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Archives for June 2011

Mock The Week Preview

Steve Saul | 15:28 UK time, Thursday, 30 June 2011

We've got a preview clip from tonight's episode of Mock The Week (tonight, 22.00 on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two):

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Ever wondered how acts feel when they appear on Mock The Week? Brightonian comedian Zoe Lyons has written a TV Blog post about how she prepares for appearances on panel shows.

Here's a snippet:

"I think it's fair to say that the first time I appeared on Mock The Week, I really did get the classic pre-show nerves."

It's a different sort of anxiety to that you get when performing live stand-up. There is obviously a feeling of more pressure. This will be my fourth time on the show and I get a bit more relaxed each time I do it..."

You can read Zoe's blog post in full here.

Ideal: The Red Mist

Post categories: ,Ìý

Jaine Sykes Jaine Sykes | 10:35 UK time, Thursday, 30 June 2011

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Creator Graham Duff writes...

Okay, you might want to stand back, because I am about to stick my neck out. I am going to do it by saying this; I believe IDEAL is the most ethnically diverse programme on British TV. Our huge cast of characters encompasses Black, Asian, Caucasian, Mixed-Race, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, American, Greek, Russian, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual and blind. We even have a recovering necrophiliac.

This isn't a box-ticking exercise, rather, to state the dazzlingly obvious, simply a reflection of the world around us. Sadly, even now, many programmes still depict a world almost exclusively populated by, for want of a better phrase, middle class honkys. And comedy programmes can be particularly guilty of this.

Another sector of society which is strongly represented in the current series of IDEAL is gingers. And whilst they might initially seem like a glib addition to our list, it's worth remembering that gingers, along with the Welsh, still seem to exert a powerful allure for the more casual, low key racist. It was whilst pondering this thought, that I came up with the idea of the Red Mist.

The Red Mist

The Red Mist

The Red Mist is a very large, very powerful gang populated exclusively by red heads. I thought it would be interesting if, for once, the gingers had the power. If, for once, they were the people who everybody else was living in fear of.

When the time came to shoot the sequence in tonight's episode where Moz confronts the Red Mist, we assembled a group of over 20 ginger actors and the effect was truly stunning. It made me realise how seldom one sees more than two gingers in any one place.

I interviewed each member of the Red Mist for a documentary for the forthcoming Ideal 7 DVD. One question I asked was, what would be the collective noun for a group of gingers? Their answers ranged from, "A ketchup of gingers" to, "A blaze of gingers" and, "A carrot patch of gingers". But, perhaps unsuprisingly, it was Rula Lenska who nailed it with "A glory of gingers."

More from Ideal:

Graham Duff gives the lowdown on previous Ideal episodes.

Watch more clips from Ideal.

How to build an entire television set...in three minutes.

Ideal in 360 degrees.

Ideal series 7 concludes tonight at 22.30 on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three.

Radio 2 New Comedy Award: Winner Q&A

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Steve Saul | 15:53 UK time, Friday, 24 June 2011

Last Saturday night won this year's Radio 2 New Comedy Award 2011, fending off strong competition from fellow finalists , , , and Pat Cahill.

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We caught up with Barnsey to find out how life's been treating her the week after the final...

Congratulations on winning the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 2 New Comedy Award. Be honest. Has success changed you?

Thank you! Those words still seem so unreal! Oh yes, I'm a proper diva now. I demand chocolate covered pretzels and freshly squeezed lychee juice at every gig. Ha!Ìý Actually, I hope anyone that knows me would verify that I would be way too embarrassed to start getting demanding. I will tip a hairdresser that gives me a haircut that makes me cry inwardly... because I don't want to seem ungrateful.

How did you get into comedy?

How long have you got? I've always been a bit of a comedy fangirl. My parents both loved Radio Comedy, (my Dad in particular) so I grew up with The Goon Show, Round The Horne, Sorry I Haven't a Clue, etc.

