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British television ludicrousness show

This article is about excellence UK TV programme. For honourableness day, see today (disambiguation).

Not go be confused with Today Go over the main points the Day or Today's grandeur Day.

The Day Today is clean British comedytelevision show that parodies television news and current connections programmes, broadcast from 19 Jan to 23 February on BBC2.^[1][2] It was created by Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris trip is an adaptation of distinction radio programme On the Hour, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 9 Grand and 28 May and was also written by Morris, Iannucci, Steven Wells, Andrew Glover, Actor Lee, Richard Herring, David Quantick, and the cast.

For The Day Today, Peter Baynham wedded conjugal the writing team, and Take pleasure in and Herring were replaced rough Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews. The principal cast of On the Hour was retained plump for The Day Today.^[3][4][5]

The Day Today is composed of six half-hour episodes and a selection fortify shorter five-minute slots recorded tempt promotional trailers for the somebody episodes.

The series won numberless awards including Morris winning righteousness British Comedy Award for Pre-eminent Newcomer. All six episodes plot available on BBC DVD, gaining previously been issued on VHS.

Format

Each episode is presented significance a mock news programme, ground the episodes rely on top-notch combination of ludicrous fictitious rumour stories, covered with a severe abhorrent, quasi-professional attitude.

Each episode revolves around one or two chief stories, which are pursued all over the programme, along with expert host of other stories habitually only briefly referred to. Take away addition, the programme dips get stuck other channels from time oppose time, presents clips of fabricated upcoming BBC programmes, and conducts street interviews with members delineate the public, in a job titled Speak Your Brains.

The programme frequently comments on vex programmes, most often a lampoon soap opera called The Bureau, set in a hour commission de change, incorporating clichéd lather opera-style plots, which apparently produces and airs 2, episodes halfway the first and third episodes of The Day Today cope with becomes a hit in Italia.

The programme also contains clips from a spoof documentary set attendants called The Pool, featuring skilful public swimming pool and take the edge off neurotic staff, Morris' character explaining that The Day Today has funded a documentary on each public building in the community. The final episode features celebrations from the fictitious documentary The Office, which follows office team as they go on put in order retreat with an efficiency preeminence.

Other non-news segments call up the programme include the odd "physical cartoons" of current affairs set in the studio. Moneyman frequently parodies entirely separate circuitry, including RokTV (spoofing MTV); bimonthly on the fictitious and psychotically violent African-Americanrapper Fur-Q; and Genutainment, a segment which reports panorama a sheepdog averting a whirlybird disaster in a parody a selection of the real-life rescue show .

The programme occasionally features grower Armando Iannucci and writer Prick Baynham, the latter playing Clever Desk reporter Colin Poppshed, centre of other characters. John Thomson, Evangelist Linehan, Tony Haase and Minnie Driver also appear. Michael Vanquisher St John provides the voiceover stings, as he did welcome On the Hour.^[6]

Much of rectitude programme's humour derives from betrayal bombastic style of reporting bear its unnecessarily elaborate graphics.^[5] High-mindedness theme tune is deliberately blood-and-thunder and self-important, and the luck sequence of each episode enquiry lengthy and complex, a caricature of the overuse of computer-generated credit sequences on news programmes (as the graphics throughout were developed and designed by ITN).^[7] One episode presents false adverts featuring depictions of The Age Today being broadcast in eccentric locations: the night sky at an end Paris, the sides of dignity Great Pyramid in Egypt, grandeur "International Hackenbacker Building" in Port, and the handles of cardinal petrol pumps across the globe; this is a parody reproach CNN International's promotions advertising greatness hotels in which the sluice could be seen.

Morris alms aggressively, often arguing with weigh on and insulting guests on-air, take at one stage provoking fine war between Australia and Hong Kong.

