Have I Got News for You

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== Host ==
== Host ==
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John Lloyd [of [[QI]] fame] (unaired pilot)
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[[John Lloyd]] (unaired pilot)
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[[Angus Deayton]] (original host)
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[[Sandi Toksvig]] (unaired pilot)
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Guest hosts ''(in order, but not including repeat performances)'': [[Paul Merton]], [[Anne Robinson]], [[John Sergeant]], Boris Johnson, [[Liza Tarbuck]], Charles Kennedy, [[Jeremy Clarkson]], Martin Clunes, William Hague, Charlotte Church, [[Alexander Armstrong]], [[Hugh Dennis]], [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]], [[Bruce Forsyth]], [[Jack Dee]], [[John Humphrys]], [[Jimmy Carr]], [[Kirsty Young]], [[Dara O'Briain]], [[Gyles Brandreth]], Greg Dyke, [[Des Lynam]], Andrew Marr, Robin Cook, Jane Leeves, Marcus Brigstocke, Neil Kinnock, [[Ronnie Corbett]], [[Nicholas Parsons]], [[Michael Aspel]], Chris Langham, [[Anna Ford]], [[Lorraine Kelly]], Joan Collins, Trevor MacDonald, Sean Lock, [[Julian Clary]], Michael Buerk, [[Carol Vorderman]], [[Gordon Ramsay]], [[Alistair McGowan]], Jeremy Bowen, Damian Lewis, Anne Widdecombe, [[Rob Brydon]], [[Adrian Chiles]], [[Fern Britton]], [[Bill Bailey]], [[Chris Tarrant]], Moira Stuart, Omid Djalili, [[Jo Brand]], [[Richard Madeley]]
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[[Angus Deayton]] (1990-2002)
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Guest hosts ''(in order, but not including repeat performances)'': [[Paul Merton]], [[Anne Robinson]], [[John Sergeant]], Boris Johnson, [[Liza Tarbuck]], Charles Kennedy, [[Jeremy Clarkson]], Martin Clunes, William Hague, Charlotte Church, [[Alexander Armstrong]], [[Hugh Dennis]], [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]], [[Bruce Forsyth]], [[Jack Dee]], [[John Humphrys]], [[Jimmy Carr]], [[Kirsty Young]], [[Dara Ó Briain]], [[Gyles Brandreth]], Greg Dyke, [[Des Lynam]], Andrew Marr, Robin Cook, Jane Leeves, [[Marcus Brigstocke]], Neil Kinnock, [[Ronnie Corbett]], [[Nicholas Parsons]], [[Michael Aspel]], Chris Langham, [[Anna Ford]], [[Lorraine Kelly]], Joan Collins, Trevor MacDonald, Sean Lock, [[Julian Clary]], Michael Buerk, [[Carol Vorderman]], [[Gordon Ramsay]], [[Alistair McGowan]], Jeremy Bowen, Damian Lewis, Ronni Ancona, Ann Widdecombe, [[Rob Brydon]], [[Adrian Chiles]], [[Fern Britton]], [[Bill Bailey]], [[Chris Tarrant]], Moira Stuart, Omid Djalili, [[Jo Brand]], [[Clive Anderson]], [[Richard Madeley]], [[Brian Blessed]], [[Lee Mack]], [[Tom Baker]], [[Al Murray]], [[David Mitchell]], [[Jerry Springer]], [[Frank Skinner]], [[Rolf Harris]], Ruth Jones, Miranda Hart, Dominic West, [[Robert Webb]], [[Eamonn Holmes]], John Prescott, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Bishop, Chris Addison, Stephen Mangan, [[Rhod Gilbert]], John Torode and Gregg Wallace, Alan Johnson, [[Sharon Horgan]], Dan Stevens, [[Sue Perkins]], William Shatner, Alistair Campbell, Clare Balding, [[Warwick Davis]], Ray Winstone, [[Mel Giedroyc]], [[Richard Osman]], Stephen Merchant, Jack Whitehall, Robert Lindsay, Kathy Burke, Jennifer Saunders, [[Victoria Coren|Victoria Coren Mitchell]], Robert Peston, Gary Lineker, [[Charlie Brooker]], Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Tracey Ullman, Frankie Boyle, Katherine Ryan, Nick Clegg
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[[Patrick Kielty]] (2011 special)
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[[Nick Hancock]] (''Have I Got Sport for You'')
== Co-hosts ==
== Co-hosts ==
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Team captains: [[Ian Hislop]] and [[Paul Merton]]
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Team captains: [[Ian Hislop]] (all series) and [[Paul Merton]] (series 1-10, series 12 to present), [[Frank Skinner]] (stand-in for Paul Merton, episode 5, series 36)
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[[David Walliams]] and [[Clive Anderson]] (2011 special)
== Broadcast ==
== Broadcast ==
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Hat Trick Productions for BBC 2, 28 September 1990 to 2 June 2000
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Hat Trick Productions for BBC2, 28 September 1990 to 2 June 2000 (168 episodes in 19 series)
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Hat Trick Productions for BBC One, 20 October 2000 to present (some later series also credited to Ingenious Broadcasting 2 LLP)
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bbc.co.uk webcast, 5 to 6 March 2011 ([[24 Hour Panel People]])
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Hat Trick Productions for BBC 1, 20 October 2000 to present
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as ''Have I Got Sport for You'', Hat Trick Productions for BBC Radio 5 Live, 15 July 2012
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== Synopsis ==
== Synopsis ==
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The original and best satirical panel show. Originally, pretentious host and actor [[Angus Deayton]] was joined by regular team captains.
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The original and best satirical panel show. Originally, supercilious host and actor [[Angus Deayton]] was joined by regular team captains.
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The first is the equally pretentious Oxford-educated editor of satirical magazine ''Private Eye'' Ian Hislop, and the other is the very much less posh and slightly more surreal Paul Merton.
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<div class="image">[[File:Hignfy old crew.jpg]]''Angus Deayton, joined by regular team captains. Told you so.''</div>
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The first is the Oxford-educated editor of satirical magazine ''Private Eye'' Ian Hislop, and the other is the very much less posh and slightly more surreal Paul Merton.
