK. By 2004 it was seven. This year the number is zero.

Mack added that he sees the challenge as a class issue, with middle-class commissioners and journalists failing to understand what he calls “the working-class art” of the popular genre. He added: “It is a unique thing because it...

This Christmas Eve, BBC One brings a festive treat with “Not Going Out” at 10:00 Pm. In this special episode, the affable Lee pulls out all the stops to craft the perfect Christmas for his family, aligning with Lucy’s desire to embrace charity during the season. Their goodwill extends to inviting Wilfred, a lonely pensioner from a nearby care home, to share in their Christmas dinner.

However, the holiday spirit takes an unexpected turn as they learn that Wilfred is prohibited from consuming alcohol. Lee’s aspirations for the ideal Christmas face a hiccup, leading to comical situations and the trademark humor that “Not Going Out” is known for. As the family navigates the challenges of accommodating their non-drinking guest, viewers can anticipate a blend of laughter, heartwarming moments, and the quirky charm that defines the series. Tune in for a night of festive hilarity as Lee and the...

It’s beginning to look a lot like… well, November.

But while it’s certainly pretty Novembery at the time of writing this, there’s already a sleighful of excellent UK Christmas TV to look forward to – from festive funnies like Not Going Out and the last ever episode of Ghosts to Christmassy crime dramas like Beyond Paradise and brand-new Agatha Christie adaptation Murder Is Easy.

And of course, every Whovian’s Christmas wish has been answered with the return of the Doctor Who Christmas special!

There’s a festive feline theme to family viewing, with Julia Donaldson’s annual animated gift to parents being Tabby McTat, and Channel 4 giving us an all-star adaptation of Mog’s Christmas. And, as dependable as cranberry sauce and family arguments, there are all your favourite Christmas special episodes, from Taskmaster to Qi and beyond.

So stock up on the Quality Street, test...

Warning: This contains spoilers for Not Going Out

Back in 2015, during a BBC Breakfast interview about series seven of Not Going Out, presenter Bill Turnbull asked Lee Mack: “Did you ever imagine when you first got that pilot that you’d get seven series?”

“I didn’t think we’d even get a series,” Mack answers incredulously, explaining that even going from script to a pilot episode felt like “the biggest hurdle”.

And yet, eight years later (17 since the show began in 2006), Not Going Out has now almost doubled its series from seven to 13, still regularly pulling in audiences of over four million, with the newest series arriving on BBC One on Friday 23rd June at 9pm. As ever, the show will focus on Lee Mack as a fictionalised version of himself, alongside his landlady-turned-wife and sparring partner Lucy, and their eventful and often farcical life together.

Series 13 will...

The line-up for the 2022 Royal Variety Performance has been announced, with the annual event set to take place within days.

The event, held at London’s Royal Albert Hall, will be the first since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September.

As ever, the event is being held in aid of the Royal Variety Charity, which provides aid to those in the world of entertainment.

Previous years have seen artists including Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga and James Blunt take to the stage before the royals.

While Alan Carr has hosted proceedings for the last two years, hosting duties will this time be transferred to Not Going Out star Lee Mack.

Here’s what else we know about the event...

When is the Royal Variety Performance?

This year’s event is taking place on 1 December.

However, it will not air on TV until later in the month. The show will be shown on ITV1,...

The best in TV is being honoured at the National Television Awards 2022.

Nominees were announced in August, with Peaky Blinders, Heartstopper and Bridgertonall receiving multiple nods.

Voting for the NTAs closed hours ahead of the ceremony, which was broadcast on ITV on Thursday (13 October).

While This Morning’s flagship hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were snubbed from this year’s nominations, others in contention included their colleague Alison Hammond, as well as Bradley Walsh, Graham Norton and Ant & Dec, who won in 2021 for the 20th year in a row.

Elsewhere, drama series such as Bridgerton, Peaky Blinders and Heartstopper celebrate nominations in their show categories, as well as for individual stars: Charithra Chandran and Jonathan Bailey for Bridgerton, Cillian Murphy for Peaky Blinders and Kit Connor and Joe Locke for Heartstopper.

