News

Joan is Awful is the first episode of the sixth season of Black Mirror. It is written by Charlie Brooker, directed by Ally Pankiw and stars Salma Hayek, Annie Murphy, and Michael Cera.

This episode is more amusing than terrifying and features Salma Hayek (who mocks her own diction) playing an actress in a series that parodies itself. It is a charming and humorous episode that serves as an excellent appetizer for this sixth season.

Did you expect Charlie Brooker not to take AI beyond imagination? Wait until the end of the episode, where his idea of personalized content for Netflix is quite curious and, although comedic, also frightening.

Storyline

An executive of a tech company finds a program on Netflix that reflects her own life point by point.

Black Mirror: Joan is Awful About “Joan is Awful”

The first episode of this season contains many ideas, and it is a very good start.

Starring Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh, Nathan Barley), and featuring a host of British comedy favourites, including the film's co-writer Simon Farnaby (Horrible Histories, Yonderland) and Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge), anarchic comedy Mindhorn follows a broken down former TV detective as he's drawn into a real-life murder case. With its uniquely British style and play on the dated quirks of vintage television, the film is reminiscent of cult favorites like Garth Merenghi's Darkplace. Washed-up Richard Thorncroft (Julian Barratt) peaked with hit 1980s detective show Mindhorn, playing the titular Isle of Man sleuth with a robotic eye that allowed him to literally “see the truth”. Decades later, when a deranged Manx criminal demands Mindhorn as his nemesis, Thorncroft returns to the scene of his greatest triumphs...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The Mighty Boosh man is a crime-fighting ham actor in his and Simon Farnaby’s new comedy. Ridiculous, but that’s nothing compared with his acid jazz years

Julian Barratt, star of Nathan Barley and one half of the Mighty Boosh, is known for playing mopey misanthropes with raging pretentious streaks. These days, though, he is an action hero. He is in an extremely posh hotel in central London to promote his new movie Mindhorn, where, propped up on an easel, there is a large poster of his character doing a high kick against a fiery explosion. But look a little closer, and you can see a pot belly sticking out of Barratt’s camel polo neck, hanging slightly over his grey polyester slacks. This is not your regular action movie. This is Mindhorn: the story of a past-it actor who may just hold the key to a murder.

The Mighty Boosh and Nathan Barley star Julian Barratt stars as the greatest detective who has never actually existed in upcoming UK comedy Mindhorn. Barratt and his former Boosh cohort Simon Farnaby wrote the screenplay for this one and their very odd stamp is evident throughout the tale of a washed up actor called in by police to take on his most famous role - a television detective with a bionic eye that enables him to see the truth - when a serial killer preying on the Isle Of Man insists on speaking only to the fictional character. Washed-up Richard Thorncroft (Julian Barratt) peaked with hit 1980s detective show Mindhorn, playing the titular Isle of Man sleuth with a robotic eye that allowed him to...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The rise of “Black Mirror” has been a fascinating thing to watch. It first aired fairly quietly in the fall of 2011 on the U.K.’s Channel 4, with a short run of three episodes. It hailed from creator Charlie Brooker who, though he had a couple of TV series behind him (hipster satire “Nathan Barley,” co-created with “Four Lions” helmer Chris Morris, and zombie-reality-tv miniseries “Dead Set”), was best known as a TV critic and on-air personality.

Continue reading Ranking All 13 Episodes Of ‘Black Mirror’ So Far at The Playlist.

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Sad, strange and very funny comedy drama Flowers, feat. Olivia Colman and Julian Barratt, starts tonight on Channel 4…

Julian Barratt has news for you: “We’re all going to die.”

“Spoiler!” says Will Sharpe.

“We’re all in a bit of a horrifying situation” continues Barratt. “The reality of our predicament on the planet is…” he laughs, “quite bleak.”

We’re discussing death and new six-part comedy drama Flowers, written and directed by Sharpe, starring Barratt and Olivia Colman as Maurice and Deborah, heads of the dysfunctional Flowers family. The subject becomes relevant once you see the opening seconds of episode one.

“I used to really like and still do, The Odd Couple, the film with Jack Lemmon and Walther Matthau” says Barratt. “It starts with him wandering about trying to kill himself and he puts his back out. I always find that funny, sort of...

Seeso is slated to have you laughing into the New Year. The new ad-free streaming comedy service will launch Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises announced this morning. “We think the world needs more laughter, so we put together what we think is the best collection of comedy in one place,” NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises executive vice president Evan Shapiro said in a statement. “Come, seeso for yourself.” In addition to fan favorites (“30 Rock”), cult classics (“Nathan Barley”), curated films ("Monty Python"), and late-night talkies (“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”), the streaming service is rolling out 2,000 hours of original content. For $3.99 per month, subscribers will get daily Seeso-exclusive content with five original series like “The Cyanide & Happiness Show” and “The Ucb Show” (from hosts, creators, and Upright Citizens Brigade founders Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh), two standup specials, and—in a push for live content via streaming...