Stand-up wise, my Mum was a huge Victoria Wood fan, and she was the first stand-up I saw live at The Strand theatre when I was about fourteen. I knew then that I wanted to do that. But a combination of shyness and not believing I could do it meant I didn't start until I was thirty three.

In the summer of 2008, I suddenly lost my Dad. He had always encouraged me to have a go at stand-up, knowing how much I loved it. I was so sad that I hadn't had a go while he was still alive, and, realising that life is short, I signed up to the at Komedia in Brighton in 2009, and did my first proper gig in November of that year.

Any tough gigs when you started out?

Oh yes! Playing to an indifferent audience is the hardest, and, if you can raise a smile from them, then the bigger gigs are a cinch in comparison. It's all part of the process, and while it can sometimes be soul-destroying, it is the bad gigs that make you a better comic. It's a cliché, but you learn more from your mistakes.

Let’s play Worst-Best. What was the worst heckle you’ve had to deal with and what was the best?

Worst heckle?ÌýEasy. Beer Garden in a Maidstone pub on Royal Wedding Bank Holiday Sunday afternoon, free comedy, sunshine and three days of drinking. I was the only woman on the bill, and as I stepped out I got "show us yer growler'. Ah, how sweet. Actually had an alright gig in the end, but I really didn't think those sort of heckles happened in the twenty first century.

Best heckle? A woman wanting to know what brand and shade hair dye I use! There are times and places for haircare advice people!

Patrick Kielty with winner Angela Barnes

Ìý

What was your coping strategy for the announcement of the results?

Well, I was actually dying for a wee... but as the broadcast was live, and dear Joe Lycett had been caught out earlier for being on the loo when we were called to the stage, I didn't think I had time to go. So my main concern was for my bladder at that stage.ÌýI honestly thought Joe Lycett had it in the bag, and I was extending my hand to congratulate him when I realised Patrick had said my name. An absurd state of affairs.

What next for Angela Barnes?

Career wise... who knows? I am hoping to do more radio comedy as it's very close to my heart. I have lots of meetings with people and some hopefully exciting things on the horizon.

Then there is Edinburgh. I am there with my other hat on as a techy.ÌýI am teching Death of The Novel by Gents of Leisure (Tom Neenan and Nish Kumar) which is bloomin' brilliant. I am also teching the lovely Sarah Bennetto's Storytellers' Club (a gorgeous boutique storytelling night with comedians telling you things you won't have heard before) and Comedy Countdown at the Gilded Balloon. This plus lots of live spots on different showcases makes for a pretty busy festival for me.

Bring it on!

The delightful Miss Barnes isn't the only one going to Edinburgh. Click the blue words to find out about ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy's plans for this year's Fringe Festival.

Ideal: What's inside the red bag?

Post categories: ,Ìý

Jaine Sykes Jaine Sykes | 13:58 UK time, Thursday, 23 June 2011

Yasuko (Haruka Kuroda)

Yasuko (Haruka Kuroda)

Creator Graham Duff writes...

Ìý

In tonight's episode of there's a scene where the pregnant Yasuko (Haruka Kuroda) is sitting alone in Moz's living room. She glances up, only to see a woman in a long, flowing, black latex dress standing upside down on the ceiling.

As the woman turns towards us, we see that not only is she a doppelganger of Yasuko herself, but that she has a strange nozzle type nose which leads down to a vacuum attachment, with which she is hoovering the ceiling.

It's not a dream and it's not an hallucination brought about by drug use. So what could it be? A vision caused by the pregnancy? The onset of a breakdown? A symptom of some kind of psychic possession brought about by the spirit of Yasuko's sperm doner - the frightening and mysterious Fist? Or perhaps, to use the language of a slightly more poetic age, a reverie or dark fugue? My lips are sealed. You'll have to watch and make up your own mind.

Cartoon Head

Cartoon Head

As with a number of the more enigmatic elements of IDEAL - the permanently masked Cartoon Head, the aforementioned Fist, the nature and contents of the unfathomable Red Bag - it's open to interpretation.