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<div class="image">[[File:Hignfy ian hislop.jpg|200px]]''Ian Hislop: Oxford-educated''</div>
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<div class="image">[[File:Hignfy paul merton.jpg|200px]]''Paul Merton: surreal''</div>
It's this combination that worked so brilliantly, as they regularly bounced off, mocked and plain insulted each other, even if the main point was Angus failing to read his autocue properly, or in fact reading his autocue at all! The two captains are joined by two celebs, usually a comedian and a politician.
It's this combination that worked so brilliantly, as they regularly bounced off, mocked and plain insulted each other, even if the main point was Angus failing to read his autocue properly, or in fact reading his autocue at all! The two captains are joined by two celebs, usually a comedian and a politician.
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<div class="image">[[File:Hignfy merton team.jpg]]''Paul Merton with Dr Phil Hammond''</div>
This merry threesome continued until Autumn 2002, when Angus was sacked from the programme due to encounters with drugs and prostitutes- something that Ian and Paul were all too happy to mention on the programme over the last few weeks. Since then the show has been hosted by numerous guest presenters in Angus's place, one of the best being [[Bruce Forsyth]]. It's boosted the ratings too, allegedly.
This merry threesome continued until Autumn 2002, when Angus was sacked from the programme due to encounters with drugs and prostitutes- something that Ian and Paul were all too happy to mention on the programme over the last few weeks. Since then the show has been hosted by numerous guest presenters in Angus's place, one of the best being [[Bruce Forsyth]]. It's boosted the ratings too, allegedly.
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<div class="image">[[File:Hignfy charlotte church.jpg]]''Charlotte Church was the youngest guest host''</div>
=== Round and round ===
=== Round and round ===
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After this, sometimes there's a special round relating to something that's happened in the news or to one of the celebs that has joined them that episode. For example, when they had [[Richard Whiteley]] on in 1999 they played a variant of the numbers game from ''[[Countdown]]'' except each number had a picture associated with it and bonus points were given if they could work out the link between the number and the picture. After all six were chosen they had to try and match the number on the "hi-tech random number machine" (in reality a piece of paper with the number on it), but not before Angus hilariously botches up and knocks all the cards off, but we're guessing you had to be there for that.  
After this, sometimes there's a special round relating to something that's happened in the news or to one of the celebs that has joined them that episode. For example, when they had [[Richard Whiteley]] on in 1999 they played a variant of the numbers game from ''[[Countdown]]'' except each number had a picture associated with it and bonus points were given if they could work out the link between the number and the picture. After all six were chosen they had to try and match the number on the "hi-tech random number machine" (in reality a piece of paper with the number on it), but not before Angus hilariously botches up and knocks all the cards off, but we're guessing you had to be there for that.  
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<div class="image">[[File:Hignfy hislop team.jpg]]''Ian Hislop and Rebecca Front''</div>
Something called the "Picture-spin Quiz" makes a semi-regular appearance in this slot in many of the recent shows. A topical picture is shown in extreme close-up, and slowly spun out into full view (akin to the classic [[Ask the Family]] game, but topical and, er, spinnier) and the panellists are invited to buzz in and name the story.
Something called the "Picture-spin Quiz" makes a semi-regular appearance in this slot in many of the recent shows. A topical picture is shown in extreme close-up, and slowly spun out into full view (akin to the classic [[Ask the Family]] game, but topical and, er, spinnier) and the panellists are invited to buzz in and name the story.
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It has been revealed that the players are shown the clips and the questions (but not the answers) before the show, which although it ruins some of the spontaneity doesn't really matter too much because the questions act as a catalyst for the humour.
It has been revealed that the players are shown the clips and the questions (but not the answers) before the show, which although it ruins some of the spontaneity doesn't really matter too much because the questions act as a catalyst for the humour.
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<div class="image">[[File:Hignfy set.jpg]]''A wide shot of the studio. William Hague MP hosts, and the guests are [[Claudia Winkleman]] and Stanley Johnson (Boris' dad).''</div>
Indeed, the releasing of excerpts of the "scripts" for HIGNFY by ''Punch'' magazine (the main rival of ''Private Eye'', which should sound familiar) makes one appreciate the intense level of detail that goes into the planning - nearly every factual point about each question has an optional gag the host can throw in. Furthermore, on a past Christmas video the programme sent itself up re: the level of scripting, so it was old news by the time this "revelation" came about.
Indeed, the releasing of excerpts of the "scripts" for HIGNFY by ''Punch'' magazine (the main rival of ''Private Eye'', which should sound familiar) makes one appreciate the intense level of detail that goes into the planning - nearly every factual point about each question has an optional gag the host can throw in. Furthermore, on a past Christmas video the programme sent itself up re: the level of scripting, so it was old news by the time this "revelation" came about.
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<div class="image">[[File:Hignfy typical panel.jpg]]''Another panel with Ian McCaskill and Michael Mansfield QC''</div>