Bifa-winning writer, director, presenter and actor Richard Ayoade will host the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards. Richard was nominated for two BIFAs and a BAFTA for his debut film "Submarine" and won the Bifa for Best Screenplay. He starred in "The Watch" with Jonah Hill and co-wrote and directed "The Double," starring Jesse Eisenberg. He won a BAFTA for playing Moss in "The It Crowd" and featured in "Nathan Barley," "Time Trumpet" and "The Mighty Boosh," as well as Garth Marenghi’s "Dark Place," which he also co-wrote and directed. His first book, "Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic...

Director and comic actor to take over hosting duties for the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards.

Bifa-winning writer, director, presenter and actor Richard Ayoade is to host the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards, set to take place on Dec 6 at Old Billingsgate in London.

Ayoade was nominated for two BIFAs and a BAFTA for his debut film Submarine and won the Bifa for Best Screenplay.

He starred in The Watch with Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill, and co-wrote and directed The Double, starring Jesse Eisenberg.

Ayoade won a BAFTA for playing Moss in The It Crowd and featured in TV comedies Nathan Barley, Time Trumpet and The Mighty Boosh, as well as Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place, which he also wrote and directed.

His first book, Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic Odyssey, was published by Faber & Faber in 2014.

Ayoade said: “I have come to accept that I am now contracted to host this year’s Moët...

Daniel Radcliffe and Bill Paxton star in The Gamechangers, a drama about the making of the Grand Theft Auto series. Any good? Not exactly...

Nb: The following contains spoilers.

How do you make an interesting film about coding a videogame? It sounds like a difficult subject to dramatise on the face of it. But ultimately, all great stories are more about the relationships between characters than what they do for a living. A movie that contained nothing but boxing matches for 100 continuous minutes would leave audiences reeling. The Rocky movies were approximately 90 percent drama to 10 percent boxing, and audiences, for the most part, flocked to see them.

BBC's The Gamechangers takes the Rocky approach to Grand Theft Auto - specifically, the making of 2004's hit sequel San Andreas, the controversy surrounding a hidden sex scene on the disc, and the legal tussle that followed. In its dramatisation of real events,...

When held up to the heady heights of its BAFTA-winning spiritual predecessor Twenty Twelve, the first series of W1A fell short on occasions.

But with a new series opener in which a high-level management power struggle starts simmering alongside the usual japes, hi-jinks and gaffes at Broadcasting House, the BBC's self-flagellating satire is at last hitting its stride.

Hugh Bonneville's still the star of the show as Ian Fletcher, keeping a sharp focus on charter renewal as his contemporaries in the Way Ahead Task Force fall over themselves (almost literally at one point) to get one over on their professional rivals. There's whispers of a new senior post at stake, and everyone seems to have their eye on it.

Following his fall from grace at the end of the last series after a newspaper sting exposing both his handsome salary and close relationship with his former Olympic Deliverance Commission Pa Sally,...

To celebrate the return of W1A, we salute the top 10 comedy characters who talk absolute mother-thumping rubbish…

Yesnobrilliantverygoodverystrong. As satirical BBC mockumentary W1A returns tonight for a triumphant second series, we celebrate TV comedy’s rich lineage of jargon fans.

Drawn from across the political spectrum and from TV’s most biting depictions of the worlds of business, government, technology and the media, these guys are master obfuscators. They're neologism-coiners and proponents of the kind of abuses to the English language that, in a just world, would see them locked up and force fed copies of The Elements Of Style.

From The Thick Of It to Peep Show, Yes Minister, The Office, Nathan Barley, The Day Today, and Drop The Dead Donkey, across the Pond to 30 Rock and Silicon Valley, we present TV comedy's top ten full-of-it jargon-meisters.

Stewart Pearson - The Thick Of It

Who is he?...

We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting the recent independent horror news sent our way. Today's feature includes screening details on Avenged and Serpent's Lullaby, a new Hayride 2 trailer, concept teaser and production details for The Void, first details on short film Paralysis, and more:

Details on Q&A Screenings of Avenged: "Avenged is showing at the Arena Cinemas in Hollywood from March 6. Uncork’d Entertainment will release the critically acclaimed Avenged at Arena Cinemas Hollywood on March 6, 2015.

As part of the opening night celebrations, the 10:15 Pm screening on Friday March 6 will be followed by a Q&A with cast and crew - including star Amanda Adrienne and director Michael S. Ojeda.

