TV Review: The Delivery Man

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The Delivery Man is a brand new sitcom set in a maternity ward and follows the endeavours of Matthew Bunting (played by Darren Boyd) as he swaps the life of a police officer for that of a midwife.

Would it be lazy to draw comparisons between The Delivery Man and Green Wing? They are both offbeat and fast-paced hospital sitcoms. They both utilise an upbeat soundtrack, a variety of camera shots and short, snappy scenes which give the episodes a strange, disjointed rhythm. Elements of both border on the surreal, with extroverted characters and painful social situations. The beginning of the series suggested to me that the new midwife was even to fill the role of Guy Secretan (played by Stephen Mangan) in the sense that he winds up in absurd circumstances due to his flawed communication skills. But this feeling definitely lost its intensity as the series progressed and the narrative began to fall in line with what I would consider a more regular situation comedy. It quickly found its feet.

It may be no surprise to hear that the programme was written by Robert Harley and James Henry, who also wrote Green Wing. This explains a lot for me, but also makes me feel considerably better about the similarities between the two, at least there is no foul play here. It is inevitable that writers will create programmes with similar themes, if they’ve found the area they are best at (and there is no denying that Green Wing is a fantastic sitcom). But if it does feel like Green Wing, it is certainly on a smaller scale, focussing on a small group of midwives and office workers, which allows the comedy to feel far more homely and processable. These two programmes are certainly not the same, and perhaps it is unfair of me to view The Delivery Man with these prejudices.

The onscreen character relationships are endearing as well as hilarious with the conversations between the ladies in the office being quick-witted and a little insane. Tash (Jennie Jacques) and Lisa (Aisling Bea) make a wonderful comic duo as they are both immensely likeable but arguably possess varying levels of common sense (note Tash’s near-hysteria at the arrival of a minor celebrity to the ward in episode four). This, when contrasted against the relative level-headedness of Lisa and Caitlin (Fay Ripley) is well on its way to creating a diverse and multi-layered character dynamic. A stand out performance came from of Alex Macqueen as he adopted the role of rather sinister consultant obstetrician, Luke Edwards. His delightfully odd mannerisms and twisted humour really add to the effects of the group of characters as a whole as well as adding that bit of surreal comic relief that Harley and Henry are so skilled at. Aisling Bea delights us as always with her sweet Irish charm and sharp tongue, making Lisa an integral character for the programme.

It is fair to say I was sceptical when the series of The Delivery Man began, but the excellence of both the cast and the writing has swayed me. This comedy is speedy, ludicrous in places and incredibly well scripted, making it a very enjoyable watch that really came into its own as the episodes progressed.

CATCH UP WITH SERIES ONE OF THE DELIVERY MAN ON ITV PLAYER.

Top 5 Moments… The Fielding Edition

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Yes, I am well aware that we all have a birthday every single year, and though it may not seem it sometimes, Noel Fielding is no exception. Tomorrow, May 21st, marks the 42nd birthday of one of my all time favourite comedians and it seemed only fair to dedicate a post to one of the creative minds that inspired this website altogether, so here are my favourite elements of Fielding’s biggest projects…

5) Luxury Comedy

Dave Brown/Channel 4

© Dave Brown/Channel 4

Luxury Comedy has its fair share of insane moments, with particular favourites of mine including human-shell hybrid, Daddy Push, and that cruel piece of French toast. Series two (which was shown in summer 2014) saw the move of the zany group from their tree-house to a coffee shop on the edge of a volcano in Hawaii, and though many characters also made the transition, various new faces appeared too. For examples, audiences were introduced to the show’s biggest (and apparently only) fan, a Brummie called Terry, played by Steve Oram. Fielding has confirmed that he doesn’t intend write a third series of Luxury Comedy, but many characters have found their way into his new live show, so all hope is not lost.