It is perhaps interesting to note that although many shows have tried to emulate the success of this show, it still remains the best.
It is perhaps interesting to note that although many shows have tried to emulate the success of this show, it still remains the best.
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== Key moments ==
== Key moments ==
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There are far too many to mention, but two of the most memorable are:
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There are far too many to mention, but three of the most memorable are:
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'''Roy Hattersley's guest non-appearance'''. He was booked to be on a show but didn't turn up. This was not the first time he had cancelled on the producers. So, rather than book a replacement, Paul's team-mate was... a tub of lard. The show's makers were quick to point out that there was no connection between the tub of lard and Roy Hattersly. Co-incidentally, in that episode things were made really difficult for Paul because they gave him foreign headlines for the Missing Words round (yes, actually in foreign). He still won!
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'''Roy Hattersley's guest non-appearance'''. He was booked to be on a show but didn't turn up. This was not the first time he had cancelled on the producers. So, rather than book a replacement, Paul's team-mate was... a tub of lard. The show's makers were quick to point out that there was no connection between the tub of lard and Roy Hattersley. Co-incidentally, in that episode things were made really difficult for Paul because they gave him foreign headlines for the Missing Words round (yes, actually in foreign). He still won!
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<div class="video"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KddkyZ1UG5g"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KddkyZ1UG5g" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>''The tube of lard makes its entrance''</div>
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<div class="video"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kmys4LH9jTE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kmys4LH9jTE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br/>''After the airing of this edition, The Tub of Lard has gone from Rt. Hon. to Sr.''</div>
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'''Ian Hislop's fated meeting with Paula Yates'''. Perhaps one of the funniest episodes ever where they continually bitch about each other. Ian won the battle (but not before being labelled the "Sperm of the Devil") and Angus, Paul and comedian Gordon Kennedy get caught in the crossfire...
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'''Ian Hislop's fated meeting with Paula Yates'''. Perhaps one of the funniest episodes ever where they continually bitch about each other. Ian won the battle (but not before being labelled the "Sperm of the Devil") and Angus, Paul and comedian Gordon Kennedy get caught in the crossfire.
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<div class="video"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kGBp5VjyrGQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kGBp5VjyrGQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>''The "Sperm of the Devil" incident from 27 October 1995''</div>
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'''Deayton's undoing'''. Revelations by a Sunday tabloid in May 2002 about Angus's private life led to lashings of ribbing from Merton, Hislop and guests Dave Gorman & Ken Livingstone
== Catchphrases ==
== Catchphrases ==
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"...is the wrong answer."
"...is the wrong answer."
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== Theme music ==
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The current theme is provided by Big George (George Webley). Writing in ''Sound on Sound'' magazine, he recalled how the theme had to be 32 seconds long, "manic, with a big kick at the end, and have a few demented twists and turns in the middle." Written overnight after a prior effort had been rejected, the tune we know and love was recorded in one take. The rejected theme was once aired on a Radio 2 documentary about TV themes some time in the mid-90s. George had a theory that you should be able to fit a show's title to its theme tune, so it was built around a six-note staccato motif. DAH DAH DAH DAH da-DAH! Like that.
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Despite the awful opening theme used for the first series (and research of UKTV People repeats seems to suggest it was gone by the final episode of the first run), the closing credits still used a version of the theme tune we all know and love today.
== Trivia ==
== Trivia ==
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HIGNFY came fourth in a 2005 poll by PruHealth to find the TV programme that "lifts people's spirits" the most, behind ''The Good Life'', ''Only Fools And Horses'' and ''Friends''. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4326070.stm]
HIGNFY came fourth in a 2005 poll by PruHealth to find the TV programme that "lifts people's spirits" the most, behind ''The Good Life'', ''Only Fools And Horses'' and ''Friends''. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4326070.stm]
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Long-serving comedy producer John Lloyd presented the original pilot, which was called ''John Lloyd's Newsround''.
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Long-serving comedy producer John Lloyd presented the original pilot, which was called ''John Lloyd's Newsround''. However, [[Sandi Toksvig]] said in 2015 that "They made two pilots, one with me and one with Angus Deayton. I was told by the producers that they preferred my version, but the channel decided they couldn’t have a woman in charge."
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== Theme music ==
