Pitching his creed to a roomful of comic stars, the pontiff pronounced that it is good to laugh at God. In which case, he may enjoy these
March 2023
Comic Relief raises over £34m as stars parody The Traitors and Eurovision
Hosts of BBC fundraiser include AJ Odudu and Paddy McGuinness but Lenny Henry is absent for first time
Digested week
Digested week: Hugh Grant plays the prat instead of the dumb Oscars game
Emma Brockes
Meanwhile Dawn French masters the art of a great show title, and are we all over-hydrated?
Dawn French ad cleared by watchdog after title of show draws complaints
Promoter says title – Dawn French is a Huge Twat – is humorous and aims any offence at comedian herself
December 2022
Jack and the Beanstalk review – no expense spared for giant all-star entertainment
Miranda Sawyer on podcasts and radio
The week in audio: Where There’s A Will There’s a Wake; Origins; The Art of Longevity and more
October 2022
Lenny Henry on his roaring 60s, writing for kids and facing Lord of the Rings trolls: ‘They sit in their pants, slagging off anything different’
Ranked
The 100 greatest BBC music performances – ranked!
September 2022
Dawn French Is a Huge Twat review – mini-masterpieces of self-mockery
French heaps detail upon self-abasing detail as she shares hugely engaging stories from her 40-year career
April 2022
Miranda Sawyer on podcasts and radio
The week in audio: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen?; The Superhero Complex; Hear Her Voice; Cheat!
French and Saunders front an old-school gagfest, while podcasting’s obsession with egotistical frauds and con artists continues
February 2022
Death on the Nile review – Kenneth Branagh makes heavy weather of Christie caper
Branagh’s spirited performance as Poirot and a big-name ensemble cast can’t keep this stale and two-dimensional whodunnit afloat
January 2022
Gary Waldhorn obituary
Vicar of Dibley actor Gary Waldhorn dies aged 78
December 2021
Bring me sunshine: ‘new’ Morecambe and Wise Show episode brings Christmas cheer
Eric and Ernie, John and Paul, Jennifer and Dawn... ‘lost’ tapes by comedy duo highlight creative power of friendship
November 2021
‘Rogues or idiots’: Justin Welby condemns TV portrayal of clergy
Archbishop of Canterbury says vicars are ‘hard-working, normal people’ rather than ‘depressing’ depictions seen in TV dramas
July 2021
TV tonight
TV tonight: French and Saunders on their top female comics
The sketch comedy duo trawl through the archive for formative clips of Wood, Walters and more. Plus: Beck investigates a murder. Here’s what to watch this evening
March 2021
Watched with mother
Jordan North: 'Other kids were out drinking – I was watching the Vicar of Dibley'
The Radio 1 DJ and I’m a Celebrity runner up on a childhood spent watching sitcoms with his mum, from the Dawn French classic to The Royle Family and Keeping Up Appearances
December 2020
Observer TV reviews
The week in TV: Bridgerton; Motherland; Roald & Beatrix; BBC Sports Personality; Marcus Rashford
Netflix’s new costume drama was wonderfully preposterous – plus, when the father of Matilda met the mother of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle
October 2020
Observer New Review Q&A
Dawn French: 'I feel genuine grief about what is going on in the arts'
The comedian on working under Covid restrictions, exploring the nature-nurture debate in her new novel, and debating politics with her uncle
September 2020
Culture in peril
Beverley Knight urges government to reopen theatres for sake of livelihoods
Performer stages protest to ‘go to bat’ for imperilled workforce overlooked by post-Covid reopening of schools, offices and pubs