Personally, I have always been a fan of the ambiguous. Stories where everything is neatly packaged up have never really appealed. I like uncertainties to chew over and loose ends to fiddle with.

And I don't think I'm alone. Ever since 'Pulp Fiction' attained mainstream success with what might be termed an exploded narrative, audiences have increasingly developed an apetite for stories which require some proper thought.

The Red Bag

What is inside The Red Bag?

I firmly believe it's often far more satisfying to keep things in flux rather than resolve them. Whilst one of the questions I'm most frequently asked about IDEAL is, "What's inside the Red Bag", I'm well aware of the feeling of anti-climax many viewers felt when 'Frasier' allowed Niles and Daphne to finally get together, or when 'Twin Peaks' revealed Laura Palmer's killer.

So for the time being, I'm going to keep that one to myself. Now if you'll excuse me, the ceiling needs hoovering.

Watch a clip from this episode of Ideal below:

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More from Ideal:

continues every Thursday at 22.30 on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three.

Life's Too Short: Big casting SPOILERS

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Steve Saul | 21:00 UK time, Wednesday, 22 June 2011

Earlier this morning we blogged the teaser trailer for Life's Too Short. Tonight we can reveal some big casting SPOILERS...

has starred in some of the ever made. And the movies. So who do you book when you need to cast special guest stars in his new sitcom?

We can confirm that eco-warrior, actor, musician and tantric endurance athleteÌýSting will appear in an episode.

As will the sexiest pirate ever to sail the seven CG seas, Johnny Depp.

David Brent's US counterpart Michael Scott, aka Hollywood star Steve Carell, will also be putting in an appearance. Fact.

Ricky and Stephen will feature in minor roles throughout the series.

Meanwhile, here's an exclusive set pic taken by ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Head of Comedy, Mark Freeland:

Mark said:

"Here's me and Life's Too Short Producer, Charlie Hanson, on set last week. We'd just nicked Warwick Davis's chairs. You can see Warwick's not at all happy. He's just called in the security guard in the background. Minutes later I was face down on that metal bollard. Give a guy his own series on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two and that's the thanks you get. A virtual impaling. In other news, the series shoot is going really well, but I now know to watch standing up."

That's it for now. We'll let you know more news about the show as soon as we get it. Meanwhile why not have another look at theÌýteaser trailer...

Life's Too Short

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Jaine Sykes Jaine Sykes | 08:55 UK time, Wednesday, 22 June 2011

There's good news in store for fans of and ! After a successful 30 minute pilot and the announcement of a full series commission last year, we can reveal some more details about Life's Too Short, as part of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two's summer/autumn season.

Written and directed by Ricky and Stephen, the observational comedy follows the day-to-day existence of real-life dwarf actor , star of box-office hits such as and where he played an Ewok.

Here's a short message about the series from Ricky, Stephen and Warwick, complete with a couple of familiar crew members...

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In Life's Too Short, Warwick plays a fictional version of himself where he is desperate, conniving, fame-hungry and self-centred, but always gets his comeuppance.

He runs a talent agency, Dwarves For Hire, for small people but is always taking the best jobs for himself. Warwick is taking part in the documentary to help raise money to pay off his huge, looming tax bill.

Being a "showbiz dwarf" creates many an unusual situation for Warwick and he is constantly trying to use this to his advantage - it's just a shame that nobody recognises him without his costumes...

Life's Too Short is an observational comedy, dealing with everyday problems, human foibles and social faux pas... but with a dwarf. It will air on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two later in this year. Keep checking back on the Comedy Blog for more details.Ìý

Radio 2 New Comedy Award: And the winner is...

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Jaine Sykes Jaine Sykes | 15:09 UK time, Monday, 20 June 2011

On Saturday night, Angela Barnes was crowned the winner of the Radio 2 New Comedy Award 2011. You can listen to the Angela's winning performance below, or catch up with the entire show online.

