Harry Hill's TV Burp
Encyclopedia
Harry Hill's TV Burp is a British television comedy
programme produced by Avalon Television
for ITV
and hosted by comedian Harry Hill
. The show presents a satirical look at the week's television, including extracts from TV shows with added sketches, observational voice-overs, and guest appearances. The show is loosely inspired on Talk Soup
.
To produce the show, Hill and his programme associate writing team, including Brenda Gilhooly
, Paul Hawksbee
, Dan Maier, Joe Burnside and David Quantick
, watch significant amounts of television, much on preview tapes. Clips from a variety of shows across most channels are included in the show, with soaps, dramas and popular-factual series being the most commonly represented genres. The clips are shown outside of the context of their original programme and only limited information about the scene is given, as the focus of the show's treatment is on the often unintentional humour which can be derived from the scene. The show was filmed at Teddington Studios, Greater London, in Studio 1 for series 1 to 8. As of series 9, the studio has been the BBC Television Centre in London.
Notably, the BBC did not allow any clips from EastEnders
to be used within the first series, requiring Hill's comments on the show to be instead accompanied by crude animation, courtroom-style sketches or staged comic re-enactments of scenes from the show. However, as of the second series, clips have appeared.
The highest rated episode of TV Burp aired on Saturday 13 November, with the show receiving 7.946 million, a 31.7% audience share.
In 2007, however, Ofcom
ruled that TV Burp had breached guidelines by including clips of a Bear Grylls
programme which featured Grylls eating a frog and cooking a turtle; Ofcom ruled that the clips were 'inappropriately scheduled' given the offence they could potentially cause viewers when taken outside of the context of the whole Grylls programme.
In 2009, the original broadcast of Best of TV Burp 3 included footage originally broadcast in 2004, which lampooned Sky reality series The Real Mrs Robinson. ITV and Avalon were not aware that two of the participants in the programme had passed away between the original broadcast and the 'Best of'. However, Sky's licence to use the footage made no mention of this, and the participants were not referred to by their full names in the footage, restricting TV Burp's ability to research the case ahead of putting the programme to air. After complaints were made to ITV and Ofcom, the programme was voluntarily re-edited such that the segment was removed from all further broadcasts. Ofcom did not uphold a complaint made by relatives of the deceased, stating that whilst it recognised that the broadcast of the footage would have been distressing to the family, the manner of the broadcast did not breach the broadcasting regulations.
On October 28, 2011, Cartoon Network is to air their version of TV Burp, but child-friendly at 5pm with Hill staying as the host of the show after the success of the re-runs of his first TV show aimed at children, Harry Hill's Shark Infested Custard
on the channel.
, as of 2009, new episodes have also been made available to view online on the service for up to 7 days after original transmission.
As of 2 April 2011, 16 Best of TV Burp episodes have been aired, in addition to a Best of Christmas TV Burp episode on 27 December 2010, with clips from previous Christmas episodes of the show.
A fourth DVD titled Harry Hill's TV Burp: The Best Bits is due for release on 14 November 2011. However, a complete series-by-series release still appears unlikely.
, the show has used a fight sketch to introduce the break. Typically, Hill claims to like two items and to determine which is best, a fight occurs. The typical script for this sections is: "Well, I like ? and I like ?. But which is better? There's only one way to find out...FIGHT!" The two relevant people, animals or items then appear from doors on either side of the studio and then fight, with Hill saying "Go on ?. See you after the break." After the commercial break, the show continues as normal, making no reference to the fight or who won it. Notable fights that have not stuck to the regular format have included:
Other regular sections have also included I Beg Your Pardon of the Week, TV Burp Poetry Corner, I Certainly Didn't Expect To See That, Fabulous Bum of the Year, a summary of a week of a programme "In A Nutshell", TV Burp Stars of Tomorrow-Today, Legendary Caption of the Week, celebrities that look like Hill and the Many Faces of Louis Walsh, as well as other celebrities in subsequent episodes. Hill often also uses a phone found on or below his desk for conversations.