4)The Mighty Boosh

I think everyone’s favourite Mighty Boosh character has to be Old Gregg (played by Fielding), and it’s not surprising. With his creepy mannerisms (did you see what happened to Curly Jefferson?), yet prevalent sense of neediness (“do you love me?”), its only natural to be wary of this guy, but maybe we all relate to him a bit. Other magical Boosh moments included the arrival of the Crack Fox, Howard Moon’s coconut friend named Milky Joe, and Nanageddon, a pensioner from hell. The Boosh crowd always talk about creating a film, and releasing an album, so we can all cling on to the hope that we haven’t seen the last of this whimsical universe either.

3) Never Mind The Buzzcocks

One of the funniest moments from the whole 28 series of Never Mind The Buzzcocks so far was undoubtedly that time Noel Fielding ripped apart Dappy from N-Dubz. The rap singer apparently seemed to confuse a lampshade with a hair style. Easy to do, I suppose. As it was pointed out by Noel, it’s “not very difficult” to outsmart Dappy, it seems. This may have happened years ago, and I’m sure he’s a reformed character now, but I still reminisce of that encounter on a regular basis. However, the teams on Buzzcocks usually get along very well, particularly when slightly strange guests are present, such as the likes of comedians Adam Buxton, Tony Law, Paul Foot and James Acaster.

2) A Fielding Phonecall

In October of last year, I was given the opportunity to interview my idol for the British Comedy Guide. Noel and I talked about the first few shows of his first live tour in five years, An Evening With Noel Fielding, as well as the reaction to both series of Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy. I also found time to ask the question that not enough people have been asking: what on earth happened to Daddy Push? As it stands, I am a very inexperienced interviewer, but Noel made our chat stress-free and we had a laugh, as well as giving lots of insight into the workings behind the comedy and his plans for the future.

MoodyComedy1) An Evening With Noel Fielding

I went to see An Evening With Noel Fielding in November 2014 at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. This show is unlike any other; it’s a remarkable spectacle. It’s strange to look back over events and realise the vast expanse between the show’s humble, low-key beginnings with just Fielding on stage, to a mission in a plasticine world with a couple of deluded nitwits riding on a unicorn. I even got to meet Noel, Mike and Tom after the show, which topped off the whole fantastical dream that was this insane evening.

Feel free to join me in wishing Noel Fielding a very happy birthday; here’s to another year of absurdity and childishness, we look forward to it.

Seven Questions With… Malcolm Head

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Malcolm Head is a very interesting performer who has recently supported Paul Foot on his UK tour. His style of stand up is distinctly recognisable with its bursts of poetry, “heckle gaps” and lengthy comic pauses, as is his performance attire which includes his trusty National Trust cap and mysterious rucksack of possessions. His haikus are little insights into an entirely new world, a microcosm of the strange, the dull and the ordinary, all culminated into three lines. He’s concise, he’s unpredictable and he is absolutely hilarious.
I asked Malcolm these seven questions to learn a little more about him…

1) What is your favourite aspect of live performance?

I love being able to be silly for 20 minutes. I’m fairly introverted, and acutely aware of the drudgery of everyday life. And for me, acting like a tit for 20 minutes releases a lot of tension built up by all that drudgery.

I’ve never used the word drudgery before but as you can see, it’s here to stay now. Drudgery. Difficult to rhyme with though. Fudgery? A place where you make fudge?

2) Do you enjoy gardening?

Yes, but I don’t have a garden. But I like the sort of gentle, and slightly pointless, labour involved in gardening. Toiling away all day to remove weeds that just come back. I also get the impression that it’s much easier to just do gardening than it is to just do, say, architecture or engineering. Landscape gardening maybe is more complex, but simply pulling up a few flowers is within the remit of ‘gardening’. 

Also, I don’t like Alan Titchmarsh but I’m not at liberty to explain why. Just trust me when I say, he’s a bad egg.

Malcolm Head

3) Which book do you wish you had written?

All of them. All of the books.