You can find the winners list below.

New Drama

Trigger Point – Winner

Heartstopper

This Is Going to Hurt...

The National Television Awards 2022 will take place tonight (Thursday 13 October) after months of anticipation.

Nominees were announced in August, with Peaky Blinders, Heartstopper and Bridgerton all receiving multiple nods.

Voting for the NTAs closes on Thursday 13 October at noon, hours ahead of the ceremony’s broadcast on ITV at 8.00pm.

However, in a surprise to some fans,This Morning’s flagship hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are not in contention for any awards this year.

The hosting duo, who also present Dancing on Ice together, are usually staples in the list of nominations for TV Presenter.

Last year, only Willoughby was up for an award. This year’s list marks the first time since 2017 that neither presenter is being considered.

Though Willoughby and Schofield won’t receive any awards, their This Morning colleague Alison Hammond has received a nomination in the TV Presenter category, alongside Bradley Walsh, Graham Norton and Ant & Dec,...

The National Television Awards 2022 will take place tonight (Thursday 13 October) after months of anticipation.

Nominees were announced in August, with Peaky Blinders, Heartstopper and Bridgerton all receiving multiple nods.

Voting for the NTAs closes on Thursday 13 October at noon, hours ahead of the ceremony’s broadcast on ITV at 8.00pm.

However, in a surprise to some fans,This Morning’s flagship hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are not in contention for any awards this year.

The hosting duo, who also present Dancing on Ice together, are usually staples in the list of nominations for TV Presenter.

Last year, only Willoughby was up for an award. This year’s list marks the first time since 2017 that neither presenter is being considered.

Though Willoughby and Schofield won’t receive any awards, their This Morning colleague Alison Hammond has received a nomination in the TV Presenter category, alongside Bradley Walsh, Graham Norton and Ant & Dec,...

The CW’s adaptation of British panel show Would I Lie To You? has found its lineup.

Evil star Aasif Mandvi is set as host with Veep’s Matt Walsh and Carol’s Second Act’s Sabrina Jalees as team captains.

They will do the job done by Gavin & Stacey star Rob Brydon with Back and Peep Show star David Mitchell and Not Going Out star Lee Mack on the BBC version.

A litany of guest stars have also been confirmed including Brooke Shields, Amber Ruffin, Laura Benanti, Michael Ian Black, Andrea Martin, Julie Klausner, Jordan Klepper, Adam Pally, Chris Gethard, Dulcé Sloan, as well as former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara.

The series sees a team of celebrities try and ascertain truth from fiction with questions and stories.

It will be remade by Ink Master producer Truly Original, which is owned by Banijay,...

British television producer and director Charlie Hanson has been removed from Netflix’s Ricky Gervais comedy After Life and he has been suspended by BAFTA amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Both Netflix and BAFTA were sent an anonymous email this week containing allegations about Hanson. The Times of London reported on Saturday that he is the subject of complaints from 11 women, who have detailed accusations dating from 2008 to 2015. Hanson strenuously denies wrongdoing.

Netflix confirmed Hanson is no longer a producer on After Life. A spokeswoman said: “On Monday, we received an anonymous email containing historical allegations about a producer on one of our titles. Whilst the allegations are unrelated to his time on the show, we immediately removed him from the production and referred the matter to the police.”

In a statement, Gervais added: “I am shocked and appalled to learn of the historical allegations made by a number of women against Charlie Hanson.

The BBC’s streaming service, iPlayer, enjoyed a record start to the year after series including Netflix co-production The Serpent and Line of Duty propelled it to 1.7 billion streams in the first three months of 2021.

Viewing to iPlayer was up 22% year-on-year in Q1 as Brits flocked to the streaming service during lockdown in the UK. Furthermore, the BBC said January was a record month, with iPlayer recording 652 million streams.

