Bill Bailey
The Fringe, Fame and Me is the story of how a small Scottish arts festival that began 75 years ago this year became a national institution – a crucible where new stars are forged, careers made, and sometimes, dreams dashed. Told by the stars who first found fame at the Edinburgh Fringe, this is the inside story of what it takes to make a name here, from those who enjoyed overnight success to those who slogged for years to make it. Through their triumphs, favourite jokes, and sometimes painful failures, we’ll discover a hidden history of British comedy – revealing how the gags we find funny and the comedians we love reflect our changing culture.
Bill Bailey plays The Royal Opera House in a dazzling display of stand up, music and more.
Fake yourself at home. Four people, three fibbers, one house. Stacey Dooley challenges celebrity sleuths to nose around and figure out the real owner.
In ancient China, dragons were once friends of men, but men’s greed and lust for power ended their alliance, and these wise and magical creatures were hunted down by the Empire. Years later, in a remote fortress, a young slave girl named Ping strikes up an unlikely friendship with Long Danzi, the last of the imperial dragons. Learning the power of Qi, Ping helps the dragon escape from captivity and together they journey across the Empire in order to save his lineage, chased by the Emperor’s men and pursued by even darker powers.
Bill Bailey hosts the fast-paced quiz show that pits two teams of comedians against each other, to find out once and for all who's best - Kiwis or Aussies. The comic genius will use his wit, wisdom and impartial residency to help determine once and for all who’s the best – Kiwis or Aussies? The fast-paced comedy panel show will see each country’s greatest comedian’s pitted against each other to find out who knows their country best, with our host the only thing keeping them apart.
When a travelling fair comes to Scatterbrook, Worzel tells John and Susan the legend of a fair with an enchanted organ that sends humans to sleep so scarecrows can enjoy the rides without being seen.
Set in 1980s London, this comedy series follows the Easmon family, which has settled in England after having arrived from Sierra Leone a decade earlier. The Easmons’ son, Akuna, hangs out in the housing project where the family lives, playing soccer and dodging the local thugs. The family’s life is turned upside down when Walter’s brother Valentine arrives in the U.K., bringing chaos in his wake and igniting a passion for music in Akuna.
A spectacular night of comedy and magic from The London Palladium to celebrate the 70th birthday of HRH The Prince of Wales and to raise funds for The Prince's Trust. Reuniting comedians Armstrong & Miller as hosts, the show also features the very best comedians and magicians from Britain and beyond. From the world of comedy, Bill Bailey, Rowan Atkinson, Sandi Toksvig, Omid Djalili, Mischief Theatre and Alistair McGowan and, from the world of magic, Penn & Teller, Dynamo and The Ehrlich Brothers. There are also some special appearances from Kylie Minogue, Cheryl, Jim Carter and Wallace & Gromit.
Limboland is a place where we find the gaps in life.. From a fantastically downbeat version of Happy Birthday - via a hilarious tale of a disastrous family trip to see the Northern Lights - to a heart-rending country and western ballad on the nature of love, Bill explores our expectations of happiness with his trademark wit and musicality.
In the animal kingdom, what do you do if you've got an itch you can't scratch, food you can't get your teeth into or you simply need some home security? Well, you find yourself a partner - and not necessarily someone like you! Hippos are joining forces with fish for a full-body exfoliation. Ravens are inviting wolverines to dinner for some bone-crunching assistance. Bill Bailey introduces these and so many more extraordinary partnerships found in nature.
Funny Valentines is a comedy collection of nine original short films exclusive to BBC iPlayer, written and starring many of Britain's finest comedians. Each comedian was invited to create a short Funny Valentine to bring their unique take on the international day of love.
The UK's top comedian Michael McIntyre hosts a jam-packed night of entertainment and variety from London's largest theatre, the stunning Coliseum. In this Easter special, Michael presents the world's leading comedians, music superstars and jaw-dropping speciality acts as well as his own record-breaking comic talents. Michael says: "When I heard the BBC were making a show called Michael McIntyre's Easter Night At The Coliseum, I knew I had to be involved. The London Coliseum is a truly magnificent theatre and I will be hosting an array of talent befitting this magnificent venue. This will be a true variety show for all the family to enjoy. I can't wait..."