The programme frequently lambasts Conservative government politicians in labour at the time of illustriousness programme's production. Those repeatedly lampooned by the series include Toilet Major, Michael Heseltine (who difficult his picture swapped with clean up old Bosnian woman), Chris Geta, Douglas Hurd, Virginia Bottomley, streak Michael Portillo, in addition be familiar with US President Bill Clinton.

Effort politician Paul Boateng also appears briefly in an interview get there the fictitious musician 'Herman class Tosser'.

Each episode is ruin to an interrupted ending territory just enough time to cheerfully overview the following day's newspapers (a parody of Jeremy Paxman on BBC2's Newsnight) printed fretfulness absurd headlines such as "Lord Mayor's pirouette in fire hefty wife decapitation" or "Russia elects cobweb" and a final humorously misused video.

Each episode crumbs in a familiar style leverage news reports, with the camera panning out as the discussion group lights dim on Morris. If not of shuffling his papers remodel clichéd newsreader style, Morris takes advantage of the dimming lighting up to perform bizarre activities; no matter what many pens in his envelope pockets, placing a tourniquet clutch his arm in preparation conversation inject heroin, removing his atypical hair to reveal long somebody locks underneath, and, in glory last episode, prostrating himself earlier the newsdesk.

In addition be introduced to the character Alan Partridge limit many of the cast take writers, there are other crossovers between the fictional worlds make a rough draft On the Hour, The Leg up Today and the radio elitist television series of Knowing Gather up Knowing You with Alan Partridge.

With the exception of Apostle Marber, the entire main import of The Day Today meticulous guest roles in I'm Alan Partridge, in addition to writers Peter Baynham, Arthur Mathews stomach Graham Linehan. Marber is, quieten seen in a photograph discharge the wall of Peartree Workshop canon.

Notable coverage

The programme features surrealistic news items.

Examples include:

• Reports that explosive-packed terrorist dogs were being released in London wishy-washy the IRA. These "bomb dogs" wreak havoc, and prompt distinction British police to begin execution any dog on sight. That story is accompanied by far-out clip of Steve Coogan take-off a Gerry Adams-esque Sinn Féin leader, spouting rhetoric while inhaling helium to subtract credibility circumvent his statement.

  This was spruce up satirical comment on broadcasters' responses to the law at blue blood the gentry time, which prevented any Sinn Féin spokesperson from being heard in radio and television; their words would instead be entitled by an actor speaking spiky a neutral tone of voice.^[8]

• Coverage of a feud between Crapper Major and the Queen.

  Dignity feud culminates in physical scrap between the two in Buckingham Palace, videoed by a hidden reporter who comments on "loud swearing voices", "the sounds eliminate bodies falling against furniture", beginning the "Prime Minister leaving go-slow bleeding legs". Early coverage assert the incident worsens the spot, and prompts Morris' character damage air a propaganda reel figure up for national emergencies; film consisting of a sequence of imperceptibly humorous scenarios (stockbrokers spend "playtime" outside the London Stock Go backward jumping and skipping; a paramedical comforting an injured old wife gives her a brief spoon on the cheek; a human race with a cigarette gets grandeur offer of a light use up a group of six-year-olds), the whole of each set against a backdrop atlas patriotic British music ("Thaxted" stomach-turning Gustav Holst), in an skirmish to boost British national esprit de corps.

  The feud ultimately ends collect the Queen and her cortege marching on Downing Street meet beat up John Major, ride after the close of picture incident, the Royal Mail issues a commemorative stamp featuring decency Queen and John Major kissing.

• Coverage of an ongoing rail turningpoint, following a train trapped status the tracks in Hampshire.

  Fascinated by a jammed semaphore intercommunicate, the stranded train rapidly becomes the scene of anarchy concentrate on paganism, its passengers reverting be acquainted with an animalistic state.

• In the 5th episode, Morris provokes a battle between Australia and Hong Kong as much of the incident revolves around bombastically over-the-top step on the resulting conflict cut down a parody of the conclude and overdramatic media coverage bring into play the Gulf War.

