Comedy Slab

This week we review - One Fools & Horses (Series 3 Episode 3)

Created and written by John Sullivan, seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991, with sixteen sporadic Christmas specials aired until the end of the show in 2003.

Set in Peckham in south-east London, it stars David Jason as ambitious market trader Derek "Del Boy" Trotter, Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brother Rodney Trotter, and Lennard Pearce as their elderly Grandad as their sidekick.

Backed by a strong supporting cast, the series follows the Trotters' highs and lows in life, in particular their attempts to get rich.

After Lennard Pearce's death in 1984, the show introduced a new sidekick Uncle Albert, the boys' great uncle played by Buster Merryfield. From 1988 onwards, the show features regular characters in Del Boy and Rodney's love interests, Raquel (Tessa Peake-Jones) and Cassandra (Gwyneth Strong) respectively.

Other recurring characters include haughty car dealer Boycie (John Challis), dim-witted road sweeper Trigger (Roger Lloyd-Pack), lorry driver Denzil (Paul Barber), obnoxious spiv Mickey Pearce (Patrick Murray) and bartender Mike (Kenneth MacDonald).

The show achieved consistently high ratings, and the 1996 episode "Time on Our Hands" (originally billed as the last ever episode) holds the record for the highest UK audience for a sitcom episode, attracting over 24.3 million viewers.

Written by John Sullivan
Produced by Ray Butt and Gareth Gwenlan
Directed by Martin Shardlow, Ray Butt, Susan Belbin, Mandie Fletcher and Tony Dow
A BBC Production.
Only Fools & Horses is available to buy here: https://bit.ly/2T0mhQt

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This week we review - The Wilsons Save The World (Series 1 Episode 4)

Michael and Maxine Wilson and their daughters, Lola and Cat have resolved to live a more ethical life.

Millions of people try every day to make 'good' choices and do the 'right thing'. It's hard. Most of us live with hypocrisy and failure all the time but keep on trying. The Wilsons are trying about 20% harder and learning to live with about 19% more failure.

In the last episode in the series Max and Mike attempt to get their heads around the sensitive subject of S.E.X. and technology. Their teenage daughter Cat's latest relationship seems to be mainly conducted through the phone and they fear she doesn't have a clue on the risks attached in sharing intimate images.

However, a full and frank adult conversation seems to be beyond Mike who has hang-ups of his own and Max and Mike's attempt to educate the children on the dangers of pornography on the web leaves Lola simply well-versed in European politics and Cat angry.

Written by Marcus Brigstocke & Sarah Morgan
Produced by Julia McKenzie
A BBC Studios Production.
The Wilsons Save The World is available here: https://amzn.to/2L2eIVb

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

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Get in touch - we're @ComedySlab on Twitter and ComedySlab on Facebook.

This week we review - The Goes Wrong Show (Series 1 Episode 6)

The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society undertake another (overly) ambitious endeavour, held back by prolific over-actor Robert Grove, the screen-hogging Sandra Wilkinson and the artistically mistrusted Dennis Tyde.

Six hand-crafted, half hours of theatrical catastrophe include the gripping courtroom drama 'A Trial to Watch' and World War II spy thriller 'The Pilot' (which is not the pilot).

The Goes Wrong Show is simply Mischief's biggest disaster yet.

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields
Produced by Jim Poyser
Directed by Martin Dennis
A Mischief / Big Talk North Co-production for BBC.
The Goes Wrong Show is available here: https://bbc.in/35oC5l9

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

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This week we review - Frankie Howerd (Series 2 Episode 4)

Originally made for and broadcast on BBC Radio 2, there isn't a huge amount written about this Frankie Howerd show which seems somewhat confused by it's own identity.

Named in listings and on the BBC website as simply 'Frankie Howerd' but rereferred to in the show as 'Frankie Howerd's Illustrious Memoirs' and even named in some quarters as 'The Frankie Howerd Show' (a throwback to his 1966 radio show), this radio show spanned twenty episodes, divided into three series between 1973 and 1975.

A cross between stand up and a meandering sketch show, it was recorded in front of a studio audience with the assistance of June Whitfield, Ray Fell, Olwyn Griffiths and a four piece band.

In this episode, Frankie is accused of being a spy, gets hypnotised and joins a local literary group.

Written by David McKellar & David Nobbs
Produced by David Hatch
A BBC Production.
Frankie Howerd is available here: https://bbc.in/2VVX0ro

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

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This week we review - Kate & Koji (Series 1 Episode 1)

Kate, the working-class owner of an old-fashioned seaside café forms an unexpected and sparky friendship with Koji, an African asylum seeker.

Although from very different worlds, they are similar in ways which they do not recognise, including a dogged determination to never back down!