If I had written all of the books then I’d be the only authority on any subject. It’d be great. There’d be no debate over who caused the First World War, for example. I’d just say ‘I know I’ve written 25,000 books conveying various perspectives on who caused the First World War, but I’ve now decided once and for all. It wasn’t anyone really, it just sort of happened. Case closed’.

Also this means I’d have written 50 Shades Of Grey and Gravity’s Rainbow, so I’d not only be loaded but also respected by critics. 

4) Should badgers be culled?

I don’t think anything should be culled and especially not badgers. They just dig about and eat insects. Like kids really. Fantastic.

I do actually think one thing should be culled – members of the House of Lords. A few of them are probably ok but mostly they’re stuffy, miserable, unelected and over-privileged gas-bags. Compare them to badgers and you’ll see it’s a no-brainer. Badgers are neither elected nor unelected – they’re just there. They’re under-privileged if anything. Maybe some are stuffy but overall they’re far better than members of the House of Lords.

5) Are you a good liar?

I’m good at telling white lies, but very bad at telling serious lies. 

So, for example, if I needed to tell someone that a casserole they made was great despite being average at best, I’d be fine. ‘This is a great casserole, Tina’ I’d say, and Tina would believe me. And potentially give me more – this approach can backfire.

If, however, I needed to say ‘we are going to bomb Iraq because they definitely have nuclear weapons’ even though I knew they probably didn’t, I’d have a problem. ‘We are going to bomb Iraq, which is fine because they have nuclear weapons, Tina’ I’d say. But I’d be looking elsewhere and giggling, and Tina would see right through me.

6) What is the best room in the house?

The scullery. I think it’s something to do with a kitchen – I’ve never seen one. But the name is sensational. Imagine bringing a date home and saying ‘this is my scullery’. Wait, scullery rhymes with drudgery! Sort of!

‘So to remove their daily drudgery,
The lovers fought in the scullery’

7) Who do you most enjoy watching perform live comedy?

So many people. Simon Munnery is one of my faves. Gavin Webster is so brilliant – great jokes but with a constant glint of madness, so exciting to watch. There’s a huge amount of fantastic young comedians like Rhys James and Fin Taylor who I love. Daniel Simonsen. Richard Herring. Tim Key. Paul Foot. I also loved Mitch Hedberg growing up. 

TV Review: W1A, Series 2

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A satire that mocks itself is always a powerful statement, so a comedy that is broadcast by the BBC whilst also undermining the corporation is a notion that had the potential to backfire. John Morton has written a riotous sitcom that marvellously portrays the apparent food chain of the business, from professionals with personal assistants when they don’t really need personal assistants and interns that cause more hassle than they solve. It shows the BBC as a flawed establishment, much like all establishments of course, therefore adding an undeniably human aspect to an otherwise corporate-seeming world.

Here we have a programme of layers, built upon the sturdy foundations of a solid and diverse cast, which ranges from the straight-faced groundings of Hugh Bonneville, Jason Watkins, Nina Sosanya and Sarah Parish to the comic wonders of Jessica Hynes and Monica Dolan. Ian Fletcher (played by Bonneville) is a calm and endearing frontman, armed with his folding bike, good intentions and responsibility as a mouthpiece for the department, which sometimes winds him into difficulty.

The embellishments come in the form of the fantastic script writing, which combines silliness (“Meanwhile, it is multiple weeks later,” “Those who are ethnically not so white”) with fierce and often outrageous wit (note the number of times per episode “Sky” or “Jeremy Clarkson” is bleeped during a “Damage Limitation Meeting”). The low-energy sarcasm of the more competent team members contrasts hilariously against the disorderly shambles from the likes of Siobhan Sharpe (Hynes), who works in marketing, and Entertainment Format Producer David Wilkes (Rufus Jones).