A second Q&A session will be held after the Sunday March 8 6:30 Pm screening.

These two Q&A sessions are Exclusive to Los Angeles. A lethal injection of scares, thrills, romance,...

Originally published two years ago, we re-present our look back at Nathan Barley to mark its 10-year anniversary

10 years since Channel 4 aired Nathan Barley, Charlie Brooker's "self-facilitating media node" has gone from absurdist parody to frightening reality.

A flop when it originally aired, but a cult hit on DVD, Nathan Barley is love-it-or-hate it telly. From Brass Eye creator Chris Morris, it was edgy, raw and often hilarious.

Brimming with up-and-coming talent like Brooker (Dead Set), Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh), and fellow Booshers Noel Fielding and Richard Ayoade, as well as some blink-and-you'll-miss-'em cameos from Stephen Mangan (Episodes), Mat Horne (Gavin & Stacey) and Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch, we think it's time Nathan Barley was given the praise it deserved.

Inspired by a mock TV show called C**t from Brooker's satirical TVGoHome website, the show follows two East Londoners: Nathan Barley (Nicholas Burns), the "self facilitating media...

Should you be watching Matt Berry comedy show Toast Of London on Channel 4? In the words of Stephen Toast... Yes!

Did you know that musical star Michael Ball has double the amount of blood in his body as that of the average human? It's what allows him to belt out those big notes.

If you watched Series 1 of Toast Of London then you'll already know that's true.

But if you didn't know and didn't watch, then that's entirely not your fault. After a strong pilot, Channel 4 took the first series of Matt Berry and Arthur Matthews' comedy about failing actor Steven Toast (Berry) and buried it in the late hour soil of Sunday nights, in a time slot so obscure you'd need a TV guide, compass, shovel, and remote to find it.

Fortunately the Rose D'Or committee still managed to unearth it on 4Od - no doubt...

The imminent threat of nuclear war is at the forefront in War Book, Tom Harper’s exhilarating political thriller that posits the world shattering implications of global nuclear warfare in the 21st century. Taking place primarily in one board room with only eight characters, the film is an exceptional display of suspenseful filmmaking and perfectly pitched acting that brings the legacy of the Cold War into stark focus and brings home the still chillingly real danger that the world, and specifically the UK, faces from nuclear annihilation.

In a room somewhere in one of the UK government’s London offices, a group of staffers convene for a meeting that is unlike any other. They have gathered to run the War Book scenario; a hypothetical role play that has been in place since the end of World War II. It allows for the group to take on the roles of high...

If you like twisted, but funny and intelligent television, you should definitely check out Channel 4's Black Mirror. Created by Charlie Brooker (Dead Set, Nathan Barley) Black Mirror is a British anthology series, with a different cast and setting for each episode. Brooker has said his series is "about the way we live now . and the way we might be living in 10 minutes' time if we're clumsy," with others describing it as "a hybrid of The Twilight Zone and Tales of the Unexpected...

Ophelia Lovibond will play Kitty Winter, Sherlock's new protege in Elementary season three...

News

With Watson out of the Brownstone, and Holmes having agreed to become an MI6 company man, the Elementary season two finale left the crime-solving twosome in disarray (or at least, in enough seeming disarray to make for a dramatic season three reunion).

Part of that upset is likely to come from one Kitty Winter, described as "Sherlock's latest protege" and played by English actress Ophelia Lovibond (Mr Sloane, Titanic: Blood And Steel, Nathan Barley).

A character named Kitty Winter, as Conan Doyle readers will know, featured in later Holmes story The Adventure Of The Illustrious Client as a young woman seeking revenge on a former lover and womanising scoundrel and murderer with a noble daughter in his current grasp. Will that be the case that throws Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock and Ms Winter together?...

Feature Sarah Dobbs 3 Apr 2014 - 07:00

What have Matthew Holness, Richard Ayoade, Alice Lowe and Matt Berry been up to in the decade since Garth Marenghi's Darkplace?

It’s been ten years now since author, visionary, and dreamweaver Garth Marenghi’s legendary horror TV show, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, was rescued from a vault in Peru and broadcast to a largely unappreciative audience.

Or, you know, in the reality we actually inhabit, it’s been ten years since a group of comedians donned 80s costumes and pretended to be aging filmmakers commenting on their own ‘lost’ series. Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace was a perfect send-up of both trashy low-budget horror and science fiction productions and pompous creators, as a bewigged Matthew Holness straight-facedly explained the unique genius of his horror writing alter ego even as his greatest creation, Dr Rick Dagless M.D., mugged away in the background.

It was a ludicrously high concept show,...

