We’re sad to hear this week that the BBC will have to axe some of its comedy shows due to budget cuts. Laughter is of course a very important tonic for the soul, especially in ‘these times’, a phrase endlessly repeated nowadays it seems – it’s lost its meaning with its overuse to some extent but we can assume it denotes ‘hard’ times – so yes, all the more reason to keep the laughs coming. Not that the BBC should be held entirely accountable for the joy of the nation but they have long been held in high esteem as the bastion giant of comedy and it seems a shame that a genre that naturally nourishes the spirit has been selected for the cull. However, the reality is that studio-based sitcoms are a particulalrly expensive format to create.
Paul Whitehouse and Harry Enfield's show may be for the axe
Fans of Miranda Hart will breathe a sigh of relief this decision wasn’t reached a few years back, otherwise her self-titled sitcom may not have seen the light of day and she wouldn’t have won three awards last week at The British Comedy Awards. Sadly, it looks as though this could be the case for many talented comics in the future, much to the frustration of BBC Comedy Commissioner Cheryl Taylor who says she’s had to reject great scripts and performers because there aren’t enough broadcast slots for comedy on TV. Looking back on the hits from last year, there need to be difficult decisions made about who will get a second chance.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. Live comedy still has a thriving scene and we’re very excited about our new comedy showcase at Brighton’s Komedia, a great venue and a supportive arena for Funny Women. Our first show on the 12th of February will feature inimitable host Annabel Giles, the fantastic Suzy Bennett and the very intelligent and cheeky Julie Jepson. This is also an opportunity for us to support RISE, a very important charity based in Brighton that supports women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse.
Headlining Komedia is Joanna Neary as seen in BBC's That Mitchell & Webb Look and BBC's Ideal.
This week, we’re also pleased to be featured on WM Magazine, an online magazine for working mums; click here for an interview with Lynne.
And finally, we wanted to share the Paul Whitehouse and Harry Enfield clip that everyone’s been talking about this past few weeks owing to recent events involving Sky (now ex) presenters.. who would have thought that this duo’s comedy is not only very funny but prophetic too? Too much truth in comedy I guess..
