| Andy Zaltzman | |
|---|---|
Andy Zaltzman performing at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. |
|
| Born | 1974 |
| Medium | stand-up, radio, podcast |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Genres | Political comedy |
| Notable works and roles | Political Animal, The Department, The Bugle |
Andrew "Andy" Zaltzman (born 1974) is a British comedian and author who largely focuses on political material. He has worked extensively with John Oliver; their work together includes Political Animal, The Department and The Bugle.
Contents |
Andy Zaltzman is the son of sculptor Zack Zaltzman and is of Lithuanian Jewish ancestry. He attended the private Tonbridge School and has a degree in Classics from University College, Oxford. Whilst at university he was sports editor for The Oxford Student.[1]
Zaltzman has been performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe since 1999 when he was a finalist in the prestigious So You Think You're Funny? new act competition along with Josie Long, Russell Howard and David O'Doherty.[2]
His debut full length Edinburgh Fringe show Andy Zaltzman versus the Dog of Doom received a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Perrier Comedy Awards in 2001[3]
In 2004 Zaltzman began - initially with John Oliver - hosting Political Animal, a stand-up show where different acts perform political themed material; Zaltzman has hosted solo since 2006. Political Animal later transferred to BBC Radio 4.
Zaltzman also appeared in a late night show with fellow stand-ups Daniel Kitson, David O'Doherty and Alun Cochrane entitled The Honourable Men of Art, at The Stand in 2006 and 2008.
| Year | Show name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | So You Think You're Funny | New act competition. Finalist |
| 2000 | The Comedy Zone | New act showcase |
| 2001 | Andy Zaltzman versus the Dog of Doom | Nominated for Best Newcomer at the Perrier Comedy Awards |
| 2002 | Andy Zaltzman Unveils the 2002 Catapult of Truth | |
| 2003 | Edinburgh and Beyond | Showcase. With John Oliver and Rob Deering |
| 2004 | Erm... It's About The World... I Think You'd Better Sit Down | With John Oliver |
| Political Animal | With John Oliver | |
| 2005 | John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman issue a list of demands and await your response with interest | With John Oliver |
| Political Animal | With John Oliver | |
| 2006 | Andy Zaltzman Detonates 70 Minutes Of Unbridled Afternoon | |
| The Honourable Men of Art | With Daniel Kitson, Alun Cochrane and David O'Doherty | |
| Political Animal | ||
| 2007 | Andy Zaltzman, 32, Administers His Emergency Dose Of Afternoon Utopia, Steps Back And Waits To See What Happens | |
| Political Animal | ||
| 2008 | Andy Zaltzman Boldly Unbuttons The Cloak Of Civilisation, But Is Perplexed And Perturbed By What He Finds Lurking Beneath | |
| The Honourable Men of Art | with Daniel Kitson, Alun Cochrane and David O'Doherty | |
| Political Animal | ||
| 2010 | Andy Zaltzman Swears to Tell the Truth, Half the Truth, and Everything But the Truth | |
| 2011 | Andy Zaltzman: Armchair Revolutionary |
Zaltzman performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for the first time in April 2007, winning the coveted Piece of Wood Award, given to the best show as voted for by other comedians.[4]
Since October 2007 Zaltzman has co-hosted The Bugle, a weekly satirical comedy podcast for TimesOnline, with John Oliver.[5]
Zaltzman has worked with Rory Bremner on a number of projects, these include Transatlantic, a US election special for BBC Radio 4 and several series of Bremner, Bird and Fortune.[6] In June 2007, BBC2's The Culture Show commissioned Zaltzman and John Oliver to write a mock farewell speech for departing Prime Minister Tony Blair. The speech was then animated by Triffic Films, with the voice of Blair played by Bremner.[7]
In November 2008 his first book, entitled Does Anything Eat Bankers?: And 53 Other Indispensable Questions for the Credit Crunched, was published.[8]
Television
Zaltzman has made an appearance on Channel four's panel show "8 out of 10 cats".
Zaltzman is a huge fan of cricket and since November 2008 has written a regular blog for Cricinfo, named "The Confectionery Stall". The name for the blog comes from the description given by Richie Benaud, of a shot by Ian Botham off Terry Alderman. On air Richie says -
Don't bother looking for that, let alone chasing it. It's gone straight into the Confectionery Stall and out again. A beautiful hit[9] .
Zaltzman's profile there informs us that.
Zaltzman's love of cricket outshone his aptitude for the game by a humiliating margin. He once scored 6 in 75 minutes in an Under-15 match, and failed to hit a six between the ages of 9 and 23. He would have been ideally suited to Tests, had not a congenital defect left him unable to play the game to anything above genuine village standard. Aged 21, when fielding at deep midwicket, he dropped the same batsman three times in fifteen minutes, and has not been selected by England before or since.[10]
Zaltzman has appeared as a guest on various TV and radio programmes, including BBC Four's The Late Edition as well as The Now Show and The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4.
Zaltzman presents a 4 part BBC Radio 4 program entitled Andy Zaltzman's History of the third millennium, series 1 of 100. Providing a decade by decade comic analysis of a potentially chaotic era.
In the summer of 2009 Zaltzman hosted a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 5 Live entitled Yes, It's The Ashes, taking a comic look at the 2009 Ashes.[11]
He was a regular co-host of the satirical news show 7 Day Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live, along with comedians Chris Addison, Sarah Millican and one different guest each week. The series ran from January 2010 to early 2011.
Zaltzman is the older brother of Helen Zaltzman, co-host of Answer Me This!, a popular British podcast.
Zaltzman is married to Miranda, a barrister, and has two children: a daughter named Matilda, born in 2007 and a son named Horace, born 15 December 2008. Horace was delivered by Zaltzman himself at home due to his wife entering labour suddenly; he recounted this on an episode of The Bugle dated 22 December 2008[12] and during his 2010 Edinburgh show.