© BBC/Jack Barnes

© BBC/Jack Barnes

Morton presents the BBC as a microcosm of catastrophe that the characters go to great lengths to hide from their bosses and the public, which heightens the irony to often uncomfortably funny levels. The result is that the group are often left running round in circles; quite often literally. The use of some of the BBC’s own sweethearts to mock the company is another device that aids the humour of this satire, such as David Tennant’s distinctive voice as narrator. The patronising nature of the voiceover highlights the absurdity of the characters’ incompetence, only increasing in its noticeability over time, making for truly hilarious viewing.

W1A is a remarkable programme because the cast and crew are effectively satirising themselves. I think the best part is that those who have no first-hand experience of the BBC can never truly decipher which elements are true, which are exaggerated and which are only briefly exploited. This air of mystique is intriguing, and I feel it elevates the comedy to a whole new level.

Seven Questions With… Fern Brady

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Fern BradyHaving appeared on 8 out of 10 Cats and The Alternative Comedy Experience, and getting to the final of So You Think You’re Funny in 2011, Fern Brady has proven herself to be not only an able performer, but an exciting and versatile one too. Her material is homely, honest and personal, with occasional distasteful elements that delight the devil in all of us, and she will be bringing her latest stand up show People Are Idiots to the Edinburgh festival in August.
To learn more about Fern, I asked her these seven questions…

1) What is the oldest trick in the book?

Telling guys “Of course I’ve had a recent AIDS test!” then looking indignant and adding quietly “Besides… it’s not like I normally do this.” Works every time. Did you mean a comedy trick?

2) Are you particularly interested in politics?

I thought I was really into it but my boyfriend works in politics and listening to him read out all the different electoral seats in Scotland last night in a robotic monotone made me realise we all have different interpretations of the phrase ‘interested in politics’.

3) What quality do you most look for in others?

In friends: to have none of my unappealing traits. In lovers: openness to new experiences (e.g. threeways). In audiences: servile devotion.

4) Is there a noticeable difference between gigging in Scotland and England?

Nope, except when I die at gigs in England I try to persuade myself it’s cause they’re having trouble understanding my accent, which is a pretty big lie to sell given the hundreds of gigs I’ve done all over England where everyone totally knew what I was saying. I’d say the biggest difference is gigs in the north and south of England, I find I end up doing different types of material depending on where I am. 

5) Are you good at maths?

Not at all, I got kicked out of Standard Grade maths at school a lot, I was really wilfully bad at it cause I remember being in the top class then getting booted into the General level one, then eventually Foundation maths with the proper plebs. None of the maths teachers at my school were a great advert for maths though, they were all semi-literate nerds from Coatbridge and I gave up on them completely when they spelled my punishment exercises wrong.

I smugly told the head of maths I’d never need maths but at the time I think I thought I’d be a famous novelist and not the undignified clown I ended up being.

6) What is your favourite television comedy of 2015 so far?

Hmm. Well. There are so many great comedy shows but I’d have to say the thing that stands out is my BBC Comedy Feed Radges, which is about when I was in a pupil referral unit for mental teens. That hasn’t been released yet but PLEASE WATCH IT SO I CONTINUE TO GET WORK.

I generally prefer stuff on Netflix and Amazon Prime so my favourite recent shows are Transparent, Orange is the New Black and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. I know the first two aren’t sitcoms but I find comedy drama way funnier than a lot of sitcoms.

7) What is your proudest achievement?

Getting off with two women from the audience of one of my gigs. I’m basically the Hugh Hefner of the UK comedy circuit.

FERN BRADY WILL BE PERFORMING HER STAND UP SHOW, PEOPLE ARE IDIOTS, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL (THE STAND) ON THE 6TH-30TH AUGUST

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

The 2015 Election

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Everybody in Britain is well aware that there is a general election this week. At a time like this, it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid hearing and talking about politics. Yes, it’s depressing (well it is for me anyway, only accentuated by the fact I narrowly miss out on the chance to vote as I’m not eighteen until later in the year). But when something as important and inevitably dull as an election comes around, at least we are given something to help us make sense of it all, to vent our frustrations and to bring humour back into our daily lives. When times get tough, comedy takes a more prominent role in society. In 2015, we are experiencing a period rife with satirical comedy.

