"The Day Today" (1994) TV series

User Rating:

9.0/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

19 January 1994 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The ground-breaking news show that won an award

Plot:

A spoof of the the British style of news broadcasting - including ridiculous stories, patronising vox pops, offensively hard-hitting research and a sports presenter clearly struggling for metaphors.

Plot Keywords:

Journalism | British | Spoof | Broadcasting | Satire

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Christopher Morris	...	Christopher Morris / ... (7 episodes, 1994-2004)
Steve Coogan	...	Alan Partridge / ... (7 episodes, 1994-2004)
Patrick Marber	...	Chapman Baxter / ... (7 episodes, 1994-2004)
Rebecca Front	...	Barbara Wintergreen / ... (7 episodes, 1994-2004)
Doon Mackichan	...	Collaterlie Sisters / ... (7 episodes, 1994-2004)
David Schneider	...	Sylvester Stewart / ... (7 episodes, 1994-2004)
Michael Alexander St John	...	Announcer (7 episodes, 1994-2004)
Tony Haase	...	Cathedral Dumping Eyewitness / ... (3 episodes, 1994)
John Thomson	...	Dentist / ... (3 episodes, 1994-2004)

Also Known As:

"On the Hour" (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Framestore CFC

Quotes:

Voiceover: The Day Today - slamming the wasps from the pure apple of truth.

Movie Connections:

Spin off Alan Partridge's Country Ramble (1995) (TV)

Bob Dylan has been hospitalised after eating a rotten wolf- movie at ten

Totally inspired, The Day Today is a superb mix of satire and surrealism which launched the television careers of about a dozen comedy personalities- Chris Morris, Steve Coogan, Doon Mackichan, Armando Ianucci, Peter Baynham, Patrick Marber, Rebecca Front, David Schneider, the list goes on. The breakneck pacing ensured a collection of brilliant news segments every episode- the riff on reality TV shows, highlights of a bizarre train siege during which commuters reverted to tribal behaviour- alongside a series of regular features such as Mackichan's clearly deranged business analyst Collaterlie Sisters, news reports on The Bureau, a sitcom set in "a high class bureau-de-change", and the inept sports reporting of Alan Partridge. My favourite sketch was a super incisive take-off of excessive MTV style reporting 'for the kids' involving an interview with "controversial rapper Fur Q" (Morris), whose lyrics actually ran "cop, bitch, cop bitch m****rf****r" and whose stage act included the immolation and gunning down of audience members. A cultural analyst (Morris again) then informed us that the situation had been blown out of proportion- "these slayings were obviously ironic". Hilarious.

It's a shame that the general press and many so-called liberals were so quick to condemn the nigh on genius of Chris Morris when he produced the infamous 'paedo' edition of BrassEye, a show which parodied the kneejerk responses it created. It's main problem was not depravity but that it wasn't as funny and cutting as it could have been.

One more thing- I really don't think saying that "Americans won't get" something is valid just because the something involves satire and sarcasm. Sure, British humour may be famed for such qualities but I think 'getting it' relies more on people being smart and the truth is that people are quite stupid everywhere. That's why Big Brother and Full House exist.

5 bomb dogs and a scared police handler out of 5