Bill Bailey introduces a delightfully eccentric cast of creatures that have chosen to do things differently. Odd, unconventional and unusual - these are animals that don't normally grab the limelight. From the parrot that has forgotten how to fly, to the bear that has turned vegetarian, a chameleon that is barely bigger than an ant, and a penguin that lives in a forest. Nature's Misfits reveals the extraordinary and rarely seen lives of these evolutionary oddballs, their strange habitats, unusual forms, and the incredible hurdles they overcome.
Documentary charting and celebrating five decades of often groundbreaking, boundary-pushing comedy from BBC Two.
Bill meets wildlife in Borneo and Indonesia to tell the story of Darwin's rival Wallace.
After receiving rave reviews in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, Bill Bailey brings ‘Qualmpeddler’ to the Hammersmith Apollo London. A brilliant mix of stand-up, stories, music and old-fashioned wit distilled from his own extraordinary experiences and reactions to the modern world, he looks at Cut-Price Shark Diving, The Hiding Skills of Dentists, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance & Internet Shopping, Mandarin Ambiguity, Religious Dubstep, and Fashioning Replacement Hamsters. All in all, vintage Bill Bailey with trademark musical mash-ups, multi-lingual riffs, films, songs, philosophizing and silliness on a grand scale…plus one amazing owl. “Qualmpeddler is... part rock-concert, part political discourse, part philosophical enquiry... masterfully constructed... the thinking person’s comedian...” - Herald Sun, Melbourne.
A look at the life of John Cooper Clarke. From his rise as a 'punk poet', through his heroin addiction, and finally to his comeback.
While working a job at an exclusive ski resort to support her Dad, Kim learns to snowboard and is so good at it that she enters a competition with a huge cash prize. She has to dig deep to overcome her fears, but her life gets more complicated through her spoken-for boss, Jonny.
It's Christmas Eve, 1938, when Madge Arwell comes to the aid of an injured Spaceman Angel as she cycles home. He promises to repay her kindness - all she has to do is make a wish. Three years later, a devastated Madge escapes war-torn London with her two children for a dilapidated house in Dorset. She is crippled with grief at the news her husband has been lost over the channel, but determined to give Lily and Cyril the best Christmas ever. The Arwells are surprised to be greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world. Here, Madge will learn how to be braver than she ever thought possible. And that wishes can come true... - Written by BBC Publicity
Baboons with Bill Bailey is a wildlife documentary series presented by Bill Bailey. The series follows Bill as he attempts to find out more about the lives of baboons who are living in several colonies in Cape Town, South Africa.
Featuring Bill’s trademark musical interludes, observations and stories of the road, Dandelion Mind will be based loosely on the theme of doubt (or will it?), as we follow Bill from his real-life saga of being trapped by the ash cloud, to his barely contained rants about celebrity, TV, creationism and Michael Winner. He demonstrates new instruments, both ancient and modern, he sings an internet love song, a lament about punk heroes, Iranian hip-hop, and plays a mean folk-bouzouki. Thomas the Doubter gets a new look, and Darwin’s curious obsessions and the myth of intelligent design are all worked over in Bailey’s own surreal style. He revisits the music of his youth, with a brand-new French Disco re-working of Gary Numan’s hit, Cars, played in his own inimitable way, and maybe some Wurzels-based remixes of classic German techno. Just your normal Bill Bailey gig, then. Filmed at The O2 in Dublin in October 2010
Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother, Mrs. Isabel Green, who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she’s arrived, Nanny McPhee discovers that the children are fighting a war of their own against two spoiled city cousins who have just moved in. Relying on everything from a flying motorcycle and a statue that comes to life to a tree-climbing piglet and a baby elephant, Nanny uses her magic to teach her mischievous charges five new lessons.
