麻豆官网首页入口

Well - it's finally upon us. All Hallows Eve - the one night of the year when it's alright to inject apples with poison and hand them out to children. And all from the comfort of your front door! Well since you're all trapped indoors, terrified of having roman candles pushed up your bums, might I suggest something?

Take your mind off the gangs of little bastards roaming the streets and settle down for an hour of bloodcurdling mayhem instead, with our Psychoville Halloween Special. It's only an hour, and it won't leave you partially sighted and sitting in A & E with three of your fingers blown off. But I promise it is just as funny.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Reece

Watch the Psychoville Halloween Special, Halloween night at 10pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 Two.

Our News Quiz insider writes...

In a SPOOOOOOKY edition of the News Quiz blog, we made panellist Phill Jupitus watch Ring before this week's team photograph:

He's joined on the panel - as you can see - by Ava Vidal, Jeremy Hardy and Francis Wheen. The lineup is completed by our excellent newsreader Neil Sleat. And Sandi, of course. In this audio clip, and in a week where airline security comes under scrutiny, Jeremy spots a flaw in the current screening system:

It's a double bill of local newspaper advertising boards from the cuttings folder:

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Sent in by Mike Shallcross

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Sent in by Paul Mason

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You know the drill by now, I'm sure, but you can email cuttings to news.quiz@bbc.co.uk, post them in the comments section below or send them to:

The News Quiz
1st Floor Western House
99 Great Portland Street
London
W1A 1AA

The News Quiz is broadcast on Radio 4 on Fridays at 6.30pm, and is available for download as a podcast.

Today is the day. My show is on air - ahhhhhhhhhh! The last few months have been a rollercoaster of a ride. I've been up and down the country performing at live events, like a merry go round!听 Rushing from gig to gig at breakneck speed, like driving a bumper car! At times I've felt like shouting "Scream if f you want to go faster!", at others it's been "where's my option to stop! I wanna get off!!"

But the candy floss at the end of the day - the treat to look forward to all year round - has been to see the culmination of my new TV show, which is to hit your screens imminently. It's both exciting and nerve-wracking.

It's rather like standing round nervously in the control room at NASA, awaiting the launch of the latest mission to another dimension.听 As the sole astronaut, there's nothing more I can do, everyone is prepped and poised at their stations as the countdown gets under way.

During this time, I got invited to St James' Palace, and no, there was no talk of an MBE, OBE or any other E for that matter. It was to present at the Duke of Edinburgh's Award - think bigger than the boy scouts but smaller than the Olympics. To be honest, I thought it was some kind of Gaffe-a-thon challenge but no, it's to reward young people for various challenges/activities like hill walking and caving and helping old people across the road. For me, that was your average walk to school.

Still, going to meet royalty always makes my mother proud. Not my grandmother though. I always thought that the day she saw my name in lights at the Hammersmith Apollo was the day that would finally impress her.听 Not according to my grandmother. She thinks that seeing your name on Ceefax is the equivalent of making it onto the Queen's honours list. I think they're keeping Ceefax going just for my grandmother.

We are now ready for take off!

To get you in the mood, here's an exclusive clip - an alternative version of a sketch you'll see in the show tonight!

The Stephen K Amos Show starts tonight at 10pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 Two. Read more from Stephen on the Comedy Blog.

Here at 麻豆官网首页入口 Comedy we don't just make programmes for radio and TV. For the last 18 months or so we've also been producing original content exclusively for the web.

We've been working with a wide variety of people from familiar faces - like Adam Buxton and Simon Day - to emerging comedy talent - like Jason Lewis and Idiots of Ants - and putting the results up on the website as Web Exclusives.

That's not going to stop, but we've also started doing something new, under the name Spout.

Spout is a new initiative to create more original comedy reacting to what's happening in the real world and also what's "trending" on the internet at large.

We'll be playing it fast and loose, producing material on a quick turnaround basis with help from a whole bunch of up-and-coming writers and performers. Every week there will be fresh Spout content - stuff to watch, stuff to read, and maybe even stuff to smell (though we're having some technical problems with that at the moment).

Each week we'll challenge our writers to come up with ideas and sketches inspired by a list of topics and stories that seem to be red hot right now.

We're already at it

I've recently joined the team as Spout's script editor (I previously worked with Comedy Online as co-writer of Henry 8.0) to whip the most promising ideas into shape before they get made - either by our in-house production team or by the authors themselves, some of whom are self-contained web production ninjas.

For instance, we recently made this sketch to coincide with the national release of The Social Network, based on a script sent in by one of the writers:

And we fuelled the FIFA 11 vs PES 2011 debate with this blog entry the week the latest versions of these footie console games were released.

As well as working with our writer's list, we've also given pocket-sized digital video cameras to some of our favourite comedians, who we can call on at a moment's notice to make a video about pretty much anything that takes our fancy.

For instance, Holly Walsh made this for us as the first Chilean miners emerged blinking into the sunlight:

We hope you'll enjoy a lot of what comes out of Spout, but you might hate a few things too, and we're okay with that. Producing topical comedy is like trying to hit a moving target and we won't always hit the bull. But we're very excited about the possibilities, and things will probably mutate along the way anyway, just like a good meme*.

