Have I Got News for You
Encyclopedia
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. The show has cultivated a reputation for sailing close to the wind in matters of libel with its satirical, light-hearted format.
41 series of the programme have now been broadcast, with series 42 being shown as of October 2011. The programme was first shown on BBC Two
and moved to BBC One
in 2000. However, the extended repeats were still shown on BBC Two
. For the 42nd series, the extended repeats were also moved to BBC One
.
as chairman, with Ian Hislop
, the editor of Private Eye
, and comedian Paul Merton
as team captains. Each captain is accompanied by a guest, usually a politician
, journalist
or comedian
, or somebody particularly relevant to recent news.
Merton took a break from Have I Got News for You during the 11th series in 1996, making only one appearance as a guest on Hislop's team. He was variously replaced as opposing team captain by Clive Anderson
, Alan Davies
and Eddie Izzard
(with another two episodes featuring an equal-billing double act
as the opponents of Hislop's team). Merton later explained that at the time he was "very tired" of the show and that he thought it had become "stuck in a rut". Nevertheless, he added that he felt his absence gave the programme the "shot in the arm" it needed and that it had been "better ever since".
In May 2002, following newspaper headlines of his adulterous sex with a prostitute and use of illegal drugs, Deayton was relentlessly ridiculed on the show by Hislop and Merton (along with guests Dave Gorman
and Ken Livingstone
). Following a second round of revelations about his private life later in the year, leading to further mockery, Deayton was fired in October, two shows into series 24.
At short notice, Merton hosted the first episode after Deayton's departure, and was described as "merciless" in his treatment of his former co-star. A series of guest hosts appeared for the remainder of the series, including Anne Robinson
, Boris Johnson
, and Jeremy Clarkson
. Despite an initial search for a permanent successor to Deayton, having a different guest host each week proved successful, with average audience figures increasing from 6 million to 7 million. It was therefore announced in June 2003 that this feature would continue permanently.
Hislop is the only person to have appeared in every episode — despite suffering from a burst appendix
shortly before one 1994 edition and having to go to hospital
immediately afterwards. Despite this record though, Merton is one of only three people to have played all three roles of the show's format at various points: he is usually captain of his team, but along with being the first post-Deayton presenter (series 24, episode 3), he has also been a guest on Hislop's team (in series 11, episode 1). The only others who have occupied all three positions are Clive Anderson
and Frank Skinner
, who have both stood in for Merton as team captain (in series 11, episodes 3 & 6 and series 36, episode 5 respectively.) Anderson also filled in for Merton at the last minute for the special live edition for 24 Hour Panel People for Red Nose Day 2011
. (Martin Clunes
could be considered the fourth person to have done all three roles, after sitting in Merton's usual seat in series 11, episode 4, but with his teammate being Men Behaving Badly
co-star Neil Morrissey
, the duo were given equal billing, with no captain.)
Apart from Merton, there are seven other people who have appeared as a panellist after being a guest host: Clive Anderson
, Marcus Brigstocke
, Jimmy Carr
, Jeremy Clarkson
(who subsequently appeared as a guest host again), Charles Kennedy MP
, Richard Madeley
and Liza Tarbuck
. The only guests who have also worked on the production off camera are Kevin Day
and John O'Farrell
, who have both had stints on the writing team.
holds the record for both most appearances as guest presenter, as well as most guest appearances in total, having appeared 19 times in the central chair. He has never appeared in any other role. Ross Noble
holds the record for most appearances as a panellist - 12, in addition to his one episode as a guest captain (the edition hosted by Merton). Andy Hamilton
is the record holder for most appearances without ever being host or captain, with 11. Jo Brand
, Germaine Greer
and Kirsty Young
all jointly hold the record for most appearances by a woman, with nine each.
specials. (List complete up to 25 November 2011.)
Have I Got News for You began on BBC Two
on 28 September 1990 and transferred to BBC One
in October 2000. "Myself and Ian, we did a disastrous pilot for it," Paul Merton explained nine years later. "It was a beautiful summer's
afternoon in 1990. Far too nice to be in a television studio, but I think the BBC had already bought it, so that's how it became a series."
Two series are made every year. At first, the number of episodes per series was inconsistent. However, a pattern soon formed whereby the spring series between April to June comprises eight episodes and the autumn series between October to December contains nine, with a one-week break in the middle to allow the broadcasting of Children in Need
.
The 39th series, broadcast in early 2010, moved the show to a Thursday night slot after 19 years on Friday nights (with the exception of the Election special, which aired on a Friday night). The 40th series remained in this new time slot, despite one episode of the 40th series been broadcast the day after due to the Royal Variety Performance
; both series featured an extra episode, with the spring series now featuring 9 episodes and the autumn series 10 episodes.
Over an hour's worth of material is recorded for each 30-minute programme for broadcast the following day, allowing the programme to remain topical while the BBC's lawyers have time to request cuts of potentially defamatory material. "No reviewer could possibly review it in that time. We started off with an audience of two million, and somebody might have mentioned it to their friend, and then it sort of built up a momentum of its own."
In recent years, the late-night weekend repeat has occasionally contained extra material from the week's recording. This became a permanent feature from the spring 2007 series, with the repeat having a running time of 40 minutes, and being titled (in the TV listings) Have I Got a Bit More News for You.
The programme is recorded at the London Studios
, former home of London Weekend Television
, although the 2001 Election
special episode was recorded at BBC Television Centre
on the Friday morning after the election. The quiz aspect and scores are largely ignored in favour of the panellists' witty exchanges and jokes, and the format seems to change frequently.
"There's been a lot of confusion, with people saying, 'Well, they see the questions beforehand,' which we do," revealed Merton in 1999. "But some people say we see the answers, which we don't, because that would rob it of being a quiz."
"There is a certain amount of show business that goes on in putting on a show," continued Merton. "We found very early on that it's worth seeing the questions beforehand so that you can work out your depth of ignorance. If you really don't know, you think, 'Well, I've really got to try and say something here.' It's much better to be doing that for ten or fifteen minutes before the show than be doing it when the cameras are rolling, in front of an audience, going, 'Well, who's he?'"
Norman Tebbit
wrote an article in The Mail on Sunday
criticising the whole programme: 'Well, of course Have I Got News for You is all edited. These people, they couldn't improvise live. You put them on a stage, they wouldn't be able to improvise.' Merton said of this: "Well, when Norman Tebbit said I couldn't improvise, I was... [blows out cheeks and then goes silent]."
), proceedings usually begin with a one-liner. In the time of Angus Deayton, these took the form of such quips as:
After Deayton's drugs scandal, the first show opened with him saying:
There would occasionally be variations on this opening one-liner; the first episode broadcast on BBC One
featured a row of dancers dancing the can-can
across the screen after Deayton promised 'the move to mainstream television will in no way affect the show's content', whilst another episode began with Deayton saying "Goodnight" and the end credits rolling, then interrupting with 'that was just to annoy everyone who had set their video to record this'.
With guest presenters, these were initially comments referring to the hosts themselves, such as:
These have been more recently phased out, and now the host typically introduces themselves simply by name, before moving on.
In one episode, guest host and British Indian
comic Sanjeev Bhaskar
opened the show in Hindi
.