The first episode of Mammoth Screen-produced The Serpent was iPlayer’s most-watched show in Q1 after it racked up 5.9M streams. It was followed by the first installment in Season 6 of police corruption drama Line of Duty, which was viewed 3.6M times.

Dan McGolpin, director of BBC iPlayer and channels, said: “BBC iPlayer is getting more viewing than ever in 2021 thanks to new must-watch series like The Serpent and Bloodlands, returning big hitters like Line of Duty and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK...

British entertainment formats Would I Lie To You? and Killer Camp are being remade in the U.S. by The CW with The Good Fight creators Robert and Michelle King exec producing the former.

The youth-skewing network is adapting the two shows as part of an expanded unscripted line-up, which includes a U.S. version of Whose Line Is It Anyway, World’s Funniest Animals and Penn & Teller: Fool Us.

Would I Lie To You?, which has run on BBC One for 14 seasons, sees a team of celebrities try and ascertain truth from fiction with questions and stories. The UK series is hosted by Gavin & Stacey star Rob Brydon with Back and Peep Show star David Mitchell and Not Going Out star Lee Mach as team captains.

It will be remade by Ink Master producer Truly Original, which is owned by Banijay, the company that now owns original UK producer Zeppotron.

10 short weeks ago, none of us had seen Richard Herring feed half a watermelon to a slathering Daisy May Cooper, and frankly, we were the worse off for it. Neither had we witnessed The It Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson philosophically asking “Am I the spider?”, known how rigorously Johnny Vegas would apply himself to the task of putting the heaviest thing through a Christmas tree-bagger, or enjoyed Mawaan Rizwan thinking that if he filled an egg with helium, it would float like a happy little bee. All these, the tiny joys of a new series of Taskmaster.

Now that series 10 is over, eyes to the horizon for series 11. The new contestant line-up has been announced, along with confirmation of a second Champion of Champions mini-series featuring the winners of 6-10. First up, here’s who’ll be competing for the Taskmaster’s approval in series 11:

Lee Mack

The comedy TV veteran,...

British Comedian Bobby Ball Dies

Bobby Ball, the British comedian and star of shows including BBC One’s Not Going Out, has died at the age of 76 after testing positive for coronavirus. He was one half of double-act Cannon and Ball alongside Tommy Cannon, while he has appeared in comedies including Last of the Summer Wine and Benidorm. He was also a contestant on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2005. “At first it was thought to be a chest infection but a test proved positive for Covid-19,” his manager said in a statement. “His wife Yvonne said the hospital and staff could not have been more wonderful, as they were outstanding in their care of duty and they did everything possible for him and she cannot praise them enough.” Cannon paid tribute by quoting his partner’s catchphrase: “Rock on, my good friend, I can’t believe this,...

“Anchors, rigging, shackles,” lists Katy Wix down the phone, “poop deck, wheelhouse, three sheets to the wind…” The comedian and writer has had a productive year. Filming wrapped on Ghosts series two just as UK lockdown began. Since then, she’s finished one book – Delicacy: A Memoir – due out next April, is pitching another, writing a TV show, and thanks to a new-found obsession with Netflix yacht-based reality show Below Deck, has also managed to acquire an enviable grasp of nautical terminology.

Wix is an established UK comic actor, with credits across the board, starting with cult hit Time Trumpet and going mainstream as witless, lovable Daisy in BBC mega-sitcom Not Going Out. She’s currently part of Channel 4’s Stath Lets Flats, the hottest comedy around, fresh from multiple Bafta wins. She plays Fergie in royal satire The Windsors, and was among the comedian-contestants in series nine of Taskmaster.

Kim Cattrall has pulled out of British comedy series The Cockfields due to “unforeseen scheduling issues”. The Sex and The City star, who is fronting Fox’s soapy drama Filthy Rich, had been due to star in the three-part series for UKTV’s Gold channel alongside After Life stars Joe Wilkinson and Diane Morgan.

She has been replaced by Sarah Parish, who recently appeared in ITV drama Bancroft and BBC comedy W1A as well as previous stints on Doctor Who and Atlantis.

