3. Comedy

After 47 seasons of HIGNFY, how has British satire changed?

Have I Got News for You has run for 47 seasons – can satire in Britain
survive for its 48th?

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and is due to start its 48th series on Friday night.

Satire has been popular on British TV for more than 50 years - but is
now a very different beast from its 1960s beginnings.

That Was The Week That Was

News-based satire arrived on television with That Was The Week That Was
(TW3) in 1962, which was hosted by David Frost. Millicent Martin sang
the opening song, Bernard Levin was a cast member and the scriptwriters

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IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/fJMNHu9YM-4?enablejsapi=1

Satire often blends into reality as politicians fumble around their
departments - one of the writers, Will Smith, said: “it feels more like
they copy us”.

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The comedy panel game, hosted by Dara Ó Briain and featuring stand ups,
is barely satire. Though the comedy spins of current affair and news
events, the jokes are more silly than pointed - as you can see in the
clip below. Former panellist Frankie Boyle said has complained that his
risqué jokes were blocked from the show due to fears of “frightening
the horses”, and overall the tone is more light-hearted than
groundbreaking satire:

IFRAME: //www.youtube.com/embed/iIeFZCSrgKA?enablejsapi=1

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Have I Got News For You

As Britain’s longest-running satirical tv show, Have I Got News For You
(HIGNFY) has seen many scandals, politicians and libel actions come and
go, but kept largely the same format.

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Politicians often make an appearance, though that doesn’t stop them
from being the subject of satire – as these clips of Alistair Campbell
and Nigel Farage show:

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But the series shows no signs of slowing, and millions are expected to
tune in for the 48th season of HIGNFY. Will a younger television show
steal the satirical crown? Only time will tell.
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