Mock the Week

Mock the Week
White 3D writing over globe reads "Mock the Week"
Genre Comedy panel game
Created by Dan Patterson
Mark Leveson
Presented by Dara Ó Briain
Starring
Opening theme "News of the World" by The Jam
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 15
No. of episodes 155 (as of 9 September 2016) (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s) Dan Patterson
Mark Leveson
Ewan Phillips
Ruth Wallace
Location(s) BBC Television Centre
(series 1–11)
The London Studios[1]
(series 12–present)
Running time 29 minutes
Production company(s) Angst Productions
Release
Original network BBC Two
Picture format 576i (16:9 SDTV) (2005–12)
1080i (HDTV)[1] (2013–present)
Audio format Stereo
Original release 5 June 2005 (2005-06-05) – present
Chronology
Related shows Mock the Week Looks Back At...
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Russell Howard's Good News
Fast and Loose
External links
Website

Mock the Week is a British "improvised", topical, satirical celebrity panel show, that was created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, the same people responsible for the comedy game show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, in which performers deliver answers on unexpected subjects on the spur of the moment—although accusations of scripting have been made by other comedians.[2][3] It is made by independent production company Angst Productions,[4] and made its debut on BBC Two on 5 June 2005, with the show's theme song being "News of the World" by The Jam.[5] The show has featured a variety of different stand-up performers, some being part of the show for several series as a permanent fixture, with host Dara Ó Briain and comedian Hugh Dennis having appeared in every episode since its debut.

Old episodes currently air on Dave, a fact that is frequently mentioned on the show.

Format

Dara Ó Briain, the host of the show since its debut

The general format of the show involves the host subjecting the panel, which consist of two teams of three performers (referred to as panellists), to a series of rounds in which they either answer questions on various news topics from the previous week of news, often with them giving improvised comedic answers, or performing comedic challenges based on a subject(s) provided to them (i.e. Healthcare). News topics range from major international news stories to regional news items from within Britain, with the show sometimes including photos and quotes related to the news articles used on the show. All episodes are approximately 30 minutes long, with each series featuring at least one compilation episode containing the best moments of a series, rounds that were not broadcast, and outtakes that occurred during filming. While most games are done around a large desk, to the left of it in the studio is the Performance Area, a large stage area with a large TV screen that is normally used for stand-up and improvisation challenges, primarily Scenes We'd Like To See. In addition, a smaller stage next to the desk is used and referred to as the Press Pit, often used in the round Between the Lines.

Although the show acts like a game and has a winning and losing team, the entire show exists mainly to provide starting points for improvised comedy routines rather than to function as a serious competition. Specific scores are never referred to, with the actual points won never stated by the host; current host Dara Ó Briain always ends the round by stating that he has given "the points" to the team he judges should receive them. In episode 11 of season 6, Dara admitted that winners of each round and point allocation was not based on anything specific, and viewers should "stop e-mailing in." Along with the scoring system, neither team has, in effect, a team captain (Hugh Dennis is sometimes referred to as such in publicity material), with such a distinction never being made on the programme itself.

Permanent panellists

As of August 2016, Hugh Dennis has appeared in every episode, with the exception of the special episode for David Walliams' 24 Hour Panel People

Throughout the show's history, until Series 15, Mock The Week has consistently had at least two permanent comedian/stand-up performers within its panel that have been regulars on the show, with at least one found in each team. While there have been a total of six performers to date who have performed regularly on the show as a permanent panellist, only Hugh Dennis, who has always been part of the "left" team of the show, has appeared regularly in every episode since its debut (except the special episode that was part of David Walliams' 24 Hour Panel People).[6] The following list the performers that have been permanent members from their debut to their departure from the show:

Guest panellists

Along with at least one or two permanent members, the panel often consists of guest performers, some of whom have had frequent appearances on the show. The following have appeared multiple times on the show as a guest panellist (up to 7 October 2016, not including the 2011 Comic Relief special):[11]

a. ^ Appearances made before becoming a regular panellist.
b. ^ Made an appearance in the Comic Relief 24 Hour Panel People special, along with Doc Brown, Daniel Sloss and David Walliams.

Rounds

As part of the general format of the show, performers take part in a mixture of quiz-styled games (often described as "rounds"), in which they answer with comedic responses or made-up, on the spot answers, perform stand-up comedy, and partake in improvisational games. Games that feature are either regularly used, occasionally used, or were retired after a while.