The British techno-anxiety anthology series "Black Mirror" was one of the best things to sneak onto U.S. television last year (via DirecTV's Audience Network) -- check out our review here. The series originally ran for two three-episode seasons on the U.K.'s Channel 4 in 2011 and 2013, and now creator Charlie Brooker has promised that at least two more episodes are on the way. Brooker broke the news on a BBC Radio show hosted by Lauren Laverne, saying "There will be more -- I don't think I'm allowed to say quite when. There's going to be some and then there's going to be some more -- you'll get one helping and then there'll be another helping." Brooker, who also created the zombie series "Dead Set" and wrote episodes of "Brass Eye," "The 11 O'Clock Show" and "Nathan Barley," currently hosts BBC Two series "Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe." Of...

Benedict Cumberbatch is having one of those moments that actors dream of, where they are suddenly not only acclaimed for their work, but given opportunity to play a wide range of roles in material that they genuinely love. "Sherlock" may have been the thing that finally made him wildly in-demand, but he's been building towards this moment for a little while now, and he seems to be cherishing it now that it's arrived. I don't remember him from "Fortysomething" or "Nathan Barley," but I must have seen him in them. Same with "Starter For 10" or "Amazing Grace." It was "Atonement"...

As its title suggests, the terrific British anthology series "Black Mirror" is meant to offer a darker reflection of ourselves and where we are as a society as technology continues to shape our lives. The mirror in question isn't just allegorical -- it could also refer to the many shiny surfaces into which we peer on a regular basis -- like that of, say, an iPhone or a flatscreen TV. The series, which premieres in the U.S. tonight, November 12 at 9pm on DirecTV's Audience Network, takes place in a variety of futures and alternate universes that aren't all that removed from our present reality. Some, like the first installment, "The National Anthem," are speculative without being sci-fi, and without introducing elements that would make what unfolds impossible today. The six stand-alone stories, the majority of which are written by series creator Charlie Brooker ("Brass Eye," "Dead Set," "Nathan Barley...

The Fast Show's Simon Day is to star in a new comedy for BBC Four.

Rock Ratatouille is a new-three part spoof music documentary fronted by award-winning art rocker Brian Pern (Day).

The series - which promises "a host of cameos from the world of music" - is co-written written by Day and Rhys Thomas (Nathan Barley).

The channel has also picked up a new drama acquisition from Ireland - Amber is a psychological thriller following the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl.

Eva Birthistle (Waking The Dead) leads the cast of the four-parter, which examines the twists and turns of the teenager's disappearance from several different perspectives.

BBC Two has also announced a raft of new commissions in drama and factual, including wartime drama 37 Days with Ian McDiarmid (Star Wars) and racing documentary Idris Elba: King of Speed.

News Louisa Mellor 24 Jul 2013 - 15:00

The Fonz is joining Parks And Recreation season six as Jean-Ralphio and Mona-Lisa's father...

Those keeping pace with the UK broadcasts of Parks And Recreation will have met Jean-Ralphio Saperstein (Ben Schwartz), Tom Haverford's garrulous, walking internet meme of a chum (think of him as Nathan Barley in need of a truck-full of Ritalin), but the pleasure of meeting his equally awful twin sister, Mona-Lisa (Jenny Slate) is yet to come. So too is the joy of meeting the loins whence the pair sprang, Mr Saperstein.

The London-set season six premiere will make just that introduction, with Happy Days and Arrested Development's Henry Winkler stepping in to fill the role.

Winkler's is the latest guest casting for season six, which has already nabbed Kristen Bell to play an Eagleton (boo!) councilwoman who comes up against Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope.

The Fonz, Ron Swanson,...

Exclusive: Adeel Akhtar, Kerry Fox, Sophie Okenedo, Antony Sher, Ben Chaplin among cast.

Sixteen Films and Archer’s Mark thriller War Book is underway in London.

For production details visit

War Book

Director Tom Harper and writer Jack Thorne team on the feature, announced by ScreenDaily during Cannes.

The ensemble cast comprises Adeel Akhtar (Four Lions), Nicholas Burns (Nathan Barley), Ben Chaplin (The Thin Red Line) Shaun Evans (Boy A), Kerry Fox (Bright Star), Phoebe Fox (One Day), Sophie Okenedo (Hotel Rwanda), Antony Sher (Shakespeare in Love) and Nathan Stewart Jarrett (Misfits).

How I Live Now and A Long Way Down writer Thorne has scripted the thriller about the aftermath of an international nuclear attack, played out in the political backrooms of London.

Lauren Dark of Sixteen Films produces with Harper, alongside Mike Brett and Steve Jamison of Archer’s Mark executive producing alongside Ivana MacKinnon of Stray Bear Productions.

Harper told ScreenDaily:...

