This will include unbroadcast pilots of shows we know well, unreleased LPs of material not deemed worthy of the marketplace, rough-cut videos of rushes, sessions or private industry tomfoolery, rejected scripts and so on. In other words, the necessary by-products of comedy, rescued from the archives and dissected.

Throughout the following we'll be asking the question 'Is the comedy which is turned down, abandoned or shelved any better than the stuff that actually filters through the media?'. And the answer is, obviously, 'Well, yeah, sometimes...'.

Absolutely - pilot show They can't just conjur up twenty five grand out of nowhere y'know! First published July 2008

Back To Normal With Eddie Monsoon One instance where The Comic Strip weren't permitted to Present... First published March 2000 / February 2005

The Black Adder - Pilot Show History has known many great liars. Those who chronicle comedy shows are the worst offenders. First published March 2000.

Christmas Tapes A sneaky look at the seedy underside of bearded engineers' humour... First published December 2000

Cluub Zarathustra A look back at an Avalon pilot for Channel 4 which fell by the wayside... First published May 2000

It's Only TV A Talkback pilot featuring Angus Deayton, Nick Hancock, Tony Hawks and... Chris Morris?? First published March 2000

Panorama: The Mescaline Experiment Christopher Mayhew is lead astray by a rebellious schoolfriend... First published February 2005

The Twelve Ronnies Kevin Eldon and Tony Roche's unheard bit of whimsy for Radio 4 First published March 2000