The Now Show: Difference between revisions

'''''The Now Show''''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[radio comedy]] broadcast on [[BBC Radio 4]], which [[satire|satirises]] the week's news.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qgt7|title=The Now Show|publisher=BBC Radio 4|accessdate=2012-08-17}}</ref> The show is a mixture of stand-up, sketches and songs presentedhosted by [[Steve Punt]] and [[Hugh Dennis]]. The show alsoused featuresto skitsfeature fromregular 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 (writer)|Adam Kay]], but now features a much wider range of contributors.

In October 2016, longrunninglong-running cast member Jon Holmes reported that he had been fired because 'the [[BBC]] want to recast with more women and diversity.'<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/oct/02/bbc-presenter-jon-holmes-the-now-show-sacked|title=BBC presenter Jon Holmes claims he was sacked for being a white man|first=Haroon|last=Siddique|date=2 October 2016|publisher=|via=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/jon-holmes-bbc-presenter-sacked-white-man-mail-on-sunday-a7341831.html|title=BBC presenter claims he was sacked for being a 'white man'|date=2 October 2016|publisher=}}</ref>

The eighteenth18th series, running from April to May 2006, was the first Radio 4 comedy series to be made available on [[podcast]], as part of a trial, or to be downloaded directly from the BBC Radio 4 web page, both for seven days after broadcast. The podcast had some of the music (from outside sources) cut because of restrictions due to artist royalties (although a new joke was inserted in place of the music, such as "Don't worry, it'll be over in a minute", or rants about the BBC's lawyers), although the complete show could still be heard for seven days after the broadcast on the BBC's listen again feature. This podcast was the fourth most popular podcast in August 2006, according to [[Schott's Almanac]]. However, due to the end of the trial, the twenty-second22nd series, running from June to August 2007, was not available for download. The podcast has returned, as part of the "Friday Night Comedy" podcast, alternating with ''[[The News Quiz]]''.<ref name="Pod">

A version of the show entitled ''The Vote Now Show'' has been broadcast in the run-up to the [[United Kingdom general election, 2010|2010]] and [[United Kingdom general election, 2015|2015 UK Generalgeneral Electionselections]]. <ref>{{cite web|title=The Vote Now Show|website=BBC Radio 4|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ry8mk|accessdate=6 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Vote Now Show|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/radio/the_now_show/episodes/2010/|website=British Comedy Guide|accessdate=6 May 2015}}</ref> The format is broadly the same, incorporating many of the show's regular performers and an additional political guest interviewed by Punt and Dennis. The episodes are more frequent than usual and the programme is transmitted at 11pm on the day of recording, so it can incorporate that day's campaign news to make it more topical. The first series had three programmes a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in 2015 it was twice weekly (Mondays and Fridays). Clips of politicians are more likely to feature, as the broadcasting restrictions for House of Commons footage do not apply to election events.

[[Category:Satirical radio programmes]][[Category:Article]][[Category:ArticleGroup1]]