Bremner, Bird and Fortune
Encyclopedia
Bremner, Bird and Fortune is an award-winning satirical
British
television program
me produced by Vera Productions for Channel Four, uniting the longstanding satirical team of John Bird
and John Fortune
("the Two Johns") with the satirical impressionist Rory Bremner
.
The show started in 1999. The fourteenth series was shown in November 2008. A new series of 3 episodes, The Last Show Before The Recovery, started on 7 June 2009. The most recent set of 3 episodes, The Daily Wind-Up, aired from the 2nd of May until the 4th May 2010, and focused on the 2010 United Kingdom General Election.
The show is almost entirely political, but in recent series different genres of sketches have been introduced. The programme features regular stand-up impressionism sections by Bremner.
Another feature is interviews between Bird and Fortune, one of them normally as George Parr, a man in a government position or a businessman, who normally ends up exposing the idiocies of their area of expertise.
There are also heavily researched, bitingly satirical three-handed historical narratives; the dinner party sketches, featuring Bird, Fortune, Pauline McLynn
and Frances Barber
; and other small sketches. The show ends with a (usually political) musical number.
Bremner, Bird and Fortune was filmed up until the second series 11 in 2006 at the Riverside Studios
. It is now filmed in Teddington Studios
, South London. Series 11 was filmed in Studio 1 and Series 13 was filmed in studio 2. Teddington Studios was once the home to comedy greats as Benny Hill
, Kenny Everett
and Tommy Cooper
.
The next series, 14, is being filmed at the Fountain Studios in Wembley, London where Series 4 - 8 were also filmed.
In 2002, three members of the show's production team, Geoff Atkinson, Steve Connelly and Tristam Shapeero, were nominated for a BAFTA for Best Comedy Programme or Series. Bird and Fortune were nominated for a BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance in 2001 and Best Comedy Performance in 2002.
In 2003 the episode "At Her Majesty's Pleasure" won a Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Entertainment.
In October 2004, they published a book based on the show, called You Are Here: A Dossier (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 288 pages, ISBN 0-297-84778-3, also available as a paperback from Orion mass market paperback, ISBN 0-7528-6493-9).
In 2004 Rory Bremner was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Comedy Performance.
In November 2008 a four-part mini series was produced, called Silly Money. The trio looked at the economic downturn, with fewer of the usual sketches and co-stars. The episodes contained many more George Parr sketches than usual. They also included a number of archive clips to further illustrate points and create satire from them based on hindsight.
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
British
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 program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
me produced by Vera Productions for Channel Four, uniting the longstanding satirical team of John Bird
John Bird (actor)
John Bird is an English satirist, actor and comedian.-Early life:Born in Bulwell, Nottingham, England, and educated at High Pavement Grammar School, Nottingham, Bird briefly joined the Socialist Party of Great Britain, while still at school...
and John Fortune
John Fortune
John Fortune is a British satirist, comedian writer and actor, best known for his work with John Bird and Rory Bremner on the TV series Bremner, Bird and Fortune. He was educated at Bristol Cathedral School and King's College, Cambridge, where he was to meet and form a lasting friendship with John...
("the Two Johns") with the satirical impressionist Rory Bremner
Rory Bremner
Roderick "Rory" Keith Ogilvy Bremner, FKC is a Scottish impressionist, playwright and comedian, noted for his work in political satire...
.
The show started in 1999. The fourteenth series was shown in November 2008. A new series of 3 episodes, The Last Show Before The Recovery, started on 7 June 2009. The most recent set of 3 episodes, The Daily Wind-Up, aired from the 2nd of May until the 4th May 2010, and focused on the 2010 United Kingdom General Election.
Regular features
Another feature is interviews between Bird and Fortune, one of them normally as George Parr, a man in a government position or a businessman, who normally ends up exposing the idiocies of their area of expertise.
There are also heavily researched, bitingly satirical three-handed historical narratives; the dinner party sketches, featuring Bird, Fortune, Pauline McLynn
Pauline McLynn
Pauline McLynn is an Irish actress, comedienne and author, best known for playing Mrs Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, and Libby Croker in the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless.- Early life :...
and Frances Barber
Frances Barber
Frances Barber is an Olivier Award-nominated English actress with a long and distinguished stage career. She has also appeared in numerous television productions...
; and other small sketches. The show ends with a (usually political) musical number.
Bremner, Bird and Fortune was filmed up until the second series 11 in 2006 at the Riverside Studios
Riverside Studios
Riverside Studios is a production studio, theatre and independent cinema on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. It plays host to contemporary and international dramatic and dance performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production.-History:In 1933, the...
. It is now filmed in Teddington Studios
Teddington Studios
Teddington Studios is a large British television studio complex located in Teddington, South-West London, providing studio facilities for programmes airing on BBC television, ITV, and Channel 4 along with others...
, South London. Series 11 was filmed in Studio 1 and Series 13 was filmed in studio 2. Teddington Studios was once the home to comedy greats as Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
, Kenny Everett
Kenny Everett
Kenny Everett was an English comedian, radio DJ and television entertainer. Born Maurice James Christopher Cole, Everett is best known for his career as a radio DJ and for the Kenny Everett television shows.-Early life:...
and Tommy Cooper
Tommy Cooper
Thomas Frederick "Tommy" Cooper was a very popular British prop comedian and magician from Caerphilly, Wales.Cooper was a member of The Magic Circle, and respected by traditional magicians...
.
The next series, 14, is being filmed at the Fountain Studios in Wembley, London where Series 4 - 8 were also filmed.
History
The show started in 1999.In 2002, three members of the show's production team, Geoff Atkinson, Steve Connelly and Tristam Shapeero, were nominated for a BAFTA for Best Comedy Programme or Series. Bird and Fortune were nominated for a BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance in 2001 and Best Comedy Performance in 2002.
In 2003 the episode "At Her Majesty's Pleasure" won a Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Entertainment.
In October 2004, they published a book based on the show, called You Are Here: A Dossier (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 288 pages, ISBN 0-297-84778-3, also available as a paperback from Orion mass market paperback, ISBN 0-7528-6493-9).
In 2004 Rory Bremner was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Comedy Performance.
In November 2008 a four-part mini series was produced, called Silly Money. The trio looked at the economic downturn, with fewer of the usual sketches and co-stars. The episodes contained many more George Parr sketches than usual. They also included a number of archive clips to further illustrate points and create satire from them based on hindsight.