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Steve Punt
Steve Punt (born ) is a British comedy writer, comedian and actor. Along with Hugh Dennis, he is part of the double act Punt and Dennis and was presenter of BBC Radio 4 satirical news programme '' The Now Show''. He is also a writer and programme associate for various television panel game shows, including '' Would I Lie to You?'' and ''Mock the Week'', and is a writer for fellow comedians such as Rory Bremner and Jasper Carrott. Early life Punt wanted to be an author as a child, but knew he would never make a living out of it, so turned to comedy. Punt was educated at Whitgift School and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he read English. While at Cambridge, he joined Footlights, where he first met comedy partner Hugh Dennis and was vice-president from 1983 to 1985 with Nick Hancock as president. He was in the writing team for three revues in a row. Career While at university Punt began writing for the BBC Radio 4 series '' Week Ending''. Punt and Dennis later became re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Now Show
''The Now Show'' is a British radio comedy programme on BBC Radio 4 which satirises the weekly news. The show, which ran from 1998 to 2024, is a mixture of stand-up, sketches and songs hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. It features regular appearances by Jon Holmes, Laura Shavin (earlier series had Emma Kennedy, or occasionally Sue Perkins, for the female voices), a monologue by Marcus Brigstocke, and music by Mitch Benn, Pippa Evans or Adam Kay. Later series feature a wider range of contributors. Most episodes feature a special guest, including Robin Ince, Rory Bremner, Dave Gorman, Simon Munnery, Al Murray, Andy Zaltzman, Paul Sinha, Richard Stilgoe, Dr Phil Hammond, Barry Cryer, John Finnemore, Andy Parsons, Shappi Khorsandi, Nathan Caton, Grace Petrie, Sarah Kendall and Francesca Martinez. Jon Culshaw featured on the 2004 and 2005 Christmas editions and also starred in the 2008 Christmas edition. Guests have also stood in for absent cast members. The serie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bucks Free Press
The ''Bucks Free Press'' is a weekly local newspaper, published every Friday and covering the area surrounding High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It was first published on 19 December 1856. It covers news for south Buckinghamshire—focusing primarily on High Wycombe, Amersham, Princes Risborough and Beaconsfield—as opposed to the entire county. Marlow has its own edition called the ''Marlow Free Press'' which has a number of changed pages. The paper covers local news, features, leisure and sport. The sport section features extensive coverage of Wycombe Wanderers football club who play at Adams Park, High Wycombe. Alongside the main ''Bucks Free Press'' paper, it also publishes an Aylesbury edition and a Chesham and Amersham edition each week. The fantasy novelist Terry Pratchett started his career as a journalist with the ''Bucks Free Press'' in 1965. In March 2017, the paper appointed the first female editor in its history, Samantha Harman. The current editor is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
His Master's Voice (radio Series)
''His Master's Voice'' is a satirical comedy series on BBC Radio 4. It is written by both Mark Tavener, who also wrote the satirical novel '' In The Red'' and the satirical radio series '' Absolute Power'', and Steve Punt. Their writing satirises both the hard-right Conservatism and "caring Conservatism", along with the rest of British politics. Following Tavener's death in October 2007, no new series have been produced. Plot It is set in the office of a Conservative magazine called "The Blue Touch Paper" owned by South African media mogul Lord Malan (Robert Hardy). To revive its failing sales, Malan hires a new editor Keith (Tony Gardner), who was previously the " token Tory" at the left-wing ''Guardian'' (and is thus nicknamed "Toynbee", after Polly Toynbee from the Guardian, by Malan). This angers Anna ( Amelia Bullmore), the magazine's political commentator (and its acting editor for the last 3 months), who had been hoping to become full editor. Much to the discontent of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Tavener
Mark Adrian Tavener (8 July 1954 – 18 October 2007) was an English writer, humorist, and dramatist best known for his BBC radio and television series '' In the Red'' (BBC Radio Four, 1995-1999/BBC Two, 1998) and '' Absolute Power'' (BBC Radio Four, 2000-2006/BBC Two 2005–2007), both of which came out of his PG Wodehouse Prize nominated novel '' In the Red'' ( Hutchinson, 1989). Biography Tavener was born and brought up in Plymouth and educated at Plymouth College, before attending Peterhouse, Cambridge. ''In the Red'' franchise Tavener wrote a satirical novel, '' In the Red'' ( Hutchinson, 1989), about fictional BBC Crime Reporter George Cragge's investigation into the serial killing of London bank managers, a small political party contesting a by-election, and a plan to overthrow the Director-General of the BBC, drawing on his early experiences working for the BBC and the Liberal Party. Working with comedy-writer Peter Baynham he later adapted this into a seven-part radi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. The 'About Radio 2' BBC webpage says: "With a repertoire covering more than 60 years, Radio 2 plays the widest selection of music on the radio - from classic and mainstream pop to country, folk, jazz, musical theatre, soul, hip hop, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues." Radio 2 broadcasts throughout the UK on FM band, FM between and from studios at Broadcasting House and Maida Vale Studios in central London. Programmes are broadcast on FM radio, Digital radio in the United Kingdom, digital radio via Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB, digital television in the United Kingdom, digital television and BBC Sounds. According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 13.6 million with a listeni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Me, You And Him