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When Hat Trick was first approached by the BBC to make a satirical end-of-week comedy show, it turned the commission down because Jimmy Mulville wanted the company to generate its own programme ideas, not be hired to develop someone else's. Fortunately co-founder Denise O'Donohue managed to talk him round.
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<div class="video"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eTt3SbMOUxM"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eTt3SbMOUxM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>''The horror of the 1990 opening titles''</div><br>
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<div class="image">[[File:Hignfy deayton.jpg|200px]]''Deayton again''</div>
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<div class="video"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FcyQIrPfjoA"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FcyQIrPfjoA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>''The 1997 opening titles''</div>
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Infamously, [[Alexander Armstrong]] was ''nearly'' offered the host's job on a permanent basis after the departure of Deayton, before someone had a last-minute change of mind and decided the show should continue with guest presenters instead. What's less well-known is that Armstrong was on a shortlist of two who did screen tests for the show. The other was the former host of ''The RDA'' on BBC Choice, John Gordillo.
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The current theme is provided by Big George.
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A special episode entitled ''Have I Got Election News for You'' was recorded at 9:30am on the day following the 2010 General Election. This morning recording was meant to allow the programme to mention and of course ridicule the result. However the plan fell apart to a certain extent when the election resulted in a hung parliament, and a five-day wait before the new government was formed.
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Despite the awful opening theme used for the first couple of series (1990-1992), the closing credits still used a version of the theme tune we all know and love today.
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The fifth episode of the 41st series in 2011 saw, for the first time, two people hosting the programme, as [[Masterchef Goes Large|Masterchef]] judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace both took the helm.
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== Merchandise ==
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After 22 years on the telly, HIGNFY took over the wireless in July 2012. [[Nick Hancock]] was the host (and producer) of the cunningly-titled ''Have I Got Sport for You''.
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/lard_video.gif" width="82" height="140" border="0">
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23 and a half years on from the "Tub of Lard" episode (see "Key moments" above), a similar thing happened in December 2016, when Nicky Morgan chickened out of an appearance after making comments about the then-Prime Minister Theresa May's £995 trousers, and was instead replaced by a £995 handbag. This was the first time the BBC had aired a new episode of a television comedy panel show without a female panelist since the 3 October 2013 episode of Mock the Week.
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004CRXB/labyrinthgames Have I Got News for You - Classic Battles and Bust-Ups] ''Video - including the Paula Yates and Tub of Lard episodes''</div>
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One episode from series 57 was postponed by the BBC after it had been recorded, as Hislop's teammate Heidi Allen was the leader of political party Change UK and her appearance would have broken impartiality rules before that year's European Elections. The episode aired four weeks later, on 9 June 2019, by which time Allen was no longer in her party.
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/1997book.gif" width="94" height="126" alt="1997book.gif">
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The fifty-ninth series, which aired in 2020, was filmed in participants' homes [[Impact of Covid-19|as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic]].
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0563387831/labyrinthgames Have I Got 1997 News for You] ''by Jimmy Mulville, Colin Swash''</div>
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== Merchandise ==
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== Web links ==
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-Got-News-You-Vol/dp/B00004CNND/ Have I Got News For You - Volume 1] (VHS)
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[http://www.bbc.co.uk/haveigotnewsforyou Official BBC website] (featuring exciting video-podcast highlights thing!)
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-I-Got-News-You/dp/0563371110/ Have I Got News For You] (Paperback)
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[http://www.hat-trick.co.uk/ Hat Trick Productions]
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unbroadcastable-Have-Got-News-You/dp/B00004CR5Z/ Unbroadcastable Have I Got News For You] (VHS)
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[http://www.hignfy.net/contentsframeset.htm The Definitive Guide to HIGNFY] (fan page)
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004CRXB/labyrinthgames Have I Got News for You - Classic Battles and Bust-Ups] (VHS)
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[http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/reviews/1999/hignfy.htm Off the Telly review]
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-I-Got-1997-You/dp/0563387831/ Have I Got 1997 News for You] (Hardcover)
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[http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/reviews/2002/hignfy.htm Off the Telly review]
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-News-official-Pirate-Video/dp/B00004CVG2/ Have I Got News for You: The Official Pirate Video] (VHS)