The series, which is written by Joe Wilkinson and David Ear, also stars The Royale Family’s Sue Johnston, Chariots of Fire’s Nigel Havers and Not Going Out’s Bobby Ball. It is produced by Yellow Door Productions, the production company set up by former Sky comedy chief Lucy Lumsden.

Wilkinson plays Simon, who is taking girlfriend Donna, played by Morgan back home to the Isle of...

Kim Cattrall is to star in a British comedy series alongside two of the stars of Ricky Gervais’ After Life. The Sex and the City star, who is also fronting Fox’s soapy drama Filthy Rich, is starring in three-part series The Cockfields for UKTV’s Gold channel.

The series stars Joe Wilkinson and Diane Morgan, who both featured in Gervais’ Netflix comedy, and it is written by Wilkinson and David Ear. The Royale Family’s Sue Johnston, Chariots of Fire’s Nigel Havers and Not Going Out’s Bobby Ball.

The Cockfields is produced by Yellow Door Productions, the production company set up by former Sky comedy chief Lucy Lumsden.

Wilkinson plays Simon, who is taking girlfriend Donna, played by Morgan back home to the Isle of Wight for the very first time. There they’ll spend a long weekend as guests of his ever-doting mother Sue, played by Johnston,...

Exclusive: Trial & Error star Amanda Payton has joined Sky’s British police comedy Code 404.

The actor, who has also recurred on Animal Kingdom and had spots on Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, NCIS and Workaholics, has booked a series regular role on the six-part series.

Code 404 stars Rogue One’s Daniel Mays and Boardwalk Empire’s Stephen Graham.

The series, which is produced by Broadchurch and Tin Star indie Kudos and Water and Power Productions, also stars Against The Law’s Richard Gadd. It was written by Horrible Histories and Not Going Out writer Daniel Peak and directed by Al Campbell. The pilot was directed by Ben Palmer.

Code 404 is set in the near future and will revolve around two Detective Inspectors, Di John Major (Daniel Mays) and Di Roy Carver (Stephen Graham), who are the top crime fighting duo in the Unit. But when an undercover sting goes horribly wrong,...

Sky is developing a police comedy starring Rogue One’s Daniel Mays from Broadchurch and Tin Star indie Kudos.

I hear the pay-tv giant is making a non-tx pilot, which has the working title of Code 404, written by Horrible Histories and Not Going Out writer Daniel Peak and is being co-produced by Water and Power Productions.

Directed by Ben Palmer, who previously helmed The Inbetweeners and David Mitchell and Robert Webb comedy Back, the broadcaster is currently deciding whether to take the project to full series.

The full details of the police project have been kept under wraps, but I’m told the narrative comedy has a similar tone to Charlie Brooker’s A Touch of Cloth, the spoof cop comedy that ran on Sky One in 2012. Phil Temple and Diederick Santer exec produce for Kudos and Sam Myer exec produces for Water and Power.

It is an interesting role for Mays,...

Exclusive: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver producer Avalon has lost its Chief Operating Officer. I hear Tim Robinson has left the British production company and talent management agency.

Robinson, a popular figure within the British television industry, joined the company, which has offices in London, New York and La, in September 2016 and left at the end of last month. He lead day-to-day operations at the business and managed the long-term strategic development of the group. He worked across the company’s production business, its talent management arm as well as studios, promotions and international distribution.

Deadline understands that Robinson’s departure was mutual and that he is currently in talks for a new role.

In addition to Oliver’s weekly HBO comedy show, Avalon produces series including Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s Channel 4 and Amazon comedy Catastrophe, UKTV format Taskmaster, which has just been remade in the U.

Hello and welcome to one of our shoutouts for projects casting around the U.K. As always there’s a mix of opportunities for all ages, abilities, and locations but do remember to check if you fit the bill before applying. Although we make every attempt to verify castings before we hit publish, please ensure that you do your own research before firing off those headshots and Backstage links. Comedy Game Show Pilot Comedian and actor Lee Mack (“Not Going Out”) is returning with a comedy game show that is filming a pilot in London next month. The team is looking for “outgoing” and “brilliant” contestants to appear in the pilot, made by the creators behind “8 Out of 10 Cats” and “The Mash Reports.” The pilot is being filmed for a major U.K. broadcaster and they’re searching for people who are up for a laugh and able to take a joke.

