Comedy Review

Comedy Review was a short-lived British magazine devoted to comedy across television, stand-up, film, radio, theatre, books, video and related forms of entertainment. Published by Future Publishing, it ran for five issues between March and July 1996. The magazine was edited by Andy Lowe, with Damien Noonan serving as associate editor and Danny Wallace, then aged 19, working as a staff writer. The publication positioned itself as a broad comedy reference and criticism title rather than a magazine focused on a single performer or medium. Its original cover strapline presented the scope as “TV, Stand-up, Films, Radio, Theatre, Books, Videos and Other Amusing Media.” The final phrase was removed after the first issue, while “Theatre” disappeared from the strapline after the third issue, indicating a gradual tightening of the cover’s description of the magazine’s editorial territory. Each issue used a themed cover identity and combined contemporary interviews, historical retrospectives, criticism, features and recurring departments. Regular material included a reprinted “Classic Interview,” a transcript of a notable scene from a sitcom or comedy film under the heading “Masterpiece,” an episode guide to a comedy television series, and a column by Peter Baynham. The magazine’s coverage ranged from established British television and stage comedians to international and alternative comedy, behind-the-scenes television workers, comedy writing, practical performance traditions and the culture surrounding comedy fandom. The first issue, the “Debut Issue,” appeared in March 1996 with Stephen Fry on the cover. It included features on The Fast Show, British sitcoms remade in the United States, comedy songs and forgotten sitcoms. Its “Masterpiece” transcript covered the fire-drill sequence from the Fawlty Towers episode “The Germans,” while the “Classic Interview” was with Bill Hicks. Subsequent issues broadened the range of featured performers and subjects. The April “Sofa Issue” featured Felix Dexter and included a ranking of comedy films, with This Is Spinal Tap at number one, as well as material on pranks, hoaxes, and the magazine Bugs and Drugs. The May “Red Issue” featured Eddie Izzard, Neil Mullarkey, Stephen Frost and Suki Webster and examined subjects including sitcom films, magic and comedy, Bernard Manning, and television production personnel. The June “Space Issue,” fronted by Lee Evans, covered Viz magazine, ventriloquism, Louis Theroux’s views on British sitcoms and Stewart Lee’s “Bizarre Cabaret.” Its “Masterpiece” section presented three scenes from Monty Python’s Life of Brian, and its “Classic Interview” focused on Peter Sellers. The fifth and final issue, the July “Manic Issue,” featured Steve Coogan and covered comedy in television advertising, a night at The Comedy Store, television warm-up performers, Rich Hall and dedicated comedy enthusiasts. Its “Masterpiece” was a scene from Nuts in May, and its “Classic Interview” was with Keith Allen. No later issues are documented in the supplied reference material. On that basis, Comedy Review is treated as a discontinued magazine title rather than an ongoing media brand. Its historical significance lies in its concentrated attempt to survey British comedy culture during the mid-1990s, connecting mainstream television, stand-up, film, alternative comedy and archival material within a single publication.

Comedy Review was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1996 as a Future Publishing magazine dedicated to comedy in multiple media. Its editorial team consisted of Andy Lowe as editor, Damien Noonan as associate editor and Danny Wallace as a staff writer. The title’s initial cover description promised coverage of television, stand-up, films, radio, theatre, books, videos and other amusing media. The wording was subsequently shortened: “Other Amusing Media” disappeared after the first issue, and “Theatre” was removed after the third. The publication’s format combined current coverage with retrospective and reference-oriented material. Alongside interviews and topical features, it carried a recurring “Classic Interview” section, a “Masterpiece” department presenting a transcript of a notable comedy scene, episode guides to comedy television series and a column by Peter Baynham. This mixture gave the magazine a broad editorial remit, connecting popular television comedy with film, stand-up, alternative performance, comedy writing and the history of the form. The March 1996 debut issue carried Stephen Fry on its cover. Its features addressed The Fast Show, American remakes of British sitcoms, comedy songs and forgotten sitcoms. The issue’s selected “Masterpiece” was the fire-drill sequence from “The Germans,” an episode of Fawlty Towers, and its archival interview was with Bill Hicks. The second issue, released in April under the theme “Sofa Issue,” featured Felix Dexter. It included a list of the fifty funniest comedy films, placing This Is Spinal Tap first, together with features about pranks and hoaxes and the publication Bugs and Drugs. Its scene transcript came from Blackadder II, while its “Classic Interview” presented Peter Cook in the persona of Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling. The May “Red Issue” featured Eddie Izzard, Neil Mullarkey, Stephen Frost and Suki Webster. Its coverage included British sitcom films, the relationship between magic and comedy, Bernard Manning, and the people working behind the scenes on television comedy programmes. The issue reproduced the “20 Jokes” scene from Roxanne and included a classic interview with Graham Chapman. The June “Space Issue” placed Lee Evans on the cover and covered Viz magazine, ventriloquism, Louis Theroux’s observations on British sitcoms and Stewart Lee’s “Bizarre Cabaret.” Its “Masterpiece” section contained three scenes from Monty Python’s Life of Brian, and its archival interview focused on Peter Sellers. The fifth and final documented issue was the July “Manic Issue,” featuring Steve Coogan. It examined comedy in television advertisements, activity at The Comedy Store, television warm-up performers, Rich Hall and people deeply interested in comedy. The selected scene for “Masterpiece” came from Nuts in May, and the “Classic Interview” was with Keith Allen. The supplied references document only these five issues from 1996. They do not provide a later publication history, successor title, continuing website or current corporate activity. Comedy Review is therefore recorded as a defunct magazine brand whose principal historical footprint was its concentrated five-month run in mid-1990s British comedy publishing.

• 1996

  Launch of Comedy Review

  [1]Comedy Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  Future Publishing released the first issue in March 1996, with Stephen Fry on the cover and Andy Lowe as editor.

• 1996

  Five-issue publication run

  [1]Comedy Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  The title published five issues from March through July 1996, each using a distinct thematic label: Debut, Sofa, Red, Space and Manic.

• 1996

  Final documented issue

  [1]Comedy Reviewen.wikipedia.org

  The July “Manic Issue,” featuring Steve Coogan, was the fifth and final issue described in the available reference material.

A broad-format British comedy magazine combining contemporary comedy coverage, archival interviews, criticism, transcripts, episode guides and features on performers, writers, productions and comedy culture.

• Comedy magazine · 1996

  Comedy Review magazine

  The core product was a British print magazine covering comedy across television, stand-up, film, radio, theatre, books and video. Its editorial mix included current features, performer profiles, archival interviews, criticism, episode guides and transcripts of notable comedy scenes. Five issues are documented, published monthly from March through July 1996.

1. 1Comedy Reviewen.wikipedia.org