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The final took place at The Tabernacle, London with six acts competing in front of a live studio audience. Check out the photos from the night:

The finalists

The finalists

Ìý

Patrick Kielty with winner Angela Barnes

Patrick Kielty with winner Angela Barnes

Ìý

Lewis Carnie, Sarah Millican, Patrick Kielty, Angela Barnes, Stephen K Amos, Jane Berthound

(l-r) Radio 2's Head of Programmes Lewis Carnie, Sarah Millican, Patrick Kielty, New Comedy Award Winner Angela Barnes, Stephen K Amos, Head of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Comedy Jane Berthound

More from the Radio 2 New Comedy Award:

Ìý

Edinburgh Festival 2011 - FAQs

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Steve Saul | 17:15 UK time, Friday, 17 June 2011

Ever since we announced our plans for this year's Edinburgh Festival, we've been inundated (ish) with questions about how to join in. So we've put together this list of FAQs...

Edinburgh Live

Ìý

This year, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio, TV and Online comedy, Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 4, Radio 4 Extra, 5 live, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Northern Ireland and Radio Scotland will join forces along with ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Learning for a string of live shows and acts in a special pop-up venue on Potterrow, near Bristo Square.

What is ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ @ Potterrow?

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ @ Potterrow is a new pop-up venue dedicated to bringing ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ comedy and entertainment to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. For 16 days - 12 to 27 August - a wide range of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ shows will take place on site and this is your chance to come along and get involved. And don’t miss the free workshops and masterclasses giving behind-the-scenes advice and experience.

How can I apply for tickets?

Please click here to register.

Alternatively, you can register by phone by calling freephone 0370 901 1227, calls are free from a landline. Some networks and mobile operators will charge for these calls.

A limited number of tickets are also available on a first-come-first-served basis from the Edinburgh Fringe Box Office by calling 0131 226 0000 or visit

When is the closing date for registering for tickets?

The closing date for registering for tickets is 15 July 2011.

Does registering for tickets guarantee me a place?

No. there is limited capacity and the shows may be oversubscribed. Tickets will be allocated at random after the closing date and registration does not guarantee that you will be allocated a place.

If you are successful in the random draw you will be emailed after the registration closing date with a confirmation e-ticket. You will need to bring your confirmation e-ticket with you to the venue.

When will I find out if I’ve been allocated tickets?

You’ll be contacted by email after the registration closing date and will be sent an e-ticket. Please make sure that you’ve given us your correct email address.

I’ve been allocated tickets but I can’t come.

If you’ve been allocated tickets for a show, but are unable to attend please let us know by calling 0370 901 1227 we can then reallocate your ticket to someone else.

Is there a charge to attend?

No. The shows are free to attend.

Does my ticket guarantee me a place?

We anticipate that the shows will be oversubscribed and as with any free ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ show we will over-issue tickets in case of cancellations. Please make sure you arrive at the venue a minimum of 30 minutes before the start time to stand a good chance of getting a place. If there are any empty places 15 minutes before the event, these places will be made available to people without e-tickets.

I don’t have a ticket – can I turn up on the day?

Priority will be given to people who have an e-ticket. However, 15 minutes before the events, any remaining seats will be opened up to people who don’t have an e-ticket.

Do I need to bring anything?

You need to bring your e-ticket to enter the venue. You may also be asked to provide proof of age or photo identification. You don’t need to bring anything else.

Can I bring my children?

Some of the shows have content that is specifically aimed at adults and may be unsuitable for children. Where this is the case it will say so on the booking page on the website. Where we’re recording the show for broadcast the minimum age will be stated and for U or PG rated shows any children who attend must be accompanied by an adult who will be responsible for them at the event. If your child becomes disruptive we will ask politely that you take them out of the event.

Can I leave my children at a show?

No. Every child who attends must be accompanied by an adult who will be responsible for them at the show. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ can’t take responsibility for any children unaccompanied at the show.

Will the show be recorded and broadcast?