If things are ever getting too raw and unpredictable for you, we have created the following Safety Button which will immediately return you to a calm and more familiar place:

[ESCAPE TO SAFETY]

We love getting your feedback, so please let us know what you think of Spout, and if you've made - or just spotted - something on the web you think we should see, please get in touch. Part of the Spout spirit is about opening ourselves up to contributions from a wide variety of people so who knows, if you send us something we like, you might well end up on our list of go-to writers鈥�

See you again soon!

* for the uninitiated, a meme is an idea that catches the imagination of the internet at large and spawns many copies and variations. Classic examples include: Lolcats, Rickrolling and Star Wars Kid.

From the Press Office!

麻豆官网首页入口 Three today confirmed the re-commission of Him and Her, which has become the channel's most successful ever sitcom launch. The Big Talk Production will see Russell Tovey and Sarah Solemani return to their unmade bed as young lovers Steve and Becky alongside a superb ensemble cast including: Kerry Howard (Laura), Ricky Champ (Paul), Joe Wilkinson (Dan) and Camille Couduri (Shelley).

The hilarious and acutely honest series penned by Stefan Golaszewski offered a warts-and-all look at what really goes on behind the bedroom doors of today's 20-somethings, and became 麻豆官网首页入口 Three's most successful sitcom launch ever.

Danny Cohen, Controller of 麻豆官网首页入口 Three, says: 'Him and Her was beautifully written and brilliantly performed. It went on to become 麻豆官网首页入口 Three's most successful ever sitcom launch. I'm delighted it's coming back for a second series.'

Cheryl Taylor, 麻豆官网首页入口 Controller of Comedy Commissioning, added: 'We're all looking forward to the second series of this original, funny and intimately observed sitcom'.

Kenton Allen, chief executive, Big Talk Productions, says: 'The tremendous support that 麻豆官网首页入口 Three has given to a lo-fi romantic comedy in which nothing much ever happens has been amazing.听 We are delighted that their faith has been repaid with a brilliant reaction from audience and critics alike and we can't wait to return to the tea, toast and unwashed bed linen of series 2 to enjoy the further adventures of Steve and Becky.'

The series was re-commissioned by Danny Cohen, Controller 麻豆官网首页入口 Three and Cheryl Taylor, 麻豆官网首页入口 Controller of Comedy Commissioning. Filming will commence in 2011 and will again be produced by Chief Executive of Big Talk Productions, Kenton Allen.听

• Read more about Him and Her on the 麻豆官网首页入口 Three Blog

The Stephen K Amos Show is due to start on 麻豆官网首页入口 Two this Friday - how excited are we?! We caught up with him while he was filming in the studio in July, here's what he said鈥�.

I can't believe how quickly it's all come around! One day I'm on location in Surrey, next I'm in the concrete jungle that is Television Centre. The studio records start this week and the pace of production has gone to triple time. We are trying out material at secret gigs all over London to see how it goes down with an audience. Just because its funny on paper doesn't mean鈥� suffice to say, so far so good.

You should see the studio! The lights, chaise lounge and the chandeliers have whisked me to another era.听 I feel like I should be in Vegas at a downtown lounge club about to introduce Sammy Davis jnr. It's a look I will try and replicate at home, but I don't think I can fit in seats for 450 audience members, let alone the camera crew. Though I do wonder what the protocol is for having the actual set, transported, Dr who style, right to my front door.

We have six shows in total. Lets just say, there is a bit of everything: stand up, sketches, guests and a couple of surprises.听 I would say what they are but then, that's no surprise. I am so excited about next Friday's first record. There's only one problem. Nobody told me that my mum has been in touch with the 麻豆官网首页入口 and she must have a silver tongue because she's blagged herself a spot on the show!

I can't believe it! She used to tell her friends that I ran away from home rather than tell them that I'm a stand-up comedian but the minute I get my own show she changes her tune! I'm a little bit worried because she's never been shy about voicing her opinion. At school I was known as the kid with the mum - I know, hardly an inspiring bit of graffiti. It's taken me years to shift that moniker. Now it looks like it's going to come back with bells on!

The Stephen K Amos Show starts this Friday at 10pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 Two

Oliver Lansley, co-creator of Whites, writes...

Episode Five was a very exciting episode for many reasons. Firstly it starred Mark Little (Joe Mangel?!), but also it was a huge story with Roland's TV show, Bib finally being pushed beyond breaking point and quitting, and finally because we had a 'stunt' in it.

Yes, as you'll see from this clip the Whites set was abuzz with excitement as the 'explosives' experts turned up to rig the back windscreen of Darryl's car to shatter as Roland's golf ball smashes through it. Everyone was eager with anticipation - we knew we'd only get one chance (we couldn't afford a second windscreen!).

We had three cameras pointing at it, each one ready to capture the action. The crew were all gathered round, the scene was played, the moment came, and鈥� nothing. Well I say nothing, I think there was a mild popping sound somewhere along the line but it certainly wasn't quite Michael Bay style carnage we were all expecting. We tried again鈥� nothing. We ended up doing the whole thing about three times before the windscreen actually smashed! But still we got it in the end. The magic of television鈥�

As I say, story-wise episode five was a big one for us. It's all about opportunity and betrayal: Roland's opportunity to be a TV star, Bib's opportunity to be a head chef, Skoose's opportunity to be a sous chef. But also about Roland's betrayal of Bib, firstly by choosing Skoose to be his sous chef and then on a much larger scale by belittling him in front of Darryl. It's quite an emotional rollercoaster, particularly for a half hour comedy show, and we were keen to the episode on a real cliff hanger.

