Doon Mackichan

The Sea Beast

When a young girl stows away on the ship of a legendary sea monster hunter, they launch an epic journey into uncharted waters — and make history to boot.

The Borrowers

The four-inch-tall Clock family secretly share a house with the normal-sized Lender family, "borrowing" such items as thread, safety pins, batteries and scraps of food. However, their peaceful co-existence is disturbed when evil lawyer Ocious P. Potter steals the will granting title to the house, which he plans to demolish in order to build apartments. The Lenders are forced to move, and the Clocks face the risk of being exposed to the normal-sized world.

National Theatre at Home: Summerfolk

It's a hot, beautiful summer in 1905, and Russia's elite retreat to the countryside to swim, sip champagne and start affairs. When they're having this much fun, why care about anything else? But Varvara just can't shake the feeling that their holiday idyll is built on borrowed time. As the party continues, how long can they ignore the storm on the horizon? Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky's Edge) directs Maxim Gorky's razor-sharp portrait of class, privilege and denial, revived for 2026 in a new adaptation from Nina Raine (Consent) and Moses Raine (Donkey Heart).

Space Virgins from Planet Sex

A craft full of Space Rats,glamorous extra-terrestrials from the planet Sex,arrive on Earth desperate to find men with whom they can procreate in order to ensure the continuity of their race and whom they imprison in their sex factory. Fortunately for the world the secret agent James Blond,a decidedly non-feminist secret agent,sets out to rescue the men and see off the Space Rats in his own inimitable way.

Breaking the Bank

With ruthless US and Japanese investment banks circling Tuftons, a struggling two-hundred-year-old, family-run British bank, can its bumbling, incompetent chairman, Sir Charles Bunbury, fend off the onslaught and save the bank?

With or Without You

Rosie and Vincent have known each other for ten years, and have been married for five. She doesn't like her job, he isn't too pleased working with her dad. They're trying to have a baby. One morning Benoit, a Frenchman and former pen pal of Rosie, whom she never met, comes to visit. Did Rosie love him? Does she love him now?

Sex Actually

Colombian Luccio and his girlfriend Angie move into a respectable part of Berkshire, learning that Ron and Helen, the previous owners of their house, died mysteriously. Angie discovers that their neighbours, estate agent Roy and his wife Jane, high court judge Charles and his bickering wife Carol and Bilbo, a conceptual artist and his partner were all members of a wife-swapping circle who usually met at Ron and Helen's house. Luccio reveals himself to be a policeman and is curious as to how Ron and Helen died, lining up all the suspects.

Gladiatress

Three unlikely heroines set out to thwart a Roman invasion and save Celtic Britain in their own unique and outrageous style.

The Sea Beast

When a young girl stows away on the ship of a legendary sea monster hunter, they launch an epic journey into uncharted waters — and make history to boot.

The Borrowers

The four-inch-tall Clock family secretly share a house with the normal-sized Lender family, "borrowing" such items as thread, safety pins, batteries and scraps of food. However, their peaceful co-existence is disturbed when evil lawyer Ocious P. Potter steals the will granting title to the house, which he plans to demolish in order to build apartments. The Lenders are forced to move, and the Clocks face the risk of being exposed to the normal-sized world.

National Theatre at Home: Summerfolk

It's a hot, beautiful summer in 1905, and Russia's elite retreat to the countryside to swim, sip champagne and start affairs. When they're having this much fun, why care about anything else? But Varvara just can't shake the feeling that their holiday idyll is built on borrowed time. As the party continues, how long can they ignore the storm on the horizon? Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky's Edge) directs Maxim Gorky's razor-sharp portrait of class, privilege and denial, revived for 2026 in a new adaptation from Nina Raine (Consent) and Moses Raine (Donkey Heart).

Space Virgins from Planet Sex

A craft full of Space Rats,glamorous extra-terrestrials from the planet Sex,arrive on Earth desperate to find men with whom they can procreate in order to ensure the continuity of their race and whom they imprison in their sex factory. Fortunately for the world the secret agent James Blond,a decidedly non-feminist secret agent,sets out to rescue the men and see off the Space Rats in his own inimitable way.

Breaking the Bank

With ruthless US and Japanese investment banks circling Tuftons, a struggling two-hundred-year-old, family-run British bank, can its bumbling, incompetent chairman, Sir Charles Bunbury, fend off the onslaught and save the bank?

