13 h. ago Jimmy Carr’s Am I the A**hole? review – the idea for this comedy panel show is one of TV’s laziest

Its whole concept – comics judge the public’s tales of awfulness to decide who is the most horrible – is based on a subReddit. It’s a confusing, outdated watchIn the not-so-distant past, you would have had to bribe most people to get them to confess to being committed users of the social media site Reddit. As a Redditor of several years, let’s just say that I didn’t used to be particularly vocal about my daily consumption of “subreddits” (individual communities on the site) such as Malicious Compliance (mistakes people make at work, passive-aggressively), or the fairly self-explanatory Am I The Asshole? (AITA). These days, though, Reddit isn’t just for people who live in basements – everyone seems to be on there, rubbernecking in threads like Open Marriage Regret or just indulging in TV fandom. And now they’re even making TV shows based on it.Jimmy Carr’s Am I the A**hole? (asterisks aside, no one in the programme can decide whether it’s pronounced “asshole” or “arsehole”) isn’t the...

Culture

4 d. ago Down Cemetery Road to Jimmy Carr’s Am I the A**hole? The seven best shows to stream this week

Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson team up in the cracking new thriller from Slow Horses creator Mick Herron, and Jimmy Carr’s new comedy will draw gasps by the minute. Plus: there’s a new Witcher!When a gas main explodes in a quiet Oxford street it initially comes as a merciful respite from the awkward dinner party being hosted by Sarah Tucker (Ruth Wilson). But soon, the fallout from the explosion becomes more disconcerting. Sarah (by day, a bored art historian) turns detective when an attempt to deliver a card to a child injured in the blast drags her into a conspiracy; soon she’s in cahoots with Emma Thompson’s spiky PI Zoe Boehm and getting entirely out of her depth. As befits a thriller adapted from a novel by Slow Horses creator Mick Herron, it’s an enjoyably astringent, increasingly nervy mixture of edgewalking intrigue and unsentimental, pitch-black humour. Apple TV, from Wednesday 29 October Continue reading...

Transport

3 w. ago Louis CK defends decision to perform at Riyadh comedy festival as ‘a good opportunity’

Comedian admits to mixed feelings but says event is a ‘positive thing’ despite human rights abuses in Saudi ArabiaLouis CK has defended his decision to perform at the Riyadh comedy festival in Saudi Arabia after fellow comedians criticised the big names taking part as whitewashing a regime guilty of human rights abuses.Speaking on Real Time With Bill Maher, CK, who is co-headlining the festival with the British comedian Jimmy Carr on Monday night local time, said other comedians had been “really surprised” by the response from audiences in Riyadh so far. Continue reading...

Culture

3 w. ago EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Paul Merton scorns Carr over Saudi comedy cash

Billed as the biggest event of its kind, Saudi Arabia's inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival boasts Jimmy Carr and Jack Whitehall in its line-up, as well as US funnymen Dave Chappelle and Bill Burr.

Transport

3 w. ago FCC Chair Brendan Carr to testify before Senate panel after Jimmy Kimmel suspension backlash: reports

Carr will reportedly testify before the Senate Commerce Committee in November

Politics

3 w. ago Pete Davidson and Kevin Hart among comedians criticised for controversial comedy festival

Bill Burr and Jimmy Carr are among the many comedians receiving backlash from comedy colleagues and the public after signing on to the Riyadh Comedy festival despite Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses

Culture

3 w. ago FCC chair claims he never threatened TV networks over Jimmy Kimmel

Brendan Carr earlier said ‘we can do this the easy way or the hard way’ as he urged networks to take action on KimmelBrendan Carr, the tough-talking, pro-Trump chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), claimed on Tuesday that Democrats and the media had “misrepresented” critical comments he made about Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talkshow.Television conglomerates including Nexstar and Sinclair opted to pull the show for “business” reasons, Carr argued, not because of anything he said. Continue reading...

Events

4 w. ago 'They're paying me enough to look the other way': How the likes of Jimmy Carr and Jack Whitehall are pocketing huge sums to appear at a comedy festival in Saudi Arabia

Anyone who dares try it is likely to be met by muted, awkward laughter... but nothing like the resounding silence that has greeted the announcement of the line-up for the event.

Events