This week we review - Ever Decreasing Circles (Series 3 Episode 3)
 
Martin Bryce lives in a cul de sac in a quiet suburban area.

He is the chairman of every club committee going and believes himself to be the pivotal member of the community.

The stability of Martin's life is disturbed when Paul moves in next door. He has the poise, looks and self-confidence to dent Martin's self-imposed rule of 'the Close'.

His wife, Ann, has tolerated his compulsive behaviour as she knows he is a good man at heart, but Paul is somebody who will test her loyalty to Martin in more ways than one. 

Written by John Esmonde & Bob Larbey.
Produced & Directed by Sydney Lotterby & Harold Snoad.
A BBC Production.
Ever Decreasing Circles is available to buy here: https://amzn.to/3eN15FV
 
The Comedy Slab Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Spotify and Youtube.
 
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This week we review - Dead Ringers (Series 20 Episode 5)

Dead Ringers is an impressionist show with a satirical bite.
Regular victims in the original series - which starred Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Phil Cornwell, Kevin Connelly and Mark Perry - included Tony Blair, who keeps referring to his physical mannerisms; an almost totally incoherent Robin Cook; and the gaff-strewn speeches of George W. Bush.

As well as mocking politicians, Dead Ringers also makes fun of other Radio 4 programmes and personalities. Regular victims include the cast of The Archers, the (now no-longer running) patronising children's show Go4It, the surprisingly adult adventures of Alan Bennett and Thora Hird, and the most feared man on in the world, the bloodthirsty "Godfather of Radio 4", announcer Brian Perkins.

The episodes also feature a range of hoax calls, most of them involving the voice of the Tom Baker version of Doctor Who.

After 7 years off-air, the show returned in 2014 with a new cast of characters, and new cast members. Now, once again, no one is safe from merciless parody as the show aims to take down every programme, institution and politician you hold dear.

Written by Nev Fountain, Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Tom Coles, James Bugg, Ed Amsden, Simon Alcock, Alex Hardy, Edward Tew, Cody Dahler, Gareth Ceredig, Jeffrey Aidoo, Cassie Smith, and Athena Kugblenu.
Produced by Bill Dare.
A BBC Studios Production
Dead Ringers is available here: https://bbc.in/2ZI7Y6X

The Comedy Slab Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Spotify and Youtube.

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This week we review - The Blagger's Guide (Series 2 Episode 2)
 
David Quantick presents a light hearted guide to music, in which not every fact is a truth.
In the first two series, The Blagger's Guide aimed to provide an encyclopaedia guide to rock and pop. Entries on artists, movements and places as diverse as Sheffield, Folk, Stadium Rock, Stax and Madonna all featured.
The third series switched to looking at The Classics - Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky and music of that ilk.
Series four, lengthened to eight episodes, returned to the topics of rock and pop. Whilst in the 2008 series David Quantick looked to teach us more about Country music.
The six-part 2009 series presented 'facts' about jazz, and 2012's series looks at the Olympic Games.
There have been various one-off specials since.
 
Wrtitten by David Quantick & Simon Poole.
Produced by Simon Poole.
A Unique Production for BBC radio 2
Sadly, we couldn’t find this show anywhere.
 
The Comedy Slab Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Spotify and Youtube.
 
Subscribe for a new episode each Monday.
 
Get in touch - we're @ComedySlab on Twitter and ComedySlab on Facebook.

This week we review - Dave (Series 1 Episode 3)
 
The series stars a fictionalised version of Lil Dicky, a suburban neurotic man in his late twenties who has convinced himself that he's destined to be one of the best rappers of all time

The co-creator of the show Dave Burd (better known by his stage name Lil Dicky) is an American rapper and comedian.

He came to prominence with the release of the music video of his song "Ex-Boyfriend" on April 25, 2013, which became popular with more than one million views on YouTube in 24 hours.

He released his debut album Professional Rapper in July 2015. In 2018, his song "Freaky Friday", featuring Chris Brown, became a worldwide hit. He also gained attention for his 2019 music video "Earth", which featured many singers and actors including Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Kevin Hart, Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth, Katy Perry, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
 
Created by Dave Burd / Jeff Schaffer.
Produced by Julie Waters / Kent Zbornak
Directed by Michael Cumming
A Dirty Burd / Matthew 6:33 / SB Projects / Temple Hill / Heart Beat / Chicken Sticks Production for FX.
Dave is available here: https://bbc.in/3eICHG4
 
The Comedy Slab Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Spotify and Youtube.
 
Subscribe for a new episode each Monday.
 
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This week we review - Brass Eye - Decline (Series 1 Episode 6)

Brass Eye is a British television comedy series which parodied the current affairs news programming of the day.

A series of six episodes aired on Channel 4 in 1997, and a further episode in 2001.

The series was created and presented by Chris Morris, written by Morris, David Quantick, Peter Baynham, Jane Bussmann, Arthur Mathews, Graham Linehan and Charlie Brooker and was directed by Michael Cumming.

Originally planned as a spin-off from The Day Today (1994), the pilot (then called Torque tv™) was passed on by the BBC. Channel 4 commissioned a new pilot, which would become called Brass Eye (mixing together the titles of two popular current affairs shows, Brass Tacks and Public Eye).