In another, guest host actor Brian Blessed
opened the show by shouting "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News for You. (shouts) I'M BRIAN BLESSED!", parodying many of his own typecast roles.
Following this, "In the news this week...": three video clips are displayed, (occasionally four in the extended Have I Got A Bit More News For You) each supplied with a scripted comment from the host who then proceeds to introduce that week's guests, with a jocular remark for each.
's dinners are [...], while this week's dog's bollocks
are..." He also awarded 'prizes': for example "So, for our winners: the chance to go to Michael Portillo
's constituency and see the count. For our losers: the chance to retype that sentence without the spelling mistake." The host then thanks the guests and ends with "I leave you with news that...", providing scripted, satirical captions to a further few pictures.
on Room 101
, nominating the programme as one of his pet hates. (Wogan's appearance came during the period when Room 101 was hosted by Nick Hancock and not HIGNFYs own Paul Merton
.) In addition, interviews with political figures (taken from the Channel 4
Politics Awards) reveal their opinions on the series.
Have I Got News For You: The Best of the Guest Presenters (2003), which, as well as including the normal half-hour cut of Boris Johnson's first guest-hosting, also included a bonus disc, "The Full Boris", which showed a far longer cut of the same episode (lasting slightly under 60 minutes). Slightly longer versions of the shows featuring Martin Clunes
, William Hague
and Bruce Forsyth
as chairman were also included, as well as a compilation of clips taken from other editions from the first two series with guest hosts (with only the episode hosted by Liza Tarbuck
not represented). There are also several small extra features, including a discussion between Paul Merton and Boris Johnson regarding Johnson's appearance as presenter, filmed during his appearance as the celebrity guest on the Merton-hosted Room 101
.
Have I Got News For You: The Best of the Guest Presenters Vol. 2 (2005), which is nearer in content to the first "Best of" DVD compilation than its direct predecessor. It contains four 45-minute compilations of the Autumn 2003, Spring 2004, Autumn 2004 and Spring 2005 series, rather than complete episodes; although it does again contain a bonus disc with an uncut version of Boris Johnson's second stint as presenter. This episode lasts about 80 minutes. "The A to Z of HIGNFY" is also included on the second disc. Each letter is used to stand for a different term or name often associated with the show, each highlighted by various example clips - except for the "problem letters" of X, Y and Z, which just lead into a selection of random outtakes. This feature also includes some behind-the-scenes content, with Marcus Brigstocke
guiding the viewer around the studio and backstage, on a recording night.
Have I Got News for You started broadcasting a video podcast
, The Inevitable Internet Spin-off, on 13 April 2007. It was initially planned to run for six series, from series 33 to 38, taking it to the end of 2009. Referred to as "webisode
s", episodes are available via both the BBC iPlayer and YouTube
.
From the beginning of Series 37, a new internet feature, Have I Got News for You, News... for You, was introduced. A short programme featuring typical opening and closing sequences (without the presence of a live audience) as well as other short sketches, it has so far been presented by Alexander Armstrong
, and run fortnightly, bridging the gap between series 37 and 38.
Articles
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
panel show
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.....
produced by Hat Trick Productions
Hat Trick Productions
Hat Trick Productions is a British independent production company that produces television programmes, mainly specialising in comedy.-History:...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
show The News Quiz
The News Quiz
The News Quiz is a topical panel game broadcast on British radio BBC Radio 4.-History:It was first broadcast in 1977 with Barry Norman as chairman. Subsequently it was chaired by Simon Hoggart, Barry Took , and then again by Simon Hoggart until March 2006. Hoggart was replaced by Sandi Toksvig in...
, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show. The show has cultivated a reputation for sailing close to the wind in matters of libel with its satirical, light-hearted format.
41 series of the programme have now been broadcast, with series 42 being shown as of October 2011. The programme was first shown on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
and moved to BBC One
BBC 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...
in 2000. However, the extended repeats were still shown on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. For the 42nd series, the extended repeats were also moved to BBC One
BBC 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...
.
Participants
The original line-up, from 1990 to 2002, was Angus DeaytonAngus Deayton
Gordon Angus Deayton is an English actor, writer, musician, comedian and broadcaster. He is best known for his role as Victor Meldrew's long-suffering neighbour Patrick Trench in the comedy series One Foot in the Grave...
as chairman, with Ian Hislop
Ian Hislop
Ian David Hislop is a British journalist, satirist, comedian, writer, broadcaster and editor of the satirical magazine Private Eye...
, the editor of Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, and comedian Paul Merton
Paul Merton
Paul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy...
as team captains. Each captain is accompanied by a guest, usually a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
or comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, or somebody particularly relevant to recent news.
Merton took a break from Have I Got News for You during the 11th series in 1996, making only one appearance as a guest on Hislop's team. He was variously replaced as opposing team captain by Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson is a British former barrister, best known for being a comedy writer as well as a radio and television presenter in the United Kingdom...
, Alan Davies
Alan Davies
Alan Davies is an English comedian, writer and actor best known for starring in the TV mystery series Jonathan Creek and as the permanent panellist on the TV panel show QI.- Early life :...
and Eddie Izzard
Eddie Izzard
Edward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
(with another two episodes featuring an equal-billing double act
Double act
A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...
as the opponents of Hislop's team). Merton later explained that at the time he was "very tired" of the show and that he thought it had become "stuck in a rut". Nevertheless, he added that he felt his absence gave the programme the "shot in the arm" it needed and that it had been "better ever since".
In May 2002, following newspaper headlines of his adulterous sex with a prostitute and use of illegal drugs, Deayton was relentlessly ridiculed on the show by Hislop and Merton (along with guests 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 Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
). Following a second round of revelations about his private life later in the year, leading to further mockery, Deayton was fired in October, two shows into series 24.
At short notice, Merton hosted the first episode after Deayton's departure, and was described as "merciless" in his treatment of his former co-star. A series of guest hosts appeared for the remainder of the series, including Anne Robinson
Anne Robinson
Anne Josephine Robinson is an English journalist and television presenter, known for her assertive views and acerbic style of presenting. She was one of the presenters on the long-running British consumer affairs series, Watchdog, from 1993 to 2001 before returning in 2009...
, Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
, and Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
. Despite an initial search for a permanent successor to Deayton, having a different guest host each week proved successful, with average audience figures increasing from 6 million to 7 million. It was therefore announced in June 2003 that this feature would continue permanently.
Hislop is the only person to have appeared in every episode — despite suffering from a burst appendix
Vermiform appendix
The appendix is a blind-ended tube connected to the cecum , from which it develops embryologically. The cecum is a pouchlike structure of the colon...
shortly before one 1994 edition and having to go to hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
immediately afterwards. Despite this record though, Merton is one of only three people to have played all three roles of the show's format at various points: he is usually captain of his team, but along with being the first post-Deayton presenter (series 24, episode 3), he has also been a guest on Hislop's team (in series 11, episode 1). The only others who have occupied all three positions are Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson is a British former barrister, best known for being a comedy writer as well as a radio and television presenter in the United Kingdom...
and Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
, who have both stood in for Merton as team captain (in series 11, episodes 3 & 6 and series 36, episode 5 respectively.) Anderson also filled in for Merton at the last minute for the special live edition for 24 Hour Panel People for Red Nose Day 2011
Red Nose Day 2011
Red Nose Day 2011 was a fundraising event organised by Comic Relief. There was a live telethon broadcast on BBC One and BBC Two from the evening of 18 March 2011 to early the following morning as well as a number of run-up events...