He may be heading up cinema's two biggest spacefaring franchises now, but Star Trek Into Darkness helmer Jj Abrams got his start in television - with the likes of Lost, Alias and Fringe all under his belt...

It's perhaps no surprise then that many of the sci-fi blockbuster's cast members also got their start on the small screen - this week's Friday Fiver explores the TV roots of Benedict Cumberbatch, Zachary Quinto and more...

> Friday Fiver - Two Pints, 'Orrible and more: The UK's 5 Worst Sitcoms

> Friday Fiver - Glee, Grey's Anatomy: Five TV shows that should end

Zachary Quinto

Before he donned the most famous prosthetic ears in Hollywood, 35-year-old Quinto played a shifty CTU analyst in the third season of Fox's 24 and later took on the role of one of TV's most hissable villains - sinister Sylar in Heroes.

He hasn't abandoned television in the wake of...

The latest story from the dark mind of Charlie Brooker was unleashed in last night's creepy and unnerving episode of Black Mirror.

The professional ranter and part-time TV writer is one of the most in-demand talents on British TV, splitting his time between endless comedy, drama and entertainment projects over the last couple of years.

From the silliness of Touch of Cloth, the political commentary of 10 O'Clock Live to the sinister Black Mirror series, Brooker always delivers the goods.

Digital Spy has looked back at his finest work and picked out six of his best since he made the move from TVGoHome satirist to fully-fledged TV comic.

Dead Set

Mixing his love for horror films with his morbid curiosity for Big Brother, Dead Set was a surprising, shocking and twisted five-part zombie thriller that was much more exciting than anything real that's happened in the Celebrity Big Brother house since...

One of our recurring segments on The Televerse is The DVD Shelf, where guests come on to talk with us about one of their favorite series no longer on the air. Here is a library of the DVD Shelfs and guest segments we’ve done so far so listeners can catch up with our back catalog. Enjoy!

30 for 30 Season 1 (Make-You-Watch-athon)

Awake with Sean Ingram

Batman: the Animated Series with Gabe Bucsko

Battlestar Galactica (2003) with Josh Spiegel

Better Off Ted with Josh Spiegel

Blackadder with Les Chappell

Brass Eye with Derek Gladu

Buffy the Vampire Slayer with David Bax

Capone’s Horror Picks 1 (Duel, Salem’s Lot)

Cheers with David Bax

Chuck with Shawn Keown

Coupling (UK) with Erik Bondourant

Dead Like Me with Amrie Cunningham

Deadwood with Previously On

Doctor Who (Make-You-Watch-athon)

Fawlty Towers with Michael Rice

Firefly with Justine Smith

Freaks and Geeks with Corey Atad

Friday Night Lights...

A friend and I once came up with something called “The 98% rule”, which states that 98% of things – especially people – aren’t worth bothering about. Instead, you should celebrate and cherish the 2% you find worthwhile. So whilst the majority of television these days is made up of a tired mish-mash of soaps, panel shows, reality shows and programmes about professionals, amateurs, celebrities or children that can cook, that when something different comes along, it’s worth celebrating the 2% originality.

Step forward Charlie Brooker, whose wonderfully warped Black Mirror series returns for a three episode run this week. Brooker’s been gathering momentum for well over a decade now, and has remained one of the most original and entertaining writers, commentators and presenters in the UK. Here’s my list of his 10 finest moments…

10. TVGoHome

The Brooker entry point (that already sounds like a late night drama series) for me was this...

[Now with added trailer.]Though scarcely known outside of the UK, critic turned writer-director Charlie Brooker is considered something of a giant within certain circles in the UK. As a writer he made his splash early, the enormously controversial Pedophilia episode of Chris Morris' brilliant investigative journalism send up Brass Eye standing as his second formal credit. The collaboration with Morris would later continue with Brooker penning a great deal of Morris' television series Nathan Barley, a show that was considered relatively minor at the time but seems weirdly prescient now. Brooker's dominant field is media satire and while that generally falls into relatively straightforward formats he has increasingly been plying his trade in more genre friendly, narratively driven packages. His 2008 show Dead Set put...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

British comedy may not be in quite as healthy a position as it used to be, but for good reason classic shows like Fawlty Towers, Only Fools & Horses and Rising Damp are still counted as among the best British TV products of all time, while relatively newer shows like The Inbetweeners, The Office and Shameless have inspired Us spin-offs. The success of the shows relies on the strength of their writing and even more so the appeal of their characters – they are the charismatic anchors who inspire audiences to return, with eminently quotable catch-phrases and immediately recognisable quirks.

As a lifelong lover of British comedy, I’ve created a list of 50 characters (no more than one per show) representing what I feel to be the best of the genre. So without further ado, I present in alphabetical order The 50 Greatest Fictional UK TV Comedy Characters of All Time.