The series satirised media portrayal of social ills, in particular sensationalism, unsubstantiated establishmentarian theory masquerading as fact, and creation of moral panics, and is a sequel to Morris's earlier spoof news programmes On the Hour (1991–92) on radio and The Day Today (1994) on TV.

The series stars Morris's The Day Today colleague Doon Mackichan, along with Gina McKee, Mark Heap, Amelia Bullmore, Simon Pegg, Julia Davis, Claire Skinner, John Guerrasio, Hugh Dennis and Kevin Eldon.

Written by Chris Morris.
Produced by Caroline Leddy & Chris Morris
Directed by Michael Cumming
A Talkback Production for Channel 4.
Brass Eye is available to here: https://bit.ly/2BlgAqH

The Comedy Slab Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Spotify and Youtube.

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This week we review - A Bit Of Fry & Laurie (Series 1 Episode 3)

A Bit of Fry & Laurie is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring former Cambridge Footlights members Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.

Broadcast on both BBC1 and BBC2 between 1989 and 1995, it ran for four series and totalled 26 episodes, including a 36-minute pilot episode in 1987.

As in The Two Ronnies, elaborate wordplay and innuendo were staples of its material. It frequently broke the fourth wall; characters would revert into their real-life persona mid-sketch, or the camera would often pan off set into the studio.

In addition, the show was punctuated with non sequitur vox pops in a similar style to those of Monty Python's Flying Circus, often making irrelevant statements, heavily based on wordplay.

Laurie was also seen playing piano and a wide variety of other instruments and singing comical numbers.

Written by Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie.0

Produced by Roger Ordish
Directed by Roger Ordish
A BBC Production.
A Bit Of Fry & Laurie is available to here: https://amzn.to/37HdnNX

The Comedy Slab Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Spotify and Youtube.

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This week we review - Star Stories (Series 1 Episode 2)

Star Stories is a British television comedy programme that took a satirical look at celebrities and their lives.

Star Stories is made by Objective Productions (the people behind Peep Show) commissioned for Channel 4 by Shane Allen and Andrew Newman with Lee Hupfield producing, Elliot Hegarty directing and Phil Clarke and Andrew O'Connor as executive producers.

Spanning three series it featured episodes entitled - The Church Of Scientology Presents... Being Tom Cruise: How Scientology Is In No Way Mental, Simon Cowell: My Honesty, My Genius and Oops I Did It Again!: The Ballad Of Britney Jean Spears

Written by Lee Hupfield, Bert Tyler-Moore and George Jeffrie
Produced by Lee Hupfield and Michael Livingstone
Directed by Elliot Hegarty and Ben Palmer
An Objective Production For Channel 4.
Star Stories is available to here: https://bit.ly/2BMZFxh

The Comedy Slab Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Spotify and Youtube.

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This week we review - Uncle (Series 2 Episode 1)

Uncle follows the darkly comedic misadventures of Andy, an irresponsible man-child forced to watch his neurotic pre-teen nephew, Errol.

With laughs, heart and some original songs, Uncle explores what it means to be family - when you're still learning how to be a good human being.

Written by Oliver Refson and Lilah Vandenburgh
Produced by Alison Macphail
Directed by Oliver Refson
A Baby Cow Production For BBC.
Uncle is available to here: https://bit.ly/3cn9UVM

The Comedy Slab Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Spotify and Youtube.

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This week we review - The Reluctant Landlord (Series 1 Episode 1)

Much to his annoyance Romesh is left running the local pub after his mischievous father left it to him in his will. He has never wanted to be a landlord, but his mum feels it is the only way to keep his dad's legacy alive, and his wife and kids are having a ball there.

Starring Sian Gibson as his wife, Natasha, and Nick Helm as best mate Lemon, this semi-autobiographical sitcom follows Romesh's misadventures as he tries to offload the pub he doesn't want, while his family use any amount of emotional blackmail to keep him at the heart of the place.

Written by Romesh Ranganathan and Shaun Pye
Produced by Jane Bell
Directed by David Sant
A What Larks!/ Ranga Bee Production For Sky.
The reluctant Landlord is available to buy here: https://bit.ly/2TIoPmO

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This week we review - Chewing Gum (Series 1 Episode 3)

In Chewing Gum, Michaela Coel plays Tracey Gordon, a religious Beyoncé-obsessed 22-year-old who is fast finding out that the more she learns about the world, the less she understands.

Tracey and her mates are in their early twenties, living in an estate in Tower Hamlets, east London. Some of them have full time jobs, some are in uni, some are already parents. But really - they are all stuck. Stuck in their youth and still trying to coast through their days with minimum responsibility. Future plans don't extend much beyond saving up for the latest pair of trainers, a new car, or a Cambodian Weave. They live in the moment.

Tracey, however, seems capable of more. But growing up in a strict religious environment means she is 'underdeveloped' in many areas, and so her path into adulthood has been... interesting. She is wise, but innocent, genuflecting equally to both her idols - Beyoncé and Jesus. Living in a swiftly changing London, we watch as she crashes her way through what she should and shouldn't be doing.

Written by Michaela Coel
Produced by Kelly McGolpin, John Pocock and Michaela Coel
Directed by Tom Marshall and Simon Neal
A Retort Production For Channel 4.
Chewing Gum is available to buy here: https://bit.ly/3elCDeZ

The Comedy Slab Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Spotify and Youtube.

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