. (Martin Clunes
Martin Clunes
Alexander Martin Clunes is an English actor and comedian. Clunes is perhaps best known for his roles as Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly, Doctor Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin and the title character in Reggie Perrin....
could be considered the fourth person to have done all three roles, after sitting in Merton's usual seat in series 11, episode 4, but with his teammate being Men Behaving Badly
Men Behaving Badly
Men Behaving Badly is a British comedy that was created and written by Simon Nye. It follows the lives of Gary Strang and his flatmates, Dermot Povey and Tony Smart It was first broadcast on ITV in 1992...
co-star Neil Morrissey
Neil Morrissey
Neil Anthony Morrissey is an English actor, media personality and businessman. He is best known for his role as Tony in Men Behaving Badly....
, the duo were given equal billing, with no captain.)
Apart from Merton, there are seven other people who have appeared as a panellist after being a guest host: Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson is a British former barrister, best known for being a comedy writer as well as a radio and television presenter in the United Kingdom...
, 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...
, 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....
, Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
(who subsequently appeared as a guest host again), Charles Kennedy MP
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
, Richard Madeley
Richard Madeley
Richard Madeley is a British television presenter and columnist. With his wife Judy Finnigan, Madeley has presented This Morning and later the weekday chat show Richard & Judy...
and Liza Tarbuck
Liza Tarbuck
Liza Tarbuck is an English actress and television and radio presenter, and daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck.She trained at the National Youth Theatre and RADA graduating in 1986 alongside Clive Owen, Rebecca Pidgeon and Serena Harragin.-Acting:...
. The only guests who have also worked on the production off camera are Kevin Day
Kevin Day
Kevin Day is a British stand up comedian, comedy writer and sports presenter, born in London.He came to prominence in the British alternative comedy stand up scene of the late eighties and early nineties, playing clubs like The Comedy Store...
and John O'Farrell
John O'Farrell
John O'Farrell is a British author, broadcaster and comedy scriptwriter.-Early life:O’Farrell grew up in Maidenhead, Berkshire the youngest of three children, attending Courthouse Primary School and then Desborough Comprehensive...
, who have both had stints on the writing team.
Guest appearance records
Alexander ArmstrongAlexander Armstrong (comedian)
Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong is a British comedian, actor and television presenter.-Early life and career:Armstrong was born in Rothbury, Northumberland, the youngest of three children, to Henry Angus Armstrong and his wife Emma Virginia Peronnet Thompson-McCausland, daughter of Lucius...
holds the record for both most appearances as guest presenter, as well as most guest appearances in total, having appeared 19 times in the central chair. He has never appeared in any other role. Ross Noble
Ross Noble
Ross Markham Noble is an English stand-up comedian, brought up in Cramlington, Northumberland, England.Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on celebrity quiz shows such as Have I Got News for You...
holds the record for most appearances as a panellist - 12, in addition to his one episode as a guest captain (the edition hosted by Merton). Andy Hamilton
Andy Hamilton
Andrew Neil Hamilton is a British comedian, game show panellist, television director, comedy screenwriter and radio dramatist.-Early life:...
is the record holder for most appearances without ever being host or captain, with 11. 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...
, Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer is an Australian writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
and Kirsty Young
Kirsty Young
Kirsty Jackson Young is a Scottish television presenter and radio presenter. She is the main presenter of Crimewatch and Desert Island Discs. She is married to millionaire club owner Nick Jones.- Career :...
all jointly hold the record for most appearances by a woman, with nine each.
Guest appearance tallies
Many guests have appeared on the programme multiple times. The list below does not include the two video-exclusive releases, Have I Got Unbroadcastable News for You and The Official Pirate Video, nor the various Comic ReliefComic 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...
specials. (List complete up to 25 November 2011.)
19 appearances
13 appearances
11 appearances
10 appearances
9 appearances
|
8 appearances
7 appearances
6 appearances
|
5 appearances
|
4 appearances
|
Format
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on 28 September 1990 and transferred to BBC One
BBC 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...
in October 2000. "Myself and Ian, we did a disastrous pilot for it," Paul Merton explained nine years later. "It was a beautiful summer's
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
afternoon in 1990. Far too nice to be in a television studio, but I think the BBC had already bought it, so that's how it became a series."
Two series are made every year. At first, the number of episodes per series was inconsistent. However, a pattern soon formed whereby the spring series between April to June comprises eight episodes and the autumn series between October to December contains nine, with a one-week break in the middle to allow the broadcasting of Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
.
The 39th series, broadcast in early 2010, moved the show to a Thursday night slot after 19 years on Friday nights (with the exception of the Election special, which aired on a Friday night). The 40th series remained in this new time slot, despite one episode of the 40th series been broadcast the day after due to the Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
; both series featured an extra episode, with the spring series now featuring 9 episodes and the autumn series 10 episodes.
Over an hour's worth of material is recorded for each 30-minute programme for broadcast the following day, allowing the programme to remain topical while the BBC's lawyers have time to request cuts of potentially defamatory material. "No reviewer could possibly review it in that time. We started off with an audience of two million, and somebody might have mentioned it to their friend, and then it sort of built up a momentum of its own."
In recent years, the late-night weekend repeat has occasionally contained extra material from the week's recording. This became a permanent feature from the spring 2007 series, with the repeat having a running time of 40 minutes, and being titled (in the TV listings) Have I Got a Bit More News for You.
The programme is recorded at the London Studios
The London Studios
The London Studios is a television studio complex which is owned by London Weekend Television and has been home to the London Weekend ITV provider since 1972...
, former home of London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
, although the 2001 Election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
special episode was recorded 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...
on the Friday morning after the election. The quiz aspect and scores are largely ignored in favour of the panellists' witty exchanges and jokes, and the format seems to change frequently.
"There's been a lot of confusion, with people saying, 'Well, they see the questions beforehand,' which we do," revealed Merton in 1999. "But some people say we see the answers, which we don't, because that would rob it of being a quiz."
"There is a certain amount of show business that goes on in putting on a show," continued Merton. "We found very early on that it's worth seeing the questions beforehand so that you can work out your depth of ignorance. If you really don't know, you think, 'Well, I've really got to try and say something here.' It's much better to be doing that for ten or fifteen minutes before the show than be doing it when the cameras are rolling, in front of an audience, going, 'Well, who's he?'"
Norman Tebbit
Norman Tebbit
Norman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit, CH, PC , is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet from 1981 to 1987 as Secretary of State for Employment...
wrote an article in The Mail on Sunday
Daily Mail
The 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...
criticising the whole programme: 'Well, of course Have I Got News for You is all edited. These people, they couldn't improvise live. You put them on a stage, they wouldn't be able to improvise.' Merton said of this: "Well, when Norman Tebbit said I couldn't improvise, I was... [blows out cheeks and then goes silent]."