Louisa Mellor Dec 13, 2017

We’ve taken a highlighter to this year’s Christmas and New Year TV schedules and circled what we’ll be watching this festive season…

Amid the cosy repeats and cranberry-stuffed cookery shows on TV over the next few weeks are a few gems. There’s no Sherlock or Charlie Brooker’s TV Wipe this year, but there are plenty of treats, not least the return of The League Of Gentlemen for a three-part anniversary series and Peter Capaldi’s last hurrah in the Tardis in the Doctor Who Christmas episode.

See related 26 new TV shows to watch in 2017

Over on Netflix, six new episodes of Black Mirror are coming to usher in the New Year, two days into which we welcome the return of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton’s genius anthology Inside No. 9.

Not to gloss over a spooky M.R. James night on BBC Four,...

Louisa Mellor Nov 28, 2017

Here's a pick of the BBC's drama and comedy for this Christmas, including Doctor Who and The League Of Gentlemen...

Get ready to mentally circle a few items in the festive TV planner; the BBC has officially announced its Christmas 2017 line-up.

See related Dark Universe: the undignified death of a cinematic universe

Our priorities first: Peter Capaldi’s outgoing Doctor Who episode in the leading role, Twice Upon A Time. The episode is written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay and stars Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Mark Gatiss and David Bradley.

According to the official synopsis, Twice Upon A Time will see Twelve and Bill “team up with the first ever Doctor to battle the enchanted glass people before he regenerates into the 13th Doctor”. Expect that to air on December the 25th as usual (we’ll confirm the time as soon as it’s announced).

Next up are three (hooray!

Louisa Mellor Feb 21, 2017

Anthology series Inside No. 9 returns for its third series tonight at 10pm on BBC Two. We chatted to creators Pemberton and Shearsmith...

Anthology strand Inside No. 9 is an ingenious antidote to bloated TV storytelling and convuluted multi-series arcs. Created by The League Of Gentlemen and Psychoville's Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, who write and appear in each episode, it tells original half-hour tales that surprise, delight and unsettle.

See related Alien: Covenant - its new title's meaning & other questions

Thankfully, BBC Two appears to know what a gem it has in the show and is treating it with the care it deserves. Five new episodes following the 2016 Christmas special start airing tonight, and filming is about to get underway on a fourth series.

We spoke to creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith about the necessity of keeping Inside No. 9's secrets, the joys of the half-hour format,...

Not going out this year? You can party along just fine with these 8 live options, available on both TV and streaming. From network specials to Netflix’s hilariously clever “live” offerings, we’ve got something for everyone in the family, confetti and funny hats not included.

Take a peek!

Read More: ‘Charlie Brooker’s 2016 Wipe’: Watch the ‘Black Mirror’ Creator’s Hour-Long Political Takedown

Times Square New Year’s Eve Webcast

The webcast will feature live musical performances, hourly countdowns, behind-the-scenes stories and star-studded interviews as anticipation builds towards the midnight countdown and the famous Ball Drop.

Host: Jonathan Bennett, star of “Mean Girls” and host of “Cake Wars”

Location: Times Square

Guests: Gavin DeGraw, Rachel Platten, Silento

Start time: 6:00 Pm Et, in tandem with the official Ball Raising

Where to watch: The show will be streamed live on multiple websites, starting at 5:55 Pm Et, including TimesSquareNYC.

What made Ben Affleck feel sad, and why did people get naked on national television? Test your knowledge of this year’s film and TV with these questions

In a year heavy on sequels and remakes, which one stands as the UK’s top grosser of 2016?

Captain America: Civil War

Bridget Jones’s Baby

Finding Dory

The Jungle Book

A social media war over which film led to Twitter’s permanent suspension of alt-right poster boy Milo Yiannopoulos for racist trolling?