Former regular elements have included "Isn't it weird how people end up looking like their..." comparisons.
show Freaky Eaters
, which examined unusual eating habits of the public. After a clip announced what they ate, Hill often repeated the food name in a loud, simplistic gurn
, many with comic adaptations, such as "beans", "chippy chips", "sausages!" and "hoopy hoops
". However, in later series, Hill refused to continue doing this, deeming it childish. Also in the series, Emmerdale
character Val
's cataracts became a recurring joke, based on a scene in which she questions "Cataracts?" after a diagnosis. The scene was spoofed with Harry repeating the surprised declaration then passing the news onto a chain of various celebrities. A passing tongue-in-cheek mention of 'ear cataracts?' a few weeks later was spoofed on 1 March 2008 edition in the same way, lasting almost a minute and a half and featuring cameo appearance
s from comedians Al Murray
, Lenny Henry
, Jimmy Carr
, Ricky Gervais
, Jeremy Kyle
and Noel Fielding
, with 41 cameos made.
From series 8, Hole in the Wall
and the catchphrase "Bring On The Wall" was often used, with a cameo from presenter Dale Winton
. From series 9, when Anton Du Beke
took over the show, Hill continued to comment on his preference to Winton and compared the presenters. From this series, a wobbling jelly
, originally from Heston Blumenthal
series ...Feast, featured regularly, with the use of The Surfaris
' Wipe Out. The series also featured a puppet shark, Eoghan Quigg's vote face, mimicked by Harry and mispronounced as 'EE-OG-HAN' and The Lion Man theme.
Series 9 featured The X Factor logo and its interactions with Hill, Gandhi and Mr Funny Face.
Finally, series 10 featured the introduction of Mr Fuzzy, a feather duster from Downton Abbey
proposed as a replacement for The Knitted Character, but soon phased out, Bush Push, The Cube being a rectangular cuboid, Olly Smith and The Secret Super Club, the Queen Vic busts dancing to Riverside
by Sidney Samson
or We Speak No Americano by Yolanda Be Cool
, Ross Kemp dummy, cooking innuendso and Knobbin 'Oss, a traditional English hobby horse who first appeared in Love Thy Neighbour
and sings Lady Gaga
songs.
At the moment, series 11 has introduced yet another recurring element, this time in the form of a clip from "Fry's Planet Word" with an African man supposedly saying "Hallu! Hallu!", and Harry replies back "Hello! Hello!".
. Knitted Character is implied to be part of the TV Burp staff and holds a rivalry with Peggy Mitchell
. The character has featured in a number of sketches, including riding the jelly and being set off fire, resulting in Hill bringing on another version to replace the deceased one. The character returned for competition "Where Has The Knitted Character Been This Week?" in series 9, in which viewers had to find the character hidden in a television show aired between episodes.
Later in the second part of the same series, The Knitted Character acted as a judge on spoof talent show and knitting competition The K Factor
: So You Think You Can Knit?
", which showcased knitted items sent in by viewers. The judges are Knitted Simon Cowell
, Knitted Cheryl Cole
s, Knitted Rolando off Popstar to Operastar
and the Knitted Character. The run featured a knitted duck called Peter having difficulty getting through the audition process, resulting in Peter jumping of a cliff to be caught by Knitted Simon Cowell, whose life he had saved in an earlier segment, and being put through to the Not Live Final, where he eventually won. From series 10, his role was reduced to an occasional character.
character Heather Trott, dressed as per the original character. Heather frequently features in sketches.
. Throughout the series, Wagbo is seen to have escaped the studio and loose across the world, with clips from his exploits at Bluewater shopping centre, The X Factor
, Emmerdale
, WWE Raw
at The O2
, I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here and finally, through various ITV shows. Heather actor Steve Benham as Mary and Hill as Wagner appealed to the public in reference to Wagbo on one occasion. At the end of the part of the series, Hill was saved from Wagbo by The Knitted Character, who had been trying to get revenge throughout the series and shot the character. During the run, the actor playing the character went on holiday and was replaced, which resulted in two Wagbos at the end of the series in the showdown, along with Mary and her second child, Logbo, a love child with Louis Walsh
, who she tried to introduce to the show. The 'dead' Wagbo actors then broke character in protest, insulting Hill's constant mispronunciation of Wagbo (stressing a W instead of a V) across the weeks before leaving the set. Wagbo later returned in the second half of series 10 for a joke about the TV Burp Employee of the Month, an award Harry was stated to always win. When Wagbo protested that someone else should get the prize for a change, Harry responded that he was no longer even a cast member. He finally returned as part of the band playing out on the last episode of series 10.