However, getting Bib to a level where he was ready to walk out and not come back wasn't that easy. Roland's betrayed Bib before, he does it every day. But this time it was different, and our challenge as writers was to raise those stakes sufficiently so that in that final moment when Bib and Roland go into that office and argue you know that something is different. That something has been irrevocably damaged. That we've broken Bib!

This sets us up for our final episode. But what happens now? Has Bib really gone? Will he go to Australia? How will Roland cope alone? You'll have to watch episode six to find out鈥�

The current series of Whites concludes on Tuesday at 9pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 Two.

In case you've missed it, here's the video!

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Don't miss the new series of Have I Got News For You: you can catch it on Thursdays at 9pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 One - and then again with 10 minutes of extra stuff on Saturdays at 10pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 Two. If you're short of things to do, you could even watch both and play spot-the-difference.

Anyway. Read on for today's picture gag!

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This week Michael McIntyre takes his Roadshow to Leeds, where he introduces sets from Jack Whitehall, Andi Osho and Sean Collins, plus Ardal O'Hanlon to close the show. In our regular interview spot here on the blog, we're pleased to catch up with Andi Osho and pose the following important questions...

Comedy Blog: If the Roadshow could go anywhere in the world where would you like it to be, and why?

Andi Osho: Is it OK to go somewhere hot? Michael McIntyre鈥檚 Caribbean Roadshow has a ring to it.听

Comedy Blog: Where in the UK have been your best and worst gigs?

Andi Osho: The Comedy Store is like Westminster Abbey for new comics, it鈥檚 sacred ground. So when I did an open spot that finally convinced the owner, Don Ward, to give me a paid gig, that was a pretty special moment, only surpassed when Eddie Izzard came back stage shortly after I鈥檇 been on and started giving me advice. 鈥淵ou should talk about jam... mmm yeah.鈥� He didn鈥檛 say that. He was lovely.

Probably my worst was a very rowdy gig down in Bournemouth. There was one table of teachers that wouldn鈥檛 shut up. They were really arrogant, half of them had their backs to the stage and they thought they were funnier than the comics. In the interval, the promoter had a stern word. Later we found out, they weren鈥檛 teachers...they were police

Comedy Blog: Which stand-up comedian, living or dead, would you most like to see on the Roadshow?

Andi Osho: One of my comedy heroes is Chris Rock. I鈥檇 love to see him walk out in front of an unsuspecting audience and go 鈥淗elllloooo Cardiff and what the f*** is up with y鈥檃ll?鈥� How good would that be?

Comedy Blog: Who's the most famous person you're friends with on Facebook, or follows you on Twitter?

Andi Osho: Well you can 鈥榖efriend鈥� any one on facebook and follow anyone on twitter. I鈥檝e got a few famous followers, the weirdest being Keith Chegwin. I got an email saying Keith Chegwin is now following you. I thought, I really hope that鈥檚 .听

Comedy Blog: Which website do you really love?

Andi Osho: . To quote , after looking at that site, 鈥淚鈥檝e seen sh#t that will turn you white.鈥� It still amazes me, the things that people put on line.

Comedy Blog: What are you doing next?

Andi Osho: I鈥檓 looking forward to touring my Edinburgh show, Afroblighty, next year in the mean time, I鈥檓 working on a radio sitcom pilot. I love writing and try and cram in as much as I can (when I鈥檓 not tweeting!)

Comedy Blog: What comedy project would you do if money was no object?

Andi Osho: I鈥檇 amass the best writers and producers and create a new sitcom that showcases the best of the UK鈥檚 multicultural talent. It鈥檚 been way too long since there鈥檚 been a successful black comedy in the UK.

Comedy Blog: What do you see as the future of comedy?

Andi Osho: Who knows. Stand up comedy is hot property right now, it鈥檚 a great time to be involved. It's brilliant because stand up on TV seems to be having some kind resurgence. Stand ups are being allowed to get up from behind desks and just do what they do best.

Comedy Blog: JLS have recently launched their own condoms. What merchandising would you like to see with your name on it?

Andi Osho: Wow, that is optimistic on their part. My name sounds a little Japanese so perhaps a sushi restaurant and when someone orders our signature dish the waiter would say 鈥淎ndi Osho鈥檚 Special鈥� and I鈥檇 say,鈥� Ah bless鈥�

Comedy Blog: What question would you like to be asked, that no one has ever asked you?

Andi Osho: "Would you like some free shoes from Louboutin?" No one EVER says that to me. What is wrong with this world? I love my heels even though I can barely walk in them. I look like .

Watch Andi's full set on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, this Saturday at 10.00pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 One. Read more interviews in the Comedy Blog archive.

Our News Quiz insider writes...

Continuing our 'Behind the Scenes of the News Quiz' theme, here's what is going on literally now* in the edit suite. The gentleman featured is our editor, Marc Willcox, pictured here wielding his virtual scissors and powered by bourbon biscuits.