Suicide Squad

Central Intelligence

Moana

Ghostbusters

Dubbed “Sad Affleck” on the internet, a reaction shot from a Ben Affleck interview went viral in 2016. What had the interviewer been asking about at the time?

The reviews of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Reviews of The Accountant

His future as Batman in the DC Comics “extended universe”

His brother Casey’s Oscar buzz for Manchester By the Sea

Which film...

Louisa Mellor Rob Leane Dec 20, 2016

Lee Mack’s Not Going Out will be back on the BBC in 2017, 2018 and 2019 - three new series are now on the way.

Back in August, the news broke that the BBC had renewed Lee Mack's excellent sitcom Not Going Out for its eighth series. Today, it's being reported by CultBox that the Beeb has decided to order series 9 and 10 as well.

See related The Science of Doctor Who review The Quest For Wonder: Robin Ince and Prof. Brian Cox web series trailer Robin Ince interview: science, Brian Cox and Jason Statham Den Of Geek’s Christmas 2016 UK TV and radio picks The Mighty Boosh: celebrating BBC Three originals

Series 8 will arrive in 2017, series 9 in 2018 and series 10 in 2019. That's music to our ears, and one heck of a display of confidence in Mack and co. from the powers that be.

CultBox's report also...

Wesley Mead Dec 21, 2016

Here's day three in our countdown of the top Christmas TV episodes of all time: entries 60 to 41...

This article was first published in December 2015. Read entries 100 - 81 here and entries 80 - 61 here.

See related Sherlock series 4 episode 1 spoiler-free review: The Six Thatchers Sherlock series 4: go behind the scenes; spoiler-free review Doctor Who Christmas special: The Return Of Doctor Mysterio review Doctor Who Christmas special: The Return Of Doctor Mysterio nerdy spots & Easter eggs

Since the medium’s infancy, viewers have enjoyed sharing holidays with their favourite television characters. We grow invested in our friends on screen over the years; spending Christmas with them is a rite of passage, a chance for us to share tradition from our world with the fictional ones we see on screen. Some shows embrace the season wholeheartedly, characters in good spirits and enjoying the trappings of the season; others skew a little darker,...

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Here's day three in our countdown of the top Christmas TV episodes of all time: entries 60 to 41...

Read entries 100 - 81 here and entries 80 - 61 here.

Since the medium’s infancy, viewers have enjoyed sharing holidays with their favourite television characters. We grow invested in our friends on screen over the years; spending Christmas with them is a rite of passage, a chance for us to share tradition from our world with the fictional ones we see on screen. Some shows embrace the season wholeheartedly, characters in good spirits and enjoying the trappings of the season; others skew a little darker, bringing the more oppressive, burdensome side of the holidays to life. Either way, Christmas episodes tend to demonstrate the strengths of our favourite series, and it’s long been a festive ritual of mine to wheel out old DVD sets and settle back for a few favourites during December.

Keith Allen and Jill Halfpenny are heading to Guadeloupe for the upcoming series of Death In Paradise.

Not Going Out star Sally Bretton will also join them in the lighthearted crime drama's fifth series next year.

Other guest stars for series five include Paul Nicholls (EastEnders), Emma Rigby (Hollyoaks) and Heida Reed (Poldark), Julian Ovenden (Downton Abbey) and Neve McIntosh (Doctor Who).

They'll join the likes of Kris Marshall, Danny John-Jules and Joséphine Jobert in the drama, which focuses on the criminal investigations taking place on the Caribbean island of Saint-Marie.

Halfpenny said: "It was such a treat to dip into the world of Death in Paradise. One of the great joys of my job is being able to film with such strong talent and in such gorgeous locations - this year has taken me to Chichester, Guadeloupe and I will end it in Leeds! You can't ask for more variation than that!

Not Going Out has become quite the sleeper hit. Despite slipping under the radar somewhat, it has lasted seven series and a couple of Christmas specials.