Bill Bailey plays host to two teams of well-known personalities – made up of a keen famous ‘twitcher’ and another who’s really not that interested in ornithology – as they compete against one other in testing twitching tasks. Each episode, the beloved British comedian sets the famous faces six ornithological obstacles, including four distinct birding challenges, and two bonus campsite ones. These range from straight bird races (spotting as many different species in a set time) to drawing, photography and counting contests. Whoever wins the most rounds will be named top twitchers. The series takes Bill and the competing couples to some of Britain’s most beautiful and best birdwatching locations, from the tranquillity of Rutland Water to the sheer spectacle of thousands of migrating geese in the Solway Firth to the rugged beauty of the Isle of Mull.
Two 19th-century opportunists become serial killers so that they can maintain their profitable business supplying cadavers to an anatomist.
The show, recorded at London's magnificent Royal Albert Hall, is Bill's own hilarious and irreverent guide to the sounds, styles, and instruments of the orchestra, with a wide and eclectic range of subjects, including music for '70s cop shows, sci-fi films, horror movies, news themes, plus some of Bill's own songs re-imagined for an orchestra, and including Anne's own specially written new works.
A visually stunning comedy and music extravaganza. Filmed at Wembley Arena at the end of a sell-out tour of the UK, it’s everything you expect from Bill, and more. Using huge screens, films and animation by award-winning film-maker Joe Magee, plus Bill’s trademark musical inventiveness and verbal brilliance, this is quite simply the most
We Are Most Amused was a gala event held at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 12 November 2008 in honour of the 60th birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales, in aid of The Prince's Trust. Prince Charles attended the event with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and younger son Prince Harry. The show had a similar format to the Royal Variety Show and showcased a variety of comedy acts. The performance was televised by ITV to the public on 15 November 2008. Robin Williams made his first UK stage appearance in more than 25 years. Tickets were sold to the general public and the event sold out in one hour.
As a former London constable, Nicholas Angel finds it difficult to adapt to his new assignment in the sleepy British village of Sandford. Not only does he miss the excitement of the big city, but he also has a well-meaning oaf for a partner. However, when a series of grisly accidents rocks Sandford, Angel smells something rotten in the idyllic village.
An in-depth examination of the complete production of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005).
Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
Shot live at the one off Comic Aid benefit gig at London’s Carling Apollo – which sold out in just three and a half minutes of tickets being put on sale – the DVD features the entire uncut show for all those unfortunate enough to have missed out on tickets. The 3 hour show sees Jonathan Ross, Jack Dee, Graham Norton, Julian Clary, and Lily Savage host a stellar comic line-up that includes; Lee Evans, Dawn French, Jimmy Carr, Ardal O’Hanlon, Johnny Vegas, Bill Bailey, Bo’ Selecta! star The Bear, Jo Brand, Jon Culshaw, Omid Djalili, Otis Lee Crenshaw, Eddie Izzard, The League Of Gentlemen with Miranda Richardson, Alistair McGowan, Dylan Moran, Dave Spikey, Simon Pegg & Jessica Stevenson. Psychological illusionist Derren Brown and international percussion sensation Stomp also present their own unique blend of stage entertainment.
A feature documentary about the making of and influence of the British television series Spaced. It also features an epilogue to the series.
Bill Bailey's Part Troll tour has been a huge success playing over 60 dates throughout the country. This DVD, filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo, captures one of the country's best and most original stand-ups at the top of his game.
Wild West is a situation comedy screened from October 2002 until 2004 starring Dawn French and Catherine Tate. It was described as a dark comedy from the pen of Simon Nye and was filmed on location in Cornwall. Set in the hamlet of St Gweep, Wild West observes the strange goings-on in the local Cornish community. Shop owners Mary Trewednack and her life-partner Angela are the main focus but there are many other characters in this sitcom. The first series of the sitcom was scheduled to appear on prime-time BBC1 where its eccentricities met with a poor critical and popular response, but a second series was commissioned and both series have received retrospective praise. Most of the sitcom was filmed in the village of Portloe in Cornwall.