When the fur does start to fly, Kate's resourceful nephew 'Medium' acts as peacemaker.

Written by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin
Produced by Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin and Debbie Pisani
A Hatrick production for the BBC.
Kate & Koji is available here: https://bit.ly/3b7qk4O

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

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This week we review - Mark Watson Talks A Bit About Life (Series 3 Episode 4)

Radio 4 series from multi-award winning Mark Watson where he reignites his quest to improve the world.

Previous series have seen Mark and his two deputies eradicate the seven deadly sins, promote virtue throughout the world, and broadcast live to the nation allowing the audience to guide Mark's attempts to make the world a better place.

This latest format will see Mark and two henchmen tackle the bigger, more academic and abstract subjects that affect our everyday life, asking big questions that are crucial to our understanding of ourselves and the crazy world around us.

Themes are examined from every angle, torn apart, laughed at and put back together again to help listeners to understand themselves and the world around them, and to make it a slightly better place using stand-up, poetry, songs and dippy interactions.

Written by Mark Watson, Nicola Dempsey & Rosie Dempsey and Jessica Fostekew
Produced by Lianne Coop
An Impatient production for the BBC.
Mark Watson Talks A Bit About Life is available here: https://bbc.in/2RmlQPC

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

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Get in touch - we're @ComedySlab on Twitter and ComedySlab on Facebook.

This week we review - Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (Series 2 Episode 8)

To say that Frank Spencer is a one-man walking disaster area would be somewhat of an understatement.

Although ever enthusiastic and well-intentioned, Frank is entirely feckless.

An accident-prone, underachieving social misfit, he is loved by his wife and no one else; his will to keep going despite it being obvious to everyone else that he is making things worse is not too ingratiating a trait.

Written by Raymond Allen
Directed By Michael Mills & Sidney Lotteryby
Produced by Michael Mills & Sidney Lotteryby
A BBC TV Production
Meet Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em is available here: https://bit.ly/3dTS7qX

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

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This week we review - Meet The Richardsons (Series 1 Episode 4)

A fictional window into the funny and frustrated marriage of Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont.

This comedy series sees stand-up comedians Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont play exaggerated versions of themselves as viewers get a glimpse into their home and work lives, surrounded by their celebrity friends and their Hebden Bridge neighbours.

Meet The Richardsons shows what their neighbours really think of them, the type of birthday party they should have for their daughter Elsie, caravan holidays and Jon's constant refusal to do or go to anything, much to Lucy's annoyance (that part isn't scripted).

Written by Lucy Beaumont & Tim Reid
Directed By Lee Hupfield & Eddie Stafford
Produced by Lee Hupfield & Eddie Stafford
A Second Act production for UKTV
Meet The Richardsosns is available here: https://bit.ly/2vZqv2J

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

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Get in touch - we're @ComedySlab on Twitter and ComedySlab on Facebook.

This week we review - Sally4Ever (Series 1 Episode 1)

Sally4Ever follows the life of Sally, a soon-to-be promoted marketer who, for 10 years, has lived a comfortable and dull suburban life with David.

But on the night he asks her to marry him, Sally has a crisis and embarks on a wild affair with Emma, a seductive, charismatic, boho actress, singer, musician, poet and author.

Before Sally knows it, Emma has moved in, rearranged the furniture and her life. Is this really what Sally wants, or has she made a mistake?

Written by Julia Davis
Directed By Julia Davis
Produced by Phil Clarke
A Various Artists / Hush Ho production for Sky / HBO.
Sally4Ever is available here: https://amzn.to/3b7Jp6q

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 - The Trip (Series 1 Episode 1)

Improvised food-based travel tours with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. The stories are fictional but based around their real personas.

When Steve is commissioned by the food supplement of a Sunday newspaper to review half a dozen restaurants, he decides to mix work with pleasure and plans a trip around the north with his food-loving American girlfriend. But when she decides to leave him and return to the States, Steve is faced with a week of meals for one; not quite the trip he had in mind.

Having exhausted all other options, he reluctantly calls Rob, the only person left he can think of who might be available. Never one to turn down a free lunch (let alone six), Rob agrees and together they set off for a culinary adventure.

Over the course of six meals at six different restaurants in and around the Lake District, Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales, the ultimate odd couple find themselves debating the big questions of life, such as how did I get to be here and where do I go next, over a series of culinary delights.

Written by Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon
Directed By Michael Winterbottom
Produced by Andrew Eaton, Melissa Parmenter, Stefano Negri and Josh Hyams
A Revolution Films / Baby Cow / Arbie / Small Man production for BBC / Sky.
The Trip is available here: https://bbc.in/397CQAg

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

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Get in touch - we're @ComedySlab on Twitter and ComedySlab on Facebook.