Regular rounds

The following games feature in all episodes of Mock the Week:

Occasional rounds

These games occasionally appear in some episodes, but not all, with those not used either featured as part of a series' compilation episode or released as part of a DVD extra(s). The reason these may not appear and be cut from an episode is either because of the language used or the highly politically incorrect answers the panel members give, at the time that the show was broadcast:

Past rounds

These rounds were originally used in the show before being dropped (most were used in Series 1 and 2), or replaced:

Controversy and criticism

On several occasions, Mock the Week has been the source of complaints, due to some risqué comments made by the panellists and the show's extreme use of profanity (in particular Frankie Boyle). In one episode recorded in 2007, during a segment called "What The Queen Didn't Say in Her Christmas Message", Boyle made the comment: "I am now so old that my pussy is haunted." This led to the BBC's director general Mark Thompson being challenged about the comments on Newsnight.[12] Boyle later quipped "That was three years ago. If it wasn't haunted then it certainly is now." [13]

Wikinews has related news: BBC's Mock The Week 'breached guidelines' with Olympian humour, say corporation's Trust

In 2008, a larger controversy arose following another comment made by Boyle regarding swimmer Rebecca Adlington. Boyle stated that "she looks like someone who's looking at themselves in the back of a spoon".[14] Since leaving the show, Boyle has criticised both the show's production team and the BBC Trust. He claims that the show did not cover enough major news stories and was too restrictive on his risqué comedy act, as the producers and the BBC Trust were afraid of "frightening the horses".[15]

The lack of female guests on the programme has been the subject of complaints in the letters page of the Radio Times. Jo Brand, while criticising the male-dominated genre of comedy panel shows, said in 2009, "I don't do Mock the Week any more and neither do some male stand-ups I know who have tried it once. We just don’t like the prospect of having to bite someone’s foot off before they let us say something."[16]

In 2013, former panelist Rory Bremner stated his reasons for leaving the show, saying: "I felt that there was a new and highly competitive and quite aggressive tendency there and felt uncomfortable. But I've since found out that very few people have felt comfortable doing Mock the Week." He also criticised the way comedians like the late Linda Smith were treated by new comedians, who "are like prize fighters".[17]

Official merchandise

A DVD, Mock the Week: Too Hot for TV was released on 26 November 2007. It contains almost three hours of material, including three extended episodes from series five, containing scenes that were considered too rude for broadcast.[18] The three extended episodes are titled, 'Putin, Henman & Konnie Huq', 'Nuts, Pies and Nim Nim Nim' and 'Money, Sex and The Lib Dems'.

Mock the Week: Too Hot for TV 2 was released on 9 November 2009. Again, the DVD contains the main 'Too Hot For TV' feature with a compilation of unseen footage, plus three extended episodes from the series archives titled, 'The Anal Lube Show', 'The Leg Show' and 'The Hedgehog Show'. The extended episodes have a total of more than 40 minutes of unseen material.[19] Audio CD versions of both DVDs are available.

Mock the Week: Too Hot for TV 3 was released on 8 November 2010. Like the previous two, this DVD features an hour-long smut reel and three extended episodes titled 'The Elves and Testicles Show', 'The Prisons and Other Dodgy Stuff Show', and 'The Johnny Blowjob and Bird Flu Show'.[20]

Boxtree has published four tie-in books. The first, Mock the Week: Scenes We'd Like to See, was published in August 2008, and the second, Mock the Week: This Year's Book, was published in September 2009. A third book in paperback, Mock the Week: 1001 Scenes We'd Like to See, collected the best of the first two books, and another all-new book, Mock the Week: Next Year's Book was published in September 2010.[21]

Transmissions

Original series

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 5 June 2005 3 July 2005 5
2 20 January 2006 24 February 2006 6
3 14 September 2006 19 October 2006 6
4 11 January 2007 8 February 2007 5
5 12 July 2007 20 September 2007 11
6 10 July 2008 18 September 2008 11
7 9 July 2009 24 September 2009 11
8 21 January 2010 18 February 2010 5
9 17 June 2010 7 October 2010 10
10 9 June 2011 13 October 2011 11
11 14 June 2012 11 October 2012 11
12 13 June 2013 3 October 2013 11
13 12 June 2014 9 October 2014 11
14 11 June 2015 8 October 2015 11
15 9 June 2016 6 October 2016 11