1. Sir Humphrey Appleby – Yes,...

Revisiting 18 years of pop culture, from Arrested Development to Skins, as well as a little-known show called The Wire

2004: Wardrobe malfunction

Spotted! Grime "Alternatively called 8 bar, sub-low or eski… there's no particular structure, just an average 136+ Bpm, lots of speaker-shattering bass, and tales of girls, guns, drug-dealing and the ultimate crowd-pleaser, 'slewing' – slagging off the competition a la Eminem in 8 Mile." Hattie Collins merks it

Jesus wept "If you're a male flagellation buff out for a night on the town with the girlfriend who hates Jerry Seinfeld and the rest of the children of Israel, I honestly can't think of a better date flick." Joe Queenan spots Mel Gibson's antisemitic streak in The Passion Of The Christ

Sign of the times The iTunes Music Store launches in June. "If one aspect of the iTunes Store might give the serious music fan pause," writes Andrew Mueller, "it is this: the rock'n'roll album,...

Our favourite new TV mockumentary, the battle of the catwomen – and a call for students to contribute to the Guardian

Pirate radio on the TV?

We're really hoping that People Just Do Nothing, the 20-minute mockumentary about a pirate radio station, gets commissioned for a series. Ali G meets The Office. It's brillianOn BBC iPlayer now.

Cat fight

Christopher Bale returns as Batman this Friday in The Dark Knight Rises. But really it's all about Catwoman. Can Anne Hathaway better Michelle Pfeiffer's 1992 portrayal? We doubt it.

Posh camping

What's going on with the word camping? We started with glamping - a terrible attempt to make sleeping in a damp tent seem glamorous. Now we have campbling (one up from glamping), glamavan(the word van will never conjure up glamour,) and chillamping (camping in the cold), which is definitely preferable to wamping – wet camping. Sadly the latter is the most...

It’s a mixed bag for Simon and Kate this time. In a week with several notable season finales, some live up to expectations and some live down. After breezing through Kate’s Roundup, we look at the rest of the week, taking particular time with the Fringe finale, Mad Men, Sherlock, and, one final time, Smash, which also aired its season finale. Then we spotlight the season finale of Parks and Rec, “Win, Lose, or Draw” before welcoming Chris Gore from Attack of the Show back on, this time to the DVD Shelf, where we look at Chris Morris and Charlie Brooker’s 2005 cult series, Nathan Barley.

Other shows covered this week: Cougar Town, The Voice finale, the Around the World in 80 Plates premiere, Community, The Vampire Diaries finale, Supernatural, the Himym finale, the New Girl finale, 30 Rock, Eagleheart, Awake, Bob’s Burgers, Girls, and Veep.

Download the chaptered...

Tommy Lee Edwards, the renowned illustrator for Marvel and Lucasfilm, has joined forces with Edgar Wright, award-winning director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, to create a world first innovative animated story with Internet Explorer called Brandon Generator.

The Mighty Boosh and Nathan Barley star Julian Barratt is narrating the story and there is music by David Holmes new project ‘Unloved’ (a collaboration between David Holmes, Keefus Green and Jade Vincent). Each episode will call on fans to crowd source specific elements of the story, allowing them to help shape this interactive noir-inspired series.

The story has been developed exclusively in HTML5 to showcase the stunning visual experiences possible in modern web browsers and unique functionality of Internet Explorer; with Pinning used to provide access to exclusive extras and Jump Lists providing direct links to apps and crowd-sourcing options.

To watch the teaser and find out how you...

Dr Mumbo always enjoys the innovative ideas that emerge from SxSW every year, and 2012′s event is off to a strong start with Bbh’s brainchild “Homeless hotspots“. It refers not to the itinerant population of SxSW attendees, but rather homeless people carrying wireless networks for the convenience of attendees.

“SxSW Interactive attendees can pay what they like to access 4G networks carried by our homeless collaborators. This service is intended to deliver on the demand for better transit connectivity during the conference”.

Dr Mumbo is somewhat reminded of Nathan Barley’s favourite website Online Russian Tramp Racing, featuring compelling call to action “ Pick your hobo.”

(Ht @commuter_dirge)...

Charlie Brooker’s pack of 3 stand-alone shows has certainly raised eyebrows with its controversial content but has won plaudits both from critics and the viewing public. The final episode aired last night and the series has left many thinking he should be up for some awards come ceremony time. Does he deserve a BAFTA? Many think so, and if he does achieve that recognition it will have been quite a journey for a man who was once known merely as a venomous critic, spitting vitriol over prime time television.