With or Without You

Rosie and Vincent have known each other for ten years, and have been married for five. She doesn't like her job, he isn't too pleased working with her dad. They're trying to have a baby. One morning Benoit, a Frenchman and former pen pal of Rosie, whom she never met, comes to visit. Did Rosie love him? Does she love him now?

Sex Actually

Colombian Luccio and his girlfriend Angie move into a respectable part of Berkshire, learning that Ron and Helen, the previous owners of their house, died mysteriously. Angie discovers that their neighbours, estate agent Roy and his wife Jane, high court judge Charles and his bickering wife Carol and Bilbo, a conceptual artist and his partner were all members of a wife-swapping circle who usually met at Ron and Helen's house. Luccio reveals himself to be a policeman and is curious as to how Ron and Helen died, lining up all the suspects.

Gladiatress

Three unlikely heroines set out to thwart a Roman invasion and save Celtic Britain in their own unique and outrageous style.

The Scarecrows' Wedding

Devoted scarecrows Betty O'Barley and Harry O'Hay are planning a wedding to remember. When Harry insists on leaving the farm to collect one last thing for their big day, smooth-talking Reginald Rake swoops in with plans of his own. Chaos follows, and soon Betty's in danger and everything's at risk. Can Harry get back in time and save the day?

Wild About Harry

A sleazy chef is forced to face the truth about the man he has become and realizes that he has the chance to begin again.

Death on the Tyne

Draper's Tours are taking Mildred and her care home friends on an overnight ferry trip from North Shields to Amsterdam, where things will quickly turn turbulent as the passengers and crew begin to get bumped off one-by-one. Throughout it all, Terry is still desperate to pop the question to Gemma, even if the circumstances are less than romantic.

Red Nose of Courage

A clown is not happy with his job at his father's circus so he gets into politics, and some weeks later he is the Prime Minister John Major. But after his day job, he has to attend to his real job as Coco the Clown. He falls in love with the leader of the opposition party but she falls in love with Coco the Clown without knowing that he is in fact John Major, the Prime Minister.

Happy New Year, Colin Burstead

Colin has rented a stately country home for his extended family’s New Year celebrations. He’s the centre of attention until his estranged brother David unexpectedly arrives, throwing the family dynamic far off orbit.

The Academy of Armando

Alan Yentob profiles the stellar career of one of the great satirists of our age, Armando Iannucci, whose impressive body of work includes The Day Today, The Thick of It, Veep, The Death of Stalin and The Personal History of David Copperfield. With contributions from key collaborators such as Chris Morris, Steve Coogan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Rebecca Front, Jesse Armstrong, Michael Palin and Peter Capaldi, imagine... sheds light on Iannucci’s unique creative process.

The Crying Game

Roy Brush has aspirations to be a great footballer and this seems likely when he scores for England in the European Cup Final. To add to this he becomes a national hero, having seemingly saved a young lad from drowning. But Roy has a secret - he is gay - and the editor of the scurrilous 'Scum' tabloid is making it his business to out him. However, with the help of his manager, Roy can triumph at an inspirational climactic football match, where his tears touch the heart of the nation - and pundit Jimmy Twizzle gets very high on mushroom tea.

Frost on Sketch Shows

Sir David Frost traces the development of the sketch show over the last fifty years, from variety theatre to primetime television.

Anuvahood

Kenneth (who likes to call himself Kay) begins to realise he's just another wannabe bad boy... even less than a loser in fact. After quitting his job at Laimsbury's, Kay vows to become a respected gangster... or cry trying. A pulls-no-punches, coming-of-age story, centering on one directionless hopeless "shotter", who finds his true worth in the face of urban adversity.

Acts of Godfrey

At a two-day business conference, God decides to romantically pair Terry, a moral crusader, with his "win-at-all-cost" antithesis, Mary. However, fate, assisted by unique and corrupt characters, attempt to beset God's arrangements.

A Very Social Secretary

Bernard Hill and Victoria Hamilton star in Alistair Beaton's wickedly funny feature-length drama inspired by David Blunkett's private affair held up for very public scrutiny.

National Theatre Live: Twelfth Night

A ship is wrecked on the rocks. Viola is washed ashore but her twin brother Sebastian is lost. Determined to survive on her own, she steps out to explore a new land. So begins a whirlwind of mistaken identity and unrequited love. The nearby households of Olivia and Orsino are overrun with passion. Even Olivia's upright housekeeper Malvolia is swept up in the madness. Where music is the food of love, and nobody is quite what they seem, anything proves possible.

