Showing titles in Entertainment & Performing Arts

The Big Bang Natural Selection E = mc2 All pretty decent theories, that beg one question: why has no-one discovered a fully unified theory for what makes jokes funny? Well, comedy director Amanda Baker, comedy writer Abi Grant and stand-up comedian Jimmy Carr have done just that. In this book, in case that's not obvious. From how to identify the families of jokes, to decoding the building blocks of comedy, to the real - and brand new - secret to comic timing, On Jokes does for comedy what decoding the genome did for designer babies.

Roisin Conaty returns for another series of The Last Laugh: The Last One Laughing Podcast. This time, she and her guests will be chatting all things Last One Laughing: Halloween. They’ll be bringing you exclusive clips from the series, dissecting the spooky shenanigans of each episode, and sharing all the behind-the-scenes gossip.

'A FRANK, FUNNY, POWERFUL MEMOIR,' The Guardian *** 'Put very simply, the details of my life could be boiled down to "boy dreams of being a comedian and then becomes one", so in a basic sense everything has gone according to plan. Item number one on the lifetime to-do list has been well and...

THE HILARIOUS NEW MEMOIR FROM COMEDIAN AND SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR KATHERINE RYAN 'Deeply, unexpectedly moving at points.... and, of course, funny. Shocking, confronting, in all its shameless truths.' The Times 'Super super funny... Katherine is unashamedly authentic', Romesh Ranganathan...

Lift the bonnet on 20 years of magic and mayhem on Top Gear and The Grand Tour - from the mysterious man behind the camera . . . The perfect gift for fans of fast cars, big laughs and full-throttle TV adventures! Top Gear turned gloomy Sunday nights into celebratory Friday nights. It made...

"A certified member of the satirical avengers, and a much needed tonic and educator in these mad times." - MUNYA CHAWAWA "Full of nourishing facts with which to nobble your reform voting relatives." - STEWART LEE In today's climate of highly polarised, culture war-fuelled and personality driven...

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER & GUARDIAN AUDIOBOOK OF THE WEEK The beautifully written, moving and darkly funny memoir about alcohol addiction and the journey to sobriety. Narrated by the author, award-winning comedian John Robins. This audiobook includes two pieces of bonus material...

Another bumper collection of classic fun and games from one of BBC Radio 4's best-loved and most enduring comedy panel games. The inimitable Humphrey Lyttelton is in the chair for these 25 hilarious editions (including the very first episode from 1972) plus two volumes of vintage 'Live' recordings (ad libs, retakes, warm-ups and all), a 35th anniversary special edition, and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Desert Island, in which famous fans Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent and Germaine Greer choose their favourite 'Clue' moments.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Connection and laughter and joy are everything. To meet someone and just play and laugh – it’s all us humans need. I’ve had times in my life when I haven’t had that, through illness, and finding it again has brought back my silly, sensitive soul...

To age, they say, is to decline. Yet some things actually improve as they get older: certain wines, His Majesty King Charles, certain cheeses and, most of all, the Alan Partridge podcast, now back for its fourth series. What will this series offer that the first three didn’t? Nothing, that’s not the point. Instead it will continue, just as before, to draw back the curtain, open the cupboard and provide full loft access to the life of one of the most fascinating men in north Norfolk (Alan Partridge).

Dara Ó Briain invites two comedians to compete with their best stories of when their lives and time have been most wasted. From relationships that were never going anywhere, hours spent on call waiting, pointless DIY projects, failed attempts at self-improvement, to weird hobbies and misunderstood technology – strap in for a joyfully (and occasionally painfully) relatable celebration of our completely misspent lives.

Sixteen TV soundtracks from the award-winning TV show collected together for the first time, starring David Jason as ambitious market trader Del Boy Trotter and Nicholas Lyndhurst as his younger brother, Rodney Trotter. For 15 years the brothers of Trotters Independent Traders PLC have entertained us both with Del's extreme optimism and scams and, quite simply, Rodney's reactions upon hearing those scams.

'A delight' Caitlin Moran 'A sharp, unbeatable, timeless wit' Jameela Jamil 'Hilarious, heartbreaking and inspiring' Sathnam Sanghera 'Dashed with magic' Richard E. Grant Meera Syal is one of Britain's best loved comedy legends. Now, for the first time, she tells her story. Meera recounts those...

Yes. I’m a dog. And you’re reading a book written by a dog. Which of us is the odder? I guess we’ll just have to get used to it. Now, this is supposed to be Wallace’s story. And maybe, at some point, he’ll finish building the machine he was going to write this book with. Currently...

Self-help meets memoir in this deeply insightful, fascinating and entertaining audiobook about happiness by one of the country's most treasured comedians. *A memoir and self-help manual by one of the country's most treasured comedians - for anyone who feels stuck in a rut but doesn't have the...

Come take a joyous journey with Joe Marler as he introduces you to every aspect of his life post-rugby and (almost) everything that's going on in his head. A hugely entertaining and funny romp of a book. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'absolutely brilliant' Chris Evans 'absolutely bonkers' Alison...

350 British civilians are dead and Russia is responsible. Number 10 hits back as a hapless Prime Minister plays his hand in the age of regime decapitation. Bear Hunt is a technically rigorous action drama exploring the political manoeuvres, operational challenges and conflict expertise required to assassinate a head of state. Billed as a British Bourne, this geopolitical thriller pulls listeners into the white-hot corridors of power in Westminster and Washington. To the battlefields where the nation’s best learnt their killing trade. And to the mission itself, deep behind enemy lines. ...

All five series of the award-winning sketch show - plus standalone comedy Daydream Believers 'Fresh and full of invention' The Telegraph Welcome to the inside-out world of Mitchell and Webb, a strange and surreal place populated by misfits, eccentrics, talking animals and a few stray Radio 4...

Welcome to Fawlty Towers, where attentive hotelier Basil Fawlty and his charming wife Sybil will attend to your every need - in your worst nightmare. With hapless waiter Manuel and long-suffering waitress Polly on hand to help, anything could happen during your stay - and probably will. John Cleese’s special introductions to each episode are included in this collection of all 12 TV soundtrack episodes.

From Croydon to the former Eastern Bloc, Super Hans lays it all out – bad trips, deep thoughts and absolute bangers. This is not a celebrity memoir. It's a love story, a travelogue, a chemical odyssey and, in many ways, a very long apology. Superhans has been a musician, a father, an addict, a...