Opening
After the title sequence (by Triffic FilmsTriffic Films
Triffic Films was a British animation company, based in Stony Stratford, a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England.Productions of note include I Am Not an Animal, 2D TV and various title sequences including Two Fat Ladies, The Catherine Tate Show and Have I Got News for You.In...
), proceedings usually begin with a one-liner. In the time of Angus Deayton, these took the form of such quips as:
- "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News for You, the show that's done for Friday and Saturday nights what ten pints of lagerLagerLager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
does for Sunday mornings." - "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News for You, the show that does for comedy....."
After Deayton's drugs scandal, the first show opened with him saying:
- "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News for You, where this week's loser is presenting it."
There would occasionally be variations on this opening one-liner; the first episode broadcast on BBC One
BBC 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...
featured a row of dancers dancing the can-can
Can-can
The can-can is a high-energy and physically demanding music hall dance, traditionally performed by a chorus line of female dancers who wear costumes with long skirts, petticoats, and black stockings...
across the screen after Deayton promised 'the move to mainstream television will in no way affect the show's content', whilst another episode began with Deayton saying "Goodnight" and the end credits rolling, then interrupting with 'that was just to annoy everyone who had set their video to record this'.
With guest presenters, these were initially comments referring to the hosts themselves, such as:
- "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News for You. My name is Boris JohnsonBoris JohnsonAlexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
and when I first appeared as a guest on this show, I complained that the whole thing was scripted and fully rehearsed. I'd now like to complain, in the strongest possible terms, that it isn't."
- "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News for You. My name is Dara Ó BriainDara Ó BriainDara Ó Briain is an Irish stand-up comedian and television presenter, noted for hosting topical panel shows such as The Panel and Mock the Week....
. Yes, it's only a week after the General ElectionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
and already an immigrant is doing this job... You really should have listened to Michael HowardMichael HowardMichael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
."
- "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News for You. My name is Alexander ArmstrongAlexander Armstrong (comedian)Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong is a British comedian, actor and television presenter.-Early life and career:Armstrong was born in Rothbury, Northumberland, the youngest of three children, to Henry Angus Armstrong and his wife Emma Virginia Peronnet Thompson-McCausland, daughter of Lucius...
, and if I seem familiar to you, it's because I'm a regular on ITVITV1ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
. Footballers' WivesFootballers' WivesFootballers' Wives is a British television drama surrounding the fictional Premier League Association football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives. It was broadcast on the ITV network from 8 January 2002 to 14 April 2006...
, 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...
, EmmerdaleEmmerdaleEmmerdale, 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...
. You name it, I've done some adverts in the middle of it."
These have been more recently phased out, and now the host typically introduces themselves simply by name, before moving on.
In one episode, guest host and British Indian
British Indian
The term British Indian refers to citizens of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots lie in India. This includes people born in the UK who are of Indian descent, and Indian-born people who have migrated to the UK...
comic Sanjeev Bhaskar
Sanjeev Bhaskar
Sanjeev Bhaskar, OBE is a British Indian comedian, actor and broadcaster, best known for his work in the BBC Two comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and as host of The Kumars at No. 42...
opened the show in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
.
In another, guest host actor Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".-Early life:The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England...
opened the show by shouting "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News for You. (shouts) I'M BRIAN BLESSED!", parodying many of his own typecast roles.
Following this, "In the news this week...": three video clips are displayed, (occasionally four in the extended Have I Got A Bit More News For You) each supplied with a scripted comment from the host who then proceeds to introduce that week's guests, with a jocular remark for each.
Main section
The main section of the show comprises several rounds, although, as noted above, this is liable to change. Since the show originally aired, several rounds have been dropped from the original format, but a typical show will usually consist of the following:- Round 1, the "Film Round", essentially takes on the major news stories of the week. Silent video clips, usually from news reports, are played to the teams, who then identify them and add their own views, including jokes and rants on vaguely relevant subjects.
- Sometimes, the clips used have been specially chosen from particular sources, such as in the 2008 Christmas special, which used clips from Christmas specials of various other TV programmes to provide the clues. The 1993 'Thatcher special' presented a slight variation called Who Dares Loses?, where the teams had to identify who in the clip 'lost'.
- On rare occasions, sound is added to the clip, such as a "ker-ching" in the montage that depicted the 2009 MPs' expenses scandalUnited Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandalThe United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal triggered by the leak and subsequent publication by the Telegraph Group in 2009 of expense claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over several years...
or the Blue PeterBlue PeterBlue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
theme tune in the week that presenter Richard Bacon had been caught taking drugs. - The only occasion that the video clip element of this round has been deviated from was during series 37, when one of the clips was audio only with no pictures. The question was about the HumThe HumThe Hum is a generic name for a series of phenomena involving a persistent and invasive low-frequency humming noise not audible to all people. Hums have been reported in various geographical locations. In some cases a source has been located. A Hum on the Big Island of Hawaii, typically related...
, which none of the panel claimed to hear anyway.
- Round 2 was originally the "Tabloid Headlines Round", in which the panellists identified and commented on the more flippant stories of the week from sufficiently pun-filled tabloidTabloid journalismTabloid journalism tends to emphasize topics such as sensational crime stories, astrology, gossip columns about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and junk food news...
headlines.- More recently, this has been filtered out and replaced with a game where a picture is slowly revealed, with the object being for one team to buzz in before the other and guess how the resulting person or object is relevant to the week's news. Originally this took the form of the "Picture-Spin Quiz", where the picture was simultaneously spun around and zoomed out from. Subsequent variants have included the "Jigsaw of News" - with the picture revealed in jigsaw piece-shaped segments - or feature props, such as the "Wheel of News", the "One-Armed Bandit of News" and the "Strengthometer of News". A few versions have been more specific to that week's guest host; e.g. Dominic WestDominic WestDominic Gerard Fe West is an English actor best known for his role as Detective Jimmy McNulty in the HBO drama series The Wire.-Film and TV:...
, star of American cop drama The WireThe WIREthe WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
, had the "Squad Car of News". - Occasionally the round is themed around one topic. In these instances, it usually becomes a more straightforward Q&A 'fingers-on-buzzerBuzzerA buzzer or beeper is an audio signaling device, which may be mechanical, electromechanical, or piezoelectric. Typical uses of buzzers and beepers include alarm devices, timers and confirmation of user input such as a mouse click or keystroke....
s' round. - Another slight variation is a spoof of an existing quiz/gameshow, often done when pertinent to the current guests. For example; a mock MastermindMastermind (TV series)Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
game when Magnús MagnússonMagnus MagnussonMagnus Magnusson KBE was a television presenter, journalist, translator and writer. He was born in Iceland but lived in Scotland for almost all of his life, although he never took British citizenship...
appeared or the infamous "Play Your Iraqi Cards Right" from Bruce ForsythBruce ForsythSir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
's first time as host, which took the format of the presenter's former game showPlay Your Cards RightPlay Your Cards Right is a British television game show based on the American show known as Card Sharks. The gameplay was basically the same as in the American version.-Broadcast History:...