Katy Wix, who plays the insanely ditzy Daisy in the BBC One sitcom, is hopeful that it will return for an eighth - and apparently there are talks happening.

"I think there are discussions in rooms going on, in the corridors of power at the BBC," she told Digital Spy. "So I'm waiting to hear myself, I suppose."

Creator Lee Mack stars in the comedy as Lee, a fictional version of himself, alongside his love interest and flatmate Lucy (Sally Bretton). Tim Vine left the show after five series as Lucy's brother Tim.

Speaking about the sitcom's lasting power and continued popularity, she said: "What's really lovely about it is it's always such a warm response from members of the public and stuff. It could be Twitter,...

Katy Wix is best known for playing the nice-but-dim character Daisy in Not Going Out, and she will next be seen taking the lead in BBC Three's new sitcom Fried.

The comedy centres around a group of employees at a typical fried chicken shop, an environment that Wix herself doesn't know much about.

"It's a world I'm not familiar with, I'll be honest with you," she told Digital Spy. "I don't think I've ever been in a fried chicken shop, I'll be honest, before this!

"Maybe I've just never been that pissed before, to wander in! But I thought 'oh, that sounds like a really good idea', and I know that there was something on Channel 4 wasn't there? It was a documentary, and I wonder if that inspired the idea in the writers' heads, I don't know. Because, that was amazing as well, that was full of all human life!

Remember Kinvig, Clone, Not With A Bang? These are the UK sci-fi sitcoms you’re unlikely to see on comedy best-of lists…

With E4 sci-fi comedy commissions, Tripped and Aliens, and in-development Channel 4 projects, Space Ark and Graham Linehan/Adam Buxton collaboration The Cloud, in the works, a new crop of sci-fi sitcom could be making its way to UK TV.

Making funny sci-fi on a small-screen budget is tough enough without the additional pressure of having to attract viewers more traditionally down-to-earth in their sitcom tastes. Sci-fi sets and effects can be seen as prohibitively expensive by comedy commissioners (which is perhaps why the best UK sci-fi sitcoms of recent years has been on BBC Radio), and the genre’s niche status doesn’t scream mainstream hit. Over the years, one or two stand-outs have managed to straddle the sci-fi and comedy TV worlds, but plenty more have stumbled in the attempt.

Top Gear and EastEnders topped the BBC iPlayer request charts over Christmas.

A record-breaking 227 million iPlayer requests were made over the period - not including those accessed via Sky or Virgin Cable - marking a 25% increase on December 2013.

"Because linear TV dominates over Christmas, it was mobiles and tablets which drove the greatest increase in BBC iPlayer usage, both delivering more requests than computers over Christmas week," said head of TV content for BBC iPlayer Victoria Jaye in a blog post.

"Tablets really dominated during Christmas week, with requests rising +31% week-on-week. As usual, we saw a spike in app downloads (150,000) on Christmas Day, as new gadgets were tried out."

The top 20 for BBC iPlayer requests over Christmas week was as follows:

1. Top Gear Patagonia Special, Part 1 - 2,078,700

2. EastEnders 25/12/2014 - 1,689,400

3. Top Gear Patagonia Special, Part 2 1,553,700

4. EastEnders 26/12/2014 1,432,900

5. The Apprentice Series 10 - The Final and You're Hired Episode 14 1,309,200

6. Miranda Special - I Do,...

Skyfall has led this year's Christmas Eve primetime ratings outside of soaps, according to overnight data.

ITV's terrestrial premiere of Daniel Craig's third outing as James Bond was seen by 6.33m (28%) at 8pm.

Meanwhile, BBC One's most-viewed evening programme outside of soaps was Toy Story 3, airing to 4.73m (23.1%) from 6.30pm.

At 8.30pm, Harry Hill's Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm enchanted 3.6m (15.9%), with 3.2m (13.9%) watching the last episode in the current series of Not Going Out at 9.30pm.