, winner of the eighth series
of Big Brother
, appears in the show as Harry's (fictional) fraternal twin brother.
However, Hill's brand of comedy also attracts negative criticism from detractors, such as TV critic Ruth Margolis, who wrote: "Harry Hill’s TV Burp, ITV's comedy centrepiece (this alone should tell you all you need to know), sees Hill deliver tedious, unimaginative thoughts on of the week's television. Where there's scope for a joke he chooses instead to drop a cheap pun, make jazz hands or, better still, wrinkle his forehead to acknowledge a weak innuendo on Coronation Street."
transmission of the Red Nose Day telethon in aid of Comic Relief
has included a short TV Burp segment hosted by Hill. There was no Comic Relief special for the 2011 Red Nose Day, but Hill did a sketch for Children in Need 2011
.
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
programme produced by Avalon Television
Avalon Group
The Avalon Group is a London-based business in the entertainment industry. It was established in 1989.It consists of the following companies:* Avalon Management, artist management* Avalon Promotions, event programming...
for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and hosted by comedian Harry Hill
Harry Hill
Harry Hill , is a Perrier Award–winning English comedian, author and television presenter. A former medical doctor , Hill began his career in comedy with the popular radio show Harry Hill's Fruit Corner.-Personal life:Hill was born in Woking,...
. The show presents a satirical look at the week's television, including extracts from TV shows with added sketches, observational voice-overs, and guest appearances. The show is loosely inspired on Talk Soup
Talk Soup
Talk Soup was a television show produced for cable network E! that debuted on January 7, 1991, and aired until August 2002. Talk Soup aired selected clips of the previous day's daily talk shows—ranging from daytime entries like The Jerry Springer Show and to celebrity interview shows like The...
.
History and airings
The show is based on clips of the previous week of programming on television, showing lines of dialogue that can be twisted out of context, unusual set layouts and actions performed on the shows. Following a successful pilot broadcast on 22 December 2001, a series was commissioned, starting on 14 November 2002. During the first three series, the show was broadcast late night, on Thursday for the first two and Friday for third. Whilst well received, the scheduling was criticised due to the family-friendly humour. The third series received a Sunday teatime repeat and from the fourth series, the show moved to a Saturday teatime slot, later moving to primetime.To produce the show, Hill and his programme associate writing team, including Brenda Gilhooly
Brenda Gilhooly
Brenda Gilhooly is an English comedian. She studied English and Drama at the University College of Swansea, University of Wales and graduated in 1987. She is best known for portraying the large breasted character Gayle Tuesday, an archetypal dumb blonde and Page Three girl...
, Paul Hawksbee
Paul Hawksbee
Paul Hawksbee presents the Hawksbee and Jacobs show alongside Andy Jacobs on talkSPORT and has also presented You're on Sky Sports on the Sky Sports subscription TV channel....
, Dan Maier, Joe Burnside and David Quantick
David Quantick
David Quantick is a freelance journalist, writer and critic who specialises in music and comedy.-Career history:...
, watch significant amounts of television, much on preview tapes. Clips from a variety of shows across most channels are included in the show, with soaps, dramas and popular-factual series being the most commonly represented genres. The clips are shown outside of the context of their original programme and only limited information about the scene is given, as the focus of the show's treatment is on the often unintentional humour which can be derived from the scene. The show was filmed at Teddington Studios, Greater London, in Studio 1 for series 1 to 8. As of series 9, the studio has been the BBC Television Centre in London.
Notably, the BBC did not allow any clips from EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
to be used within the first series, requiring Hill's comments on the show to be instead accompanied by crude animation, courtroom-style sketches or staged comic re-enactments of scenes from the show. However, as of the second series, clips have appeared.
The highest rated episode of TV Burp aired on Saturday 13 November, with the show receiving 7.946 million, a 31.7% audience share.
