The Now Show

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The Now Show
[[Image:Now_Show.jpg|]]
The Now Show CD, with Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis on the cover.
Run time 30mins
Starring Steve Punt; Hugh Dennis
Station BBC Radio 4
Related shows Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections
Air dates 26 September 1998 –
No. of series 20

The Now Show is a British radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, which satirises the week's news. The show is a mixture of stand-up, sketches and songs presented by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. The show also features skits from Jon Holmes, Laura Shavin, a monologue by Robin Ince and music by Mitch Benn. Past series have featured Emma Kennedy, Marcus Brigstocke, Dave Gorman, Simon Munnery, Al Murray, Andy Zaltzman, and Dr Phil Hammond. Jon Culshaw has featured on the 2004 and 2005 Christmas editions. Guests have also stood in for absent cast members. The programme satirises both left and right-wing politics and non-political events.

The series is a successor to the early 1990s satire show The Mary Whitehouse Experience, in which Punt and Dennis were a key part, although its origins lie with the short-lived Live on Arrival from 1988. The programme first aired on 26 September 1998, and the nineteenth series began on 17 November 2006. The programme usually forms six part series, occupying Radio 4's Friday evening slot on a rotation with The News Quiz and Dead Ringers. Repeats of The Now Show can be heard on BBC 7.

[edit] Running jokes

A feature of the show is its use of running jokes. The latest, in the November-December 2006 series, is the use of the phrases "NTL Broadband" & "Fairpack". Past examples include:

  • the "Sunny D Plant" (which plays on the ignorance of the stereotypical British teenager, especially being unaware of the origins of their foodstuffs)
  • impersonations of Tim Westwood and Ant and Dec and the presenter Jon Holmes faces derogatory references to his stature (see heightism) by his co-presenters, despite the fact that the show is typified by condemnation of prejudice, discrimination and bigotry (in fairness, Holmes writes these links himself).
  • mockery of the stunts of David Blaine, where he is referred to as the "Git Wizard". When he failed his "Drowned Alive" stunt, Marcus Brigstocke rejoiced in it, claiming that "You're not magic. You're not a fish. You're not even a wizard, you are simply a moist git."
  • satirising the enthusiasm of the British public for tennis player Tim Henman - someone (usually in an upper class accent) yells "Come on Tim" at inappropriate moments, or when attempting to make fun of the upper classes.
  • John Prescott and his affair with his ex-secretary - "perv ya melons"
  • Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles and his high salary
  • in series nineteen,
    • John Prescott going to a ranch in Texas (prompting the lines 'Can I go to the ranch?' at inappropriate moments)
    • David Cameron and his "hug a hoodie" campaign, by use of the phrase "Hoody hug, big hug" in the voice of a Teletubby
  • James Blunt and the line from You're Beautiful: My life is brilliant" (either with an excerpt from the CD or Mitch Benn imitiating it in a squeaky voice)
  • repeated use of the phrase "I am the doctor!", in the style of Jon Culshaw's impression of Tom Baker, in reaction to the new series of Dr Who
  • referring back to the instance in one episode where some of Bin Laden's voice was broadcast without permission, alleging prompting a slip from the BBC expense department offering him royalties for this excerpt, eg by the phrase "Osama will want repeat fees", or Osama writing in to Feedback to offer programme ideas such as Osama I Haven't a Clue.

[edit] Broadcast and podcast

The programme is recorded in front of a studio audience. On Friday 22 July 2005, The Now Show was broadcast without one due to the attempted 21 July 2005 London Bombings. Transport problems meant that it had to be recorded in the Radio 4 studios and not the usual venue. Hugh Dennis opened the show with the words "with us are Laura Shavin, Jon Holmes, Marcus Brigstocke and Mitch Benn... and no audience".

The eighteenth series, April-May 2006, is the first Radio 4 comedy series to be made available on podcast. The podcast has some of the music cut because of restrictions due to artist royalties but the complete show may be heard on the BBC’s listen again feature. The twentieth series began on 17 November 2006 and is also available on podcast or to be downloaded directly from the BBC Radio 4 web page.

A collection of four episodes of the series from 2002 were released on CD and Audio Cassette on 29 July 2002.

[edit] External links

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