Been over a month since last blog - but just finished working on TV show. 3 recordings at the BBC where a lot of material was pretty much road tested in front of three separate studio audiences. You just never know what is funny, worth saying, interesting, entertaining or elevating until you play it front of an audience. so thank you to all of you who showed up & made it abundantly clear what they liked and what they didn't like. Thanks also to my warm up comedians Stephen Grant (resident MC at Komedia comedy club in Brighton) and Alan Cochrane (thanks to Daniel Kitson for recommending him) who both did a great job. Editing starts in earnest this week, we deliver to the BBC in January and 6 half hour episodes should be on your screens sometime in March. A long process I know but that's how it is am afraid.

Thanks also for all the great feedback from my appearance on 'We Are Most Amused' the other week. Was certainly a thrill to be there with all those legends. Cleese, Idle and Williams were on especially good form and very good company after the show. Performing at Highgorve a few days later for HRH private party was also a thrill (eventho there was very little publicity about me appearing that night - it was mainly about Rod Stewart waiving a £1 million fee to perfrom as reported in all the papers). As it was though, I rode out a tough gig but received a very warm hand written letter from HRH Prince Charles appreciating that it was a 'sticky crowd'. A future King who appreciates the atmosphere in which comedy can thrive! Who even appreciates stand up comedy! My kind of man :)

Any fans of Tony Curtis and Roger Moore from 32 years ago doing European publicity for their series of 'The Persuaders' will definitely appreciate this fabulous clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLQdQhJwJvc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLQdQhJwJvc

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLQdQhJwJvc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLQdQhJwJvc

CONGRATULATIONS AMERICA

Finally a story to over shadow Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross! Both are doing OK by the way. Russell is off to America (the land to be in right now) and good luck to him Jonathan Ross' career while suffering a set back is in no way over. In fact his next BBC TV show where he knocks on doors and runs away is in production as we speak.

Barak Obama is the new president. Fantastic news. Cue a period of hope and genuine positivity. Like many I was moved this morning. Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech has finally and truly come to fruition. Barak Obama's appearance on the Daily Show with John Stewart did it for me. When asked to defend accusations that he was a Marxist and a socialist he said 'some people have dug up stories that I once shared some toys with my playmates and this was evidence of subversive behaviour' convinced me that you can always trust a man with a good sense of humour. Barak Obama is good for America, good for the world and more importantly good for me. If people have learned his name and pronounced it correctly, letting the words 'Barak Obama' trip off the tongue lightly with joy, with no trouble, with an understanding that we are now getting used to unfamiliar names... then surely people will finally start learning the rather less awkward 'Omid Djalili'. And Nadim Sawalha. And Maz jobrani. And anyone else burdened with ridiculous names that no one in the West has got right in over 40 years :) Interesting GW Bush was no where to be seen in the John McCain campaign. Word is he just couldn't stand his chips. Fair enough. Just hope Obama doesn't get nicked on the way to his inauguration.

Some of you may have seen me pop up in comedy clubs trying out material. Thank you for your patience and support. As well as preparing for my TV show am preparing for Prince Charles' 60th birthday celebration gig at The Wimbledon Theatre where I shall appear on Nov 12th along with John Cleese, Steven Fry, Rowan Atkinson, Bill Bailey, Robin Williams, Joan Rivers and Ronnie Corbett and others for what promises to be a great night. ITV will screen it the next day I believe. Nothing but prepared material will do. So apologies to those of you who saw me struggle at the Lyric Hammersmith the other week closing the bill after the audience had seen the very funny Ivan Brackenbury (Hospital DJ act - brilliant) and the wonderfully improvised and bearded passive aggressive Daniel Kitson. If there is one rule in comedy it is not to follow this man. Especially when you're trying out new stuff. If you were there that night I can assure you that how ever much you hated me does not come close to the amount of self loathing I felt for myself as I climbed into the bed that night a hollow shell of a man racked with self doubt and exploding with bitterness and regret. The fact that I had to leave with the audience filing out, many people averting their gaze because they were too embarrassed to make eye contact with me shows you it was less 'suffering for your art' rather 'suffering lacerations to the heart and gutting the kidney of my ego for what - only in those brief moments when i took to the stage - could barely be called an art'.

But I'm over it now.

BUT NEWS OF THE DECADE IS....

Ricky Grover is doing I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! The comedy industry has never been so excited. If you don't know who this man is I can assure you come December you will. He is an amazing human being. Place your bets now as he is an outsider but a great tip to win it. You heard it here first.

Peace out x

 

 

It's been over a month my beautiful people and now that Series 2 sketches have been shot I can address you all with a new vigour. The last 5 weeks have been fun and gruelling in equal measures but it's "all in the can" as we say 'in the bizz' and if anyone wants to come to the live studio recordings (where the stand up is laced in) they take place at the BBC in Wood Lane Nov 28th, Dec 5th and 6th. Visit the BBC websites for details.

21 countries have bought Series One and Series Two should be interesting as bar three characters ALL of the characters and sketches are completely new. Watch out for Marty the American Sound of Music Tour Bus Guide as he does his thing in Salzburg in Austria, Dirk Monroe the gay scottish film director, 'Handy' Andrej the multi-faceted Polish builder, Javinder Sinjin Singh the Indian Panto critic (with amazing cameo performances from 'Signature' Britain's Got Talent runners up 2008), Giggles Levine the Cruise ship comedian, Lambrusco the Darts Players Wife, Henry VIII, Napoleon and of course Steve "The Dragon" Thompson + many many more. A big thank you to all those who took part, especially the camera crew headed by the quick thinking Pete Edwards, the make up team headed by the brilliant Lucy Cain, the costume department headed by always inventive Sam Perry and of course my wonderful producer Alex Walsh-Taylor and my superb Director Michael Cumming, (I sound like Malcolm Hay in Time Out) both of whom had to put up with my Prima Dona antics and usual inability to remember lines and countless takes for stuff i should have got in one. And a special mention to all my guest actors who were really of the highest quality :)

Stevie wonder at the 02 Area was wonderful and I was even treated to the quote of the night by the woman sat next to me, my wife, who came back with frightening speed at my attempt to be romantic:

"You are the sushine of my life" I sang to her as Stevie sang it on stage, just 20 yards away.

"And you are the dark cloud that blocks my horizon". - Annabel Knight

 

Quote of the day:

"I am looking forward to the end of the Bush administration, as a comedian, as person, as a citizen, as a mamal" - John Stewart on The Daily Show

NO AGENDA - channel 4 11.05pm TONIGHT

Yes Ch4 in their wisdom are showing the Palladium show from March 2006 tonight. And before you write in 'it's all old stuff!' I can tell you that it is.

There you go. Filming series 2 at moment. Interesting.

A little clip by Louis CK on the 'N word' for you to enjoy :)

http://www.chortle.co.uk/video/2008/09/12/7402/louis_ck_on_the_n-word

Peace out x

'No Agenda - Live at the London Palladium' is being screened on television on CH4
Friday 12 September at 11.05pm.