Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
Encyclopedia
Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive is a British
television show, first aired on BBC Three
in July 2006. Devised by Paul Duddridge
, it concerns the making of a comedy panel game
show called Annually Retentive, themed around historical events, and hosted by Welsh
comedian Rob Brydon
. The show is deliberately parodic, as Brydon plays a hyper-realised (and exaggeratedly nasty) version of himself, while the game show blatantly steals ideas from other, similar shows such as Have I Got News For You
, Never Mind the Buzzcocks
, Mock The Week
and QI
.
Its "show within a show" format is reminiscent of The Larry Sanders Show
which explored the blurring of reality and fantasy except with the focus of a talk show as opposed to a panel game. The show cuts between fictionalised scenes that see Brydon and the producers making the panel game, and scenes from the game show itself. These latter segments were filmed in full, as if Annually Retentive were a real show, in front of live audiences at BBC Television Centre
who, initially, were not made aware of its intentionally derivative and uninspired nature. A good portion of the game show segments were scripted; however, the panellists were allowed to 'play out' the game as if it were real, and occasionally improvise.
The two team captains are Dave Gorman
and Jane Moore
.
Each episode was made available to UK viewers to watch on the BBC Three website a week before it aired. A second series began airing on Monday 30 April 2007 at 10.30pm, the 'gameshow' portion was filmed on the 11 and 12 January 2007.
The first series has been released on DVD. The second series was released on 23rd November 2009.
The theme tune used is "Reelin' In the Years
" by Steely Dan
, though on the DVD release the song is replaced with an original piece.
Dave Gorman stated in 2008 that a third series of the show is doubtful. In November 2009, Rob Brydon stated "Never, but you can buy the second series soon" when asked by a Twitter follower when the series would return.
With
said that the series "provides the perfect platform for host Brydon, playing a demonic version of himself, to mimic (often hilariously) and abuse (often brutally) his guests". Ahead of the second series, Mark Wright for The Stage
said it was an "acquired taste", but he liked "the nonsense that is the panel quiz that successfully apes some of the nonsense panel games we are subjected to for real." Closing his preview for the final episode, he said: "One of the most intriguing comedies to come out of BBC3, and one that easily deserves a third commission."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television show, first aired on BBC Three
BBC 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...
in July 2006. Devised by Paul Duddridge
Paul Duddridge
Paul Duddridge is a writer, theatrical agent, TV producer and TV presenter born in Cardiff Wales and was educated at Radyr Comprehensive School....
, it concerns the making of a comedy panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
show called Annually Retentive, themed around historical events, and hosted by Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
comedian Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
. The show is deliberately parodic, as Brydon plays a hyper-realised (and exaggeratedly nasty) version of himself, while the game show blatantly steals ideas from other, similar shows such as Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
, Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
, Mock The Week
Mock the Week
Mock the Week is a British topical celebrity panel game hosted by Dara Ó Briain that launched in 2005. The game is influenced by improvised topical stand-up comedy, with several rounds requiring players to deliver answers on unexpected subjects on the spur of the moment.It is made by independent...
and QI
QI
QI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
.
Its "show within a show" format is reminiscent of The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that aired from August 1992 to May 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the United States. It starred stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders, and centered on the running of his TV show, and the...
which explored the blurring of reality and fantasy except with the focus of a talk show as opposed to a panel game. The show cuts between fictionalised scenes that see Brydon and the producers making the panel game, and scenes from the game show itself. These latter segments were filmed in full, as if Annually Retentive were a real show, in front of live audiences at BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre
BBC Television Centre at White City in West London is the headquarters of BBC Television. Officially opened on 29 June 1960, it remains one of the largest to this day; having featured over the years as backdrop to many BBC programmes, it is one of the most readily recognisable such facilities...
who, initially, were not made aware of its intentionally derivative and uninspired nature. A good portion of the game show segments were scripted; however, the panellists were allowed to 'play out' the game as if it were real, and occasionally improvise.
The two team captains are Dave Gorman
Dave Gorman
David James Gorman is an English author, stand-up comedian and presenter. He has performed comedy shows on stage in which he tells stories of extreme adventures and presents the evidence to the audience in order to prove to them that they are true stories...
and Jane Moore
Jane Moore
Jane Moore is a British journalist, author and television presenter.-Early life:Moore was born in Oxford, England. Her father was a professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford, and her mother was a teacher...