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[http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/comedy/hignfy1.htm Off The Telly's history of HIGNFY (part 1)]
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Very-Best-Have-News-1990-2002/dp/B00006RHUB/ The Very Best of Have I Got News for You] (DVD)
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[http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/comedy/hignfy2.htm Off The Telly's history of HIGNFY (part 2)]
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-Got-News-Radio-Collection/dp/056349624X/ Have I Got News For You] (CD)
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[http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/comedy/hignfy3.htm Off The Telly's history of HIGNFY (part 3)]
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-Got-News-You-Presenters/dp/B0000C24HO/ Have I Got News For You: The Best of the Guest Presenters] (DVD)
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_I_Got_News_For_You? Wikipedia entry]
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-Got-News-You-Collection/dp/0563524324/ Have I Got News For You 2] (CD)
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== Videos ==
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-Got-News-You-Presenters/dp/B0007WFTWA/ Have I Got News For You: The Best of the Guest Presenters - Volume 2] (DVD)
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<div class="video"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YIrAim8cl9Y"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YIrAim8cl9Y" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>''The regulars roast Angus''</div><br>
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[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-Got-News-You-Britain/dp/1846075467/ Have I Got News For You Guide To Modern Britain] (Hardcover)
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<div class="video"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rmSawdPhzCM"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rmSawdPhzCM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>''Pot Noodles''</div><br>
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== Web links ==
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<div class="video"><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BQZF0QF7Vzc"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BQZF0QF7Vzc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>''Outtakes''</div>
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[http://www.bbc.co.uk/haveigotnewsforyou Official BBC website] (featuring exciting video-podcast highlights thing!)
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Other videos:
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_I_Got_News_For_You? Wikipedia entry]
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*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEHYT8v8L4M Odd One Out round]
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*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nXa9Po6U4g Various trailers]
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== Pictures ==
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[http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/hignfy/ British Comedy Guide entry]
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/003922f-haveigotnewsforyou.jpg" alt="003922f-haveigotnewsforyou.jpg" width="112" height="115">
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Off the Telly published [http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/oldott/www.offthetelly.co.uk/indexe71e.html?page_id=336 a three-part history] (2005), and reviews in [http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/oldott/www.offthetelly.co.uk/indexcbb2.html?p=5198 2002] and [http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/oldott/www.offthetelly.co.uk/index68cd.html?p=6094 1999].
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'''Picture 1''' - Original host, [[Angus Deayton]].</div>
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The show publicised the hashtags #hignfy and #bbchignfy, and the attag @haveigotnews.
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/hignfyteam.jpg" alt="hignfyteam.jpg" width="112" height="115">
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== Pictures ==
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'''Picture 2''' - The HIGNFY team - Paul Merton, Ian Hislop, [[Angus Deayton]].</div>
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/angus.jpg" alt="Angus Deayton" width="200" height="124">
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/003922f-haveigotnewsforyou.jpg" alt="003922f-haveigotnewsforyou.jpg" width="112" height="115">''Original host [[Angus Deayton]]''</div>
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'''Picture 3''' - [[Angus Deayton]]</div>
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/hignfyteam.jpg" alt="hignfyteam.jpg" width="112" height="115">''The HIGNFY team - Paul Merton, Ian Hislop, [[Angus Deayton]]''</div>
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/ian.jpg" alt="ian.jpg" width="200" height="124">
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/ian.jpg" alt="ian.jpg" width="200" height="124">''Ian Hislop''</div>
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'''Picture 4''' - Ian Hislop</div>
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/paul.jpg" alt="paul.jpg" width="200" height="124">''[[Paul Merton]]''</div>
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/h/hignfy/paul.jpg" alt="paul.jpg" width="200" height="124">
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== See also ==
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'''Picture 5''' - [[Paul Merton]]</div>
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[[Weaver's Week 2012-10-28|Weaver's Week review]] (2012)
[[Category:Current]]
[[Category:Current]]
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[[Category:Comedy Panel Game]]
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Revision as of 15:17, 20 April 2020