Newzoids has frequently been compared to Spitting Image, which seems fair as satirical puppetry isn’t something you see everyday (though many, no doubt, may wish it was). Spitting Image may just have been one of the most important comedy shows ever created, as it allowed the power to be placed back into the hands of those creating the programme; straight back into the hands of the public. But the last episode of Spitting Image aired in 1996 and there certainly is a gap that has never quite been filled.

Newzoids

Newzoids

For all its similarities, I can’t help but feel that Newzoids is not the programme to fill the gap that Spitting Image left. There were elements that I really enjoyed, particularly the darker political material such as the UKIP song but there were frequent, and somewhat predictable, pop culture references. Plus, the puppets were nowhere near ugly enough. But that’s not to say that this new show doesn’t have promise or that I didn’t laugh out loud in places. The voices behind the characters should be familiar to us by now (Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson are responsible for a large proportion of them), and they are brilliant, as can be expected of such a talented cast.

In order to be topical, each episode of Newzoids is created days, and often mere hours, before broadcast (just like Spitting Image did back in the 80’s and 90’s). In this sense, there is an excitement factor as here we have a comedy that is able to cover immediately topical material, but, for once, it isn’t a panel show. There is undoubtedly an extensive amount of work that goes into the making of such a programme, and I appreciate that, but for my tastes, I would like to see a much darker satire (though this has been able to build over time as the format has been cemented). Perhaps what I really need is to go back and watch some more of Spitting Image.

Ballot Monkeys

Ballot Monkeys

Ballot Monkeys takes an interesting perspective on the election as it follows various parliamentary candidates during the last weeks of their campaigns. With all scenes taking part inside the party buses, there is little to observe other than the people themselves, so we are given a stripped back representation of each party and their candidates. The results are strikingly accurate, with frequent digs and frequent laughs. Like Newzoids, this programme is filmed as close to broadcast as possible, often on the same day, which enables the material to remain relevant and limits the possibility of stale caricaturing that could sneak in if writers become complacent.

The cast is saturated with talent, with Ben Miller playing a Lib Dem campaign co-ordinator, Hugh Dennis as the Tory Deputy Campaign Manager and Sarah Hadland as a UKIP office support manager. The characters are diverse, with major and minor roles within the party covered by the likes of Uncle‘s Daisy Haggard and Esther Smith and Theo Barklem-Biggs (Crims). Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin have skilfully incorporated criticisms of politicians and our society in general such as the fact nobody in the Conservative bus listens to the female members of the team when they have something important to say.

In my opinion, creating and appreciating political comedy is vital in today’s society, so the response to this year’s election truly delights me and I hope the humour outlasts the politicians.

April: Comedian Of The Month #15, Gina Yashere

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Each Comedian of the Month on MoodyComedy is a comic who has never previously featured on the website. Reasons for selection can include various current projects the comedian is involved with, or perhaps recent appearances on television programmes or podcasts. There is no strict criteria however, as Comedian of the Month simply stands as a collection of recommendations, highlighting interesting and original aspects of certain comedians and their work.

As one of the latest guests on Stuart Goldsmith’s Comedian Comedian Podcast, Gina Yashere was brought to my attention earlier this month, and the way she conducted herself on the show, as well as the hilarious and often shocking anecdotes she told, made me interested in learning more about her comedy.

Gina’s stand up career began in England, but in recent years she has dominated the American comedy scene, with her admirably confident stage presence teamed with personal accounts of her observations and experiences. And her flourishing comedy career is not only a wonderful thing for her as an individual: comedy in general really needs people like her at this point in time. Our comedy is changing and it truly is an exciting thing to witness.