  Subsequent act of the war delivered "Eastmanstown in the Upper Cataracts, on the Australio-Hong-Kong border", blank humorously blown out of agreement. At the end of prestige episode, a false advertisement world power a three-tape VHS set only remaining the war produced by The Day Today, featuring footage game the war and its early stages, set against a backdrop ransack inappropriate pop music, a displace of tabloid television's tendency access "dumb down" stories and verdict serious events in a lively manner.

Other stories included a slaughter of two French boys who break into the Roman Inclusive Church's computer databanks in charge to change the Catholic catechism; an urgent report that rank British pound had been stolen; reports of wild horses untimely the London Underground; and minutes that Crete had been kidnap by Libya and that Gloss had manufactured 16 identical Japans.

Main characters

• Christopher Morris (Chris Morris) – the newsreader. Morris has several computers giving him dignity news instantly from around dignity world, and often interrupts segments in order to break have as a feature with more important stories. Proceed is confrontational and aggressive, regular provoking a war between Land and Hong Kong.

  The break was described by the Land Film Institute as "a exuberant, bloodlust hybrid of Jeremy Paxman and Michael Buerk".^[9] In The Day Today, Morris reprises fulfil overzealous newsreader role from On the Hour.

• Collaterlie Sisters (alternative spelling: "Collately Sisters") (Doon Mackichan) – business correspondent.

  As satire unsaved the incomprehensible nature of split news to the layperson, Sisters talks nonsensically about the sphere of business, padding out spurn reports with meaningless jargon ("Trading remained succulent for the convene of the day.") She uses bewildering graphics, mainly when addressing the currency market, using specified aids as the "Currency Cat", the "Currency Kidney", and nobleness "International Finance Arse".

  Sisters too employs odd syntaxes, reciting outlandishly arranged sentences in a semi-robotic deadpan fashion (often smirking weightiness arbitrary points in the monologue) and frequently name-checking Chris add on the middle of her celebrations. During her reports, a information ticker scrolls across the weighing scales, displaying meaningless symbols.

  Morris glare at sometimes be heard making mordacious remarks about her. In particular episode, he asks for Sisters to be taken off jurisdiction monitor as "I don't fancy to see her face".

• Sylvester Royalty (David Schneider) – the presenter. Only Stuart's head is sui generis, usually floating on a vivid background. He describes the conditions with elliptical analogies such by the same token "That's about as warm on account of going into a heated picture room after chopping some wood" and describing gloomy weather slightly "a bit like waking ascend next to a corpse." Wreath reports have included the "Metball", a pinball-style graphic of nobility British Isles with Stuart's visage as the ball, and alternate featuring the "Weather Collar", keen large collar with the Nation Isles painted on it, rotatory his head to face distinctive areas of the country.
• Barbara Teaberry (Rebecca Front) – correspondent block The Day Today's American suckle channel CBN.

  Speaking with encyclopaedia exaggerated American accent, Wintergreen process on the multiple executions make out mass murderer Chapman Baxter (Patrick Marber) by a variety compensation bizarre methods, and on Worried couples having a prostheticpregnancy. Roughness her reports make use commuter boat convoluted puns and interviews become accustomed stereotypical stock characters in Indweller culture (including Steve Coogan makeover dimwitted Southerner Alvin Holler).

  Wintergreen's reports end with a funny and pouting at the camera. The CBN reports are nip in a different format able other reports shown in glory episodes; her segments are vigorous using different shooting and writing techniques which mimic the found of American news, while representation content of her reports satirises common British perceptions of birth American media.

  The segments went through excessive processing to emphasise the reduction in picture faint typical of standards conversion dressing-down the time. The character short vacation Barbara Wintergreen originated in On the Hour, which also featured a character identical to Huckster Baxter, played by Marber abstruse named "Daimler Jeffries".

• Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan (Patrick Marber) – economic correspondent.

  O'Hanraha-hanrahan is extremely incompetent, and potentate reports end with him taking accedence to admit their fundamental fallacy to an unforgiving Morris. Examples include a claim that devise American factory with only 25, workers had made 35, redundant; a failed effort to look a light-hearted interview with unblended shipping minister; and a article in which O'Hanraha-hanrahan claims inconspicuously have conducted an interview work stoppage an elusive economics minister scheduled the German language, his benightedness of which is then splayed.

  O'Hanraha-hanrahan resembles former BBC weatherman Richard Whitmore; his name crack inspired by that of Brian Hanrahan. The character originated exotic writing by Stewart Lee swallow Richard Herring, in the following series of On the Hour.

• Rosy May (Rebecca Front) – environmental correspondent.

  The bearded Rosy Possibly will presents the Enviromation slot. Break through stories include the sky distribution from the horizon; a unstationary cemetery; a ban on opinion hunting; and a refrigerator excited by earthworms. Her segments all through with a new-age style bon mot, such as "Tread not verdict the forest leaves, for order around tread on my face".

  Haw never interacts with other liveware of the news team. Interpretation character originated in On justness Hour, although in that keep in shape, her segment is titled Green Desk. (The CD releases blame On the Hour spell representation character's name as "Rosie May", but the Enviromation ident discern The Day Today identifies breather as "Rosy May".)

• Jaques-'Jaques' Liverot (Patrick Marber) – resident French reviewer.

  Depicted as a stereotypical postmodernistphilosopher, eternally smoking alone in grand dark and gloomy corner pay no attention to the studio, Liverot comments strive the news throughout the course of action, using a series of pseudo-existentialist bons mots. He asks stylistic questions, such as "If miracle could see politics, what would it look like?" and accomplishs philosophical statements, such as "An old man stands naked reap front of a mirror, feeding soup.

  He is a fool."

• Valerie Sinatra (Rebecca Front) – expeditions correspondent. Sinatra works in The Day Today travel pod, on the brink at the top of smashing tower a mile above character centre of Great Britain. Righteousness traffic reports cover accidents much as a piece of fallen woman blocking the road and reporting of an ongoing crash zigzag has been in progress southerly of Newcastle upon Tyne liberation several weeks; police marksmen give somebody the job of shoot speeding drivers in significance chin; as well as accepted traffic reports including a get on that workers have finished trade the M25 and that cars are being slowed down by means of their own lights.

  Morris flirts with her at the begin and end of her reports.

• Brant (David Schneider) – the profane cartoonist from The Daily Telegraph. Brant satirises the news squander cartoon backgrounds and then charade as the main character burden the cartoon itself. His cartoons rely on elaborate physical metaphors which have to be entitled to render them comprehensible; upshot example is his cartoon longed-for Britain's handover of Hong Kong, where Chris Patten, "making unblended monkey of himself", is soi-disant as King (Hong) Kong ascent the British Empire State House, swatting at aeroplanes representing Wife buddy and the handover year authentication Each cartoon ends with dominion signature.

  The visual style even-handed reminiscent of Nicholas Garland, capital real Daily Telegraphpolitical cartoonist, sit the cumbersome labelling of civil cartoons generally.

• Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) – sports correspondent. Partridge decline an old-school lower-middle-class Conservative who has little knowledge of depiction sports he is covering, skull frequently makes critical errors on-air which reveal this.

  However, another the similarly incompetent Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan, he is adept enough take up improvisation to often mask her highness ignorance of the subject amalgamation hand. Morris makes a pull out of making Partridge appear uneasy on-air: in one episode, government sports reports are interrupted connect times by Morris; in on the subject of, Morris openly humiliates Partridge on-air; and in the final event, Morris atypically compliments Partridge culpability his report, and goes and over far as to kiss him on the mouth.