Contents

Host

John Lloyd (unaired pilot)

Sandi Toksvig (unaired pilot)

Angus Deayton (1990-2002)

Guest hosts (in order, but not including repeat performances): Paul Merton, Anne Robinson, John Sergeant, Boris Johnson, Liza Tarbuck, Charles Kennedy, Jeremy Clarkson, Martin Clunes, William Hague, Charlotte Church, Alexander Armstrong, Hugh Dennis, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Bruce Forsyth, Jack Dee, John Humphrys, Jimmy Carr, Kirsty Young, Dara Ó Briain, Gyles Brandreth, Greg Dyke, Des Lynam, Andrew Marr, Robin Cook, Jane Leeves, Marcus Brigstocke, Neil Kinnock, Ronnie Corbett, Nicholas Parsons, Michael Aspel, Chris Langham, Anna Ford, Lorraine Kelly, Joan Collins, Trevor MacDonald, Sean Lock, Julian Clary, Michael Buerk, Carol Vorderman, Gordon Ramsay, Alistair McGowan, Jeremy Bowen, Damian Lewis, Ronni Ancona, Ann Widdecombe, Rob Brydon, Adrian Chiles, Fern Britton, Bill Bailey, Chris Tarrant, Moira Stuart, Omid Djalili, Jo Brand, Clive Anderson, Richard Madeley, Brian Blessed, Lee Mack, Tom Baker, Al Murray, David Mitchell, Jerry Springer, Frank Skinner, Rolf Harris, Ruth Jones, Miranda Hart, Dominic West, Robert Webb, Eamonn Holmes, John Prescott, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Bishop, Chris Addison, Stephen Mangan, Rhod Gilbert, John Torode and Gregg Wallace, Alan Johnson, Sharon Horgan, Dan Stevens, Sue Perkins, William Shatner, Alistair Campbell, Clare Balding, Warwick Davis, Ray Winstone, Mel Giedroyc, Richard Osman, Stephen Merchant, Jack Whitehall, Robert Lindsay, Kathy Burke, Jennifer Saunders, Victoria Coren Mitchell, Robert Peston, Gary Lineker, Charlie Brooker, Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Tracey Ullman, Frankie Boyle, Katherine Ryan, Nick Clegg

