Latest news with #SmackthePony
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Just helping funny people create magic is such a privilege
Gordon (Kieran Hodgson) enrages Cathy (Doon Mackichan) with his impression on her in Two Doors Down Things are ramping up for the Fringe with meetings, calls and various encounters with artists filling my diary this month. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I was delighted to be on a call this week with the incredible talents involved in Smack the Pony. As part of our 40th year at the Fringe celebrations Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips get 'Back in the Saddle' and are joined by broadcaster Kirsty Wark to take a deep dive into the Emmy award winning show. This week's meeting with Sally, Doon, Fiona and Kirsty will go over the structure and plans for what will be an intimate insight into all things sketch comedy in the 90s and early noughties. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Doon will also be doing an 'in conversation' with her Two Doors Down co-star Kieran Hodgeson as part of our 40th celebrations. Doon Mackichan won the BAFTA Scotland Award for Actress: Television in November last year for her returning role as Cathy in the show. It's so exciting to be part of the creative process for both of these live shows with such talented performers. It's a process that never gets old over the 40 years that I've been running the Gilded Balloon and producing individual shows as part of our programme. Facilitating funny people to get together to create magic is such a privilege. Also, coming out of the Gilded Balloon archives this year is a show Women in Comedy, that I started in the 90s to help women, who were fairly rare in the comedy world, have a platform. I've been booking the acts for this show, which will feature the very best women and marginalised gender comedians from across the Fringe, this week and it's so exciting to see so much talent these days compared to three decades ago. The huge number and different styles of comedy on offer now is so exciting to see and I continue to enjoy designing diverse comedy line-ups as part of our Women in Comedy shows this Fringe as well as our other comedy line-up shows.
Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Iconic Channel 4 comedy to return after 24 years - but with big twist
Channel 4 sketch series Smack the Pony is reuniting stars Fiona Allen, Sally Phillips and Doon Mackichan after 24 years - although fans can expect a twist. While the hit series won't be back on our screens, the trio are heading to the Edinburgh Fringe festival for a reunion show at the Gilded Balloon in August. They said in a statement: "This is slightly surreal because it's 24 years since we finished. We're not old comedy, we now qualify as vintage, which is cool. Is it? Because we always talk sketch ideas when we get together, on some level it's almost as if Smack the Pony never really stopped - that it just kept going in some parallel universe. "So it feels like Gilded Balloon is some kind of portal and we'll be popping into catch up with Series 26. We're very grateful to have this chance to hang out and take the p*** out of ourselves again - we've missed it!"
Scottish Sun
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Cast of legendary 90s sketch series reveal they're reuniting 24 years after quitting show
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE stars of cult 90s comedy Smack The Pony are reuniting for a new series 24 years after quitting the hit show. Fiona Allen hit the big time in 1999 with Smack The Pony alongside co-writers and stars Sally Phillips and Doon Mackichan. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Smack the Pony is making a comeback, two decades since its last series 5 Fiona Allen, Sally Phillips and Smack The Pony producer Victoria Pile in 1999 Credit: AP:Associated Press 5 The show ran for three series and had specials over the years Credit: Channel 4 It followed the three female comics as they dealt with a wide variety of topics, from irritating flatmates to workplace issues. It proved to be a huge hit, with a regular audience of around 2.5million viewers. Fiona, Doon and Sally have now revealed they will perform new sketches for the Edinburgh Fringe festival at the Gilded Balloon in August. In a statement, the trio said: "This is slightly surreal because it's 24 years since we finished. "We're not old comedy, we now qualify as vintage, which is cool. Is it?' "Because we always talk sketch ideas when we get together, on some level it's almost as if Smack the Pony never really stopped - that it just kept going in some parallel universe. "So it feels like Gilded Balloon is some kind of portal and we'll be popping into catch up with Series 26. "We're very grateful to have this chance to hang out and take the p*** out of ourselves again - we've missed it!" The series ran on Channel 4 until 2002, concluding with a special in January 2003. In both 1999 and 2000, Smack The Pony won Best Popular Arts Show at the Emmy Awards. 'A League of Their Own' Axed After 15 Years: Farewell to TV's Iconic Sports Comedy Show Co-star and Bridget Jones actress Sally Phillips previously admitted a new series of the sketch show has been pitched to various networks over the last few years. She said: 'We go through phases of pitching it to people. 'Fiona Allen really is the engine behind that so she's always seeing if anyone wants it and we have gone through periods of pitching it to the channels and being very optimistic.' And Doon Mackichan has said: 'So much has happened to us all, as mothers and women, there's a lot that is funny about where we are now. 'There are years of pain to draw on.' 'We will have to wait and see what happens and whether they will want to bring it out of the stable. But we would love to get the old nag out again." 5 Actress Sally Phillips pictured in 2023 Credit: Rex
