Me1 vs Me2 Snooker with Richard Herring

Me1 vs Me2 Snooker with Richard Herring is the world's longest running snooker podcast presented by stand-up comedian Richard Herring.^[1] First published in December 2011^[2] it peaked at number one in the iTunes charts of the same month.^[3] In each podcast Richard Herring performs against himself in a game of snooker (typically in the guise of the titular sportsmen Me1 and Me2). It is not only notable for being the only audio podcast (to date) which actually incorporates the game of snooker within it but for the subtext of a man satirising mental health issues and "fighting against a tide of mediocrity and repetition, struggling to create a brave, new and original vision."^[4] As of August 2016 seventy-nine frames have been played.

Origins

Richard Herring had found success with other podcasts such as the award winning Collings and Herrin which had made a successful transition to BBC Radio 6 Music in 2010.^[5] His move into snooker podcasting originated through tweeting a live commentary of a game of snooker he played against himself backstage at a comedy club, what started as a joke became something more serious. Herring stated "I attempt to antagonise and lose listeners by commentating on myself playing snooker against myself in my basement. Most people are baffled, confused, even angry about it. But 5,000 people around the world tune in to find out which me will win this week's frame."^[6]

Filmed & Live Performances

Filmed versions of the snooker podcast act as main features for Herring's stand-up DVDs What Is Love Anyway (2012) and Talking Cock (2013) both feature special cup performances. August 2013 saw the first ever frame of Me1 vs Me2 Snooker to be played in front of a live paying audience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.^[7][8]

Media Coverage

In July 2013 the Huffington Post described the podcast as being "representative of the diversity of podcasting."^[9]Time Out Magazine pre-emptively described the event as one of the top ten Edinburgh Fringe comedy highlights of 2013 stating that listeners "will either have to giggle away at the ridiculous concept, or become deeply irritated."^[10] In April 2014 Helen Zaltzman and Olly Mann interviewed Herring about the podcast on BBC Radio 4, which premiered clips of self-playing snooker on the radio of the first time.^[11] In the same month The Telegraph included Me1 vs Me2 Snooker in its list of top podcasts describing it as a "wonderfully oddball, regularly hilarious series - in which Herring splits into two versions of himself... other over a long drawn-out game of snooker".^[12]

Statistics

There have been forty-three frames between Me1 and Me2 of which Me1 has won 22 and Me2 has won 21. Me1 and Me3 have played two games with Me3 winning both and Me2 and Me3 have played one game which Me2 won.

Currently frame 5 has the highest margin of victory - 69 points difference between the victor Me1 and the loser Me2. Frame 36 has the smallest margin of victory with Me2 winning by (only) 2 points.

References