*at time of writing

This weeks panel are Jeremy Hardy, Will Smith (not that one), Susan Calman and Rory Bremner. Here's Rory talking about the difficulties of impersonating members of the coalition government:

Cuttings of the week:

Sent in by Patrick Fitzsimons

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Sent in by Greg Smith

At the risk of repeating myself, you can email cuttings to news.quiz@bbc.co.uk, post them in the comments section below or send them to:

The News Quiz
1st Floor Western House
99 Great Portland Street
London
W1A 1AA

The News Quiz is broadcast on Radio 4 on Fridays at 6.30pm, and is available for download as a podcast.

Have I Got News For You is back on the telly (tune in tonight at 9pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 One!).

And what a week for news it has been. You might have seen our analysis of the spending cuts, but how will they affect the HIGNFY team?

Read on to find out...

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The Spending Review: Our Analysis

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Today the Government unveiled the details of its Spending Review - the programme of cuts that will affect the whole nation.

There's plenty of analysis over at 麻豆官网首页入口 News but it's a little shallow, so we've produced our own comprehensive report which tackles the issues that really matter.

Choose a special video report听 below.

How will the Spending Review change your life? What cuts will you be making? Let us know in the comments below.

My fingers are trembling as I type this. It might be the excitement. It might be the fear. It might be due to that outrageously stewed cup of tea I just drank. Most likely, it's a combination of all three.

Because I have seen the Psychoville Halloween Special and it's coming very soon - Halloween night, in fact.

But that's not all. There's something I'd like you to watch now... something very strange. It's a video we found on an unlabelled DVD-R in a dusty duplicator in one of the windowless, airless rooms in the basement of Television Centre. They said we shouldn't watch it (we're supposed to be working). But we did (we thought it might contain bloopers - it doesn't). And now... now we have to share it with you.

• Watch the definitely-not-cursed Psychoville Video

Oliver Lansley, co-creator of Whites, writes...

The food and the kitchen side of Whites was always incredibly important to Matt and I. Matt used to work in a kitchen himself so he'd seen how it works first hand and we'd both seen enough shows set in a kitchen to know that we wanted to do something a little different. The kitchen, for starters, we needed to look and feel like a working kitchen. It's clean, but it's not new. Every pot, pan and utensil has been used and washed a thousand times. It's grubby and familiar, broken and worn. It's practical, not presentational. The kitchen in effect an extra character in the show and we felt that if we could get this right and make this real, then it would give us much more freedom to focus on our characters and their stories. I think that's something that follows through with situation comedy as a whole, the more authentic and clear the situation the more you can forget about it and focus on the comedy.

The other thing that absolutely had to be right was the food. We were incredibly lucky to have Matt's old Sous Chef, Andrew Turner, who is now head chef at Wilton's, one of the top restaurants in London. Andrew has been around almost since the beginning of the project as a consultant on both the ten minute taster, and the full pilot we produced (he even acted as a chef in the background of them!). He also read all our scripts, correcting all our references and flagging up any mistakes and giving the cast advice of what to say and how to look the part. Andrew was instrumental in getting the look and the design of the dishes just right. Everything from Roland's old dishes to bib's crazy Shay Marshall inspired menu.

Also during the shoot we had Gary Crossan, our on-set chef who day in, day out cooked all the food that features in the show, making it look perfect every time when we would ask for take after take after take. He also made everyone feel very hungry when they walked through the back stage area with the smell of all this amazing food he was always cooking which we weren't allowed to eat.

The show really wouldn't be the same without them, after all, what is a chef without the food he cooks?

And finally onto the chefs. It was essential everyone in the kitchen looked like they knew what we were doing. All the actors who played the background chefs were require to have kitchen experience and Alan, Stephen and Darren all spent an afternoon at the training academy at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant, where they learnt all the basics, such as knife skills and a few other tricks. There were also a few trips to Andrew's restaurant, where we were allowed into the kitchens to watch the chefs during a service, see how they worked together and who did what as well as getting to taste some of Andrew's amazing food. (I have to say we probably enjoyed this bit a little more than Darren and Alan, as they are both ironically, vegetarians, so didn't get to try everything , which was by the way delicious!). Being in a real working kitchen which is cooking food to this standard is a fascinating experience. There really is no margin for error and you can see the strain heaped upon these chefs. It literally is a pressure cooker. We've always likened the kitchen to being on the deck of a submarine, underground, sweating, working, trapped with the rest of your brigade, never seeing the light of day. It's relentless, but it's also exciting, sexy and inherently dramatic - this is why for us it was such a perfect place to create our show.

Whites continues on Tuesdays at 9pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 Two.

• Read on to see the recipe for Bacon and Eggs - the Shay way (as featured in Episode Two)
• Then go behind the scenes with a beatboxing Isy Suttie!

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Never Mind The Buzzcocks is back!

The irreverent pop quiz returns to 麻豆官网首页入口 Two on Thursday at 10pm, starting with Mark Ronson - the highly talented musician and producer - as guest host. On the teams to aid Mark in the mayhem are Alesha Dixon, Tinie Tempah, Mollie from The Saturdays and Paul Foot:

Meanwhile, team captains Noel Fielding and Phill Jupitus continue in their relentless quest to find the answers to those musical niggles stored like mothballs in the Red Button cupboard of musical whimsy. It can only be BuzzcocksQT!