, as well as referencing a special deck of cardsMost-wanted Iraqi playing cardsIn the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition, the U.S. military developed a set of playing cards to help troops identify the most-wanted members of President Saddam Hussein's government, mostly high-ranking Baath Party members or members of the Revolutionary Command Council...
produced by the Americans for the 2003 invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of IraqThe 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
- More recently, this has been filtered out and replaced with a game where a picture is slowly revealed, with the object being for one team to buzz in before the other and guess how the resulting person or object is relevant to the week's news. Originally this took the form of the "Picture-Spin Quiz", where the picture was simultaneously spun around and zoomed out from. Subsequent variants have included the "Jigsaw of News" - with the picture revealed in jigsaw piece-shaped segments - or feature props, such as the "Wheel of News", the "One-Armed Bandit of News" and the "Strengthometer of News". A few versions have been more specific to that week's guest host; e.g. Dominic West
- Round 3 is the "Odd One Out Round", where four personalities, characters and/or objects are presented to a team, whereupon they must identify the interloper, and the topical, amusing or ridiculously obscure link between the other three. In one episode, Merton's "Odd One Out" selection consisted of 16 images and in another, the round comprised four photos of Michael HowardMichael HowardMichael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
. On another occasion the four choices were Hislop, Merton and both guests, Germaine GreerGermaine GreerGermaine Greer is an Australian writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
and Charles KennedyCharles KennedyCharles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
. The four pictures used were the live remote feeds from the studio cameras. (This technique was also used in an episode hosted by Ronnie CorbettRonnie CorbettRonald Balfour "Ronnie" Corbett, OBE is a Scottish actor and comedian of Scottish and English parentage who had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the British television comedy series The Two Ronnies...
, when the comedian featured as one of the choices.) One week, after it had been revealed that a group of celebrities had taken out press injunctionsGag orderA gag order is an order, sometimes a legal order by a court or government, other times a private order by an employer or other institution, restricting information or comment from being made public.Gag orders are often used against participants involved in a lawsuit or criminal trial...
, the round consisted of four blanked out images, with the host explaining that they were unable to reveal who exactly was the odd one out, or the reason.- A short-lived variant was the "Connections" round, where a group of three people were shown, the teams working out what linked them.
- When Bruce Forsyth was host, this round was replaced by "Conveyer Belt Connections", a reference to the final round of The Generation GameThe Generation GameThe Generation Game was a British gameshow produced by the BBC in which four teams of two competed to win prizes...
. One of the belts consisted of people and objects whose resulting connection was that they had all been the Odd One Out in previous editions of the show. This included the disparate grouping together of raw sewageSewageSewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
, The Hay WainThe Hay WainThe Hay Wain is a painting by John Constable, finished in 1821. The painting depicts a rural scene on the River Stour in Suffolk. It hangs in the National Gallery London, and is regarded as one of the greatest British paintings.-Description:...
, Tinky Winky and Osama bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
.
- Round 4 is the "Missing Words Round", where newspaper headlines are displayed, with choice words blanked out. The panellists then suggest what these could be. Since 1994, a regular feature of this round is that some of the banners are taken from that week's choice of obscure "guest publication". Over the years, these have included Goat World, Arthritis News, International Car Park Design and Diarrhoea Digest. Examples of Missing Words are "I'll take Edward up the _____", "Church may be forced to sell _____" and "PM sucked into _____".
- Often, just after the final scores are read out, there is a Caption Competition, where potentially amusing pictures are shown, to which the panellists are invited to provide an apt headline. No points are awarded for this section.
Rounding off
Deayton typically rounded up the scores with amusing summaries, such as "This week's dogDog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
's dinners are [...], while this week's dog's bollocks
Bollocks
"Bollocks" is a word of Anglo-Saxon origin, meaning "testicles". The word is often used figuratively in British English and Hiberno-English, as a noun to mean "nonsense", an expletive following a minor accident or misfortune, or an adjective to mean "poor quality" or "useless"...
are..." He also awarded 'prizes': for example "So, for our winners: the chance to go to Michael Portillo
Michael Portillo
Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party politician and Cabinet Minister...
's constituency and see the count. For our losers: the chance to retype that sentence without the spelling mistake." The host then thanks the guests and ends with "I leave you with news that...", providing scripted, satirical captions to a further few pictures.
Notable moments
- When Roy HattersleyRoy HattersleyRoy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
failed to appear for the 4 June 1993 episode — it was the third time he had cancelled at the last minute — he was replaced with a tub of lardLardLard is pig fat in both its rendered and unrendered forms. Lard was commonly used in many cuisines as a cooking fat or shortening, or as a spread similar to butter. Its use in contemporary cuisine has diminished because of health concerns posed by its saturated-fat content and its often negative...
(credited as "The Rt. Hon. Tub of Lard MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
"), as it was "imbued with much the same qualities and liable to give a similar performance". The Tub of Lard was on Merton's team, which went on to win, supposedly despite attempts by Deayton to tip the balance in Ian's favour, including replacing all of Merton's 'Missing Words' with extracts from foreign language tabloids, and a tabloid completely blanked out. - Current Mayor of LondonMayor of LondonThe Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
, Boris JohnsonBoris JohnsonAlexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
, who was a journalist and ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament at the time, made several memorable appearances on the show. These led to him being asked to be a guest presenter. He was nominated for a BAFTA Television AwardBritish Academy Television AwardsThe British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
for his performance on the show in 2003. - On the week of the first allegations about Deayton the presenter was made the butt of almost every joke. The host opened the show with: "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News for You, where this week's loser is presenting it." Merton and Hislop then produced copies of the newspaper, including one printed on Merton's shirt, with the allegation and referred to them throughout the show, to the discomfort of Deayton.
Running gags
- The longest running gagRunning gagA running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
in the programme is for one of the panellists, usually Ian, to say ‘allegedly’ after saying something potentially libellous about a public figure. - One of the oldest running gags emerged in 1992, when Merton revealed that his greatest achievement at school was a CSECertificate of Secondary EducationThe Certificate of Secondary Education was a school leaving qualification awarded between 1965 and 1987 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland....
in metalwork – at the level of ungraded, the lowest possible mark. The tongue-in-cheek class warClass conflictClass conflict is the tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing socioeconomic interests between people of different classes....
between the two captains also often sees Merton 'imitate' Hislop with a faux upper class voice, and ending every sentence with "...don't you know?". In the commentary on the original Best of DVD, Merton states that he had a conversation with Stephen FryStephen FryStephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
about what Fry called "this stupid metalwork thing", and had trouble convincing him that it was in fact true that he had never achieved anything academically higher. - John PrescottJohn PrescottJohn Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
's weight and alleged appetite is the subject of continual ridicule, particularly in the joke headlines that open and close the show.. Eric PicklesEric PicklesEric Jack Pickles is a British Conservative Party politician. Pickles was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of the coalition government headed by Prime Minister David Cameron on 12 May 2010....
and Eamonn HolmesEamonn HolmesEamonn 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:...
have also come in for similar treatment, particularly after the latter's complaint of jokes about his weight on another BBC comedy series, The Impressions Show.
