No laughing matter

TV Diary 

The Stage  17/07/2003 


Star of BBC2's Live Floor Show stand-up comedian Dan Antopolski (pictured) has let rip at "clueless" and "cowardly" television execs.

The 30-year-old cult comic, who won the 1998 BBC New Comedy Award, said that too many executives "stick with rubbish" and ignore the wealth of UK talent.

He said: "A classic example was the way Simon Munnery was treated. His show Attention Scum was canned but attitudes only changed when it won Montreux." Antopolski also claimed that the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has become more "plastic".

"A lot of veterans say it has become more commercial. Even in the six years I have been there it certainly has, " he said.

"There are a lot more glossy fliers being dished out in the streets and so many more people selling comedians as if they are the next Eddie Izzard Ð well, not everyone can be like that." Round one to the comedians then.