In 2007, however, Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
ruled that TV Burp had breached guidelines by including clips of a Bear Grylls
Bear Grylls
Edward Michael "Bear" Grylls is an English adventurer, writer and television presenter. He is best known for his television series Man vs. Wild, known as Born Survivor in the United Kingdom...
programme which featured Grylls eating a frog and cooking a turtle; Ofcom ruled that the clips were 'inappropriately scheduled' given the offence they could potentially cause viewers when taken outside of the context of the whole Grylls programme.
In 2009, the original broadcast of Best of TV Burp 3 included footage originally broadcast in 2004, which lampooned Sky reality series The Real Mrs Robinson. ITV and Avalon were not aware that two of the participants in the programme had passed away between the original broadcast and the 'Best of'. However, Sky's licence to use the footage made no mention of this, and the participants were not referred to by their full names in the footage, restricting TV Burp's ability to research the case ahead of putting the programme to air. After complaints were made to ITV and Ofcom, the programme was voluntarily re-edited such that the segment was removed from all further broadcasts. Ofcom did not uphold a complaint made by relatives of the deceased, stating that whilst it recognised that the broadcast of the footage would have been distressing to the family, the manner of the broadcast did not breach the broadcasting regulations.
On October 28, 2011, Cartoon Network is to air their version of TV Burp, but child-friendly at 5pm with Hill staying as the host of the show after the success of the re-runs of his first TV show aimed at children, Harry Hill's Shark Infested Custard
Harry Hill's Shark Infested Custard
Harry Hill's Shark Infested Custard is a children's television series in the United Kingdom produced by Avalon Television for ITV in 2005, hosted by the comedian Harry Hill and co-written by English comedy writer Dean Wilkinson. It was originally broadcast at 4:30pm on Fridays on CITV...
on the channel.
The Best of TV Burp
Due to the inclusion of a large amount of material to which ITV/Avalon do not hold the rights, repeats of past TV Burp episodes were rare outside immediate broadcast repeats. However, in 2009, The Best of TV Burp was introduced, which featured clips from previous episodes. Additionally, following the roll-out of ITV PlayerITV Player
ITV Player is an online video on demand service accessible though the main ITV website. The service offers a variety of programmes from homegrown programming to imports across ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV. Some sports programming is available to watch again via the service, the 2010 FIFA World...
, as of 2009, new episodes have also been made available to view online on the service for up to 7 days after original transmission.
As of 2 April 2011, 16 Best of TV Burp episodes have been aired, in addition to a Best of Christmas TV Burp episode on 27 December 2010, with clips from previous Christmas episodes of the show.
DVDs
As per repeats, it was initially thought that a DVD release of TV Burp would be unlikely. However, a DVD titled Harry Hill's TV Burp Gold was eventually released in November 2008. Several other DVDs have since been released, as detailed below, with additional content from the show.A fourth DVD titled Harry Hill's TV Burp: The Best Bits is due for release on 14 November 2011. However, a complete series-by-series release still appears unlikely.
| Title | Duration | Classification | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
Recurring elements and characters
Over the series, a number of recurring elements and characters have been introduced into the show, most notable being the fights.Fights
To enter into the advertisementTelevision advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
, the show has used a fight sketch to introduce the break. Typically, Hill claims to like two items and to determine which is best, a fight occurs. The typical script for this sections is: "Well, I like ? and I like ?. But which is better? There's only one way to find out...FIGHT!" The two relevant people, animals or items then appear from doors on either side of the studio and then fight, with Hill saying "Go on ?. See you after the break." After the commercial break, the show continues as normal, making no reference to the fight or who won it. Notable fights that have not stuck to the regular format have included:
- Series 8: Two slow old men, who were so slow by the time the adverts had finished, they were still walking towards each other, and the fight had to be called off.