The Sun
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Cast of legendary 90s sketch series reveal they're reuniting 24 years after quitting show
THE stars of cult 90s comedy Smack The Pony are reuniting for a new series 24 years after quitting the hit show. Fiona Allen hit the big time in 1999 with Smack The Pony alongside co-writers and stars Sally Phillips and Doon Mackichan. 5 5 5 It followed the three female comics as they dealt with a wide variety of topics, from irritating flatmates to workplace issues. It proved to be a huge hit, with a regular audience of around 2.5million viewers. Fiona, Doon and Sally have now revealed they will perform new sketches for the Edinburgh Fringe festival at the Gilded Balloon in August. In a statement, the trio said: "This is slightly surreal because it's 24 years since we finished. "We're not old comedy, we now qualify as vintage, which is cool. Is it?' "Because we always talk sketch ideas when we get together, on some level it's almost as if Smack the Pony never really stopped - that it just kept going in some parallel universe. "So it feels like Gilded Balloon is some kind of portal and we'll be popping into catch up with Series 26. "We're very grateful to have this chance to hang out and take the p*** out of ourselves again - we've missed it!" The series ran on Channel 4 until 2002, concluding with a special in January 2003. In both 1999 and 2000, Smack The Pony won Best Popular Arts Show at the Emmy Awards. 'A League of Their Own' Axed After 15 Years: Farewell to TV's Iconic Sports Comedy Show Co-star and Bridget Jones actress Sally Phillips previously admitted a new series of the sketch show has been pitched to various networks over the last few years. She said: 'We go through phases of pitching it to people. 'Fiona Allen really is the engine behind that so she's always seeing if anyone wants it and we have gone through periods of pitching it to the channels and being very optimistic.' And Doon Mackichan has said: 'So much has happened to us all, as mothers and women, there's a lot that is funny about where we are now. 'There are years of pain to draw on.' 'We will have to wait and see what happens and whether they will want to bring it out of the stable. But we would love to get the old nag out again." 5 5
The Irish Sun
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Cast of legendary 90s sketch series reveal they're reuniting 24 years after quitting show
THE stars of cult 90s comedy Smack The Pony are reuniting for a new series 24 years after quitting the hit show. Fiona Allen hit the big time in 1999 with Smack The Pony alongside co-writers and stars 5 Smack the Pony is making a comeback, two decades since its last series 5 Fiona Allen, Sally Phillips and Smack The Pony producer Victoria Pile in 1999 Credit: AP:Associated Press 5 The show ran for three series and had specials over the years Credit: Channel 4 It followed the three female comics as they dealt with a wide variety of topics, from irritating flatmates to workplace issues. It proved to be a huge hit, with a regular audience of around 2.5million viewers. Fiona, Doon and Sally have now revealed they will perform new sketches for the Edinburgh Fringe festival at the Gilded Balloon in August. In a statement, the trio said: "This is slightly surreal because it's 24 years since we finished. READ MORE ON NINETIES "We're not old comedy, we now qualify as vintage, which is cool. Is it?' "Because we always talk sketch ideas when we get together, on some level it's almost as if Smack the Pony never really stopped - that it just kept going in some parallel universe. "So it feels like Gilded Balloon is some kind of portal and we'll be popping into catch up with Series 26. "We're very grateful to have this chance to hang out and take the p*** out of ourselves again - we've missed it!" Most read in News TV The series ran on Channel 4 until 2002, concluding with a special in January 2003. In both 1999 and 2000, Smack The Pony won Best Popular Arts Show at the Emmy Awards. 'A League of Their Own' Axed After 15 Years: Farewell to TV's Iconic Sports Comedy Show Co-star and Bridget Jones actress She said: 'We go through phases of pitching it to people. 'Fiona Allen really is the engine behind that so she's always seeing if anyone wants it and we have gone through periods of pitching it to the channels and being very optimistic.' And Doon Mackichan has said: 'So much has happened to us all, as mothers and women, there's a lot that is funny about where we are now. 'There are years of pain to draw on.' 'We will have to wait and see what happens and whether they will want to bring it out of the stable. But we would love to get the old nag out again." 5 Actress Sally Phillips pictured in 2023 Credit: Rex 5 Sally also starred in all three Bridget Jones movies Credit: Handout
