Stand Up for the Week
British topical stand-up comedy series on Channel 4.
Stand Up for the Week was a British comedy series on Channel 4 built around stand-up routines that commented on current events. It launched in June 2010 with a six-episode first season on Friday nights, then moved to Saturdays for its second season starting in March 2011. Patrick Kielty hosted the first series, with regulars Jack Whitehall, Kevin Bridges, Andi Osho, and Rich Hall. Bridges took over as host for the second series, and Jon Richardson joined the regular lineup. Richardson then hosted the third series, airing late in 2011, with an almost entirely new set of regulars—Seann Walsh, Sara Pascoe, Josh Widdicombe, and Paul Chowdhry—alongside returning performer Rich Hall. For the fourth series, Andrew Lawrence replaced Hall. In the fifth series, Chowdhry became host, and the regulars shifted to Angela Barnes, Simon Evans, and Romesh Ranganathan, replacing Chowdhry, Lawrence, and Pascoe. Channel 4 confirmed in October 2015 that no further episodes would be produced.
Each episode opened with the host’s introduction and performance, followed by routines from the regulars; the first two series also included a guest performer. Some regulars had set themes: in series one, Whitehall covered celebrity news, Osho focused on the internet, and Bridges handled sport—a topic Richardson took on at the start of series two. The first series also featured "The Chair," where a celebrity guest sat through a two-minute comedy routine about themselves from Kielty, then had 30 seconds to respond or defend themselves.
The first two series were recorded at KOKO in Camden, London, before a live audience. The third series moved to the Clapham Grand in South London. An unaired try-out episode was made before the first series began filming.
- started
- June 2010
- ended
- October 2015 (no further episodes planned)
- network
- Channel 4
- format
- Stand-up comedy series with topical themes
- first_host
- Patrick Kielty
- notable_regulars
- Jack Whitehall, Kevin Bridges, Andi Osho, Rich Hall, Jon Richardson, Seann Walsh, Sara Pascoe, Josh Widdicombe, Paul Chowdhry, Andrew Lawrence, Angela Barnes, Simon Evans, Romesh Ranganathan
Lore & Background
Stand Up for the Week debuted in June 2010 with a six-episode first series aired on Friday nights, hosted by Patrick Kielty. Regular performers included Jack Whitehall, Kevin Bridges, Andi Osho, and Rich Hall. The second series moved to Saturday nights in March 2011, with Kevin Bridges replacing Kielty as host and Jon Richardson joining as a regular. Richardson took over as host for the third series in late 2011, with an entirely new group of regulars except for Rich Hall: Seann Walsh, Sara Pascoe, Josh Widdicombe, and Paul Chowdhry. For the fourth series, Andrew Lawrence replaced Rich Hall. The fifth series saw Paul Chowdhry become host, with new regulars Angela Barnes, Simon Evans, and Romesh Ranganathan replacing Chowdhry, Lawrence, and Pascoe. In October 2015, Channel 4 confirmed no plans to produce more episodes.
Reader's Guide
Stand Up for the Week was a notable British topical comedy series that showcased a rotating cast of stand-up comedians, reflecting the evolving landscape of UK comedy in the early 2010s. The show's format—featuring a host and regular performers with specific thematic routines, such as Jack Whitehall on celebrity news and Kevin Bridges on sport—allowed for a structured yet varied comedic take on current events. The series also included a unique segment called 'The Chair' in its first series, where a celebrity guest endured a two-minute routine about themselves from the host. Recorded at venues like KOKO in Camden and later the Clapham Grand, the show provided a platform for many comedians who later became prominent figures in British comedy, including Jon Richardson, Seann Walsh, Sara Pascoe, Josh Widdicombe, and Romesh Ranganathan. Its cancellation in 2015 marked the end of a series that had adapted its lineup and hosting duties across five series, reflecting the transient nature of topical comedy programming.
Did You Know?
- The first series was hosted by Patrick Kielty, with regular performers including Jack Whitehall, Kevin Bridges, Andi Osho, and Rich Hall.
- The first series featured a segment called 'The Chair', where a celebrity guest sat through a two-minute comedy routine about themselves from Kielty.
- The first two series were recorded at KOKO in Camden, London; the third series switched to the Clapham Grand in South London.
- An unaired 'try out' episode was made before filming of the first series began.
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