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Following our call for your questions on the blog, Steve Carver, David Katz and Ian Mostyn have had their questions answered. So how about you?

AJ Carvell asked "Who would win out of a fight between Queen and Prince?"听 - and Kenny Munro wants to know exactly what it is that Meatloaf won't do for love.

So what would you like to propose for Phill and Noel to mull over?

There are three places to post your ponderings:

1. On Twitter, tweet to using the hashtag #BuzzcocksQT
2. Post your questions onto the
3. Or leave your comments below and we'll pass them on to the Buzzcocks boy.

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And then press the Red Button after every show to see if your question has been answered!

Please Note:听 when contributing to this post that your comments and username may be used on the Never Mind The Buzzcocks Red Button programme and the 麻豆官网首页入口 Comedy website.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks returns on Thursday 21st October at 10pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 Two.

Women are funny. Thats a fact. So is there really any need for an ? Let us know what you think.

Below, founder and producer Lynne Parker explains why she set up Funny Women, and why the awards continue to be relevant. But first, here's a look at the 2010 Awards, and the final that was held at the Leicester Square Theatre a couple of weeks ago:

Back in 2005 a well known female comic said that by the time Funny Women is five years old, there would be no more need for a competition. This was not meant unkindly but more as a statement on why we need it at all. Even without the Funny Women Awards, a new generation of female comics would exist, yet would they be coming to prominence so quickly? Given that we had over 350 entrants this year, I'm confident in saying, I don't think so.

We're still being asked if women are funny and comedy is a well-established 'boys club' - look through the comedy listings each week and the majority of acts on the circuit are male. Panel shows are still a shop window for funny men and the function of women (if at all) is largely decorative or 'academic' - note the school marm-ish appearance of television personalities Lorraine Kelly and Carol Vorderman as the fact-checking boffins on the new 麻豆官网首页入口 One panel show, Ask Rhod Gilbert.

Women create their own glass ceiling and gaze at the life they think they would like to have, quite often not doing much to improve things for themselves. Biology and lifestyle conspire, so we are still adapting the live comedy environment to suit us. The boys understand this more than we give them credit for and largely support the new world that a diverse group of women entering comedy has created for them.

As well as more marriage prospects, audiences are broader and the potential is greater for everybody. It's no real surprise that the women who do well on the circuit (and there are far fewer of them) make it through the ranks and into our living rooms by the power of television, very quickly. This need for diversity embraces the good acts - and to survive as a woman in comedy, you have to be good.

Meanwhile, the established female acts have stopped gazing back through the double glazing they installed 15 years ago and some are even treading the boards again, taking full advantage of this female-friendly environment. As in the music industry, the money is now in 'bums on seats' and DVD sales. A tour is de rigueur darling, and television is so last season!

On a positive final note, I had a conversation with a young journalist who attended this year's Funny Women Awards final expecting it to be a 'right on', competitive, feminist experience but found the opposite.

It was summed up by the fact that a woman she had been sat next to and hardly knew, shared her Maltesers over the laughs! Such was the caring, sharing atmosphere of the show. We nurture and support new female acts because if they have fun performing, so do our audiences. Pass me a Malteser!

Our News Quiz insider writes...

Here's News Quiz producer Sam Bryant reading the papers in preparation for this week's writers meeting (see last week's blog). Exciting, huh? Tonight, our intrepid panel-sketeers are Jeremy Hardy, Susan Calman, Phill Jupitus and Andy Hamilton. And some of the things that they may or may not be discussing when you tune in at 6.30pm (the show is still being edited as I type) include the Chilean miners, university fees, quangos and dogs being sad.

Alright - SPOILER ALERT - the Chilean miners are almost definitely going to be featured. In fact, here's a clip:

Cuttings of the week:

Sent in by Dan Pickett

Sent in by Mark Williams

As always, you can email cuttings to news.quiz@bbc.co.uk, post them in the comments section below or support the Royal Mail by posting them to:

The News Quiz
1st Floor Western House
99 Great Portland Street
London
W1A 1AA

The News Quiz is broadcast on Radio 4 on Fridays at 6.30pm, and is available for download as a podcast.

Last Friday saw the release of the latest versions of the two biggest-selling football games, anticipated by breathless gamers the world over.

And barely a few days after kick-off, look what鈥檚 kicking off in the forums...

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Have I Got News For You returns for a new series on Thursday 14th October at 9pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 One. That's tomorrow!

To celebrate, please accept this gift of a HIGNFY blog-exclusive picture gag. Read on to see it...

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Sarah Millican writes...

Hello, and welcome to Sarah Millican's Support Group.

We are back for a second series and we'd like you to get involved and be part of our Support Group.

We want to know what your problems are so that me and the team can tackle them for you.听

Like in the first series, I'll be having a chat with the lovely audience during the show, but we'd like to start these conversations even earlier for our second series. Plus, we鈥檒l give you the chance to come and be part of the recordings when they happen in January.