I did not intend to write a post about the fact that Gina is a woman. Female comedians are not uncommon (and certainly not overlooked on this website). The Comedian of the Month feature I run here on MoodyComedy does not care for gender politics in comedy. But the thing is, Yashere, the comic in question, is fearlessly and triumphantly tackling the male-dominated comedy industry in a way that gives me great confidence that the situation is changing, evolving and that comedy is becoming a more welcoming art form to reside in. I suppose it might seem patronising if I wasn’t writing this as a seventeen-year-old girl who regularly feels under-confident, overshadowed and unmotivated due to the way society views gender.

Gina Yashere is a fantastic performer. She is refreshingly confident, fierce and relentless, with material that references her Nigerian heritage, her family and her experiences of international travel. I really enjoy hearing about the cultures of others through the means of comedy; I find that the humour adds a personal touch that isn’t simply the relaying of information. It’s interesting to see a comedian with so much direction from the very start of her career, which is something that is perhaps not so noticeable in many other artists, who may approach comedy in a less orderly or methodical way. Gina has goals and is open about it. She knows what she needs to do to reach the next level and wastes no time in getting there.

Follow Gina on Twitter or visit her website for more information.

MARCH COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Seven Questions With… Ed Gamble

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Ed Gamble

Ed Gamble (half of stand up and podcasting double act Peacock & Gamble) is a comedian that is fast becoming a regular face on television, with appearances on Russell Howard’s Good News, Virtually Famous and Sweat the Small Stuff. He is a regular presenter on Fubar Radio as well as co-writing the critically acclaimed Peacock and Gamble Podcast. Ed will be performing his second solo show Lawman at Canon’s Gait (1.15pm) at this year’s Edinburgh festival.
To find out a little more, I asked Ed these seven questions…

1) Hands for feet or feet for hands?

Hands for feet, definitely. I’m not a zoologist but I’m pretty sure that’s what chimps have and they have a brilliant life what with all the hanging out up trees and laughing. Also, feet for hands would make eating rather unwieldy and there’s nothing more demeaning than trying to hammer a load of mash into your mouth using a size 11. Especially up a tree. I’ve confused myself now.

2) Did you have any awful jobs before your career in comedy?

Not really- I’ve been quite lucky. I did have a job for a bit where I would have to get up at 4.45 am and go to an office to listen to a lot of local radio and note down every time a company was mentioned. To this day I don’t know why. I never asked either. I make a perfect unquestioning drone worker.  

3) Describe your perfect day?

A lovely walk followed by a smashing breakfast and a very strong coffee. Fill time until lunch where I have a gigantic burger except it doesn’t make me feel ill or full. Then ice cream. Then I find £20 in my pocket and go and see a film which I am unexpectedly the star of. Fill time until dinner. Eat a giant steak for dinner. Then ice cream. Do a gig to people who all think I’m brilliant apart from one guy who everyone turns on. Eventually even he admits I am great. Then ice cream. Hit the hay at around 11pm. Get up at 11.30pm for ice cream. Back to bed for a strong 10 hours.

4) Who inspired you to become a comedian?

I went to see Steve Coogan live when I was 13 and left completely in awe. I probably thought about it ever since then. But honestly I don’t think I ever made the actual decision “I am going to be a comedian.” I just started doing it as a hobby and now I get paid for it. The lack of a true career plan will inevitably be my downfall but that’s the way I like it.

5) What is your favourite condiment?

I am a mustard guy but please don’t try and pin me down on which variety, as it differs day to day. Also I ain’t eating eggs without hot sauce (Franks Xtra Hot or Tabasco Chipotle if you must know).

6) Have you made plans for your funeral?

I don’t plan on dying until 2085 when I shall be cremated and have my ashes poured into the circuits of the robot assassin who took my life.

7) How important is satire to you?

