Comic Relief does Fame Academy

[faceless]

Comics join Fame Academy
Comics Fred Maculay, Tim Vine and Mel Giedroyc are to take part in this year’s Comic Relief Fame Academy show. Other comedy names in the line-up are actress Miranda Hart , Rowland Rivron and Extras star Shaun Williamson. They will all be honing their singing skills under the guidance of vocal coaches David and Carrie Grant in the show, which kicks off on BBC One this Saturday. The first celebrity is voted out later that night. Gradually they will be whittled down until the final on Red Nose Day on Friday 16 March live from BBC Television Centre.

Kevin Cahill, chief executive of Comic Relief, said: ‘It's a great line-up and every time somebody votes to save their favourite student, Comic Relief will get cash that goes towards helping bring an end to poverty and social injustice in the UK and Africa.’

The previous series raised more than £1 million for Comic Relief.

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I'll try and cap these all as I quite enjoyed the last one. Will anyone be as good as Adrian Edmondson?

[6ULDV8]

Ohhh, looks great.

Any plans of capping the comic relief event itself (be it in full or in parts)?
(That question is not aimed just at faceless BTW)

It's been years since I saw any comic relief from the UK, the shite they do for it in the USA may appear (via torrents & clips) to be great over here, but it's hardly seen or noticed by the people of the USA & it's content is lacking greatly.
The US version I last saw seemed to be more a vehicle for the host & a few people to get some coverage than it was about the sole reason for having the event in the first place.

Having taken part in many comic relief events in the UK, either work related or as part of seperate fundraising 'efforts' to donate to comic relief & knowing how the UK participates, I see the US efforts as pretty darn useless.

UK comic relief... loads of run up stuff (such as the topic of this thread), lots of 'special events' held by comic relief, a ton of press coverage, pleanty of public involvement & the like.

USA's version... it ammounts to a small clique of hasbeens with the occasional 'do gooder' gathered together in an auditorium for media producers to write off tax dollars on a high priced ticket to a yawn fest with little to no press coverage & no real public activities such as fund raising efforts outside of calling a 1-800 number & pledging a donation.

UK viewers who pledge actualy have a habit of paying up too... unlike the USA pledgers where less than 70% honor their pledges.

Thx for the info again Faceless...

[faceless]

I watched the last american one, and after seeing bits of Whoopi goldberg and Robin Williams I had to switch off. It just seemed to be a standard gig in a theatre - not the same thing at all.

I will be capping the whole show I'd imagine, though I'll probably edit it down a lot before releasing it as I think it's usually 7 hours or so.

Here's Tim Vine, punmeister supreme, in action about 10 years ago btw. My old faceless intro is at the start of it, but I never uploaded it to youtube... I had this clip on my old homepage about 5 years ago and someone must have downloaded it then and kept it.

[faceless]

COMIC? WELL THAT'S A JOKE
11 March 2007

YOU'VE got to hand it to past-it girl Tara Palmer-Tomkinson. It takes a special lack of talent to carve out a career based on being an idiot. For 10 tawdry years TPT has turned herself into a national laughing-stock. But now the joke is wearing almost as thin as she is. And it's hard to raise even a smile while posh "totty" Tara makes an utter fool of herself on the Beeb's reality rubbish Comic Relief Does Fame Academy. OK, it's for charidee so I mustn't be cruel. Sod it - here goes anyway.

What a terrifying sight selfstyled dizzy eccentric Tara was as she waddled on to the stage wild-eyed and covered in sweat. "I'm crazy as a box of frogs," she announced. Which was a bit unfair to boxed frogs. Then the perspiring Ms T delivered an unconvincing rendition of I'm Still Standing. Only just, honey. "My family have heard me sing," she giggled, "They're abroad." Bet they didn't leave a forwarding address.

Kidult Tara suggested that her wealthy father could donate a huge amount of cash so she didn't have to perform at all. Sadly Mr Tomkinson didn't take up the offer. There is something tragic about a woman in her mid-30s desperately clinging to her long-dead image as one of London's bright young things. But there's a grim fascination about Tara's car-crash antics on Fame Academy, a clapped-out show that only resurfaces under the cloak of good causes. Following Tara's breathtakingly useless version of Dolly Parton's Jolene, judge Lesley Garrett told her: "You made me cry." I know what you mean! But don't worry, TPT. As D:Ream almost sang: "Things can only get sweatier."

If it's Comic bloody Relief, TV types think they get away with murder. And we're all dying a death as BBC1's Z-list line-up slaughter songs on a nightly basis. It's only fair to stress that Zoe Salmon, Trisha Penrose, Ray Stubbs, Shaun Williamson and the gang are all giving their time for free. Presumably that's why Terry Wogan's not involved. And - with the TV industry wallowing in its own farcical phone-in fiasco - it's nice for once to see viewers' money not going to waste. But my God, they scraped the celebrity barrel on this one. Who the hell was Tim Vine? And is skirt-wearing Scot Fred MacAulay really a famous comedian? There was nothing funny about his appalling version of Why Does It Always Rain on Me? It was a Travis-ty! In terms of fame, this is the lamest academy ever.

Now based at London's depressing County Hall, TV's clash of the tone-deaf Titans is hosted by solid pros Patrick Kielty and Claudia Winkleman. Kielty - who so triumphantly fronted ITV's smash flop Love Island - has been desperately trying to dredge up his old feud with grim reaper-style judge Richard Park. But no one could care less. After global superstar Mel Geidroyc killed T Rex's 20th Century Boy, Park bizarrely disclosed: "Marc Bolan was a friend of mine... we used to play basketball together." What?

The entire judging set-up is nonsensical. The three of 'em never agree. "That was fantastic," declared Park following sports presenter Stubbs' crimes against Oasis's Wonderwall. "I feel quite the opposite," said Strictly Come Dancing's Craig Revel Horwood. "It was dreadful." When MacAuley sucked the life out of Cliff Richard's "Living" Doll, Garrett sighed: "You need to open your vowels." I felt like doing something very similar!

Soprano Garrett hit a strange note with Birds Of A Feather star Linda Robson as she informed her: "I'm so excited about your diaphragm." And vocal coach Carrie Grant revealed that Radio One DJ Colin Murray is a wonder of modern science. "That's the first time he's ever breathed," trilled Carrie after Murray allegedly sang Sweet Caroline. Anyway, get used to it. We're all trapped in Red Nose hell now.

Over on Comic Relief Does Car Booty, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders vowed: "If we don't win we're going to kill each other in a suicide pact." They won. Damn!

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