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will record many of the shows for broadcast on radio and online. There may also be filming for television. Where possible we will try to make it clear before the event whether the show will be recorded or filmed.

I can’t come to any of the shows – how can I get involved?

You'll be able to listen to the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ @ Potterrow across ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ radio – visit bbc.co.uk/comedy for full listings of programmes coming from the site. You'll also be able to join in with regular online updates and watch live streaming of some shows...

... and don’t forget to follow Ìýon Twitter or join us on .

Ideal: Music behind the magic

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Jaine Sykes Jaine Sykes | 10:25 UK time, Thursday, 16 June 2011

Johnny Vegas

Creator and writer Graham Duff writes...

Tonight's episode of IDEAL, aside from hopefully being funny and moving and quite scary, will also be mightily tuneful. The soundtrack to this particular episode features contributions from, amongst others, Broadcast, DJ Kudos, The Frequency, Slipstream, Warpaint, Barry Adamson, Clinic, Misha Begley, Venus Ray and Coil.

Whilst most of these names may mean little or nothing to you, I can almost guarantee that on more than one occasion whilst watching the show, you'll find yourself either tapping your foot or humming along.

Many otherwise intelligent and sophisticated programmes and films frequently fall into a lazy shorthand when it comes to music. Either larding scenes with mawkish Hans Zimmer knock offs or slapping on recent chart hits and classics of yesteryear. When I hear James Brown's 'I Feel Good', or Nina Simone's 'My Baby Just Cares For Me' or frankly anything by Coldplay on a soundtrack, I know the programme makers have stopped thinking.

The supposed plus point of using familiar music, is it brings positive associations - "Oh I like this one". However, I strongly feel that those positive associations are actually a minus point. A familiar song on the soundtrack will nudge you outside the drama of the show. Let's face it, if you're thinking about how much you like a song and the times you've heard it before you're not really engaged with the characters on screen.

Music has always been an integral part of IDEAL's DNA and I like to think the show has helped bring some the world's more marginal sonic artists to the attention of a wider audience. But then marginal is a relative term. Whilst some of the pieces used on the show come from the more extreme hinterlands of modern composition, digi-dub or experimental electronics - musics which, by their very nature can only ever have fringe appeal - much of the music played is only marginal due to its lack of public profile, rather than the scope of its actual appeal.

So take another look at the list of artists above and have a little Google and maybe a discreet Spotify and you might just discover your new favorite band...

Watch a preview from tonight's show below:

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More from Ideal:

Ideal continues every Thursday at 10.30pm on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three.

The Matt Lucas Awards: The Pilot

Post categories: ,Ìý,Ìý,Ìý,Ìý

Steve Saul | 14:36 UK time, Wednesday, 15 June 2011

Ìý

Now this is something we hope you're going to like. Matt Lucas has got a new series for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One. A few weeks ago they made the pilot at TV Centre.

We asked Matt what the show was all about and here's what he told us...

Matt Lucas says: "THE MATT LUCAS AWARDS came about after I’d be hosting a show on Radio 2 called AND THE WINNER IS... It’s meant to be the antidote to all the awards ceremonies that you see on TV.ÌýRather than give Best Actor or Best Book, this show presents the awards other shows ignore – so it might be Smuggest Nation Of People or Worst Song By An Otherwise Reputable Artist.

We have three guests on the show, who each present their nomination and I have to decide what will win. The prize on offer is a Lucas Award – which is basically a fat Oscar.

And that’s about it, really. But it’s more of a chat show than a panel show - there’s no desks, the audience are seated around us, we have a house band and I often break into song, and whilst people are arguing why their nominations should win, there’s no real actual competition. It’s actually the opposite – the guests compliment each other.

Although we know the categories and nominations beforehand, we don’t know the reasons why the guests have chosen their nominations, which means the show is very spontaneous.