So let Support Group take the weight of the world off your shoulders. Are you in a complicated love triangle? Maybe it鈥檚 an Octagon. Are you dealing with a听 breakup or in need of love and can't find that special someone no matter听 how much you drink? Do your parents drive you up the wall but not home from the pub? Does your mam act like a teenager, or maybe your younger sister acts like a granny that always knows better than you? Is someone is the house smelly but you can鈥檛 figure out who? Or maybe you simply love cake above all else (we do) and it's starting to take over your life (it is). Do you need rolling to the show?

Join in with us and share your problems which we might just solve for you as part of the series. We've embraced social media to make it easy and set up our very own support group - become a fan of the or . We'll be posting thoughts from the Support Group team, updates and photos from behind the scenes, asking you to get involved and send us your problems... and there will be the chance to come along and be part of the Support Group recordings!

Sarah Millican's Support Group returns next year. In the meantime, here's a video Sarah made for Series One:

Nadia Albina, who played Alison in Episode Three of Whites, writes...

I had a great time filming Whites. When I read the script I laughed out loud; the characters are great and the situations they find themselves in are really funny. It is brilliantly written.
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There are some tender moments and genuine awkwardness between Roland and Alison: it made it very easy to play as there is a connection. Even though Alison is successful, she is still just wanting to find the right person, and Roland is really exciting, sweet, funny and quite adorable.

I feel sorry for Roland - he is flustered and doesn't know what to say. The last scene was fabulous, and my favourite to film. I thought Alan was brilliant in the scene, funny, charming but sadly tries that bit too hard. Such a shame as I think that they really like each other!
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And the scene in the car was hilarious - Roland trying to find anything to make Alison laugh and impress her.听 When Alan actually made the leather squeak in rehearsal it was very funny - the only problem was making sure it did it on every take, which was equally funny...

I have to say that the fact that this script dealt with disability in such a funny way made me really want to have the opportunity to film it. For years I have thought that the best way to confront any issue that people may find awkward is to make it funny, to make people laugh, otherwise if it is too serious a point people feel like they can't engage with it, and then nothing ever progresses.

This script honestly is a real blessing. I feel that it is certainly a way forward in this issue, and for me is the way to go. I feel very encouraged by it and feel hopeful that people will react in the spirit that it is written in. The things that Roland says to Alison happen to me on a daily basis and I have often re-told stories to friends who have laughed out loud because people say the funniest things without meaning to. So I hope that people will laugh, which is what I did.

I told Matt at the audition that the scene in the restaurant reminded me of so many encounters with people not knowing what to say and then saying things that make the other person feel awful because of the very fact that they don't want to be offensive.听

So fantastic to be involved with a fab show and great people.

Whites continues on Tuesdays at 9pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 Two. Read more about the show here on the Comedy Blog.

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Life can seem like a strange wilderness when there's no Have I Got News For You on the telly. Wonderfully, thanks to modern technology, we can continue to bring you snippets of fun from the HIGNFY team all year round, thanks to their and the Comedy Blog.

Observe: today's topical picture gag! Read on to see it...

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Our News Quiz insider writes...

This week's News Quiz lineup consists of Andy Hamilton, Miles Jupp, Sue Perkins and Jeremy Hardy. But as we had a picture of most of them last week, instead here's Sandi with one of our excellent script writers - Simon Littlefield.听 And here's a nostalgia item from the 麻豆官网首页入口 News website about the . Very little has changed since then, except that Simon no longer smokes, we no longer have a balcony, even if he did, and we now use a different font on the script cover (currently a mixture of SF Slapstick Comic and Calibri, since you ask).

In this clip from tonight's show, the teams discuss the ending of universal child benefit:

We've had some excellent cuttings sent in this week. One of the favourites was:

Sent in by Trevor Carbin

The News Quiz is broadcast on Radio 4 on Fridays at 6.30pm, and is available for download as a podcast.

Norman Wisdom as Billie Ingleton in 1994's Last of the Summer Wine New Year Special

As 麻豆官网首页入口 News reported, friends and colleagues of Sir Norman Wisdom have been paying tribute to the iconic comedy performer, who passed away earlier this week.

Tomorrow, 麻豆官网首页入口 Radio Scotland's Comedy Zone will be celebrating the work of Sir Norman by broadcasting an interview with his son, Nicholas, which was recorded in 2005.

Producer of the Comedy Zone, Bobby Seiler, writes...

This is the ultimate tribute to Alabania's favourite foreign comedian and the perspective Nicholas Wisdom gives on his father is fascinating. He reveals that the pressure to follow his dad into showbusiness was so great that he side-stepped it and opened a sports shop instead.

Hoever, it appears goofing around is still in the blood and admits he can't help doing pratfalls in front of the customers. He recounts mealtimes with Norman where his dad would turn all the kitchen utensils, plates and saucers into a full drumkit - and once imitated an aeroplane with his fingers before making a crash landing in a freshly-baked Ginger Cake (much to his wife's fury).

Nicholas even reveals the background to his father's famous comedy trip-up in front of the Queen when he received his Knighthood in 2000. As Nicholas explains in this clip, it didn't make him laugh - quite the opposite:

You can catch the whole Comedy Zone on 麻豆官网首页入口 Radio Scotland on Saturday at 12.45am and online for seven days after that.

Finally, here on bbc.co.uk/comedy we've been celebrating Norman's work as part of our Slapstick Comedy Collection. Here he is having a bit of trouble with a piano:

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It's picture gag time!

