"Not the Nine O'Clock News" (1979) TV series 1979-1982

Directors:

Bob Spiers
Bill Wilson

Writers:

Rowan Atkinson (writer)
Stephen Fry (writer)
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

16 October 1979 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

British sketch comedy starring the likes of Rowan Atkinson and Mel Smith.

Plot Keywords:

British | Comedian | Musical Number | Song | TV News

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Rowan Atkinson	...	Various Roles (27 episodes, 1979-1982)
Pamela Stephenson	...	Various Roles (27 episodes, 1979-1982)
Mel Smith	...	Various Roles (27 episodes, 1979-1982)
Griff Rhys Jones	...	Various Roles (27 episodes, 1979-1982)

Series Directed by
Geoff Posner		(6 episodes, 1982)
Bob Spiers		(unknown episodes)
Bill Wilson		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Colin Gilbert		(16 episodes, 1980-1982)
Richard Curtis		(6 episodes, 1982)
Laurie Rowley		(5 episodes, 1982)
Colin Bostock-Smith		(3 episodes, 1982)
Mick Deasy		(3 episodes, 1982)
Kim Fuller		(3 episodes, 1982)
Guy Jenkin		(3 episodes, 1982)
Terry Kyan		(3 episodes, 1982)
Paul Smith		(3 episodes, 1982)
Christopher Burman		(2 episodes, 1982)
Ian Hopkins		(2 episodes, 1982)
Victoria Pile		(2 episodes, 1982)
Nigel Purton		(2 episodes, 1982)
Quentin Reynolds		(2 episodes, 1982)
Pete Sargeant		(2 episodes, 1982)
Douglas Adams		(unknown episodes)
Clive Anderson		(unknown episodes)
Rowan Atkinson		(unknown episodes)
Ray Binns		(unknown episodes)
Stephen Fry		(unknown episodes)
Andy Hamilton		(unknown episodes)
Sean Hardie		(unknown episodes)
John Henderson		(unknown episodes)
John Lloyd		(unknown episodes)
Andrew Marshall		(unknown episodes)
Rory McGrath		(unknown episodes)
Craig Nicholls		(unknown episodes)
Nigel Planer		(unknown episodes)
Roger Planer		(unknown episodes)
Philip Pope		(unknown episodes)
David Renwick		(unknown episodes)
Griff Rhys Jones		(unknown episodes)
Mel Smith		(unknown episodes)
Ruby Wax		(unknown episodes)
Nick Wilton		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Sean Hardie	....	producer (5 episodes, 1982)
John Lloyd	....	producer (5 episodes, 1982)

Series Original Music by
Howard Goodall		(6 episodes, 1982)
Nic Rowley		(5 episodes, 1982)
Philip Pope		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Ian Stone		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
David Hitchcock		(5 episodes, 1982)

Series Costume Design by
Linda Martin		(6 episodes, 1982)

Series Makeup Department
Kezia De Winne	....	makeup artist (1 episode, 1982)
Victoria Pocock	....	makeup artist (1 episode, 1982)

Series Production Management
Michael Leggo	....	production manager (5 episodes, 1982)

Series Art Department
Monica Boggust	....	properties buyer / production acquisiton / ... (6 episodes, 1982)
Steve Connelly	....	graphic designer / director of graphics (6 episodes, 1982)

Series Sound Department
Richard Chamberlain	....	sound / interior audio (6 episodes, 1982)
Clive Derbyshire	....	film sound / location audio (6 episodes, 1982)
Bryan Showell	....	film sound (3 episodes, 1982)

Series Visual Effects by
Dave Chapman	....	video effects (5 episodes, 1982)
Chris Lawson	....	visual effects (5 episodes, 1982)

Series Stunts
Chris Lawson	....	explosions co-ordinator (1 episode, 1982)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Ken Major	....	senior cameraman / interior photo artiste (6 episodes, 1982)
Colin Munn	....	film cameraman / cinematic images (6 episodes, 1982)
Geoff Shaw	....	lighting / in-house illuminator (4 episodes, 1982)
G.B. Shaw	....	lighting (2 episodes, 1982)

Series Editorial Department
Angela Wilson	....	vision mixer / vision switcher (6 episodes, 1982)
Hefni Zaki	....	film editor / cinematic editalisation (6 episodes, 1982)
Graham Hutchings	....	videotape editor / videotapist (3 episodes, 1982)
Chris Wadsworth	....	videotape editor / videotapist (3 episodes, 1982)
Ian Williams	....	videotape editor (3 episodes, 1982)
Peter Dunkley	....	videotape editor / videotapist (2 episodes, 1982)
Mike Taylor	....	videotape editor (2 episodes, 1982)

Series Other crew
Colin Gilbert	....	script editor / researcher / ... (21 episodes, 1980-1982)
Karen Beckitt	....	production team / gopher gang (6 episodes, 1982)
Hilary Bevan Jones	....	production team / gopher gang (6 episodes, 1982)
Tony Chapman	....	research / data collator / ... (6 episodes, 1982)
Kathy Gee	....	production team / gopher gang (6 episodes, 1982)
Rosalind Hughes	....	production team / gopher gang (6 episodes, 1982)
Harry Thompson	....	research / data collator / ... (6 episodes, 1982)
Mike Chislett	....	technical manager (5 episodes, 1982)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• DHE Castle (2001) (Finland) (VHS) (two compilations)
• Pan Vision (2005) (Finland) (DVD) (compilation)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

25 min (27 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

Australia:PG (some episodes) | UK:12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M (some episodes) | Finland:K-7 (2001)

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The pilot episode was due to replace the last episode of "Fawlty Towers" (1975) in the schedules ("Basil the Rat", which was postponed due to a BBC strike). John Cleese filmed a short skit to open the pilot, explaining why he hadn't produced a show that week. Although the pilot was then canceled, the sketch was used during the first full series of Not the Nine O'Clock News, the week after "Basil the Rat" was finally broadcast.

Quotes:

Sergeant:Savage, why do you keep arresting this man?
Constable Savage:He's a villain, sir.
Sergeant:...A villain.
Constable Savage:And a jailbird, sir.
Sergeant:I know he's a jailbird, Savage, he's down in the cells now! We're holding him on a charge of being caught in possession of curly black hair and thick lips!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "De wereld draait door: Episode #6.32" (2010)

Classic satire!!

When I went to school in Denmark the greatest joy was to recite the surreal dialog from the team behind Not the Nine o'clock News with my mates. Granted, some of the more malicious jokes must have appealed more to the younger audience than grown-ups with true knowledge of famine and war - but on the whole - it was the greatest introduction to British society and language usage next to Monty Python. Some of the gags were so classical - I've never forgotten them: The court sketch with the judge and the lawyers arguing over how to prenounce "alibi" or the smash-hit-music-video "Good video - shame about the song - oh oh" with the title repeated again and again while all effort was put into making a state of the art video worthy of MTV. I do hope that the DVD will be released in Denmark too - it's classic fun from the eighties! :0D