.
Each episode was made available to UK viewers to watch on the BBC Three website a week before it aired. A second series began airing on Monday 30 April 2007 at 10.30pm, the 'gameshow' portion was filmed on the 11 and 12 January 2007.
The first series has been released on DVD. The second series was released on 23rd November 2009.
The theme tune used is "Reelin' In the Years
Reelin' in the Years
"Reelin' In the Years" is a song by jazz rock band Steely Dan, released as the sixth track on their 1972 album, Can't Buy a Thrill.The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. The song was also a #11 hit on the Pop singles chart in 1973. In March 2005, Q...
" by Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
, though on the DVD release the song is replaced with an original piece.
Dave Gorman stated in 2008 that a third series of the show is doubtful. In November 2009, Rob Brydon stated "Never, but you can buy the second series soon" when asked by a Twitter follower when the series would return.
Series one
| Air date | Episode number | Dave Gorman's team | Jane Moore's team | Also featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 July 2006 | 1 | Richard Bacon Richard Bacon (television presenter) Richard Paul Bacon is an English television and radio presenter.Bacon's first high-profile media role was as a presenter of Blue Peter, from which he was sacked in 1998 following newspaper reports of him taking cocaine... and Gail Porter Gail Porter Gail Porter is a Scottish television presenter.- Life and career :Porter attended Portobello High School. She studied a BTEC HND in Media Production at West Herts College... |
David Mitchell David Mitchell (actor) David James Stuart Mitchell is a British actor, comedian and writer. He is half of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb, alongside Robert Webb, whom he met at Cambridge University. There they were both part of the Cambridge Footlights, of which Mitchell became President. Together the duo star in the... and Lucy Porter Lucy Porter Lucy Donna Porter is an English actress, writer and comedienne.She has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, the Brighton Festival and many clubs around Britain. She has also a regular voice on BBC Radio 4 in various panel shows, including Quote..... |
Jonathan Ross Jonathan Ross (television presenter) Jonathan Stephen Ross, OBE is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross from 2001 until he left the BBC in 2010. Ross began hosting a new chat show on ITV1 starting 3 September 2011... |
| 18 July 2006 | 2 | Steve Furst Steve Furst Steven Larry Furst is a comedian, actor and writer. Furst says his father told him that he arrived as an immigrant from Hungary with "nothing but a violin under my arm"... and John Inverdale John Inverdale John Inverdale , is an English radio and television broadcaster who works for the BBC, mainly covering sporting events.-Biography:... |
Alistair McGowan Alistair McGowan Alistair McGowan is a British impressionist, stand-up comic, actor, singer and writer best known to British audiences for The Big Impression , which was, for four years, one of BBC1's top-rating comedy programmes - winning numerous awards, including a BAFTA in 2003... and Dominik Diamond Dominik Diamond Paul Dominik Diamond is a Scottish television and radio presenter and newspaper columnist. He is best known as the original presenter of Channel 4's video gaming programme GamesMaster, as host of The Dominik Diamond Breakfast Show on Xfm Scotland and as a columnist for the Daily Star... |
David Walliams David Walliams David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile... |
| 25 July 2006 | 3 | Josie D'Arby Josie D'Arby Josie d'Arby is a Welsh actress and television presenter from Newport, Wales.-Biography:d'Arby went to Lliswerry High School in her younger years then went on to attend the Anna Scher Theatre School, and later the London School of Journalism.d'Arby began a presenting career while still a student... and Robert Webb Robert Webb (actor) Robert Webb is an English actor, comedian and writer, and one half of the double act Mitchell and Webb, alongside David Mitchell.-Early life:... |
Russell Brand Russell Brand Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians... and Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Alexander Brigstocke is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows... |
|
| 1 August 2006 | 4 | Boyd Hilton Boyd Hilton Boyd Hilton is a British historian and a professor and fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He specialises in modern British history, from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century.Hilton was elected a fellow of Trinity College in 1974... and Ronni Ancona Ronni Ancona Ronni Ancona is a Scottish actress, impressionist and author. Ancona won the Best TV Comedy Actress award at the 2003 British Comedy Awards for her work in Big Impression.- Career :... |
