David Baddiel's new project

David Baddiel is working on a new game show for Radio 4 – in which comedians have to AVOID getting a laugh.

The idea of the show, Don’t Make Me Laugh, is to subject stand-ups to ‘the one thing they hate above all else’, being taken seriously.

To make matters difficult, the comics will have to talk about topics that producers think are inherently funny, such as 'bottoms' or 'my most embarrassing sexual experience' or 'why David Cameron's face looks like a big ham'.

When the studio audience do chuckle, the comic must pass the mike to the next one. The person who can speak for the longest time without getting a laugh gets the most points.

Baddiel – who is currently woking on a return to stand-up – will be hosting a one-off recording of the show in London next month.

He previously created the comedy discussion programme Heresy for Radio 4, and hosted the first four series before Victoria Coren took over.

Baddiel has several gigs booked at London’s Soho Theatre to put together material for his first solo stand-up show in 15 years, which is provisionally titled Fame: Not The Musical.

See our Free Tickets page to be in the audience for Don't Make Me Laugh on March 13.

Published: 4 Feb 2013