Controversy and litigation
- In a 1994 episode, Deayton read out the following: "The BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
are cracking down on references to IanIan MaxwellIan Maxwell is a British businessman, and the son of the media mogul, Robert Maxwell.-Early life:Ian Maxwell was educated at Marlborough College and Oxford University. His first involvement in his father's business was at Pergamon Press from 1978 to 1983...
and Kevin MaxwellKevin MaxwellKevin Francis Herbert Maxwell is a British businessman, son of Robert Maxwell and brother of Ian Maxwell.Educated at Oxford University, Maxwell spent most of his working life before 1991 employed by his father. Following the collapse of Robert Maxwell's Mirror Group media empire he became the...
, in case programme-makers appear biased in their treatment of these two heartless, scheming bastards." However, the Maxwell brothers were about to go on trial, and on 26 July 1996, the BBC and Hat Trick Productions were fined £10,000 each in the High CourtHigh Court of JusticeThe High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
for contempt of courtContempt of courtContempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
. The risky nature of the joke was readily apparent on the night itself, with Hislop and Merton humorously claiming that Deayton might genuinely have to prepare himself for a spell in prison because of it. - In 1996, a book based on the series, Have I Got 1997 for You, noted about ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP Rupert AllasonRupert AllasonRupert William Simon Allason is a military historian and former Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was the Member of Parliament for Torbay in Devon, from 1987 to 1997...
that "...given Mr Allason's fondness for pursuing libel actions, there are also excellent legal reasons for not referring to him as a conniving little shit". Allason then pursued a libel action against BBC WorldwideBBC WorldwideBBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in 1995. In the year to 31 March 2010 it made a profit of £145m on a turnover of £1.074bn. The company had made a profit of £106m...
and Hat Trick Productions over the remark. He lost the case. - In April 2003, three-time guest panellist Stephen FryStephen FryStephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
announced that he was boycotting the show following the sacking of Angus Deayton. Fry described Deayton's disposal as "greasy, miserable, British and pathetic". - On 23 November 2007, Ann WiddecombeAnn WiddecombeAnn Noreen Widdecombe is a former British Conservative Party politician and has been a novelist since 2000. She is a Privy Councillor and was the Member of Parliament for Maidstone from 1987 to 1997 and for Maidstone and The Weald from 1997 to 2010. She was a social conservative and a member of...
appeared as a guest host for the second time, with Jimmy CarrJimmy CarrJames 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....
as Hislop's team-mate. However, due to Carr's risque material, Widdecombe vowed she would never appear on Have I Got News for You again. She said, "His idea of wit is a barrage of filth and the sort of humour most men grow out of in their teens. There's no amount of money for which I would go through those two recording hours again. At one stage I nearly walked out." - The following week, Will SelfWill SelfWilliam Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
appeared as a guest. Self, one of the most frequent guests on HIGNFY, said that he would not appear on the show again as well. He said, "I'm afraid that without the reality element, the programme has become just like any other pseudo-panel contest, where funny fellows sit behind desks cracking jokes. Moreover, in the post-Hutton InquiryHutton InquiryThe Hutton Inquiry was a 2003 judicial inquiry in the UK chaired by Lord Hutton, who was appointed by the Labour government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly, a biological warfare expert and former UN weapons inspector in Iraq.On 18 July 2003, Kelly, an employee...
era, the BBC seems to have lost its bottle so far as edgy satire is concerned: the sharpest crack I made all evening — and the one that received the most audience laughter — was cut for transmission,"
Video exclusives
Four VHS videos were released, two containing specially made editions of the programme:- Have I Got News For You, Volume 1 (1993), containing clips from the first five series plus the complete 1992 election night special. Also released on Video CDVideo CDBefore the advent of DVD and Blu-ray, the Video CD became the first format for distributing films on standard 120 mm optical discs. The format is a standard digital format for storing video on a Compact Disc...
. - Unbroadcastable Have I Got News For You (1995), featuring guests Eddie Izzard, Richard Wilson and a surprise appearance from Germaine Greer (specially produced).
- Classic Battles & Bust-Ups (1996), three full-length episodes featuring the Tub of Lard, Paula Yates and Germaine Greer, among others.
- Have I Got News For You: The Official Pirate Video (1997), featuring guests Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey (specially produced).
DVDs
The Very Best of Have I Got News For You (2002), a compilation of highlights from the first 12 years of the show, from the beginning up until the episode made after Deayton hit the tabloids. Just over three hours long, and another several hours of extras, including, among other things, running commentary of the whole presentation by Merton and Hislop. Also featured is a clip of Sir Terry WoganTerry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
on Room 101
Room 101 (TV series)
Room 101 is a BBC comedy television series based on the radio series of the same name, in which celebrities were invited to discuss their pet hates and persuade the host to consign them to a fate worse than death in Room 101, named after the torture room in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, which is...
, nominating the programme as one of his pet hates. (Wogan's appearance came during the period when Room 101 was hosted by Nick Hancock and not HIGNFYs own Paul Merton
Paul Merton
Paul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy...
.) In addition, interviews with political figures (taken from the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
Politics Awards) reveal their opinions on the series.
Have I Got News For You: The Best of the Guest Presenters (2003), which, as well as including the normal half-hour cut of Boris Johnson's first guest-hosting, also included a bonus disc, "The Full Boris", which showed a far longer cut of the same episode (lasting slightly under 60 minutes). Slightly longer versions of the shows featuring Martin Clunes
Martin Clunes
Alexander Martin Clunes is an English actor and comedian. Clunes is perhaps best known for his roles as Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly, Doctor Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin and the title character in Reggie Perrin....
, William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
and Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Forsyth
Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
as chairman were also included, as well as a compilation of clips taken from other editions from the first two series with guest hosts (with only the episode hosted by Liza Tarbuck
Liza Tarbuck
Liza Tarbuck is an English actress and television and radio presenter, and daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck.She trained at the National Youth Theatre and RADA graduating in 1986 alongside Clive Owen, Rebecca Pidgeon and Serena Harragin.-Acting:...
not represented). There are also several small extra features, including a discussion between Paul Merton and Boris Johnson regarding Johnson's appearance as presenter, filmed during his appearance as the celebrity guest on the Merton-hosted Room 101
Room 101 (TV series)
Room 101 is a BBC comedy television series based on the radio series of the same name, in which celebrities were invited to discuss their pet hates and persuade the host to consign them to a fate worse than death in Room 101, named after the torture room in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, which is...
.
Have I Got News For You: The Best of the Guest Presenters Vol. 2 (2005), which is nearer in content to the first "Best of" DVD compilation than its direct predecessor. It contains four 45-minute compilations of the Autumn 2003, Spring 2004, Autumn 2004 and Spring 2005 series, rather than complete episodes; although it does again contain a bonus disc with an uncut version of Boris Johnson's second stint as presenter. This episode lasts about 80 minutes. "The A to Z of HIGNFY" is also included on the second disc. Each letter is used to stand for a different term or name often associated with the show, each highlighted by various example clips - except for the "problem letters" of X, Y and Z, which just lead into a selection of random outtakes. This feature also includes some behind-the-scenes content, with 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...
guiding the viewer around the studio and backstage, on a recording night.
Internet spin-offs
During the late 1990s, the website haveigotnewsforyou.com, run in association with Freeserve, featured interactive versions of the show's games, including the missing words round and the caption competition, with prizes up for grabs.Have I Got News for You started broadcasting a video podcast
Video podcast
Video podcast is a term used for the online delivery of video on demand video clip content via Atom or RSS enclosures...