There was a sense of anarchy in the pilot, especially when Ruby Wax took Jack Whitehall’s phone and ran around the room threatening to ring up Anthony Costa from Blue. It’s a long story – you’ll have to watch the pilot to find out."

So there you go. As we said, there's a lot still to be sorted but as soon as we hear anymore - we'll share it with you. Enjoy it, and do let us know what you think...

Filming In With The Flynns

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Jaine Sykes Jaine Sykes | 10:05 UK time, Wednesday, 15 June 2011

Two hand-held camera operators and the boom operator record Liam (Will Mellor) and his brother Tony (Craig Parkinson).

Two hand-held camera operators and the boom operator record Liam (Will Mellor) and his brother Tony (Craig Parkinson).

We asked Jamie Glazebrook, Executive Producer of In With The Flynns, how the show was filmed.

How are audience sitcoms usually filmed?

It's very much like theatre. You perform the whole episode to an audience, in a TV studio. Some scenes you need to do a few times, usually for technical reasons but sometimes to try out alternative versions. Also, scenes shot outside the studio will have been filmed previously and are played to the audience on TV screens. So it's disjointed, and usually takes a couple of hours, but by and large the audience sees the entire episode from start to finish.

Normally sitcoms are filmed with five or so huge cameras that look a bit like daleks. So the set needs to be correspondingly big, which is why many sitcom families seem to live in these vast houses, even though sometimes you can't help wondering how the characters could afford to live somewhere so big.

What was different about the way you filmed In With The Flynns?

We took the decision to make our set the same size that it would be in real life - much smaller than most studio comedy sets - and we built the entire layout, so you could walk from room to room.

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Then Dominic Brigstocke, our director, had to figure out how to film it. He basically got rid of the big cameras and filmed the show handheld, which is quite unusual for a multi-camera show.

But I couldn't be happier with the results. You really feel you're in there with the family, rather than watching them from across a proscenium. He's freshened up the genre.

Was this difficult to do?

Oh, it was a nightmare! At any given time there was more than one camera in use, so the operators risked being in each other's shot, on our comparatively tiny set.

Two camera operators working.

Two camera operators working.

So the camera operators were ducking in and out of rooms, behind sofas and so on. And the sound department had to be in there too. Our director Dominic had a taste of this way of shooting with Alan Partridge, so we were in great hands.

How did the audience see what was going on?

Well for much of the show they didn't - not with the naked eye, anyway - because the set had all four walls in place, though in most rooms one wall was removable.

In With The Flynns Set Diagram

The In With The Flynns set, including the garden on the right hand side, and the removable exterior walls.

So we fed what we were filming through to big plasma screens. And what was thrilling is that the audience absolutely engaged with the live show as it played out. When you see the show at home, you can hear not just their laughter but their different reactions to emotional moments.

In With The Flynns continues every Wednesday at 8.30pm on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One. Read more about the show here.

Top Class Comedy

Steve Saul | 18:36 UK time, Tuesday, 14 June 2011

We like to think that ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy has always been in a class of it's own...

Here at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy HQ we've noticed a lot of love for our new Class Collection on our and accounts so we thought it deserved a salute on our blog.

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Most script writers say the trickiest part of creating a strong situation comedy is finding the right 'sit' to enable strong characters to provide the 'com'.

The Office would have been many things had David BrentÌýnot wanted to be a "a chilled out entertainer" and focussed his 'talents' on being a competent General Manager... but it certainly wouldn't have been as laugh-out-loud funny.

Would Only Fools and Horses have been as hilarious and poignantÌýwithout Del Boy's heroic drive to escape the poverty trap?

Surely Fawlty Towers would have been a tumble-weed strewn desert of dullness if it had featured a chillaxed Basil Fawlty, at peace with his place in the world and hopelessly in love with his doting wife, Sybil?

In fact it's hard to think of any comedies that don't, to some extent, satirise the frustrations, prejudices or limitations of social class. Even the sci-fi comedy of Red Dwarf mined it's gags from stark contrast between Rimmer's aloof snobbery and Lister's vulgar slobbery.