''Me, You and Him'' is a British television sitcom, that aired on ITV from 30 July to 3 September 1992. It was made for the ITV network by Thames. It was written by and starred Hugh Dennis, Nick Hancock and Steve Punt, all previously known - though particularly, Punt and Dennis - for their work on the alternative comedy and satirical circuit, especially through the BBC Radio 1 sketch show '' The Mary Whitehouse Experience'', which had transferred to television and made Dennis and Punt into household names. The plot centred on Hancock's character, John Hanley, a teacher of physical education who lived happily and lazily alone in a flat in the fictional area of Southbridge, London, until his old school friend, ambitious and obnoxious businessman Harry Dunstan (played by Dennis), returns from working in France and moves in with him. Punt's character, the unemployed but intelligent Mark Prior, lives nearby but was forever visiting the others after arguing with his parents. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show
''The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show'', known simply as ''Punt and Dennis'' throughout its second series, is a British stand-up and sketch show written by and starring comedians Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. The first series of 6 episodes was broadcast between 7 July and 11 August 1994. The second series, also of 6 episodes, was broadcast on Fridays at 20:30 (episodes 1 and 2) and 20:00 (episodes 3, 4 and 5) between 28 July and 1 September 1995, except for the last episode which was broadcast on Thursday 7 September at 22:45 (there was no episode shown on 11 August 1995). Overview The two had already appeared as a double act in '' The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' and '' Canned Carrott''. Impressionists Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona were among the guests on the show. There were several character inventions in the sketches, such as "The Gullibles", who were always falling for scams, as well as a number of Punt and Dennis's characters from ''The Mary Whitehouse Experi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, Hip hop music, hip hop and Independent music, indie, while its sister station BBC Radio 1Xtra, 1Xtra plays Black music, Black contemporary music, including hip hop and Rhythm and blues, R&B. Radio 1 also runs two online streams, BBC Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Dance, dedicated to dance music, and BBC Radio 1 Anthems, Radio 1 Anthems, dedicated to throwback music; both are available to listen only on BBC Sounds. Radio 1 broadcasts throughout the UK on FM band, FM between and , Digital radio in the United Kingdom, digital radio, Digital television in the United Kingdom, digital TV and BBC Sounds. It was launched in 1967 to meet the demand for music generated by pirate radio stations, when the average age of the UK population ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposing or shaming the perceived flaws of individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society. Satire may also poke fun at popular themes in art and film. A prominent feature of satire is strong irony or sarcasm—"in satire, irony is militant", according to literary critic Northrop Frye— but parody, burlesque, exaggeration, juxtaposition, comparison, analogy, and double entendre are all frequently used in satirical speech and writing. This "militant" irony or sarcasm often professes to approve of (or at least accept as natural) th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Newman (comedian)
Robert Newman (born 7 July 1964) is an English comedian, author and political activist. Newman found mainstream fame with '' The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' before forming a successful partnership with one of the programme's other comedians, David Baddiel, in the early 1990s. In 1993, Newman and Baddiel became the first comedians to play and sell out the 12,000-seat Wembley Arena in London. Newman's first speaking appearance was with Third World First (now known as People and Planet), the student political organisation. Early life and education Newman was adopted into a working-class family who lived in a Hertfordshire village. His adoptive father died when he was nine. Newman attended a comprehensive school, received poor A-level grades and was not offered a place at university until two years later, when he was admitted to Selwyn College, Cambridge, to read English on the strength of an essay about T. S. Eliot. Newman has worked as a farmhand, warehouse-man, house-p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Baddiel
David Lionel Baddiel (; born 28 May 1964) is an English comedian, presenter, screenwriter, author and singer. He became known for his early work alongside Rob Newman in '' The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' and later for his comedy partnership with Frank Skinner. He has written the children's books '' The Parent Agency'', ''The Person Controller'', ''AniMalcolm'', ''Birthday Boy'', ''Head Kid'', and ''The Taylor TurboChaser''. He is also a lyricist on " Three Lions", a song that has been described as the de facto "anthem" of English football since 1996. In 2024, he filmed his trilogy of specials "Not The" at the Royal Court Theatre for Sky Arts in February. He also launched his podcast, "A Muslim and a Jew Go There" with Sayeeda Warsi and filmed a travelogue with Hugh Dennis, "Two Men on a Bike" released in 2025. Early life David Lionel Baddiel was born on 28 May 1964 in Troy, New York, to parents from the U.K. who were living in the U.S. He moved to England with his family whe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canned Carrott
''Canned Carrott'' is a comedy stand-up and sketch-show by Jasper Carrott. It gave rise to a spin-off series, and made the names of regular contributors Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. Two of the regular sketches were "Wiggy" and "The Detectives". "Wiggy" followed the adventures of a man with an unconvincing wig (played by Carrott). It was a slapstick comedy in which the characters were silent except for the narrator, similar in style to Mr. Bean or ''The Benny Hill Show''. The most popular sketch segment was "The Detectives", featuring two mediocre police officers, Briggs and Louis (played by Carrott and Robert Powell), who tried unsuccessfully to emulate the actions of television detectives. Such was the popularity of this sketch that it became the basis of another television comedy series, '' The Detectives''. Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis subsequently joined the cast of '' The Mary Whitehouse Experience'', and later got their own sketch show, called ''The Imaginatively Titled Pun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