, The Inevitable Internet Spin-off, on 13 April 2007. It was initially planned to run for six series, from series 33 to 38, taking it to the end of 2009. Referred to as "webisode
Webisode
A webisode is a short episode which airs initially as Internet television, either download or stream as opposed to first airing on broadcast or cable television. The format can be used as a preview, a promotion, as part of a collection of shorts, or a commercial.A webisode can be an episode...
s", episodes are available via both the BBC iPlayer and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
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From the beginning of Series 37, a new internet feature, Have I Got News for You, News... for You, was introduced. A short programme featuring typical opening and closing sequences (without the presence of a live audience) as well as other short sketches, it has so far been presented by Alexander Armstrong
Alexander Armstrong (comedian)
Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong is a British comedian, actor and television presenter.-Early life and career:Armstrong was born in Rothbury, Northumberland, the youngest of three children, to Henry Angus Armstrong and his wife Emma Virginia Peronnet Thompson-McCausland, daughter of Lucius...
, and run fortnightly, bridging the gap between series 37 and 38.
Other shows based on the Have I Got News for You format
Similar shows based on the Have I Got News for You format exist in other countries:- American weekly radio show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
was started in 1998 on public radio network NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
. Based in Chicago, the show follows a similar format with three panellists competing to win but no teams. They play some of the same games including fill in the missing headline, however many games are off limits due to their visual nature. Frequently the same stories are covered on both Wait Wait and Have I Got News for You. Differences include, listeners calling in to win mini games and a celebrity interview and quiz in the middle of the show. Wait Wait is related closer to The News QuizThe News QuizThe News Quiz is a topical panel game broadcast on British radio BBC Radio 4.-History:It was first broadcast in 1977 with Barry Norman as chairman. Subsequently it was chaired by Simon Hoggart, Barry Took , and then again by Simon Hoggart until March 2006. Hoggart was replaced by Sandi Toksvig in...
which is also the inspiration for Have I Got News for You. - Dutch comedian Raoul HeertjeRaoul HeertjeRaoul Louis Heertje is a Dutch comedian. Being Jewish himself, his comedy performances also includes Jewish humour....
appeared on the original Have I Got News for You in May 1995. A year later he became team captain in the newly launched Dutch version of the show: Dit was het nieuwsDit was het nieuwsDit was het nieuws is a Dutch television program of RTL4, wherein two teams give a satirical account of the previous week's news. The program has the form of a game show in which two teams, each with a team leader and weekly guest, compete against each other...
("This was the news"). The show gradually developed into a very successful programme. In 2009, it was revealed that the show would stop later that year, because its broadcasting organisation, the TROSTROSTROS is a Dutch television and radio organization part of the Netherlands Public Broadcasting...
, was going to lose airtime. On 19 December 2009, the last episode was broadcast. Nevertheless, on 5 June 2010, commercial television station RTL 4RTL 4RTL 4 is a commercial television station in the Netherlands. It is the most-watched commercial station in the country, popular especially with those aged between 20 and 49. The station has three sister tv channels: RTL 5, RTL 7 and RTL 8...
broadcast a Dit was het nieuws special about the then coming Dutch general electionDutch general election, 2010The 2010 Dutch general election was held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010. After the fall of the cabinet Balkenende IV on 20 February, Queen Beatrix accepted the resignation of the Labour Party ministers on 23 February...
. As a result of its success, RTL started making new episodes as of May, 2011. - In Finland a show called UutisvuotoUutisvuotoUutisvuoto is the Finnish version of the popular British television quiz show Have I Got News For You. Broadcast on Saturday nights on YLE TV1 since 1998, the show receives very high viewing figures.Uutisvuoto mainly follows the same format as Have I Got News For You...
(literally "newsleak"; the pun works as well in both languages) has been aired since 1998. - In Australia, the Doug Anthony All StarsDoug Anthony All StarsThe Doug Anthony All Stars were an Australian musical comedy group who performed together between 1984 and 1994. The band was an acoustic trio comprising Paul McDermott and Tim Ferguson on main vocals and Richard Fidler on guitar and backing vocals...
lead singer and comedian Paul McDermottPaul McDermott (comedian)Paul McDermott is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, director, singer, artist and television host. He currently hosts the satirical news-based 'Good News World' a follow up to quiz show Good News Week which airs in Australia on Network Ten...
hosts Good News WeekGood News WeekGood News Week is an Australian satirical panel game show hosted by Paul McDermott that initially aired from 19 April 1996 to 27 May 2000, and resumed on 11 February 2008 to 9 May 2011. The show aired first on ABC TV before it was bought by Network Ten in 1999...
(GNW), first on ABC TVAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
from 1996 to 2000 and later on Network TenNetwork TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
from 2008 to the present. GNW varies from Have I Got News for You in that there are three team members per team, instead of two. The series is also notable for the number of UK-based comedians that are panellists on the show, including Ed ByrneEd ByrneEd Byrne is a Perrier Award-nominated, Irish stand-up comedian, voice over artist and actor. He has presented television shows Uncut! Best Unseen Ads and Just for Laughs, and is a regular guest on various television panel games...
. The Ten version also had a weekend broadcast, Good News Weekend, taking its format from Never Mind the BuzzcocksNever Mind the BuzzcocksNever 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...
. In 2001, the company also developed a similar programme to Good News Weekend called The Glass HouseThe Glass House (TV series)The Glass House was a half-hour Australian comedy talk show which screened on the ABC from 2001 to 2006.It was hosted by stand-up comedian Wil Anderson, and co-hosted by fellow television and radio comedians Corinne Grant and Dave Hughes...
on ABC TV. - Sveriges TelevisionSveriges TelevisionSveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
of Sweden aired their version of the show called Snacka om nyheterSnacka om nyheterSnacka om nyheter was the Swedish version of the BBC series Have I Got News for You, broadcast by Sveriges Television. It was first broadcast on March 5, 1995 on TV2 and hosted by Stellan Sundahl. On February 22, 1999, Stellan Sundahl died, days after taping an episode that was shown the day before...
between 1995 and 2003 (which reappeared for a new series in 2008, this time on Kanal 9). - A localised version of the programme briefly aired in Denmark, and a new version started airing in 2009 TV2 called Nyhedsministeriet (Translation: "The News Ministry").
- In NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, NRK broadcasts the show Nytt På NyttNytt på nyttNytt på nytt is a Norwegian version of the British comedy programme Have I Got News for You, by the production company Hat Trick Productions. The programme is aired weekly on Friday nights. The show is a competition between two panels, where one panelist is permanent, and the other is a guest. The...
(literally: "The News Anew"). It is one of the most popular TV shows in the country with 1.3 million viewers every week (out of a total population of 4.8 million). Nytt På Nytt first aired in 1999, and is still aired on NRK. The host is Jon Almaas and the permanent panelists are Knut Nærum and Linn Skåber. - Loosely based on the theme of Have I Got News for You, ITVITVITV 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...
in the United Kingdom aired a show in 2004 called Bognor or BustBognor or BustBognor or Bust was a 2004 UK television panel game, on the subject of news and current affairs. Produced by 4DTV for ITV, the show conventionally gave contestants the opportunity to win prizes, yet was comedic in style. It combined members of the public and celebrities on the same panel.The show...
