Bong! This is the news, or should we say Amuse? Yes, we at G.O.L.D. have been going into pun overload with our new nightly strand that brings you the some of the best comedy series. Ever. Every night at 10pm, G.O.L.D. has some of the most popular British sitcoms that ever stalked the earth, each with a singular mission – to amuse you. In our new slot, we have Basil Fawlty causing chaos within the chaos in Fawlty Towers, the outrageous Gimme Gimme Gimme, perennial favourite The Royle Family, homegrown catchphrase mayhem in Little Britain and the cunningly brilliant Blackadder. Amuse At Ten? Like the news, but funnier.

Vicky Pollard: “She’s got her own council flat and three kids and she’s only nine.”

G.O.L.D. continues to pay tribute to some of the UK’s leading names from the world of comedy with more in-depth profiles that look at the legends’ rise to stardom, examine their unique gifts and sometimes complicated lives, as well as the effect they had on British audiences. And you can’t get much more legendary than the names the series showcases this month. The Goons were the godfathers of British surrealist comedy, and launched the careers of dwellers of the Pantheon, Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine; Peter Cook was one of the cleverest comedians ever in British comedy history; Benny Hill carried on the great British tradition of saucy seaside humour; Arthur Askey was the much-loved, music hall-style variety star who was a huge name throughout the early-to-mid 20th century; Terry-Thomas was the gap-toothed actor who put the cad back into comedy; and Tony Hancock, with his hang dog expression, was the miserbalist star of 1960s stage and screen. Put all those together and Britain has some serious talent, but each one had his demons too…

Benny Hill: “Do unto others. Then run.”

Only Fools And Horses spin-off, The Green Green Grass makes a return to G.O.L.D. this month with the channel premiere series three. As ever, the newly self-appointed country squire Boycie, his very posh wife Marlene and son Tyler are still trying to get to grips with the rural lifestyle. But swapping Peckham for the wide open spaces of the Midlands countryside isn’t as easy as it looks – Marlene is suffering retail therapy withdrawal and Tyler finds everything just plain weird. The series starts with Boycie and Marlene dreaming of a golden future for their son. But Tyler isn’t keeping his side of the bargain – when his exam results let him down, it’s the staff that provide the key to his career and his motivation. But Boycie, taking matters into his own hands, calls in a favour that might help Tyler get into university.

Marlene: “I love that film Notting Hill.” Boycie: “Notting Hill? It’s more like Brokeback Mountain round here.”

Gavin is an ordinary boy from Billericay, Essex. Stacey is an ordinary girl from Barry Island, Wales. From these two seemingly unconnected people in different parts of the country, Ruth Jones and James Cordon created a long-distance romance that not only features a stellar ensemble cast (Mathew Horne, Joanna Page, Alison Steadman, Larry Lamb and the scene-stealing Rob Brydon), but also takes the template of the traditional British sitcom and transforms it for the 21st century. For months, Gavin and Stacey have spoken every day on the phone because of work, but have never met. After countless conversations long-distance, the pair has become obsessed with each other – Stacey’s desk is littered with photos of Gavin, and Gavin has been counting the days until he will finally get to meet his Barry Island babe in the flesh. But when Gavin and Stacey finally meet and their ordinary but different worlds come together, we see – through their idiosyncratic families and their friends – that there is no such thing as ‘ordinary’ after all. Stacey’s guardian-uncle Bryn is worried about his niece’s plan to meet up with this strange boy Gavin, so he provides her with a rape alarm for her big trip to London. Gavin’s mum Pamela is very excited for her ‘little prince’, while his best mate Smithy is skeptical and more concerned about what Stacey’s mate Nessa is going to look like. Nessa couldn’t care either way.

Uncle Bryn: “MINT Baileys?! Whatever will they think of next?”

What better way to spend Sundays than to bask in the comedy genius of the country’s best female double act? Although Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders recently announced that they will no longer be working together, these two women have forged an exceptional body of work that stands the test of time. After having met in 1978 while studying at the Central School of Speech, they began to collaborate and soon became a force on the London alternative comedy circuit of the early 1980s. They hit big in the national consciousness when they starred alongside other young comedians Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson and Peter Richardson in The Comic Strip Presents…, which cemented their reputation as one of the hottest acts in town. Thanks to their sketch show, French And Saunders, the duo became a national institution, but also found time to write and star in other award-winning projects. And this month, G.O.L.D. has plenty of their best moments, with episodes from French And Saunders, The Vicar Of Dibley and Absolutely Fabulous.

Dawn French: “Well, it turns out SHE was the one who I was telling you about earlier who’s been having an affair with a porcupine. Sorry, concubine.”

G.O.L.D.’s journey back in time to explore one of the country’s most influential comedy breeding grounds continues this month with more channel premiere episodes of The Comic Strip Presents….In the early 1980s, a new wave of alternative comedy swept across the nation and at the forefront of this movement was Peter Richardson’s The Comic Strip Presents… a series of satirical and society-swiping films that featured some of the best new comedians of the age. This month’s selection of Comic Strips display the epic scope and wild comedy that were its trademarks. Five Go Mad On Mescaline sees Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders reunite for another parody of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five adventures; Robbie Coltrane and Rik Mayall star in Dirty Movie, the tale of a theatre owner who waits for a special rude delivery; Susie is set in a quiet village where a teacher is about to leave her husband for her lover but finds her life further complicated with the appearance of an aging rock star (starring Keith Allen, Edmondson, French and Nigel Planer); and A Fistful Of Travellers Cheques takes a spaghetti western approach to the world of the road trip, and stars Edmondson, Allen, French, Mayall and Planer. Later in the month, Gino: Full Story And Pics is the story of Gino the delinquent and Angie the party girl who passes out on the back seat of his taxi; Slags is a look into an odd and dystopian future and gender warfare (and starring both French and Saunders); and, finally this month, Eddie Monsoon – A Life? sees French, Saunders, Edmondson and Peter Richardson star in a mock biography of the most offensive broadcaster on South African television.

Little Sister (Jennifer Saunders): “You’re going to have trouble walking in those shoes… those high heelie, hikey spiky shoes. In those stiletto wettoes. High heelie winkle picker licker shoes.”