Geoffrey Perkins tribute to feature in British Comedy Awards show

This year's British Comedy Awards on ITV1 will feature a tribute to the late comedy producer, writer and performer Geoffrey Perkins.

Perkins, who died on August 29, worked on some of the most popular comedies from the past three decades, including I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Spitting Image, The Fast Show and Have I Got News for You.

He was a familiar face at the annual British Comedy Awards ceremony and a number of the shows he executive produced won prizes down the years, including The Catherine Tate Show and Father Ted.

It is thought the celebration of his life will feature clips and tributes from former colleagues such as Rowan Atkinson and Harry Enfield.

"We're looking to honour Geoffrey Perkins in some way but it's too early to be specific yet," a show insider said.

Perkins' most recent production to air was BBC1 comedy Harry and Paul.

He had also been co-executive producing Horne and Corden, new BBC3 sketch show starring Gavin & Stacey stars Mathew Horne and James Corden.

Former head of BBC comedy Perkins' long list of credits also includes the radio series of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Ben Elton's The Thin Blue Line.

Since 2001, he had worked for independent production company Tiger Aspect Productions, where he helped propel Catherine Tate to fame and also oversaw ITV1 sitcom Benidorm.

Learn The True Secrets Of Comedy!

The Secret Policeman's Balls Up

No other type of entertainment requires as much guts as live comedy. To get up in front of an audience of strangers with the explicit intention of making them laugh is something very few sane people would dare attempt. Fail and you 'die', suffering the kind of public humiliation that would render most of us hopeless psychological wrecks.

So why is it that so many British comedians are prepared to run that risk with such lame material? Or to put it another way, why do they lack the conviction of their courage?

Last week on Channel 4, a host of British comedians filed on to the stage of Royal Albert Hall to take part in the Secret Policeman's Ball 2008.

Commissioned to raise money for Amnesty International, the show was obviously for a good cause. Yet there's no cause, however worthy, if you're a comedian, that obviates the need to be funny.

And sure enough, the likes of Peter Cook, John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson and Billy Connolly have provided previous Secret Policeman's Balls with some of Britain's finest live comedy moments.

This year, Frank Skinner talked about peeing and having sex 'doggy style' (though not as a simultaneous activity). Jonathan Ross discussed his long testicles. Alan Carr camped on about Botox and blow jobs. And Russell Howard told a story about his brother's erection during an epileptic fit, which was, if you can imagine, less funny than it sounds.

So it went on, one comic after another, dredging the shallows of their pseudo-experiences to come up with ersatz laughter. With all its lavatorial humour and sexual desperation, the Secret Policeman's Ball was the stand-up equivalent of one of Britain's binge-drunk urban centres on a Saturday night at chucking- out time.

BBC1's New Comedy To Bring Sunshine To The Autumn

Sunshine BBC1, Tuesday, 9pm WITH the combination of comedians Steve Coogan and Craig Cash, surely this comedy will be dynamite? We will have to wait and see, but it is definitely one to stick in your diary this week.

Steve Coogan plays Bob 'Bing' Cosby, a likeable chap with natural wit and optimism that is infectious to all those around him. The only problem is his inability to resist gambling a few quid on the occasional bet.

Bernadette, his childhood sweetheart and mother of their son, Joe, loves Bing for the person she's known all her life and, although she doesn't approve of and is often infuriated by his casual betting, she always reluctantly forgives him.

When Bing's gambling develops into something more serious than the occasional bet and the risks he takes become greater, it's no longer just a few quid that Bing stands to lose - potentially, it's everything.

The three-part series is written by Craig Cash and Phil Mealey, the teambehind the BBC's hit comedy Early Doors and co-writers of the Bafta award-winning The Royle Family - Queen Of Sheba. What more can you say?

Russell Brand's comedy hour

Russell Brand has been contracted to shoot a one-hour stand-up special in the US.

The British comedian - who has made a name for himself in America in movies such as 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' as well as hosting the recent MTV Video Music Awards - will tape the show in November, for airing in 2009.

The special will feature Russell along with "an eclectic roster of special guests".

Speaking about the Comedy Central programme, Russell said: "Comedy Central is the home of 'South Park', 'The Daily Show' and 'The Sarah Silverman Program'. I am thrilled to have such esteemed neighbours - particularly Sarah whom I shall be constantly troubling for cups of sugar and milk, breast milk."

Russell recently revealed he is keen to host the Academy Awards next year, and thinks he would be the perfect presenter.

He said: "I noticed there was an article in the Los Angeles Times newspaper saying that I should host the Oscars. So, I am available. I wrote it though, with a crayon. 'Why Russell Brand should host the Oscars', by Russell Brand!

"I think the Oscars would be a lovely challenge. What a day out! People would not be upset. They would have the Oscar ceremony of their lives. It would cheer people up during this time of economic crisis. What you need to do is take a few risks, that's my words.

"I will host the Oscars. Unless I've got all madly revolutionary by then and capitalism is already collapsing."

Article Source www.myparkmag.co.uk

More British Sitcoms Cross The Atlantic

The latest Britcoms to be given a makeover for broadcast in the USA include Steve Coogan's Saxondale, Nighty Night and Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt's The Mighty Boosh all are being rewritten and recast for American television companies such as NBC and Showtime, And the hit UK show little Briton , although this is somewhat unique as being written by and starring the same people in Matt Lucas and David Walliams.


British comedy programs have not always worked when transported across the Atlantic. Although some have won a cult following, such as Are You Being Served?, the US remake never even made it past the pilot. Various versions of John Cleese's Basil Fawlty character also failed to make an impression in the US with remakes of Fawlty Towers.


However, some remakes of British comedy classics have fared somewhat better. Most notably the remake of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's The Office, eventually became a major hit, despite an initial slow start. Warren Mitchell's, Alf Garnett, became Archie Bunker in All In the Family and the rag and bone men comedy sitcom Steptoe and Son was rewritten for the US TV comedy market as Sanford and Son.


There is much debate about the reasons why some comedies and sitcoms survive the journey from the UK to the US and visa versa, whilst other don't. Some people claim that the less that is done to change the original comedy show the better. Perhaps assuming that local audiences have to have everything 'translated' for them is one of the biggest mistakes.