, also fronted by Angus Deayton, which discussed current affairs. - ITV made a second attempt at the Have I Got News for You format in 2007, broadcasting News Knight with Sir Trevor McDonaldNews Knight with Sir Trevor McDonaldNews Knight with Sir Trevor McDonald, more commonly referred to as simply News Knight was a British television panel show shown on ITV, at 22:00 on Sunday nights. Fronted by Sir Trevor McDonald and in a similar style to the BBC One programme Have I Got News for You, its format featured three...
in the United Kingdom. It was presented by newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald and made by Hat Trick ProductionsHat Trick ProductionsHat Trick Productions is a British independent production company that produces television programmes, mainly specialising in comedy.-History:...
, the same production company which makes Have I Got News for You. - In IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, a similar show called Mishak MakhurMishak MakhurMishak Makhur is an Israeli TV current affairs show that was broadcast on Channel 2 between 2004 and 2006. It was produced for Reshet by Ma'agalot Productions. During 2008, rumors about possible return to the screen were heard....
ran for 54 episodes. - In IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, RTÉRaidió Teilifís ÉireannRaidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
made one pilot episode of a licensed Have I Got News for You clone, with Dermot MorganDermot MorganDermot John Morgan was an Irish comedian, actor and former schoolteacher, who achieved international renown for his roles as Father Ted Crilly in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted and a strip club MC in Taffin....
as the presenter sometime in the early 1990s. It was never named or made into a full series. However, a topical news and current affairs quiz appeared entitled Don't Feed the GondolasDon't Feed The GondolasDon't Feed the Gondolas is an Irish comedy panel show, similar in format to the BBC's Have I Got News For You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks, that ran for four series on Network 2 between 1997 and 2001...
, which was comparable to a cross between Have I Got News for You and Never Mind the BuzzcocksNever Mind the BuzzcocksNever 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...
. Another attempt at an equivalent began in 2010 with That's All We've Got Time For. - Germany had a version called 7 Tage, 7 Köpfe (literally "Seven Days, Seven Heads")
- Inspired by Have I Got News for You, PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
's News, Views & ConfusedNews, Views & ConfusedNews, Views & Confused is a Pakistani political and social satire show. It is based on BBC’s popular panel show Have I Got News for You. It started to air on one of Pakistan’s leading TV channels AAJ TV from April 11, 2007. The show is hosted by TV personality and journalist Fasi Zaka and co-hosted...
went on air on one of Pakistan’s leading TV channels, AAJ TVAAJ TVAAJ TV is a 24 hour Pakistani news television channel. Aaj in English means "Today".-Channel and its Programmes:AAJ News was initially started on March 23, 2005 by the Business Recorder Group...
from 11 April 2007. The show is hosted by TV personality and journalist Fasi ZakaFasi ZakaFasi Zaka is a television host, satirist, political columnist, radio talk show host, music critic, academic and Rhodes Scholar in Pakistan. He is recognized for being one of the few media polymaths in Pakistan with a successful presence in print, television and radio, he is a public intellectual...
and co-hosted by eccentric journalist and writer, Nadeem F. ParachaNadeem F. ParachaNadeem Farooq Paracha , , is a left-liberal Pakistani journalist, cultural critic, satirist and short story writer.-Early life:...
and fashion journalist, Mohsin Sayeed. - IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
had a version called Þetta Helst (Translation: "Top Stories") in the mid-nineties, which aired on RÚVRÚVRíkisútvarpið is Iceland's national public-service broadcasting organization.Operating from studios in the country's capital, Reykjavík, as well as regional centres around the country, the service broadcasts a variety of general programming to a wide audience across the whole country via radio...
(The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service). - The EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n version called Teletaip ("TV uptake"), first aired in 2000 on ETVEesti TelevisioonEesti Televisioon is the national public television station of Estonia. It made its first broadcast on 19 July 1955.The bulk of ETV's funding comes from government grant-in-aid, around 15% of which is in turn funded by the fees paid by Estonian commercial broadcasters in return for their...
and a total of seven series have been produced. Its two main hosts have been the comedian Tarmo Leinatamm and current MEPMember of the European ParliamentA Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
Indrek TarandIndrek TarandIndrek Tarand MEP is an Estonian politician, reserve officer, civil servant, journalist and historian.Tarand has served as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Estonia and as the Secretary General of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.-Biography:Tarand is the eldest son of Andres Tarand...
. - New Zealand has a version called 7 Days7 Days (New Zealand)7 Days is a New Zealand comedy gameshow similar to the British program Have I Got News for You, hosted by Jeremy Corbett. Paul Ego and Dai Henwood usually appear on each episode, along with other comedians, who form teams and answer questions about news stories from the last week.-Show format:At...
which began in August 2009 on TV3TV3 (New Zealand)TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
and is hosted by Jeremy Corbett. - In the USA on November 20, 2009, NBC taped a pilotTelevision pilotA "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
episode for an American version of the programme, with host Sam SederSam SederSamuel Lincoln "Sam" Seder is a comedian, writer, actor, film director, television producer-director, and talk radio host...
and team captains Greg GiraldoGreg GiraldoGreg Giraldo was an American stand-up comedian, television personality, and retired lawyer. Giraldo was best known for his appearances on Comedy Central's televised roast specials, and for his work on that network's television shows Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Lewis Black's Root of All Evil, and...
and Michael Ian BlackMichael Ian BlackMichael Ian Black is an American comedian, actor, writer and director. He has starred in several TV comedy series, including The State, Ed, Viva Variety, Stella and Michael & Michael Have Issues. He is also a prominent poker player, appearing on Celebrity Poker Showdown several times...
. - A weekly panel show the Russian Channel OneChannel One (Russia)Channel One is the first television channel to broadcast in the Soviet Union. The channel was renamed Ostankino Channel 1 in 1991, after the Soviet Union broke up and the Russian SFSR became the Russian Federation. According to a recent government publication, the Russian government controls 51%...
called Projektorparishilton uses similar format. Four hosts discuss in a satirical manner current affairs read from local and international newspapers and magazines, with one (occasionally, two or more) celebrity guest joining them in the midst of the show. The first episode was aired on May 17, 2008.
External links
- Have I Got News for You at Hat Trick ProductionsHat Trick ProductionsHat Trick Productions is a British independent production company that produces television programmes, mainly specialising in comedy.-History:...
- Have I Got News for You at the British Film InstituteBritish Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
- TVWeek: American Adaptation
- Have I Got News for You Video Clips on BBC Comedy
Articles
- Hope the Lawyers Are Getting All This!" - The Have I Got News for You Story. Matthew RuddMatthew RuddMatthew James Rudd is an English Radio Personality and disc jockey.-Early career:Rudd started his working life as a journalist, working for a news agency. He began his radio career as an amateur on the local hospital radio station in Hull, Kingstown Radio...
, June 2005. Off the Telly. - "Deayton in the lion's den". Jonathan Duffy, 24 May 2002. BBC News OnlineBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
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