When the big HBO shows were first aired on this side of the pond I excitedly tuned in every Sunday evening to watch these soon-to-be classics. The Sopranos, Deadwood and 6 Feet Under were like nothing I’d seen before. At the same time I was a regular reader of The Guide, the Guardian’s Saturday supplement, in which Charlie Brooker wrote his Screen Burn column.

Through his collaboration with Chris Morris writing Nathan Barley, to his insightful Screenwipe TV series and often hilarious Guardian newspaper columns, Charlie Brooker has established himself not only as one of the country’s most influential satirists, but also as a foremost media commentator. Today, at least for the left, he is as much part of the zeitgeist as the TV shows he trashes to bits. All of the above shows – as well as his well regarded Big Brother zombie apocalypse mini-series Dead Set - share at their core a fascination with how we engage with media, often with added emphasis on the technology involved and how that continues to change our society.

These concerns are once again in the foreground of new three-part series Black Mirror, which tells three stand alone horror stories very much in the spirit of The Twilight Zone. But these are highly satirical modern nightmares...

As the new James Bond 007 film, "Skyfall," starts to come into focus, we're getting some idea about what to expect just based on the casting in the film.  And by far, one of the most exciting details to emerge for old-school Bond fans is the idea that we're finally going to see the return of Q branch in this new film in the form of Ben Whishaw. I really dug Whishaw in "Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer," and he's been interesting in things like the TV series "Nathan Barley" and the film "Stoned," where he played Keith Richards.  I'm...

Robert Webb has revealed that he auditioned for Chris Morris and Charlie Brooker's 2005 sitcom Nathan Barley. The Peep Show star told Digital Spy that he was excited to have read for a role in the show, even though he did not win the part. Asked if he would be interested in working with Morris, Webb said: "Oh god, yes. I'm a huge, huge fan of Chris Morris. I think he's a genius, and it is not a word I use very often. I think he's fantastic. "I did do an audition/improvisation for Nathan Barley with him once, and that was a thrill in itself - I didn't get anything, but it was a pleasure to sit in a room with him. I think he's great." Nathan Barley co-creator Brooker said in 2008 that a second series of the show (more)...

The best of your comments on the latest films and music

I can't fathom why Patrick Wolf isn't an international superstar," said rippinupthedisco, commenting on Alexis Petridis's four-star review of Lupercalia, Wolf's new album. "There really is no other artist to compare Patrick Wolf to and perhaps this is the reason why he has struggled to sell himself where 'who is safe' and 'what has gone before' dominate."

Alexis had pondered that very matter in his review. One reason he didn't offer was the experience suffered by Becks66. Perhaps because it's the kind of gig experience few of us are likely ever to suffer: "I've only seen him live once … and the evening was spoiled by the masses of drunk, coked-up public school brats in the crowd, all in ballgowns and dinner jackets, stamping on and pushing anyone around them and going on and on very loudly about how expensive all their shit was.

The It star Richard Ayoade goes down the irony-heavy route for his directorial debut – but his comedy about a Swansea teenager's love life is also sweet and very funny.

Richard Ayoade probably first came to public attention by appearing in Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, a spoof horror television series by Matthew Holness about a psychogeographically troubled Romford hospital built over the gates of hell. Since then, he has written, directed and acted in TV shows including The Mighty Boosh, Nathan Barley and The It Crowd, and also directed an Arctic Monkeys video. But nothing in his CV prepared me for the confidence and panache of the debut movie feature now being sprung on us.

It's a dark coming-of-age comedy about a lovelorn teenage boy in 1980s Swansea, written and directed by Ayoade, adapted from a novel by Joe Dunthorne, and executive produced by Ben Stiller, who appears in a subliminal cameo.

If British comedians insist on crossing over to the big screen, they need to pay more attention to narrative and character development

Is there anything British comedians can't do? Not content with dominating the airwaves with their comedy shows, chat and quiz shows, they've been branching out into journalism, novels and, increasingly, the movies. And I'm not just talking about performing, though nowadays it's hard to escape Russell Brand, who popped up in The Tempest, will shortly be heard as voice of the Easter Bunny in Hop, and seen as Arthur in the remake of a film that starred Dudley Moore, another British TV comedian who was (briefly) clutched to the bosom of Hollywood.

No, because here comes Richard Ayoade, best known for roles in Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Nathan Barley and The It Crowd, making his feature writing and directing debut with Submarine. Also coming soon to a multiplex near you is Attack the Block,...