Satire is hugely important, but not to me. Political comedy and satire is a necessary and integral part of the art form and as such I refuse to spoil it by trying to have a go at it.

ED GAMBLE WILL PERFORM HIS STAND UP SHOW, GAMBLETRON 5000, AT THE SOHO THEATRE FROM 7TH-9TH MAY

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

TV Review: Inside No. 9, Series 2

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Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton have produced another series of their critically acclaimed Inside No. 9, which was, for me, undoubtedly one of the best pieces of television to come out of 2014. And the ingenuity of the plot development and sharpness of the writing have certainly not been diluted.

I marvel at the innovation of Shearsmith and Pemberton who seem to be continuously crafting such carefully constructed and hilarious pieces of comedy. They understand the importance of character development, as well as appreciating the value of the underdog: characters that we may lazily write off as “boring” are explored in great detail and the effects are astonishing. The number of core characters in each episode is limited to enable the writers to get close to the action and get inside the heads of those involved. Plot twists are a key aspect of each episode, which we come to expect but are still somehow caught off guard on every occasion. Shearsmith and Pemberton know how to incorporate shock elements into their writing, despite viewers already expecting to be shocked, which is an unequivocally admirable craft. The resultant effect is that these creatives have yet again shown their uncanny ability to disturb audiences with multi-layered impacts and heavy undertones.

Sheridan Smith is a remarkable actress, and her role as the lead in The 12 Days of Christine made that starkly obvious to anyone that wasn’t already aware of her talent. This episode was a favourite amongst critics with its disjointed and truly gut-wrenching storyline; its powerful emotional impact was aided no doubt by Smith’s inspired performance. The characters in The 12 Days of Christine have depth and are incredibly well-developed for a stand-alone episode. I can’t help but wish we’d been given time to get to know them better, and maybe that’s what makes the story so compelling. My personal favourite, however, was Cold Comfort due to its definite sinister edge and uncomfortably bitter humour. I didn’t know it was possible to build such levels suspicion and mystery into thirty minutes of stand-alone television, but this episode cleverly established a powerful snapshot image of the goings on at a crisis helpline call centre with its subversive characters and ominous service users. But if unnerving comedy isn’t your thing, there might still be something for you, shown in the diverse cast, which includes the likes of Tim Key, Jack Whitehall and Claire Skinner.

Inside No. 9 is one of those pieces of television that demonstrates such undeniably skilled writing that it is near impossible to not be inspired to the point of envy. For me, Shearsmith and Pemberton have created a piece of televisual art that investigates the human condition and what it means to be a part of society. It helps shed a new light on eras we may have forgotten, or people who appear to be easily forgetful themselves, and I honestly believe it is one of the best things to be created for television this decade.

CATCH UP WITH SERIES TWO OF INSIDE NO. 9 ON BBC IPLAYER

Seven Questions With… Chris Coltrane

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Chris Coltrane is a stand up comedian who makes it his business to talk about activism and, in turn, makes a valiant attempt at inspiring his audiences to become more of an engaged and interested part of society. His material is often very political, which, unsurprisingly to some, I find incredibly important due to the relevance of politics in our lives and an apparent lack of it in comedy itself. But Chris can also be silly too, often bordering on surreal, which adds balance to the heavier, political material.
To find out more about Chris, I asked him these seven questions…

1) Are you a productive person?

Let me answer your question with another question: Yes? Here’s my typical day: I wake up at 6am. I then go immediately back to sleep, wake up at 10am, and read the newspaper. To save time I just read every fifth word. Apparently Prince Bodyguard is selling birth to her favourite crown this week. Got to be worth keeping an eye on that story.