Jumping around from musing about the disappointment of Kinder Surprise eggs to medieval porn to men's tendency not to admit ignorance to a brilliant take-off of Chris de Burgh, which comes out of nowhere. Yes, Bailey lacks an inherent structure--unlike Harry Hill or Al Murray--so you could walk in half way through and not miss any underlying subtleties.
Unexpectedly widowed, prim and proper housewife Grace Trevethyn finds herself in dire financial straits when she inherits massive debts her late husband had been accruing for years. Faced with losing her house, she decides to use her talent for horticulture and hatches a plan to grow potent marijuana which can be sold at an astronomical price, thus solving her financial crisis.
Bernard Black runs a book shop, though his customer service skills leave something to be desired. He hires Manny as an employee. Fran runs the shop next door. Between the three of them many adventures ensue.
Head on Comedy was a comedy debate show hosted by Jo Brand in which two teams of three, captained by Bill Bailey and Ed Byrne, would debate trivial topics such as 'This house wants to be a man'. It ran for one series, consisting of six episodes.
Black Books centres around the foul tempered and wildly eccentric bookshop owner Bernard Black. Bernard’s devotion to the twin pleasures of drunkenness and wilful antagonism deepens and enriches both his life and that of Manny, his assistant. Bearded, sweet and good, Manny is everything that Bernard isn’t and is punished by Bernard relentlessly just for the crime of existing. They depend on each other for meaning as Fran, their oldest friend, depends on them for distraction. Black Books is a haven of books, wine and conversation, the only threat to the group’s peace and prosperity is their own limitless stupidity.
Is It Bill Bailey? is a stand up/sketch comedy series written by and starring Bill Bailey. Each episode features Bailey performing an amount of stand-up comedy on stage, interspersed with comedy sketches starring himself and other actors. As well as performing parodies of pop songs or performers, Bailey deconstructs music from television shows such as Doctor Who or Starsky and Hutch.
One night from his 1996 Cosmic Jam tour at the Bloomsbury in London in which Bill explains the seminal influence of cockney knees-up music upon classical composers through the ages and takes a shot at Bryan Adams.
Space Cadets is a comedy panel game broadcast on Channel 4 in 1997. It was presented by "High Commander" Greg Proops with Bill Bailey and Craig Charles as the "Space Captains". It ran for just one series with 10 episodes. Like the BBC's Have I Got News for You, the contestants were celebrities and the show was played mainly for laughs. Bestselling author Terry Pratchett once appeared as a guest. When the contestants were asked who was Britain's most shoplifted author, Pratchett immediately answered "I am!" which was the correct answer.
Asylum is a British comedy series which was shown on Paramount Comedy Channel in 1996. Set in a mental asylum, it ran for one series of six episodes. Unlike traditional sitcoms or comedy television shows, it was to some extent an opportunity for stand-up routines by various comedians, mixed with an overall story involving much black humour. It is significant for involving a large number of British comedians, many who have gone on to work on some of the most successful comedy programmes of the last decade. It marked the first collaboration of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, who would go on to make cult sitcom Spaced. Many of the characters names were the same as those of the actors who portrayed them. David Devant & His Spirit Wife were the "house band" for the series, performing segments in every episode, from their first album, Work, Lovelife, Miscellaneous. The lead-in track "Ginger" served as the programme's title music. The series has yet to be released on DVD; however, the full episodes are viewable on Norman Lovett's website.
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game show with a pop and rock music theme. The show is infamous for its dry, sarcastic humour and scathing, provocative attacks on the pop industry.
Based on the historical work "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", "The Nightmare Years" tells the story of William Shirer, American journalist who, during his days of correspondence as a foreign press in report in 1930s Germany, had to deal with the growing oppression of the Nazi regime, the increasing censorship of the press, and finally the prospect of World War. In the last days of peace, Shirer also struggles to have his German wife and child escape to the United States.
As part of BBC Two's 50th birthday celebrations, this programme pulls from the shelf some rare and previously unseen comedy moments from some of the greatest names in comedy.