A re-run of a classic Vicar of Dibley festive episode aired to 2.85m (13.9%) at 10pm, while a repeat of the Mrs Brown's Boys 2013 Christmas special 'Buckin' Mammy' was seen by 4.26m (26.4%) at 11pm.

Over on BBC Two, part two of The Choir: New Military Wives aired to 1.94m (8.5%) at 8.30pm, while Julie Walters: A Life on Screen was seen by 1.74m (7.7%) an hour later.

Earlier in the evening,...

Text Santa was seen by an average audience of 4.2 million (21.9%) on Friday (December 19) evening.

The ITV charity special, which saw George Clooney show up in Downton Abbey and Ant and Dec hold a festive Bushtucker Trial, peaked with 5.4 million viewers (25.1%) at 9pm.

BBC One's evening kicked off with 3.71 million (19%) for The One Show at 7pm, followed by 3.57 million (17.9%) for A Question of Sport.

Citizen Khan was seen by an average audience of 2.92 million (14.2%), an evening high of 3.83 million (17.7%) tuned in to watch Have I Got News for You at 9pm, while 3 million watched Not Going Out at 9pm.

With guests including Ben Stiller and Ricky Gervais, The Graham Norton Show rounded things off with 2.67 million (19.1%).

The final Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two started BBC Two's evening off with 1.93 million (10.1%) at 6.30pm, followed by 1.44 million (7.2%) for Tom Kerridge Cooks Christmas.

Elsewhere, Mary Berry's Absolute Christmas Favourites secured...

A Night in with Olly Murs was seen by 3.06 million (14.2%) at 9pm on ITV.

Ahead of this weekend's X Factor final, Murs performed some of his best known hits and was joined by a number of celebrity guests. A further 177k (1.1%) tuned in on ITV+1.

Earlier on in the evening, The Martin Lewis Money Show was seen by 2.72 million (12.8%) at 8pm.

BBC One's Have I Got News for You was Friday's (December 12) highest-rated show outside of soaps, drawing in an average audience of 4.33 million (20%) at 9pm.

BBC One's evening kicked off with 4.23 million (22.2%) for The One Show at 7pm, followed by 3.37 million (16.8%) for The Two Ronnies Sketchbook.

Citizen Khan picked up 2.71 million (12.4%) at 8.30pm, while Not Going Out was seen by an increased audience of 3.53 million (16.5%) at 9.30pm.

With guests such as Jim Carrey and Jude Law, The Graham Norton Show ended the evening with 3.03 million (2.6%) at 10.35pm.

We’ve scanned the UK Christmas TV and radio schedules for the festive fortnight and circled a few programmes you may enjoy…

We’ve taken our glittery pen to the pages of this year’s festive TV Listings guide to circle a selection of shows that might tickle your Christmas fancy.

Supplement your festive box-set viewing with appearances from the Doctor and Clara, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Dame Judi Dench, Professor Danielle George, the work of Roald Dahl, Charlie Brooker, David Attenborough, the much-missed Rik Mayall, and many more...

Drama Doctor Who: Last Christmas

The tenth annual Doctor Who Christmas Special since the show’s 2005 return, and Peter Capaldi’s first real festive Tardis adventure. Nick Frost, Michael Troughton, Dan Starkey and Nathan McMullen all co-star in this Father Christmas North Pole caper, alongside Capaldi and Jenna Coleman. Watch the latest trailer, here.

When’s it on? 6.15pm on Christmas Day,...

BBC One has teased its Christmas schedule in a new trailer.

Doctor Who, EastEnders and Call the Midwife are featured in the 40-second promo.

Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman's Esio Trot, Mrs Brown's Boys and Still Open All Hours are also among the festive shows in the clip.

There is also footage from David Walliams's latest film The Boy in a Dress, Mapp and Lucia, Harry Hill's The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm, Not Going Out, Miranda and Strictly Come Dancing.

Among the highlights include Clara (Jenna Coleman) giving the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) a kiss on the cheek and the Strictly judges in panto costumes.

The teaser follows the BBC's previous Christmas trailer, which also featured footage from other shows across its network.