Jo Brand Jo Brand Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers... and Paul Foot Paul Foot (comedian) Paul Foot is an English comedian. He commands a significant cult following called The Guild of Connoisseurs. Foot is known for his musings, rants, 'disturbances' and apparent aversion to pop culture... |
Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten O'Brien is an English television presenter and stand-up comic.She is known for presenting SMart, and presented Smile and Totally Doctor Who alongside Barney Harwood on CBBC.... and Dave Chapman Dave Chapman Dave Chapman is an English actor, television presenter, puppeteer and voice artist.-Career:Dave Chapman trained at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and The Jim Henson Company... |
| 8 August 2006 | 5 | Alexei Sayle Alexei Sayle Alexei David Sayle is a British stand-up comedian, actor and author. He was a central part of the alternative comedy circuit in the early 1980s. He was voted the 18th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-ups in 2007... and Dave Berry Dave Berry (presenter) David "Dave" Berry is a British TV and Radio presenter from Charlton, London, England. Currently working with ITV and Capital London.-Career:... |
Omid Djalili Omid Djalili Omid Djalili is a British Iranian stand-up comedian, actor, television producer and writer.-Personal life:Djalili was born in Chelsea, London to Iranian Bahá'í parents and is a Bahá'í himself... and Bob Mills Bob Mills (comedian) Robert Edward "Bob" Mills is a British comedian, notable for his appearances in cult TV series such as In Bed with Medinner and The Show, the latter an attempt to do a non-fictional British version of The Larry Sanders Show.Born in Chester, after a very short spell training for the Merchant Navy,... |
Sir Elton John, Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten O'Brien Kirsten O'Brien is an English television presenter and stand-up comic.She is known for presenting SMart, and presented Smile and Totally Doctor Who alongside Barney Harwood on CBBC.... and Dave Chapman Dave Chapman Dave Chapman is an English actor, television presenter, puppeteer and voice artist.-Career:Dave Chapman trained at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and The Jim Henson Company... |
| 15 August 2006 | 6 | Trisha Goddard Trisha Goddard Patricia "Trisha" Goddard is a British television presenter and actress best known for her morning talk show, Trisha Goddard, which is broadcast on a mid morning slot on Channel 5 in the UK. In Australia she is known as a long time presenter of Play School.-Background:Goddard was born in London,... and Rob Deering Rob Deering Rob Deering is an English stand-up comedian, guitarist and writer.Deering was the host and writer of three series of Out to Lunch on BBC Radio 2... |
Gyles Brandreth Gyles Brandreth Gyles Daubeney Brandreth is a British writer, broadcaster and former Conservative Member of Parliament and junior minister.-Early life:... and Sue Perkins Sue Perkins Sue Perkins is an English comedienne, broadcaster, actress, and writer.-Education:Perkins was educated at Croham Hurst School, an independent school for girls in Croydon in South London, at the same time as the BBC Breakfast News presenter Susanna Reid... |
Series two
| Air date | Episode number | Dave Gorman's team | Jane Moore's team | Also featuring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 April 2007 | 1 | Rhys Thomas Rhys Thomas (comedian) Rhys Thomas is an English comedian and actor.-Career:His breakthrough came while working as a runner on Shooting Stars, when he showed Charlie Higson and Bob Mortimer some sketches he had performed in college... and Abi Titmuss Abi Titmuss Abi Titmuss, , is a former English nurse turned glamour model, television personality and actress.-Early life:... |
Richard Herring Richard Herring Richard Keith Herring is a British comedian and writer, whose early work includes his involvement in the double-act, Lee and Herring... and 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.... |
Eamonn Holmes Eamonn Holmes Eamonn Holmes is an Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster. He is known for his work on UK and Irish television, notably presenting GMTV and This Morning. He is married to TV presenter Ruth Langsford.-Education:... and Ruth Langsford Ruth Langsford Ruth Langsford is an English television presenter.Langsford began her career as a continuity announcer and newscaster with ITV regional station TSW in the South West of England... |
| 7 May 2007 | 2 | "Weazel", the sobriquet Sobriquet A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation... of Dave Willson Dave Willson Dave Willson , aka Weazel , was a member of the studio lighting crew and noted for his appearances on such shows as Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive — in the latter doubling for June Sarpong after she failed to appear... — a bearded member of the BBC Studios lighting team, who stood in for June Sarpong June Sarpong June Sarpong MBE is an English television presenter of Ghanaian descent.-Education:Sarpong was born in London to Ghanaian parents. She was educated at Connaught Girls School in Leytonstone and Sir George Monoux College in Walthamstow.... after she failed to appear — and Phil Hammond Phil Hammond (comedian) Dr Philip Hammond is a general practitioner who has become noted as a comedian and commentator on health issues in the United Kingdom. Hammond was educated at Marlborough Grammar School, St John's Comprehensive, Marlborough, and Marlborough College... |
