The British Comedy Awards: Who Will Be The King – Or Queen- of Comedy.

The British Comedy Awards sponsored by Foster’s return to Channel 4 live from 9pm on December 16 with Jonathan Ross back at the helm and ready for mischief.

Nominations will be revealed in full during a one hour Channel 4 nominations show on December 11 at 10pm, a few days before the main event is broadcast live on Channel 4 from Fountain Studios in Wembley.

Today however, we can exclusively reveal the six nominees for the prestigious People’s Choice Award for the King or Queen of Comedy – the only category where the viewers choose the winner.

Reigning Queen of Comedy Miranda Hart will be defending her crown against star of Peep Show and 10 O’clock Live presenter David Mitchell, chat show supremo and guru of all things Eurovision, Graham Norton, Fresh Meat star, Jack Whitehall, BAFTA-winning comedian, actress and author Jo Brand and stand-up sensation and panel show favourite Sarah Millican.

People can vote for their favourite by calling 0901 616 4444 and selecting the following numbers to cast their vote.*

For DAVID MITCHELL press 1

For GRAHAM NORTON press 2

For JACK WHITEHALL press 3

For JO BRAND press 4

For MIRANDA HART press 5

For SARAH MILLICAN press 6

Lines open Monday 28 November and voting closes during the awards ceremony, shortly before the winner is revealed and we find out who is officially the funniest person in Britain.

Host Jonathan Ross said: “I’ve tried, but I can’t think of a more entertaining way to spend a winters evening then watching a room full of our best and brightest comedians get slowly drunk while they wait to see which of their rivals picks up an award. Surely that’s what Christmas is all about?

“To be hosting it again, for what feels like the 87th time, is also an honour and privilege and I will do my best, like the Batman facing a room full of Jokers, to keep things running smoothly”.

There are 17 categories in this year’s British Comedy Awards, including Best New British TV Comedy, Best Sitcom, Best Comedy Actor and Actress, Lifetime Achievement Award and Outstanding Contribution to British Comedy.

Previous winners include Russell Brand, Ricky Gervais, Alan Carr, Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas David Walliams. Sascha Baron Cohen and Peter Kay.

The event also attracts a star studded audience with recent guests including Goldie Hawn, Alec Baldwin, Madonna, Samuel L Jackson, Eva Mendes, Jack Black, Juliette Lewis, Matt Groening and JK Rowling.

For the latest news on this year’s event, go to www.channel4.com/britishcomedyawards.

Twitter: #ComedyAwards

TX Details

British Comedy Awards Nominations Show – Sunday 11 December at 10pm on Channel 4

British Comedy Awards – Friday 16 December live from 9pm on Channel 4

British Comedy Awards: Live Lock-In – Friday 16 December from 11pm on E4

Voting

*Calls cost 36p from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may be higher and from mobiles will cost considerably more. Touchtone phones only. Maximum 6 votes per caller. Details and Terms at channel4.com/comedyawards. Voting closes during the Comedy Awards on 16th December 2011

Stefans TV Picks: 24th May 2010

Monday 24th
Ignoring the annoying script and its bum-numbing runtime, Titanic did give us the pairing of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, a pair able to convey the feeling of adventure and love in an otherwise pretty mediocre movie. We get to see this partnership once again on Sky Movies Drama and Romance at 22.10 in Revolutionary Road. Join the Wheelers in 1950’s suburban America as boredom and a failing marriage start to take over their façade of a perfect happy home life. Winslets performance is absolutely worthy of her Golden Globe win and Oscar Nomination, she acts everyone off the screen in her flawless portrayal of housewife April as she struggles to keep up the appearance of doting wife and mother while the desire to escape gnaws away within. If you can’t be in to see it, set it to record, you won’t be sorry.

