The Day Today
The Day Today is a surreal British parody of television current affairs programmes, broadcast in 1994, and created by the comedians Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris. It is an adaptation of the radio programme On the Hour, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1991 and 1992. On the Hour was written by Morris, Iannucci, Steven Wells, Andrew Glover, Stewart Lee, Richard Herring, David Quantick, and the cast. For The Day Today, Peter Baynham joined the writing team, and Lee and Herring were replaced by Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews. The principal cast of On the Hour was retained for The Day Today. The Day Today is composed of six half-hour episodes and a selection of shorter, five-minute slots recorded as promotion trailers for the longer segments. The six half-hour episodes were originally broadcast from 19 January to 23 February 1994 on BBC2. The Day Today has won many awards, including Morris winning the 1994 British Comedy Award for Best Newcomer. All six episodes are available on BBC DVD, having previously been issued on VHS.
Features reports on Prince Charles volunteering to go to prison, the London Jam Festival, bullying in the Church of England, medieval alternative medicine, and a sheepdog piloting an out of control helicopter. Also features Barbara Wintergreen's report on the Elvis styled execution of American serial killer Chapman Baxter, and Alan Partridge covering the Tour de France and Boxing.
Features reports on the Junior Minister for health resigning, Marlon Brando being sold at auction in Sotheby's, illegal back street dentists, and Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan reporting on the new European trade quota rates. Also features The Pool, a documentary set in a public swimming pool, a segment from RokTV, and Alan Partridge covering the horse racing at Marple.
Features reports on an infestation of wild horses in the London underground, the BBC's new soap opera The Bureau (replacing the Nine O'Clock News), a fight between Queen Elizabeth and John Major, and an air jam. Also features Barbara Wintergreen's report on Chapman Baxter being executed via marriage, a continuation of The Pool, and Alan Partridge interviewing soccer players and a female show jumper.
Features reports on suspicions that British police officers are eating their suspects, Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan interviewing the government minister for ships regarding recent accusations, the IRA's use of explosives hidden in dogs, the immense popularity of The Bureau in Italy, the Home Office releasing the Sorted videos aimed at young people, and near-death experiences. Also features Barbara Wintergreen reporting on the natus (a method of prosthetic pregnancy), and Alan Partridge's Countdown to World Cup '94.
Features reports on the British Pound being stolen, the plummeting ratings of The Bureau, the clamping of the homeless in London, a reminiscence of events in 1944, government ministers contracting a disease that inhibits reading, and the trade agreement and subsequent war between Australia and Hong Kong. Also features Barbara Wintergreen reporting on Chapman Baxter being executed by the reanimated corpse of his last victim, and Alan Partridge riding with a female rally driver.
Features reports on Buckingham Palace culling 40 members of staff, passengers stuck on a train in Hampshire, Peter O'Hanraha-hanrahan reporting on General Motors making 35000 workers redundant, Colin Poppshed reporting from the gay desk, the decline of the NHS, and a roundup of international news. Also features a documentury set at the office of a pharmaceutical company, and Alan Partridge covering self-defence.
Original pilot of the hit comedy.
A post-programme update from the 1993 pilot.
Mini-episode featuring original material which was broadcast the night before the original broadcast of "Main News Attack".
Mini-episode featuring original material which was broadcast the night before the original broadcast of "The Big Report".
You ask anybody on the street what they think of Britain's public buildings any they'll probably look at you and say "Well, they're a load of old rubbish". That's why The Day Today has commissioned a special fly-on-the-wall documentary series about every single one of them. Starting this week with St. Lambs pool, in Acton (Extended scene from episode 2).
Mini-episode featuring original material which was broadcast the night before the original broadcast of "Meganews".
A hidden bonus on the DVD release. Switching to angle 2 during episode 3 unveils brief, intermittent visual descriptions of the episode delivered deadpan by Andy Hodgson and Jennifer Reinfrank.
Mini-episode featuring original material which was broadcast the night before the original broadcast of "Stretchcast".
Mini-episode featuring original material which was broadcast the night before the original broadcast of "Magnifivent". Chris Morris and the Day Today Newsdancer run down the top ten news. This week's highest climber: Alan Partridge interviews a Russian tennis ace. And ain't it the funkiest newsiest mothersucker in the hood right now. Yo bro, dance me a full stop y'all… what…?
Mini-episode featuring original material which was broadcast the night before the original broadcast of "Newsatrolysis a.k.a. Factgasm".
Offices, we all know what they're like, but many are now undergoing radical restructuring through the work of Lester Beck of Events International (Extended scene from episode 6).
A version of a State of the Union Address by George W. Bush, edited to make United States policy seem insanely belligerent. This extra is hidden in the "Mini News" DVD menu on the second disc and can be found by navigating up when episode 4 is selected to reveal a hidden menu option.
An Open University programme about news presentation which includes an analysis of how, and why, parodies such as The Day Today work.
Interview with Steve Coogan. BBC Radio 1 FM 17th January 1994.
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Release | 1994-01-19 |
| Producer | TalkBack Productions |