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Are You Having a Laugh? - Comedy and Christianity

Duration: 1 hour, 5 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC One HDLatest broadcast: on BBC One Northern Ireland

From Life of Brian to Rev, our country holds a strong tradition of Christian based comedy. Meanwhile, over on the stand-up circuit, comedians from Bill Hicks to Ricky Gervais have helped to establish Christianity as a favourite subject for atheists. To mark Holy Week, Ann Widdecombe looks at some of our favourite comedies to see why Christianity is such ripe material for comedy.

Comedians and commentators - including Marcus Brigstocke and Monty Python's Terry Jones - join Ann to help shed light on what comedy can reveal about how we view this country's major religion. Has there has been a shift to more offensive forms of comedy in recent years? Is there a line that should not be crossed? Does Ann have a point when she claims her faith is subject to more mockery than other faiths? Ann's views are challenged but she challenges back with some surprising results. Show less

Contributors

Presenter:
Ann Widdecombe
Producer:
Emily Davis
Director:
Emily Davis
Executive Producer:
Mike Smith

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