You know the drill by now - read on to see it...

But wait! Did you know you can also enjoy an archive of Have I Got News For You picture gags on the go, via our mobile site? Just visit www.bbc.co.uk/mobile/comedy from your mobile device.

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Michael McIntyre takes his Roadshow to Dublin this Saturday, where he'll be joined by Andrew Lawrence, Keith Farnan, Tommy Tiernan and Zoe Lyons, who is the next stand-up to be interviewed in our regular interview-a-comedian-appearing-on-Micheal-McIntyres-Comedy-Roadshow feature.

Comedy Blog: If the Roadshow could go anywhere in the world where would you like it to be, and why?

Zoe Lyons: Costa Rica. I have never been to South America but when the cold winter months come creeping around my ankles I take myself off in my imagination to the Southern hemisphere and imagine myself in a loud shirt enjoying the sunshine with a large rum based brew in hand. I may even get a pet tucan. I reckon we could do a "rustic" Roadshow in some shack somewhere on a beach with palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze. If I can't have Costa Rica, Bognor will do.

Comedy Blog: Where in the UK have been your best and worst gigs?

Zoe Lyons: I live in Brighton and we are blessed here with a great comedy scene. As well as the established bigger nights there are loads of great wee clubs and the audiences are really comedy savvy. I have had some great gigs in Brighton and I can walk home at the end of the evening and any comedian will tell you what a joy that is. We spend so much time on the road. There isn't a clear winner for the worst gig prize. I would say it would have to be a toss up between Dundee and Liverpool. Dundee may win by a whisker...

Comedy Blog: Which stand-up comedian, living or dead, would you most like to see on the Roadshow?

Zoe Lyons: He was such a ball of energy on stage when he did stand up. He is a total clown in the best possible way. Steve Martin with that fake arrow through his head... it's just funny.

Comedy Blog: Who's the most famous person you're friends with on Facebook, or follows you on Twitter?

Zoe Lyons: I have , resisted for ages. I will be honest I don't really get it. Not been on it long enough to have a famous follower. Facebook I use more. I don't think I have any famous friends, just lots of wonderful talented jobbing comics.

Comedy Blog: Which website do you really love?

Zoe Lyons: , its a long range weather forecast site. You can get a 14 day weather forecast for any where in the world. I like to know where it is raining. I am a proper British weather obsessive. I love a bit of weather, love it all in its many glorious forms. Heat waves, cold snaps and downpours... bring it!

Comedy Blog: What are you doing next?

Zoe Lyons: I am doing a tour next year of my new stand up show, Clown Busting, kicking off in February. It is taking me all over this fine land.

Comedy Blog: What comedy project would you do if money was no object?

Zoe Lyons: Ha Ha's at the Hollywood Bowl: an evening of stand up comedy from some of the all time greats live from the Hollywood Bowl. Robin Williams, Steve Martin, with his arrow through the head, Bill Hicks (back from the dead - I think that is where a lot of the budget would go) Chris Rock, Steven Wright, Eddie Izzard and Joan Rivers.

Comedy Blog: That sounds amazing! What do you see as the future of comedy?

Zoe Lyons: Gigs in space.

Comedy Blog: JLS have recently launched their own condoms. What merchandising would you like to see with your name on it?

Zoe Lyons: Yes, I just saw the JLS condoms in a shop yesterday - that truly is interesting merchandising. Not sure if they have their tour dates written down the side.

I wouldn't mind my own brand of trainers. I love trainers, I am currently sporting a pair of slightly retro-looking purple high tops which I totally love. I came off stage recently and a guy grabbed my hand. He had an excited look in his eye and I thought he was going to tell me how much he enjoyed the show. Not so. He just said: "I love the trainers, where did you get them?!"

Comedy Blog: What question would you like to be asked, that no one has ever asked you?

Zoe Lyons: "Hi Zoe, we would like to offer you the part of the first female James Bond, is that something that you think you might be interested in doing?"

Watch Zoe's full set on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, this Saturday at 9.15pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 One. Read more interviews in the Comedy Blog archive.

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Oliver Lansley, co-writer of Whites, writes...

So here we are at Episode Two. We've survived the transmission of our first ep and been very lucky to get a few nice previews and reviews. Strange, as on the morning of Episode One's transmission we were all down in Cardiff, doing the final edit for Episode Four. The turnaround for this show has been really quick, which is great because as soon as you've finished filming a show you're desperate to see it, but normally have to wait ages!

Anyway, back to Episode Two - which revolves around the arrival of Shay Marshall, Roland's former sous Chef and a huge character who basically comes in and turns the whole world upside down - rather like what happened when Kev Bishop arrived on set! Both Matt and I have worked with Kev before (he was in my last sitcom, FM) and when we were writing Shay we both immediately thought of him. He is a total force of nature. Kev is one of the funniest people you're likely to meet - particularly when he's playing a character like this, which allows him to really have fun and gives him the freedom to play. Filming his stuff was brilliant, though very hard as not many people on set were able to keep a straight face throughout. Even Alan struggled... Katherine Parkinson was a wreck! Seeing Kev throw up on a small child is a moment I think we'll all remember for a long time to come.