Jennie Bond Jennie Bond Jennifer "Jennie" Bond is an English journalist and television presenter. She worked for fourteen years as the BBC's royal correspondent. She has most recently hosted Cash in the Attic and narrated the five series programme, Great British Menu.-Early career:She was educated at St... and Chris Corcoran Chris Corcoran Chris 'Korkey' Corcoran is a Welsh comedian and broadcaster. Originally a History teacher at Barry Comprehensive school. His recent TV credits include Easy Ryder - Chris Corcoran's Guide To The Ryder Cup , Wales and The Other Five Nations - The England Game, Wales and The Other Five Nations - The... |
Claudia Winkleman Claudia Winkleman Claudia Anne I. Winkleman is an English television presenter, film critic, radio personality and journalist.- Early life and family :... and 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:... |
| 14 May 2007 | 3 | Richard Park Richard Park (broadcaster) Richard Park is a Scottish media personality and businessman, who is Executive Director of Global Radio. He was previously a media consultant and broadcaster in the UK and has also made appearances as the 'Headmaster' of BBC TV's Fame Academy programmes.-Professional career:Voted most influential... and Olivia Lee Olivia Lee Olivia Lee is an English comedienne, actress and television presenter.-Life and career:Lee is from a Jewish family. She studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama... |
Griff Rhys Jones Griff Rhys Jones Griffith "Griff" Rhys Jones is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, television presenter and personality. Jones came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Mel Smith... and Paul Ross Paul Ross Paul Ross is an English television and radio presenter, journalist, and media personality. He is the son of Martha Ross and the elder brother of Jonathan Ross.-Early life:... |
Rhys Ifans Rhys Ifans Rhys Ifans is a Welsh actor and musician. He is known for his portrayal of characters such as Spike in Notting Hill and Jed Parry in Enduring Love and as a member of the Welsh rock groups Super Furry Animals and The Peth. Ifans also appeared as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly... |
| 21 May 2007 | 4 | James Corden James Corden James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers.... and Hal Cruttenden |
Robin Ince Robin Ince Robin Ince is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage .-Stand-up comedy:... and Dave Johns |
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.... |
| 28 May 2007 | 5 | Frankie Boyle Frankie Boyle Francis Martin Patrick "Frankie" Boyle is a British comedian and writer, well known for his pessimistic, often controversial sense of humour... and Kate Lawler Kate Lawler Kate Louise Lawler is an English reality TV personality, DJ, and model. She was the first female winner of Big Brother UK, winning the third season of the reality television show. Since leaving Big Brother, she has worked as a television presenter and personality, a model and as a disc jockey... |
Russell Howard Russell Howard Russell Joseph Howard is an English comedian best known for his TV show Russell Howard's Good News and his appearances on the topical panel TV show Mock The Week... and Rory Bremner Rory Bremner Roderick "Rory" Keith Ogilvy Bremner, FKC is a Scottish impressionist, playwright and comedian, noted for his work in political satire... |
Tim Key Tim Key Tim Key is an English actor, comedy writer, and performance poet. In 2009, he was the winner of the Edinburgh Comedy Award and was also nominated for the Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality.-Edinburgh Fringe:... |
| 4 June 2007 | 6 |
- For episode 2.6, the usual gameshow format was changed to show Brydon appearing in a mock episode of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? series. This episode 6 opens with the end credits of an episode of the gameshow which featured Rufus HoundRufus HoundRufus Hound is a British comedian and presenter. He is also the winner of 2010 "Let's Dance for Comic Relief".-Career:...
, Mathew HorneMathew HorneMathew Frazer Horne is an English actor, stand-up comedian, television presenter and narrator best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey portraying Gavin Shipman, The Catherine Tate Show, Teachers and Horne and Corden.-Early life:Horne was born...
and Kirsten O'BrienKirsten O'BrienKirsten O'Brien is an English television presenter and stand-up comic.She is known for presenting SMart, and presented Smile and Totally Doctor Who alongside Barney Harwood on CBBC....