He's the It Crowd über-geek who has been labelled the 'coolest man in London'. Now Richard Ayoade has made his first feature film. But it's not something to boast about, he tells Alexis Petridis

The man the NME once referred to as the coolest in London sits in the Soho offices of a film distribution company, wearing a blue polka-dot shirt and an expression of absolute mortification. The offices are at his disposal because they're working on his directorial debut; the expression stems from the fact that I've just told him about that NME accolade. "When did that happen?" frowns Richard Ayoade. "Right. Well, that's an error. I've no idea why they would think that. That does seem to be a category error. That's all I can say about that."

But then again, it swiftly transpires that being mortified is very much Richard Ayoade's thing. He seems embarrassed by...

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Ask any American what they know about British pop culture and chances are they will tell that they love The Office and Extras with that guy who does the embarrassing comedy stuff. Beyond that they probably know of nothing since Monty Python. British television, especially comedy, extends so much further than some fat bloke from Reading that we feel it is our duty to introduce you to some of the finest imports the 51st state has to offer. So if you need a last item here or there for a lover of comedy, all are top quality stocking stuffers, most are available easily, and none of them have anything to do with Ricky Gervais.

The League of Gentlemen: The Collection

DVD - $55.99

{amazon}B0007Y0982{/amazon}

A horror themed sitcom that is as funny as it is strange. Set in...

This Christmas, a season of autobiographical comic shorts, "Little Crackers", brings some of Britain's best-loved comedy stars to Sky 1 HD.

In a collection of comedic short films, a raft of A-list comedy names write, narrate and star in dramatisations of stories from their pasts. The all-star line-up includes Catherine Tate, Dawn French, Kathy Burke, David Baddiel, Meera Syal and Stephen Fry. Victoria Wood, Bill Bailey and Julia Davis will also pen and star in films that they will also direct.

Stephen Fry will play his former headmaster in a tale from his time at boarding school in "Bunce: A Christmas Tale". The young Stephen will be played by Outnumbered star Daniel Roche (also to be seen this Christmas starring in Just William).

Catherine Tate's film will chart a memory from her primary school when she was denied a part in the Nativity play. But some creative bargaining by her...

Chris Morris may not be a household name in the U.S. But in Britain, he is an extremely well known writer, comic performer, media prankster, and all-around agent provocateur. Certainly, he is the only man to get a British MP to gravely ruminate in the House of Commons about an entirely made-up drug called “cake.”

Morris made his TV reputation in the early ’90s with fake news show The Day Today, on which his demented if convincing anchorman routinely declaimed such hilariously nonsensical headlines as “’Brian Ferry Bath Mat Poisonous,’ Say Lab” and “News!!! London Transport Say They May...

The Story Of F***

Stars: Finlay Robertson, Tamsin Egerton, Joe Absolom, Danny Webb, Lee Boardman, Ameet Chana, Andrew Thomas Jones, Desire Dubounet | Written by Adam & James Abadi | Directed by James Abadi

Lewis Sipricosh (Robertson) is a frustrated A & R at Kosmos Records looking for the next big act to impress his deranged music boss. Aided by his beautiful intern Daisy (Egerton) they decide to unleash a band called Fuck on UK music lovers – the problem is that the band members can’t sing or play their instruments. But when has that ever stopped a group from being successful?

Wow. Just wow. Where do you start with a film like The Story of F***? I’ll tell you where we start, lets start with how I felt after the film had finished… Not so much The Story of F*** more like “What the F***?”, this film is one of the most...

Alan Ball, the genius behind Six Feet Under and True Blood, has a new pilot in the works based on the Charlie Huston novel The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death, which tells the story of a slacker who joins a ragtag crime scene clean-up crew in Los Angeles.

The pilot was only announced at the beginning of the month, and already ball has cast the lead and his best friend. Entertainment Weekly are reporting that Ben Whishaw (Nathan Barley, Brideshead Revisited) has landed the role of the cleaner, Webster Fillmore Goodhue; with Clayne Crawford (24) cast as Goodhue best friend, who works in a tattoo parlour.

The series comes from HBO, the “home” of Alan Ball, so hopefully The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death will be included in the Sky deal.

Yes, British actors are doing well in Hollywood, but for some comedy fans, it's a stretch to believe in these all-new heroes

The new wave of young British actors firmly planting their mast on the Hollywood Boulevard continues apace. Inception's Tom Hardy has just been confirmed as the lead in This Means War, Charlie's Angels director McG's new action/comedy with Reese Witherspoon. And Ben Whishaw – who'll forever be remembered to comedy fans as the feeble Pingu in Nathan Barley, no matter how many times he plays Keats – has been cast as the lead in a new HBO pilot by Alan Ball (True Blood, Six Feet Under). All Signs of Death is based on a 2009 Charlie Huston novel, and sees Whishaw playing an La crime-scene cleaner who falls in love with a victim's daughter. Which sounds positively idyllic compared to the hardships Pingu suffered at the hands of Barley.