Specials

Date Entitle
10 July 2005 The Best of Series 1
2 March 2006 The Best of Series 2
26 October 2006 The Best of Series 3
15 February 2007 The Best of Series 4
27 September 2007 The Best of Series 5
25 September 2008 The Best of Series 6
23 December 2008 Christmas Special
20 August 2009 The Best of Series 7 (Part 1)
22 December 2009 Christmas Special/The Best of Series 7 (Part 2)
25 February 2010 The Best of Series 8
29 July 2010 The Best of Series 9 (Part 1)
14 October 2010 The Best of Series 9 (Part 2)
21 December 2010 Christmas Special
5 March 2011 24 Hour Panel People Comic Relief Special
14 July 2011 The Best of Series 10 (Part 1)
20 December 2011 Christmas Special/The Best of Series 10 (Part 2)
5 July 2012 100th Episode
19 July 2012 The Best of Series 11 (Part 1)
27 December 2012 Christmas Special/The Best of Series 11 (Part 2)
10 October 2013 The Best of Series 12
31 December 2013 Christmas Special
21 November 2014 The Best Of Series 13
23 December 2014 Christmas Special
31 December 2014 New Year Eve's Special
19 October 2015 The Best of Series 14
21 December 2015 Christmas Special

Mock the Week Looks Back At...

# Category Air date
1"Health"[22]3 March 2013 (2013-03-03)
2"Animals"[23]10 March 2013 (2013-03-10)
3"Education"[24]17 March 2013 (2013-03-17)
4"Entertainment"[25]24 March 2013 (2013-03-24)
5"Law & Order"[26]31 March 2013 (2013-03-31)
6"Science & Technology"[27]7 April 2013 (2013-04-07)
7"Travel"[28]21 April 2013 (2013-04-21)
8"Britain"[29]28 April 2013 (2013-04-28)
9"Royals"[30]12 May 2013 (2013-05-12)
10"Food & Drink"[31]19 May 2013 (2013-05-19)

References

  1. 1 2 "Mock The Week is back in full close-up HD glory". BBC. 2013-05-20. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  2. Logan, Brian (29 October 2013). "Ross Noble mocks Mock the Week" via The Guardian.
  3. Jefferies, Mark (20 August 2013). "Mock The Week gags are pre-planned admits TV comedian Alan Davies".
  4. "The Company". Mock the Week. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  5. "Mocking the week for a decade". BBC. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  6. "The Show". Mock the Week. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  7. "Mock The Week returns to BBC Two for two series deal". BBC Press Office. 2 October 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  8. "Boyle leaves Mock The Week panel". BBC Scotland. 2 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  9. "Andy Parsons quits Mock the Week". Chortle. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  10. "Chris Addison takes time off Mock The Week". Chortle. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  11. "Mock The Week — The Cast (- The Guests)". Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  12. Quinn, Ben (2008-10-31). "Complaints as comments about the Queen aired". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  13. Frankie Boyle, My Shit Life So Far, HarperCollins Publishers 2010.
  14. Singh, Anita (2009-10-20). "Mock The Week in trouble over Rebecca Adlington 'joke'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  15. "Frankie Boyle slams Mock the Week". Metro. 2009-10-27. Retrieved 2014-11-11.
  16. Brand, Jo (10 June 2009). "Jo Brands panel on participation by women in panel shows". The Guardian. London.
  17. Hall, James (1 January 2013). "Rory Bremner attacks BBC's Mock the Week". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  18. "The DVD". Mock the Week. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  19. Mock the Week: Too Hot For TV 2 - Play.com
  20. "Mock the Week - Too Hot For TV 3". 8 November 2010 via Amazon.
  21. Richardson, Anna (2007-12-21). "Boxtree ready to mock the week". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  22. "Episode 1.1 - Health". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  23. "Episode 1.2 - Animals". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  24. "Episode 1.3 - Education". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  25. "Episode 1.4 - Entertainment". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  26. "Episode 1.5 - Law & Order". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  27. "Episode 1.6 - Science & Technology". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  28. "Episode 1.7 - Travel". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  29. "Episode 1.8 - Britain". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  30. "Episode 1.9 - Royals". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  31. "Episode 1.10 - Food & Drink". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
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