With the CD of That Mitchell & Webb Sound 4 due on 5th November I thought I’d see what the cast have been up to…

Is that the final cover? Hope not. Not very nice, is it?

Mr Webb has been busy recording an episode of With Great Pleasure for Radio 4 , due to be transmitted on Monday 9th November. He has also done something radio-based with TMWS writer Jonathan Dryden Taylor…

Mr Mitchell has been writing more columns for The Observer and appeared on Have I Got News For You last week. On the iPlayer until the end of this week.

Mr Bachman is currently to be seen in I’m Sorry I’ve Got No Head and has recorded a part in a forthcoming Big Finish (highly recommended) Doctor Who play. Using my geeky powers of deduction (or maybe just Twitter) I can confirm it is a Paul McGann one written by occasional TMWS writer Eddie Robson and it won’t be out until probably July or something. It will definitely be good. He might even be an alion in it.

Ms Colman has made a second series of Beautiful People, for transmission sometime before Christmas I would imagine.

Not sure what Ms Hadland has been up to. More Horrible Histories?

As is usually the case in that sort of thing, the Harper Collins book deal also included David writing a memoir… and a bloody novel too! And another M&W book next year… .

From The Bookseller:

HC acquires David Mitchell memoir and novel
14.10.09 Katie Allen

HarperCollins has acquired a memoir and novel from “Peep Show” com­edian David Mitchell for a “very significant sum”.

World rights for the memoir were bought by ­Carole Tonkinson, pub­lisher of Harper Non-Fiction and Hannah Black, Harper Non-Fiction publishing director. The novel was bought by Nicholas Pearson of Fourth Estate. Both books were acquired from Ivan Mulcahy of Mulcahy Conway Associates. They will be published in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

Black said: “David Mitchell has always made me laugh, and in everything he does there’s a care for
language which is for me the mark of a natural-born writer.” Pearson added: “I am delighted to be working with David on what I feel sure will be the start of a successful career as a novelist.”

Tonkinson said Mitchell’s profile had reached “a massive pitch” after appearances on BBC2’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” and Channel 4’s “Peep Show”. “We see him as the next generation Stephen Fry. He has intelligence, understated humour and people just love him,” she said, adding: “I think his humour translates around the world. Ricky Gervais and Russell Brand are increasingly popular in the US and Australia. I don’t see why David should be any different.”

Mitchell said: “I’m looking forward to working with the brilliant team at HarperCollins and Fourth Estate, who are apparently impressed by my neurotic world-view. There’s a saying that everyone’s got a book in them. Assuming that’s a mean, I will be reducing some poor sod to zero, but then that’s nothing to Barbara Cartland, who made hundreds voiceless.”

Fourth Estate has just published This Mitchell and Webb Book, a collection of comic writing from Mitchell and his comedy partner Robert Webb. A second Mitchell and Webb title is lined up for Christmas 2010.

Now here’s an interesting idea: A streaming site which offers lots of free TV shows to watch:

Blinkbox came to my attention because it has some classic Doctor Who available but it also has That Mitchell & Webb Look, Peep Show, Big Train and The Ghost Squad (highly recommended, that one).

Nice.

It’s the final episode… with a few unsure sketch writing credits… *EDIT- updated with full list now*

Geoff Is Superman 1 – James Bachman & Mark Evans
Yoghurt! – Madeleine Brettingham
Tortoise – Ed Bradshaw & Ollie Simpson
Bums On Seats – Jason Hazeley & Joel Morris
Geoff Is Superman 2 (Message) – James Bachman & Mark Evans
Some Leaves And A Carrot – either Keiron Self & Giles New
Weekend Newspaper – Jonathan Dryden Taylor
Michael Sheen – Jonathan Dryden Taylor
Geoff is Superman 3 (Parcel) – James Bachman & Mark Evans
Stargate 5 (Health & Safety) – Jonathan Dryden-Taylor & Toby Davies
Board Games – Madeleine Brettingham
Geoff Is Superman 4 – James Bachman & Mark Evans
Old Lady Hearing 6 (Comedians) – John Finnemore & Carrie Quinlan

Random facts:
The Geoff Is Superman sketches were originally performed at the TV series 2 try-outs at the Drill Hall way back in May 2007, written by James and Mark. James got married at the weekend, congratulations to him and the new Mrs Bachman.

Bums On Seats was tweaked after recording number one and returned for recording number three.

There were many unused sketches this series, including the marvellous Muji village shop one. I may do a list of these soon.