- Series 8: MermaidMermaidA mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
s and Boobies, after a participant on Snog Marry Avoid?Snog Marry Avoid?Snog Marry Avoid? is a British reality TV show on BBC Three hosted by Jenny Frost and produced by Endemol. It focuses mainly on transforming 'fakery obsessed' or 'slap addicts' in Britain into natural beauties by stripping them of their skimpy clothes and layers of make-up and giving them a...
expressed an appreciation for both. While a mermaid emerged from one door, the other door revealed two bobbies, prompting Hill to shout, "Stop - not bobbies, boobies!" - Series 8: In the penultimate episode of the series, the fight was between pastaPastaPasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
and nothing, so only the pasta emerged from one side of the door, and when the other door opened to reveal nothing, the pasta walked off. - Series 9: A fight was announced between Ricky ButcherRicky ButcherRichard Francis "Ricky" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running, male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career...
and Sam MitchellSam Mitchell (EastEnders)Samantha Margaret Priscilla "Sam" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. The third member of the Mitchell family to be introduced, Sam entered as a 15-year-old school girl in July 1990, played by Danniella Westbrook. Westbrook quit in 1993, but was reintroduced...
but never actually occurred as the combatants could not open the doors to the studio (part of a joke about their alleged stupidity shown prior to the fight) - Series 9: The fight was between a tree and a bench. The tree fell on the bench and won.
- Series 9: Hill announced the fight segment - between two types of pastry - in Spanish.
- Series 10: A fight was called off after the wrong species of bird turned up.
- Series 10: There was supposed to be fight between a nervous person and a knackered person. However, when nobody showed up, Harry received a telephone call to say that the one person was nervous and the other was knackered to take part in the fight, so it did not happen.
- Series 10: In the final episode, the fight was between David Platt, his mum Gail, Becky McDonald and her sister Kylie, as they were all involved in a fight during that week's Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. During the fight, Harry and recurring characters Heather, Knobbin 'Oss, the Knitted Character, the Ross Kemp dummy and Wagbo joined in.
Other recurring elements
A regular feature throughout the show's run has been TV Highlight of the Week, which shows a mundane event from the week's TV. This feature has been varied regularly, including TV High Voice of the Week, TV Voiceover Highlight of the Week or TV Expert of the Week, with a similar sung jingle. In most episodes, Hill uses sideways looks at another camera before giving a cheeky, risqué or sarcastic remark. To finish each show, a guest relating to a TV show featured will sing a song to finish the show.Other regular sections have also included I Beg Your Pardon of the Week, TV Burp Poetry Corner, I Certainly Didn't Expect To See That, Fabulous Bum of the Year, a summary of a week of a programme "In A Nutshell", TV Burp Stars of Tomorrow-Today, Legendary Caption of the Week, celebrities that look like Hill and the Many Faces of Louis Walsh, as well as other celebrities in subsequent episodes. Hill often also uses a phone found on or below his desk for conversations.
Former regular elements have included "Isn't it weird how people end up looking like their..." comparisons.
Notable series specific recurring elements
From series 7, Hill often mocked BBC ThreeBBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
show Freaky Eaters
Freaky Eaters
Freaky Eaters is an observational British documentary series produced by independent television production company betty for BBC Three. Series 1 was narrated by the actress Jill Halfpenny and series 2 by Sharon Horgan...
, which examined unusual eating habits of the public. After a clip announced what they ate, Hill often repeated the food name in a loud, simplistic gurn
Gurn
A gurn or chuck is a distorted facial expression, and a verb to describe the action. A typical gurn might involve projecting the lower jaw as far forward and up as possible, and covering the upper lip with the lower lip....
, many with comic adaptations, such as "beans", "chippy chips", "sausages!" and "hoopy hoops
SpaghettiOs
SpaghettiOs is an American brand of canned, sweetened spaghetti featuring circular pasta shapes in a cheese and tomato sauce — and marketed to parents as 'less messy' than regular spaghetti...
". However, in later series, Hill refused to continue doing this, deeming it childish. Also in the series, Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
character Val
Val Pollard
Valerie "Val" Pollard is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is played by Charlie Hardwick...
's cataracts became a recurring joke, based on a scene in which she questions "Cataracts?" after a diagnosis. The scene was spoofed with Harry repeating the surprised declaration then passing the news onto a chain of various celebrities. A passing tongue-in-cheek mention of 'ear cataracts?' a few weeks later was spoofed on 1 March 2008 edition in the same way, lasting almost a minute and a half and featuring cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s from comedians Al Murray
Al Murray
Alastair James Hay "Al" Murray , is a British comedian best known for his stand-up persona, The Pub Landlord, a stereotypical xenophobic public house licensee. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy...
, Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
, Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Carr
James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television....
, Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
, Jeremy Kyle
Jeremy Kyle
Jeremy Kyle is an English radio and television presenter, best known for his British daytime television chat show on ITV, The Jeremy Kyle Show. Kyle is also the host of an American talk show of the same name that premiered on 19 September 2011.-Radio career:From 1986 to 1995, Kyle worked as a...
and Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding is a British artist, comedian and actor. He is known for his roles as Vince Noir in The Mighty Boosh, which he co-writes with comedy partner Julian Barratt, and as team captain on the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.-Stand-up comedy:Noel Fielding performed regularly as a...
, with 41 cameos made.
From series 8, Hole in the Wall
Hole in the Wall (UK game show)
Hole in the Wall was a game show that airs on BBC One in the United Kingdom. This game is an adaptation of the Japanese game Brain Wall in which players must contort themselves to fit through cutout holes of varying shapes in a large polystyrene wall moving towards them as they stand in front of a...
and the catchphrase "Bring On The Wall" was often used, with a cameo from presenter Dale Winton
Dale Winton
Dale Winton is an English radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Winton's father, Gary, was "domineering" and died when Winton was 13. Winton was brought up by his mother, actress Sheree Winton...
. From series 9, when Anton Du Beke
Anton du Beke
Anton du Beke is a British ballroom dancer and television presenter. His professional dance partner since 1997 has been Erin Boag. With Boag, he won the IDTA Classic in England in November 2003.-Family and early life:...
took over the show, Hill continued to comment on his preference to Winton and compared the presenters. From this series, a wobbling jelly
Gelatin dessert
Gelatin desserts are desserts made with sweetened and flavored gelatin. They can be made by combining plain gelatin with other ingredients or by using a premixed blend of gelatin with additives...
, originally from Heston Blumenthal
Heston Blumenthal
Heston Marc Blumenthal OBE is an English chef and owner of The Fat Duck, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bray, Berkshire voted Best Restaurant in the UK by The Good Food Guide 2007 and 2009, and voted best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine in 2005...
series ...Feast, featured regularly, with the use of The Surfaris
The Surfaris
The Surfaris were an American surf rock band formed in Glendora, California in 1962. They are best known for two songs that hit the charts in the Los Angeles, California area, and nationally by May 1963: "Surfer Joe" on the A-side and "Wipe Out" on the B-side of a 45 RPM single.-Career:The original...
' Wipe Out. The series also featured a puppet shark, Eoghan Quigg's vote face, mimicked by Harry and mispronounced as 'EE-OG-HAN' and The Lion Man theme.
Series 9 featured The X Factor logo and its interactions with Hill, Gandhi and Mr Funny Face.
Finally, series 10 featured the introduction of Mr Fuzzy, a feather duster from Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey is a British television period drama series, produced by NBC Universal-owned British media company Carnival Films for the ITV network. The series is set during the late Edwardian era and the First World War on the fictional estate of Downton Abbey in Yorkshire, and features an...
proposed as a replacement for The Knitted Character, but soon phased out, Bush Push, The Cube being a rectangular cuboid, Olly Smith and The Secret Super Club, the Queen Vic busts dancing to Riverside
Riverside (song)
"Riverside" is a House song released by Dutch DJ Sidney Samson.The "Riverside, motherfucker!" proclamation is the voice of Tupac Shakur sampled from the film Juice . The song is often censored during prime time, to avoid causing offence....
by Sidney Samson
Sidney Samson
Sidney Samson is a Dutch DJ and dance musician. Samson started DJing at the age of 13, focusing on hip-hop music before working seriously on house music from 1999. He is a resident DJ at The Matrixx, a major Dutch nightclub and released "Bring That Beat Back" and "It’s all funked up" on the...
or We Speak No Americano by Yolanda Be Cool
Yolanda Be Cool
Yolanda Be Cool is an Australian band made up of Sylvester Martinez and Johnson "Durango Slim" Peterson. They collaborated with Australian producer DCUP to release an international single "We No Speak Americano" on the indie Australian label Sweat It Out they founded, sampling on a 1956...