Alan Partridge: Why, When, Where, How And Whom?

Documentary looking back at Alan Partridge's journey from broadcaster caricature to the award-winning study of complexity and pathos that he has become.

Two Doors Down

Comedy set in a chaotic Hogmanay party. Beth and Eric Baird's Hogmanay goes horribly wrong as family, friends and neighbours descend on their home. As they count down to the bells in traditional Scottish style, a lively evening is assured as drink flows and Beth's legendary steak pie comes out of the oven. Secrets are revealed, tempers fray, scores are settled and a gazebo is destroyed.

Gregory: Diary of a Nutcase

Governor Wilkins brings rookie cop Lucille Bromley to see the imprisoned cannibal Dr Genghis in order to gain information about a serial killer. At the same time the extremely boring Gregory Dawson,who is interested in serial killers,is building his own torture chamber and making a very mundane video diary about his life. However the two worlds are shortly about to collide.

Python at 50: Silly Talks and Holy Grails

From ‘something completely different’ to icons of comedy and national treasures, this is a collection of rarely-seen Monty Python moments from the BBC archives, following the group’s encounters with ‘Auntie’ over the past 50 years.

QI

Comedy quiz show full of quirky facts, in which contestants are rewarded more if their answers are 'quite interesting'.

Good Omens

Aziraphale and Crowley, of Heaven and Hell respectively, have grown rather fond of the Earth. So it's terrible news that it's about to end. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing. The Four Horsemen are ready to ride. Everything is going according to the Divine Plan...except that someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist. Can our heroes find him and stop Armageddon before it's too late?

New Tricks

New Tricks is a British comedy-drama that follows the work of the fictional Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad of the Metropolitan Police Service. Originally led by Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman, it is made up of retired police officers who have been recruited to reinvestigate unsolved crimes.

Would I Lie to You?

A comedic panel show featuring team captains Lee Mack and David Mitchell plus two guests per side, hosted by Rob Brydon (formerly Angus Deayton). Each person must reveal embarrassing facts and outrageous lies during a series of different rounds including "Home Truths", "This Is My..." and "Quickfire Lies". It is up to the opposing team to tell tall tales from fantastic facts.

Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC One from 1989 until 1998 and on ITV from 2013. Starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, it was created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, who also wrote some of the episodes along with many other writers. The first episode sees sisters Tracey Stubbs and Sharon Theodopolopodos brought together when their husbands are sent to prison for armed robbery. Sharon, who lived in an Edmonton council flat, moves into Tracey's expensive house in Chigwell, Essex. Their next-door neighbour, and later friend, Dorien Green is a middle-aged married woman who is constantly having affairs with younger men. In the later series the location is changed to Hainault. The series ended on Christmas Eve 1998 after a 9-year-run.

The Sarah Jane Adventures

Sarah Jane Smith is a truly remarkable woman who inhabits a world of mystery, danger and wonder; a world where aliens are commonplace and the Earth is under constant threat. A world that Maria Jackson, a seemingly ordinary girl, can only dream of – until she moves in next door. Nothing will ever be ordinary again.

An Audience with...

An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by London Weekend Television, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

Jonathan Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band.

Plebs

Sitcom about three desperate young men from the suburbs who try to get laid, hold down jobs and climb the social ladder in the big city - which just happens to be ancient Rome.

Toast of London

Steven Toast, an eccentric middle-aged actor with a chequered past, spends more time dealing with his problems off stage than performing on it.

Flack

Robyn, the sharp and witty publicity maven, is an expert at her craft but a complete self-saboteur when it comes to her personal life. Robyn’s work as a crisis PR strategist is fast-paced and unpredictable, as she counsels high-profile personalities in entertainment, fashion and sports.

Brass Eye

Investigative reporter Chris Morris puts modern Britain under the spotlight, and smacks the issues of the day till they bleed. He tackles weighty issues including animals, drugs, sex and skewered celebrities and politicians alike - and in a later episode in 2001, paedophiles.

