Heroes Of Comedy

11:45pm Friday, January 7 on M4

Fondly remembered for her enduring TV partnership with Eric Sykes, and for her matronly roles in the Carry On films, Hattie Jacques was a consummate comedienne and singer who oozed big-hearted charm yet whose talents as a straight actress went largely unrealised by directors.

11:35pm Friday, December 17 on M4

The spotlight turns on Ronnie Corbett whose career spans Crackerjack to The Frost Report, Sorry! and The Two Ronnies. Corbett has defined the short-man comic yet in real life, he is no pushover, having reached the top through industry and determination.

12:00am Friday, December 3 on M4

This laughter-packed tribute to the lugubrious, doom-laden Les Dawson enters his barmy world of jokes, elaborate funny stories and sight gags.

11:20pm Friday, November 26 on M4

Tony Hancock was one of the most popular comedians ever. This programme explores his versatility as a performer as well as unveiling the unknown Hancock and the conflicts within, which contributed to both his comic persona and his suicide. Helping to paint his portrait are Paul Merton, Steve Coogan, Denis Norden, June Whitfield and Alan Simpson.

11:30pm Friday, November 19 on M4

A tribute to the popular comedy actor and writer Ronnie Barker. Packed with clips and laughs, the programme offers revealing insights into this warm, witty but essentially private man.

11:30pm Friday, November 5 on M4

Fondly remembered for her enduring TV partnership with Eric Sykes, and for her matronly roles in the Carry On films, Hattie Jacques was a consummate comedienne and singer who oozed big-hearted charm.

11:35pm Friday, October 29 on M4

A tiny, loveable, bespectacled, genuinely funny ‘silly little man’, Arthur Askey entertained four generations of an admiring British public until his death in 1982.

11:35pm Friday, October 15 on M4

Eric Sykes is justly famous as a comedian, an outstanding clown and film actor. Behind the scenes he has also been the highest-paid writer of comedy radio, writer/actor of television’s longest running sitcom and an award-winning film director.

12:15am Friday, October 8 on M4

Acclaimed as the greatest comedy actor of the age, Alastair Sim was born in Edinburgh in 1900 and appeared in such films and TV series as Cottage to Let , Folly to Be Wise and Misleading Cases . With contributions from George Cole, Nigel Hawthorne, Sir Ian McKellen and Patricia Routledge, the programme also includes rare archive footage of Sim at work.

11:55pm Friday, October 1 on M4

Joyce Grenfell was one of the premier comediennes of her age – she had a career that spanned the decades from the late ’30s to the mid ’70s. Her unique appearance and seemingly gentle wit entertained generations of audiences and established that one woman could perform her own show and keep the audience captivated.