, Ross Kemp dummy, cooking innuendso and Knobbin 'Oss, a traditional English hobby horse who first appeared in Love Thy Neighbour
Love Thy Neighbour
Love Thy Neighbour was a popular British sitcom, which was aired from 13 April 1972, until 22 January 1976, spanning seven series. The sitcom was produced by Thames Television and broadcast by ITV. The main cast included Jack Smethurst, Rudolph Walker, Nina Baden-Semper and Kate Williams...
and sings Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
songs.
At the moment, series 11 has introduced yet another recurring element, this time in the form of a clip from "Fry's Planet Word" with an African man supposedly saying "Hallu! Hallu!", and Harry replies back "Hello! Hello!".
Recurring characters
A number of characters have been introduced into the show and become recurring, most notably in later series.The Knitted Character
In series 8, The Knitted Character was introduced, who is a knitted toy which featured briefly in EastEndersEastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. Knitted Character is implied to be part of the TV Burp staff and holds a rivalry with Peggy Mitchell
Peggy Mitchell
Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared on 30 April 1991, featuring in the series on a recurring basis over several weeks. Peggy was reintroduced in 1994, recast and was then played by...
. The character has featured in a number of sketches, including riding the jelly and being set off fire, resulting in Hill bringing on another version to replace the deceased one. The character returned for competition "Where Has The Knitted Character Been This Week?" in series 9, in which viewers had to find the character hidden in a television show aired between episodes.
Later in the second part of the same series, The Knitted Character acted as a judge on spoof talent show and knitting competition The K Factor
The K Factor
The K-Factor: So You Think You Can Knit? is a fictional TV show ran by Harry Hill, as a segment of Harry Hill's TV Burp. The first episode was aired on 6 February 2010, with a preview of the show being airing on 30 January...
: So You Think You Can Knit?
So You Think You Can Dance (UK)
So You Think You Can Dance is a televised dance competition and reality show that launched in the United Kingdom in January 2010 and similar to the version of the program that has began airing in the USA in 2005. The show is broadcast on BBC One. The content of the show is similar premise to the...
", which showcased knitted items sent in by viewers. The judges are Knitted Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
, Knitted Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
s, Knitted Rolando off Popstar to Operastar
Rolando Villazón
Emilio Rolando Villazón Mauleón is a Mexican tenor. He settled in France and in 2007 became a French citizen.-Early life and education:...
and the Knitted Character. The run featured a knitted duck called Peter having difficulty getting through the audition process, resulting in Peter jumping of a cliff to be caught by Knitted Simon Cowell, whose life he had saved in an earlier segment, and being put through to the Not Live Final, where he eventually won. From series 10, his role was reduced to an occasional character.
Heather
Also from series 8, Steve Benham has played a version of EastEndersEastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
character Heather Trott, dressed as per the original character. Heather frequently features in sketches.
Wagbo
Finally, for series 10, a character called Wagbo was introduced to the show as the supposed child of Mary Byrne and Wagner from The X FactorThe X Factor (TV series)
The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
. Throughout the series, Wagbo is seen to have escaped the studio and loose across the world, with clips from his exploits at Bluewater shopping centre, The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
, WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
at The O2
The O2
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
, I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here and finally, through various ITV shows. Heather actor Steve Benham as Mary and Hill as Wagner appealed to the public in reference to Wagbo on one occasion. At the end of the part of the series, Hill was saved from Wagbo by The Knitted Character, who had been trying to get revenge throughout the series and shot the character. During the run, the actor playing the character went on holiday and was replaced, which resulted in two Wagbos at the end of the series in the showdown, along with Mary and her second child, Logbo, a love child with Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
, who she tried to introduce to the show. The 'dead' Wagbo actors then broke character in protest, insulting Hill's constant mispronunciation of Wagbo (stressing a W instead of a V) across the weeks before leaving the set. Wagbo later returned in the second half of series 10 for a joke about the TV Burp Employee of the Month, an award Harry was stated to always win. When Wagbo protested that someone else should get the prize for a change, Harry responded that he was no longer even a cast member. He finally returned as part of the band playing out on the last episode of series 10.