Tuesday 25th
Hmmm, Tuesdays….I’m not sure what happens on Tuesdays but there’s never anything on that really says WATCH ME WATCH ME! So once again I shall resort to my favourite hobby, watching films, and once again I shall turn to Sky Movies Drama and Romance for Once, playing at 16:45 and again at 23:30. If you do take my advice and watch this, have a box of tissues ready, I unashamedly admit to crying every time I watch this film about the growing relationship between Czech immigrant girl (played by Marketa Irglova…if your anything like me, you’ll fall in love with her a lil bit) and Irish busker boy (Glen Hansard). With an outstanding original soundtrack, mostly written by Hansard and Irglova, Once is one of those films that make you so happy and really sad at the same time. A masterpiece of independent cinema.

Wednesday 26th
I’m finding it difficult to suggest anything this week that isn’t movie related, I mean today on Sky 1 at 20:00…Dogs in Frocks (yes its exactly what it suggests) or the tedious Justin Lee Collins ranting and raving in his ‘wacky’ way about trying to enter the Eurovision Song Contest (Eurovision, Channel 5, 22:00) I cant think of any reason to watch these and I’m not a fan of repeating recommendations like The Big Bang Theory at 23:05 on Channel 4 (although everyone should defiantly watch this), so back to movie related programmes it is. Today it’s thanks go to ITV. The National Movie Awards at 20:00 will bring us glitz, glamour, beautiful people and a sneaky peek at the much anticipated (by me anyway) Toy Story 3.

Thursday 27th
BBC2, 19:00, The Culture Show…A-HA I hear you cry, in a week of movie related Picks you are choosing a TV show, but await dear Reader; I am merely suggesting this programme due to one of its segments. In today’s episode, as well as delving into the history of Westminster Abbeys gargoyles, a visit to the funny folk at The Onion and a preview of the new Mostyn gallery in Wales which promise to be pretty interesting, Mark Kermode and Miranda Sawyer debate the choice between Movies and Theatre. I’ll be backing Kermode!

Friday 28
Lost…..I’ve never watched a single one episode, but apparently it finishing and it’s a big momentous thing, my Lost Fanboy friends would probably tell me off for not saying it so Sky 1 from 20:00 onwards sit back and watch the two and a half hour double episode finale that’ll answer all the questions that need to be answered, maybe after I can continue in a conversation instead of it turning to ‘oooo what’s the smoke monster about?’ ‘What about that polar bear?’ ‘What’s down the hole?’ ‘WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN ON?’ and maybe where on earth the folk on the island got access to toothbrushes, razors and hair products? (keeping in the movie theme…a two and a half hour episode is more than most movie runtimes, so I count it as a film)

Saturday 29th
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like The Rolling Stones, even those who say they don’t probably like their songs but don’t know it’s them playing it, which is why I’m suggesting The Stones in Exile: An Imagine Special on BBC2 at 23:10. This documentary presented by Alan Yentob chronicles the bands recording of their 1972 acclaimed record Exile on Main Street. This revealing account shows their chaotic lifestyle while taking up residence in the French Riviera after fleeing the UK for not paying taxes. Should be an interesting programme for fans and non-fans alike (and will probably have you asking the question…why are we lumbered with musicians like Justin bloody Bieber these days?)

Sunday 30th
Imagine a flat round world, now imagine that world resting on the backs of four elephants, now imagine those elephants standing on the shell of a giant turtle that swims through space….that turtle is the Great A’Tuin, and that world is the Discworld. It’s on this bizarre world that Terry Pratchetts novel (the 33rd in a series of 38) Going Postal takes place, and which has now been made into a two part series for Sky 1 and will be shown at 18:00. Magic, action and almighty cons are rife in the story of swindler Moist Von Lipwig as he takes on the job of PostMaster, in a not so much ailing as decrepit Post Office, in a bid to escape the Hangmans noose. After some disappointing previous Discworld series’ (why they cast David Jason as Rincewind still confuses me) I’m hoping they make up for it with Going Postal, casting Tamsin Grieg is a step in the right direction. As an owner of a majority of the Discworld books this is one I’m looking forward too!