I really enjoyed bringing Shay into Episode Two to shake things up. We get to learn a lot about our characters from the way they respond to him, it particularly informs us about how Roland got to the position we find him in now.

Another highlight of the Shay ep was filming his TV show: the set he's in is actually the restaurant set. So after filming in the restaurant in the morning, our incredible design team then went in, stripped out the tables, frosted the windows, painted it white and put in the counter and the lights. Then by that afternoon we were filming his TV show The Shay Way, complete with Heston-esque dry ice and a team of highly trained live eels - it was like 60 minute make-over. Then the following morning it was restored to it's full Restaurant glory. The magic of television, eh?

Whites continues on Tuesdays at 9pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 Two. Read more about the show here on the Comedy Blog.

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What happens if you put Peter Shilton and Goldie in the same room as Ann Widdecombe and Paul Daniels? Only blimmin鈥� Strictly Come Dancing, that鈥檚 what!

In honour of its return, we have been reliving some of our favourite comedy dance moments, but what are yours? Let us know and they may end up in our forthcoming Strictly Comedy Dancing Collection.

Yes, while the celebrities on Strictly are primed to fight to the death in a dance off...ok, maybe not to the death, but anyway, we'll be waltzing along to Alan Patridge鈥檚 infamous lapdance, raving with Ab Fab's Patsy and Eddy and linedancing with Gavin and Stacey.听

And who could forget David Brent's ill-advised routine in The Office or Robert Webb in spandex on Comic Relief?听 If we cast our minds back a little further there's The Goodies doing the Funky Gibbon or Angela Rippon dancing on Morecombe and Wise's Christmas Special. The list is seemingly endless!

So, if you have other favourite dance-related comedy clips you鈥檇 like us to include why not let us know? Get your thinking cap on (and your dancing shoes, though that鈥檚 strictly optional, of course) and write your suggestions in the comments below.

Ooh, we spoil you! Here's another EXCLUSIVE photo from Come Fly With Me. Excited yet?

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David Walliams as Melody and Matt Lucas as Keeley

We'll keep you up-to-date with all the latest Come Fly With Me developments here on the blog - but if you think you might already be a fan, why not join the ? You can now also check-in with Melody and Keeley online!

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On Saturday night, Michael McIntyre takes his Roadshow to Blackpool and introduces another host of great stand-ups including , who joins us now to answer a few questions...

Comedy Blog: If the Roadshow could go anywhere in the world where would you like it to be, and why?

Terry Alderton: In my garden my, I live on a competitive street.

Comedy Blog: Where in the UK have been your best and worst gigs?

Terry Alderton: Best, Manchester. Worst, Manchester.

Comedy Blog: Which stand-up comedian, living or dead, would you most like to see on the Roadshow?

Terry Alderton: Dave Allen.

Comedy Blog: Who's the most famous person you鈥檙e friends with on Facebook, or follows you on Twitter?

Terry Alderton: Ask my agent as he does all that.

Comedy Blog: What are you doing next?

Terry Alderton: Making a cup of tea. 听

Comedy Blog: What comedy project would you do if money was no object?听

Terry Alderton: A film I wrote with Sam Callis called Redlight & Bell.听

Comedy Blog: What do you see as the future of comedy?听

Terry Alderton: Tim Vine.

Comedy Blog: JLS have recently launched their own condoms. What merchandising would you like to see with your name on it?

Terry Alderton: Brylcream Gel. 听

Comedy Blog: What question would you like to be asked, that no one has ever asked you?

Terry Alderton: Are you alright?

And here's a clip of Terry performing on the show.

Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, Saturdays at 9.15pm on 麻豆官网首页入口 One.

Above is a little look at how Walk on the Wild Side is made. Fancy having a go yourself? Could you put words in the mouth of a seagull, or a donkey? Now's your chance to find out! The Walk on the Wild Side team have made four clips available for you to download so that you can add your own voiceovers.

How it works

1. Download the footage to your computer.
2. Add your voiceover (see our tips for help).
3. Upload it your favourite video hosting website - such as or .
4. Send us the link so we can watch it!

If we like your video, we may embed it on this blog, or ask you to send us the video file to publish on the Walk on the Wildside programme page - and elsewhere! You will of course be credited for your work.

So, choose a clip below and follow the instructions to download it to your computer. It goes without saying, you'll also need a microphone handy.

Read more to download the footage!

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Our News Quiz insider writes...

Tonight's News Quiz on Radio 4 sees the esteemed panel of Francis Wheen and Jeremy Hardy slogging it out against Sue Perkins and Andy Hamilton to win points from Sandi Toksvig by answering questions about topical events. Who will win? We literally don't know*. (*We literally do. The show was recorded on Thursday night. We're just not telling.)

Here's the team discussing Australia's Next Top Model:

Thanks for all the cuttings you've sent in over the last week. Here are two of our favourites:

Sent in by Tony Nuttall

Sent in by James Bogie

You can email cuttings to news.quiz@bbc.co.uk, post them in the comments section below or send them to us by good old fashioned carrier postman to

The News Quiz
1st Floor Western House
99 Great Portland Street
London
W1A 1AA

The The News Quiz is broadcast on Radio 4 on Fridays at 6.30pm, and is available for download as a podcast

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