After that I’ll put my “pen” in my “hand”, and do some “writing”. I’ll also occasionally email new romantic lyrics to Chromeo. One I thought of today was “Hey girl, you need a man that can respect you / A man to love and hug and kiss and sometimes sex you”. Chromeo usually pays £40 for a high-quality lyric like that. The afternoon is what I call my “special time”, and I’ll thank you not to ask anything more about that. And finally, in the evening I usually smash it at gigs like the Comedy Owl Sanctuary, the Comedy Burger, Tim Vine’s Comedy Sadness, The Alternative Frederick, The Comedy Surgery (where comedians perform comedy next to actual live medical surgery, despite the surgeons pleading with us to stop), and the unpopular Comedy Srjigwmf.

Chris-Coltrane-Photo

2) What would make Britain’s political system more effective?

I honestly think it’s time we gave dogs the vote. Haven’t they proven that they deserve it? They’ve been such good boys, yes they have, and they’re so cute and good aren’t they, yes they are, yes they are. Who’s a good boy? They are, yes they are. I had another idea that we could build “Democracy Pods” in each town, which members of the public can sit in for seven days, after which they’ll transform into a fully functional democracy. Like slugs do before they become butterflies or whatever. The pods would be large, and full of a special scientific slime to aid with the transformation process. I don’t think I need to explain to you the benefits that such pods would bring to British democracy.

3) Has being a comedian ever landed you in trouble?

No, although now you mention it, yes. I knew that all the swans belonged to the Queen – but no-one told me that it was treason to make jokes about swans on stage. Apparently it’s technically illegal to hurt a swan’s feelings. Bloody stupid law, if you ask me. Anyway, I went to prison for 50 years, and now I won’t rest until I’ve wreaked vengeance on the entire Windsor clan.

4) Which meal of the day is the best?

It’s a meal that I invented, called Prµñşt. It’s happens at 2am, when you’ve had your dinner, and you’ve had a little bit of supper before bed, but then you’ve stayed up for another five hours by mistake and you feel really #sad. A cheeky Prµñşt helps to keep you going & stops you from dying. Typical things to eat at Prµñşt include: Toad In The Face, Angry Stir-Fry, Moustache a la carte, Immature cheddar cheese, Honey-glazed fear, Steamed ice in a water sauce, Ladyfingers, “Live Or Die” pizza, Sweet and/or sour butterfly, Lamb waffles, Some cakes, Supercrisps, Cock au vin, Sweet potatoes (1954 vintage), Knuckle sandwich.

5) Are you glad the dinosaurs are extinct?

Yes. Fuck dinosaurs. Creepy eight-legged bastards. Fuck dinosaurs, fuck their webs, and fuck their poison fangs. I’m glad they’re all dead.

6) When was the exact moment you decided to become a comedian?

Actually, I remember the exact day. In 1931, sometime in May (I forget when), I was watching an open mic in Germany, and a new act took to the stage, and told the audience that his name was Adolf Hitlers. I’m sure you can see where this is going! He did a 5 minute set which, to be fair to him, was technically perfect. Great stage presence, excellent timing, he really knew how to perform. And his set was structurally textbook. But the content – well, you can guess. Utterly hack. “Aren’t men and women different”. “What’s the deal with airline food”. “What’s up with self-service checkouts”. So boring! I knew I could do better. And that was the day I decided to become a comedian. Here we are, over 6 years later, and Hitlers has become known as one of history’s greatest monsters. There’s a lesson for us all about the dangers of lazy comedy there.

7) Is there something that the whole world seems to care about, apart from you?

Sports. Whether it be footsball, basketsball, rugsball, hockeying, sprints, badmanton, horses, tennips, keep-them-up, “John’s Game”, or a simple game of goals, nothing interests me less than the idea of sports. If I had one wish, I’d wish for everyone to stop caring about sports. And if I had two wishes, I’d wish for it twice, just to make absolutely sure that sports STAYED THE HELL AWAY from me and my seventeen awful daughters.

FOR INFORMATION REGARDING GIGS, PODCASTS AND TO VIEW CHRIS COLTRANE’S 2014 LIVE COMEDY SHOW ONLINE FOR FREE, VISIT HIS WEBSITE

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