We think this collection features some of the sharpest writing and most beautifully observed characterisations ever produced by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

What do you think? Favourite clip? Have we missed anything?

Tell us in the comments below, by posting on or tweeting .

Don't worry. We won't answer back. We know our place.Ìý

Happy Birthday Ideal!

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Jaine Sykes Jaine Sykes | 12:17 UK time, Thursday, 9 June 2011

Johnny Vegas

Creator Graham Duff writes...

Tonight will see IDEAL reach it's 50th episode. An uncommon achievement for any programme. Especially a British comedy series. Whilst U.S. comedies frequently rack up hundreds of installments, it's very rare indeed for a UK production to pass the 12 episode mark. Many of course, don't even make it that far.

So how did we do it? Well, having one of Britain's best loved comedy performers playing our lead character has certainly helped. Johnny Vegas has long been known as an unrivalled stand up and a genuinely spontaneous and witty addition to any panel show. But perhaps it wasn't until his performance as Moz in IDEAL that people began to realise what a truly gifted and subtle actor he is. And of course when it comes to delivering punch lines Johnny is second to none.

Aside from Johnny, we have what is almost certainly the largest cast of any TV comedy and definitely one of the most talented. During our seven series, nearly a 100 characters have passed through Moz's front door. And I'm proud to say IDEAL gave initial breaks to comic performers such as the now ubiquitous Jason Manford and the hilarious Emma Fryer who also stars in Channel 4's 'Phone Shop'.

We've also looked well beyond the confines of the comedy world, eliciting extremely funny performances from heavy weight dramatic actors such as David Bradley, presenters like Alan Yentob and Mark Radcliffe and musicians such as Mark E. Smith, Barry Adamson and Paul Weller.

Another thing we try to do is make sure the show constantly evolves. In between episode one and episode fifty we've experimented, tackled taboo topics and taken genuine risks, including song and dance numbers, animated scenes and 20 minute flashback sequences. We've even killed off a number of regular characters. Sometimes in very violent ways. And I'm happy to say our audience has not only stuck with us, but it's grown and grown.

It's easy for me to sound confident about the show now. But let's face it, back in 2004, if you were a betting man or woman, would you really have put good money on a comedy about an overweight, underachieving drug dealer being commissioned by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ? And what about the odds of the show passing the fifty episode mark? Now that really would have been a long shot.

Ideal continues every Thursday at 10.30pm on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three. Watch a clip from the 50th episode below:

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More from Ideal:

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy hits the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011

Steve Saul | 14:10 UK time, Wednesday, 8 June 2011

Here's why 2011 is going to be a big, BIG year for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe...

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ assemble!

Edinburgh Live

This year at the Fringe all areas of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖwill combine their talents under one roof near Bristo Square from the 12th to the 27th of August to bring you the funny. Here's a snapshot of just some of the entertainment and comedy that will feature across this two week period.

Radio 4 will showcase a selection of its very best comedy programmes, including:

The Unbelievable Truth (chaired by David Mitchell), Just a Minute and recordings of Richard Herring's Objective, and Stephen K Amos's Life an Idiots Guide as well as Front Row, Loose Ends and much much more.

Radio 1 will be returning to Edinburgh. Scott Mills will broadcasting his show live from our pop up venue for a week from August 15th and Nick Grimshaw will be hosting some very special late night shows showcasing some of the best talent at the Fringe.

There's a twice-daily stand up show from ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy Presents at 5pm and 11pm which will feature the very best stand up, sketch and music. Here's a taster of the kind of acts we put on last year:

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Masterclasses will take place most afternoons with comedy greats including Ricky Gervais and Warwick Davis discussing the making of their new HBO/³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy sitcom, Life’s Too Short.

And for the first time thanks to our colleagues in ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Learning we'll be running a series of Q&A sessions, comedy writing and performance workshops under the banner of The Comedy School. There'll even be the chance to show us your funny in ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three's "Funny in 15 Seconds" video booth with the chance to get your video seen on bbc.co.uk/three and bbc.co.uk/comedy.