Brian Belo
For series 11, Brian BeloBrian Belo
Olawale Mohammed "Brian" Belo is a Nigerian entertainer, raised in Basildon, Essex. He first came to the public's attention by winning the eighth series of the British version of Big Brother. Since the programme, he has become an internet columnist for Heat magazine, a TV segment entertainer for...
, winner of the eighth series
Big Brother 2007 (UK)
Big Brother 2007 was the eighth series of the United Kingdom reality television programme Big Brother, airing on Channel 4, with a number of closely associated programmes also airing on E4....
of Big Brother
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
, appears in the show as Harry's (fictional) fraternal twin brother.
Reception and awards
The show had positive reviews.- Harry Hill's TV Burp was nominated for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme at the 2007 British Comedy AwardsBritish Comedy AwardsThe British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
. - It won two 2008 British Academy Television Awards for Best Entertainment Performance (for Harry Hill) and Best Entertainment programme.
- Visitors to the British Comedy GuideBritish Comedy GuideThe British Comedy Guide or BCG is a British website covering all forms of British comedy, across all media. At the time of writing, the BCG has published guides to more than 1,200 individual British comedies - primarily TV and radio situation comedy, sketch shows, comedy dramas, satire, variety...
website voted TV Burp as the "Best British TV Panel Show/Satire of 2008". - Harry also won a third BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance in 2009.
- Sophie Heath from the Daily MailDaily MailThe Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
said the show was "Genius, pure and simple." - Mark Lawson from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
said it was "The freshest and most original show in mainstream television."
However, Hill's brand of comedy also attracts negative criticism from detractors, such as TV critic Ruth Margolis, who wrote: "Harry Hill’s TV Burp, ITV's comedy centrepiece (this alone should tell you all you need to know), sees Hill deliver tedious, unimaginative thoughts on of the week's television. Where there's scope for a joke he chooses instead to drop a cheap pun, make jazz hands or, better still, wrinkle his forehead to acknowledge a weak innuendo on Coronation Street."
Series
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | |
1 | |
| 1 | 14 November 2002 | 19 December 2002 | 6 |
| 2 | 30 October 2003 | 18 December 2003 | 8 |
| 3 | 20 February 2004 | 2 April 2004 | 7 |
| 4 | 23 October 2004 | 27 November 2004 | 6 |
| 5 | 21 January 2006 | 25 March 2006 | 10 |
| 6 | 20 January 2007 | 14 April 2007 | 13 |
| 7 | 12 January 2008 | 5 April 2008 | 13 |
| 8 | 18 October 2008 | 4 April 2009 | 25The Best of TV Burp 1-4 and The Review of the Year 2008 were broadcast as part of Series 8 |
| 9 | 10 October 2009 | 3 April 2010 | 24The Best of TV Burp 5-11 and The Review of the Year 2009 were broadcast as part of Series 9 |
| 10 | 9 October 2010 | 2 April 2011 | 22The Best of TV Burp 12-16 and The Best of Christmas TV Burp were broadcast as part of Series 10 |
| 11 | 8 October 2011 | ||
Cartoon Network
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 October 2011 |
Comic Relief specials
Since 2005, the biennial BBC OneBBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
transmission of the Red Nose Day telethon in aid of Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
has included a short TV Burp segment hosted by Hill. There was no Comic Relief special for the 2011 Red Nose Day, but Hill did a sketch for Children in Need 2011
Children in Need 2011
Children in Need 2011 is a campaign held in the United Kingdom to raise money for Children in Need. 2011 marked the 31st anniversary of the appeal which culminated in a live broadcast on BBC One which began on the evening of Friday 18th November and ran until the early hours of Saturday 19th...
.
| Date |
|---|
| 11 March 2005 |
| 16 March 2007 |
| 13 March 2009 |
Christmas Shows
| Date |
|---|
| 30 December 2006 |
| 25 December 2007 |
External links
- Harry Hill's official site
- TV Burp Gold official site
- Avalon Television - TV Burp
- Harry Hill Fansite - Unofficial Fansite for Harry Hill