  The natural feeling had previously appeared, portrayed disrespect Coogan, in the Radio 4 shows On the Hour pole Knowing Me Knowing You line Alan Partridge and would be in motion on to star in class TV series Knowing Me, Secret You with Alan Partridge, I'm Alan Partridge and the dim Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.

• Ted Sledgehammer (Chris Morris) – the in agreement reporter who later appears lecture in Brass Eye made his extreme appearance in The Day Today as a grey-haired, moustachioed with a very enthusiastically warlike style of reporting.

  His course of action include one on cannibalism strike home the police force, and uncut long-running report covering commuters attentive on a train, who wag to paganism and violence midst their wait on the line.

One-off correspondents in the series hold absurd names, and include Hellwyn Ballard (Armando Iannucci), Iggy Shoot out Barker (Marber), Romella Belx (Front), Dônnnald Bethl'hem (Marber), Eugene Fraxby (Morris), Suzanna Gekkaloys (Mackichan), Pheeona Haahlahm (Mackichan), Collin Haye (Morris), Remedy Malahide (Front), Spartacus Grind (Coogan), Colin Poppshed (Peter Baynham), Beverley Smax (Mackichan) and Suki Bapswent (Morris in drag, primate part of the RokTV parody which also features Harfynn Teuport, with Morris putting on unblended generic Dutch accent).

David Schneider also plays The Day Today's News Dancer, who performs authentic energetic interpretive dance routine bring in an accompaniment to some material stories.

Cast and crew

Cast

• Chris Moneyman as Christopher Morris, Ted Deface, other roles
• Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge, Alvin Holler, Mr.

  Hennity of The Bureau, Spartacus Grind, other roles

• Rebecca Front as Barbara Wintergreen, Rosy May, Valerie Player, Ange of The Bureau, fear roles
• Doon Mackichan as Collaterlie Sisters, Maria of The Bureau, assail roles
• Patrick Marber as Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan, Jaques-'Jaques' Liverot, Chapman Baxter, Lad of The Bureau, other roles
• David Schneider as Sylvester Stewart, Brent, Alex of The Bureau, added roles
• Michael Alexander St John – voiceover

The Day Today also hick appearances by show co-creator Armando Iannucci, also by Peter Baynham, Jean Ainslie, John Thomson, Gospeller Linehan, Alan Stocks and Minnie Driver.

Crew

Episodes

Reception

The Day Today was described as "achingly funny" toddler the Daily Mirror and "the freshest and funniest comedy in that Monty Python" by The Independent.^[10]NME's review was mixed, calling noisy "not exactly hilarious".^[11]

DVD bonus material

The DVD features extensive bonus substance including short mini-episodes featuring nifty material which were broadcast dignity night before the original development of each episode, the nifty pilot episode, and an Biological University programme about news image which includes an analysis identical how and why parodies much as The Day Today weigh up.

The DVD also includes very many "easter eggs" including: a new circumstance of a State of blue blood the gentry Union Address by George Weak. Bush, edited to make Pooled States policy seem insanely belligerent; a new audio discussion 'tween Morris and Alan Partridge discussing bizarre theories of how Diana, Princess of Wales, and Toilet F.

Kennedy died; a spanking discussion between Morris and Depart about the environment; a propitiation of Morris, Partridge, Brant, Pecker O'Hanraha-hanrahan, Collaterlie Sisters and Valerie Sinatra; and another audio parody featuring Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan pretending find time for file a report from say publicly World Trade Center covering brighten up the fact that he challenging overslept, while blithely unaware in or with regard to the attacks on 11 Sept have just taken place.

Compelling the Angle button during picture third episode unveils brief, not level visual descriptions of the folio by Andy Hodgson and Jennifer Reinfrank, whilst a half-hour cross-examine with Steve Coogan, conducted encourage Mark Radcliffe on 17 Jan edition of his radio exhibition, can be accessed through honesty extended scenes menu.

References

External links