(they are not seen in the episode itself).
Regular cast
Hosted by- Rob BrydonRob BrydonRob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
With
- Ruth Bratt
- Dave ChapmanDave ChapmanDave Chapman is an English actor, television presenter, puppeteer and voice artist.-Career:Dave Chapman trained at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and The Jim Henson Company...
- Steve FurstSteve FurstSteven Larry Furst is a comedian, actor and writer. Furst says his father told him that he arrived as an immigrant from Hungary with "nothing but a violin under my arm"...
- Dave GormanDave GormanDavid James Gorman is an English author, stand-up comedian and presenter. He has performed comedy shows on stage in which he tells stories of extreme adventures and presents the evidence to the audience in order to prove to them that they are true stories...
- Russell ToveyRussell ToveyRussell George Tovey is an English actor with numerous television, film and stage credits. Tovey is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural drama Being Human which started in 2008...
- Dominic HollandDominic HollandDominic Holland is an English comedian, and author. He also performs at corporate functions. He won the Perrier Best Newcomer Award in Edinburgh in 1993.-Appearances:...
- Sharon HorganSharon HorganSharon Horgan is an Irish actress, writer and comedienne.Horgan was born in London and moved to Dublin at age seven. She grew up in Bellewstown, Co. Meath, Ireland. She went to school in the Sacred Heart Secondary School in Drogheda. Later she went on to an English degree at Brunel University...
- Katy BrandKaty BrandKaty Brand is an English actress, comedian and writer known for her ITV2 series Katy Brand's Big Ass Show and for Comedy Lab Slap on Channel 4....
- Alice LoweAlice LoweAlice Lowe is an English actress and writer mainly in comedy, from the English Midlands.Lowe attended a comprehensive school and graduated from Cambridge University. She began her career co-devising and performing in surreal experimental theatre shows such as City Haunts, Snowbound and Progress In...
- Jane MooreJane MooreJane Moore is a British journalist, author and television presenter.-Early life:Moore was born in Oxford, England. Her father was a professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford, and her mother was a teacher...
- Phil NicholPhil NicholPhil Nichol is a Canadian comedian, singer-songwriter, and actor.-Comedy:Nichol was born in Scotland to a Scottish mother, but raised in Canada. He first found fame as a member of the musical comedy trio Corky and the Juice Pigs, known for the song " Eskimo"...
- Kirsten O'BrienKirsten O'BrienKirsten O'Brien is an English television presenter and stand-up comic.She is known for presenting SMart, and presented Smile and Totally Doctor Who alongside Barney Harwood on CBBC....
- Dave Skinner
- Curtis WalkerCurtis WalkerCurtis Walker is a British actor and writer. He starred in BBC comedy shows Paramount City, CBBC Sitcom Kerching!, The Real McCoy and Blouse and Skirt.-External links:*...
- Ken BruceKen BruceKenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
(second series - voice only)
Reception
Previewing a rerun of the first series, Ed Potton for The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
said that the series "provides the perfect platform for host Brydon, playing a demonic version of himself, to mimic (often hilariously) and abuse (often brutally) his guests". Ahead of the second series, Mark Wright for The Stage
The Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
said it was an "acquired taste", but he liked "the nonsense that is the panel quiz that successfully apes some of the nonsense panel games we are subjected to for real." Closing his preview for the final episode, he said: "One of the most intriguing comedies to come out of BBC3, and one that easily deserves a third commission."
See also
- The Larry Sanders ShowThe Larry Sanders ShowThe Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that aired from August 1992 to May 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the United States. It starred stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders, and centered on the running of his TV show, and the...
- It's Garry Shandling's ShowIt's Garry Shandling's ShowIt's Garry Shandling's Show is an American sitcom which was initially broadcast on Showtime from 1986 to 1990. It was created by Garry Shandling and Alan Zweibel. The show is notable for its frequent use of breaking the fourth wall to allow characters to speak directly to the audience...
- The ShowThe Show (TV series)The Show is a British television show, produced by London Weekend Television's factual programmes department for Channel 4 Television, which ran for a single series in 1997....