Bob and Margaret

Revolves around married English couple named Bob and Margaret Fish, a middle class 40-ish working couple with no children and two dogs named William and Elizabeth. Bob is a dentist and Margaret is a chiropodist. Bob and Margaret struggle with everyday issues and mid life crisis. Stories often revolve around the mundane, but in a way which is eminently relatable. In the first two seasons, Bob and Margaret live in England, in the South London community of Balham. For the third and fourth seasons, they move to Toronto, Canada, allowing the writers to explore the humour of the culture clash.

I'm Alan Partridge

The fortunes of a former chat show host who is reduced to a lowly slot on Radio Norwich. Alan Partridge is divorced, living in a travel tavern, and desperate for a return to television.

Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge

Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge is a BBC Television series of six episodes, and a Christmas special in 1995. It is named after the song "Knowing Me, Knowing You" by ABBA, which was used as the show's title music. Steve Coogan played the incompetent but self-satisfied Norwich-based host, Alan Partridge. Alan was a spin-off character from the spoof radio show On the Hour. Knowing Me Knowing You was written by Coogan, Armando Iannucci and Patrick Marber, with contributions from the regular supporting cast of Doon Mackichan, Rebecca Front and David Schneider, who played Alan's weekly guests. Steve Brown provided the show's music and arrangements, and also appeared as Glen Ponder, the man in charge of the house band. The show was a parody of a chat show. It featured a live audience whose laughter meant that viewers could not mistake the show for a real chat show. Alan went on to appear in two series of the sitcom I'm Alan Partridge, following his life after both his marriage and TV career come to an end.

Comedy Connections

Comedy Connections was a BBC One documentary series produced by BBC Scotland that aired from 2003 to 2008. The show looked at the stories behind the production of some of Britain's comedy television programmes, showing how they tied in with the production of other comedy shows. The show featured interviews with some of the cast and crew of the subject programme, as well as footage from the series. Comedy Connections mostly documented BBC comedies and sitcoms, although two programmes have been from ITV and two from Channel 4. The first series consisted of six episodes, however the rest of the series consist of eight episodes each, the first two series were narrated by Julia Sawalha, however the rest of the series were narrated by Doon Mackichan.

Psychobitches

Psychobitches is a British sketch comedy programme created by Jeremy Dyson for Sky One Arts. Rebecca Front stars as The Therapist, who holds sessions with famous historical and spiritual women, exploring their psychological issues via anachronistic humour, with such individuals like Mary Magdalene, Bonnie Parker, and Lucille Ball appearing in contemporary settings. Blending historical figures with modern comedy, it features a cast of well-known British talent in a variety of roles as the iconic women.

Two Doors Down

Comedy centred around a couple and their insufferable neighbours.

The Day Today

A spoof of the British news - including ridiculous stories, patronising vox pops, offensively hard-hitting research and a sports presenter clearly struggling for metaphors. Adapted from Radio 4 series 'On The Hour'.

Smack the Pony

The stylish, original and uninhibited Emmy award-winning sketch show starring Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips. Distinctly contemporary. Decidedly maverick.

Nathan Barley

Nathan Barley is a Channel 4 sitcom written by Charlie Brooker and Chris Morris, starring Nicholas Burns, Julian Barratt, Charlie Condou and Claire Keelan. The series of six weekly episodes began broadcasting on 11 February 2005 on Channel 4. Described by his creator as a "meaningless strutting cadaver-in-waiting", the character originated on Brooker's TVGoHome – a website parodying television listings – as the focus of a fly-on-the-wall documentary called Cunt.

Pure

Marnie is not OK. She's had x-rated thoughts for the last 3672 days and she doesn't know why or what they mean. When she jumps on a coach to London, she doesn't know a soul, not even herself, but in the city she will build a new life.

Toast of Tinseltown

Tortured thespian Steven Toast relocates to the ultimate actor's playground - Hollywood. Surely this time he will get the adulation he so richly deserves.

Comic Relief Does Fame Academy

Comic Relief Does Fame Academy is a spin-off of the original Fame Academy show where celebrities sing as students of the Academy. The programme was launched in 2003 to help raise money for the charities supported by Comic Relief, with the final of the show occurring on Red Nose Day. Coverage of the show was widely shown on BBC One, BBC Three, BBC Prime and the CBBC Channel. Many consider the celebrity version of the show to be far more successful than its predecessor. The Comic Relief series returned in 2005 and again in March 2007. It was announced by the BBC that Cat Deeley would not return because she was hosting So You Think You Can Dance. However, Patrick Kielty returned with co-host and host of the former spin-off show Claudia Winkleman.