There'll be loads more activity across these two weeks and you will find out about it on the blog here or by following us on Twitter or liking us at .

If you want to take part in any of our events or be in the audience for any of our shows, click here to apply for tickets.

In With The Flynns

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Jaine Sykes Jaine Sykes | 12:45 UK time, Wednesday, 8 June 2011

In With The Flynns is a new family comedy for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One. Will Mellor and Niky Wardley play Liam and Caroline Flynn, Mancunians in their early thirties who are raising their three children and holding down jobs. It's tough - and even tougher because they're still growing up themselves.

In With The Flynns

They are blessed with a rebellious teenage daughter, Chloe, and two younger sons; Mikey, who's always up for a lark, and Steve who definitely isn't. On hand to help with the minefield of parenting dilemmas and blunders, are Liam's dad, Jim (Warren Clarke) and his brother, Tommy (Craig Parkinson).

Grandad Jim is quite critical of Liam and Caroline's parenting skills, he thinks they should be much stricter with the kids. And wayward Uncle Tommy who never ceases to complicate matters, but helps with babysitting the kids whilst taking full advantage of the well-stocked fridge.

Will Mellor introduces In With The Flynns - watch the video below:

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While Liam and Caroline have a lot more energy than older parents, they are also less willing to behave like grown-ups. At one point, Liam says, 'I'm not a dad-dad, I'm a wahoo!-dad', and he'll tend to do things that more mature parents would know they shouldn't.

And being a young mum throws a lot of problems in Caroline's way, whether it's being patronised by the other parents or fancied by her kids' friends.

But what makes the family endearing is the fact that, despite all the mistakes they make, they truly love one another.

In With The Flynns is directed by Dominic Brigstocke (I'm Alan Partridge, Reggie Perrin, Green Wing, Smack The Pony) and written by Daniel Peak (I'm With Stupid, Not Going Out).

Next week on the ComedyÌýBlog,ÌýExective Producer Jamie Glazebrook reveals the challenges of filming on a four-walled set complete with a live audience.

In With The Flynns begins tonight at 8.30pm on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One. Watch more clips from the series at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Comedy.

Ideal: Not just about drugs

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Jaine Sykes Jaine Sykes | 10:51 UK time, Thursday, 2 June 2011

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Creator Graham Duff writes...

If you were to listen to received wisdom, IDEAL is simply "a show about drugs". In reality, of course, IDEAL is no more a show about drugs than Only Fools And Horses was a show about stolen goods.

For example as tonight's episode would suggest, most of our storylines don't revolve around drugs. Moz (Johnny Vegas) finds himself down to his last fifty pounds and so sets about the hopeless task of calling in all his debts. His step-dad Keith (Mick Miller) and blind girlfriend Carol (Jo Enright) prepare to move into a warden assisted flat, whilst avant garde American fashion designer Tilly (Janeane Garofalo) deals with the unwanted attentions of a stalker.

Sure, Moz has spent long periods of his life working as a hash dealer, and we've sometimes seen characters take coke, acid, ketamine and so on. But I like to think that in general, we present a fairly even-handed view of drug use.

In fact, it's very rare indeed that the drugs themselves are the source of the comedy. To be honest, I've always had nothing but contempt for the 'Cheech and Chong' school of drug comedy. You know the kind of thing - people build cars out of hashish, uptight authority figures take a couple of puffs on a joint and suddenly they're dancing around semi-naked and talking about going for sitar lessons. Sophomoric* nonsense.

I think what sets IDEAL apart, is that it simply includes drug use in the natural ebb and flow of people's lives, rather than using it as a device to make social points or deliver moral messages. To counterfeit a phrase; we're not advocating it, we're just saying it happens.

Ideal continues every Thursday at 10.30pm on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Three.

More from Ideal:

*Don't tell us we never teach you something new.

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