Patrick Kielty (2011 special)

Nick Hancock (Have I Got Sport for You)

Co-hosts

Team captains: Ian Hislop (all series) and Paul Merton (series 1-10, series 12 to present), Frank Skinner (stand-in for Paul Merton, episode 5, series 36)

David Walliams and Clive Anderson (2011 special)

Broadcast

Hat Trick Productions for BBC2, 28 September 1990 to 2 June 2000 (168 episodes in 19 series)

Hat Trick Productions for BBC One, 20 October 2000 to present (some later series also credited to Ingenious Broadcasting 2 LLP)

bbc.co.uk webcast, 5 to 6 March 2011 (24 Hour Panel People)

as Have I Got Sport for You, Hat Trick Productions for BBC Radio 5 Live, 15 July 2012

Synopsis

The original and best satirical panel show. Originally, supercilious host and actor Angus Deayton was joined by regular team captains.

File:Hignfy old crew.jpgAngus Deayton, joined by regular team captains. Told you so.

The first is the Oxford-educated editor of satirical magazine Private Eye Ian Hislop, and the other is the very much less posh and slightly more surreal Paul Merton.

Ian Hislop: Oxford-educated
Paul Merton: surreal

It's this combination that worked so brilliantly, as they regularly bounced off, mocked and plain insulted each other, even if the main point was Angus failing to read his autocue properly, or in fact reading his autocue at all! The two captains are joined by two celebs, usually a comedian and a politician.

File:Hignfy merton team.jpgPaul Merton with Dr Phil Hammond

This merry threesome continued until Autumn 2002, when Angus was sacked from the programme due to encounters with drugs and prostitutes- something that Ian and Paul were all too happy to mention on the programme over the last few weeks. Since then the show has been hosted by numerous guest presenters in Angus's place, one of the best being Bruce Forsyth. It's boosted the ratings too, allegedly.

File:Hignfy charlotte church.jpgCharlotte Church was the youngest guest host

Round and round

The round line up has changed from series to series but currently, the first round involves working out which news story the piece of film refers to. Very simple, really.

Then there's the headlines round, which is essentially the radio version of round 1.

After this, sometimes there's a special round relating to something that's happened in the news or to one of the celebs that has joined them that episode. For example, when they had Richard Whiteley on in 1999 they played a variant of the numbers game from Countdown except each number had a picture associated with it and bonus points were given if they could work out the link between the number and the picture. After all six were chosen they had to try and match the number on the "hi-tech random number machine" (in reality a piece of paper with the number on it), but not before Angus hilariously botches up and knocks all the cards off, but we're guessing you had to be there for that.

File:Hignfy hislop team.jpgIan Hislop and Rebecca Front

Something called the "Picture-spin Quiz" makes a semi-regular appearance in this slot in many of the recent shows. A topical picture is shown in extreme close-up, and slowly spun out into full view (akin to the classic Ask the Family game, but topical and, er, spinnier) and the panellists are invited to buzz in and name the story.

Captain Ian Hislop, with guest comedian Meera Syal

The Odd One Out round comes next where the players are shown four people and they have to work which one is the Odd One Out. That's it really.

Finally there's the Missing Words round, teams are shown a headline with a word blanked out and they have to fill in the blanks here. It's a good time for quick and cheap laughs. For example, in one episode "------- ON SODOMY CHARGES" is the headline and Ian very quickly came up with "VAT", rather hilariously.

At the end, Paul's team would inevitably win only for Angus or whoever's hosting this week to deal out the prizes, something like "so, a copy of David Mellor's autobiography for the winners, a copy of David Mellor for the losers..."

Sometimes there would also be a caption competition as well, although this was used as a time-filler in case they needed a few extra laughs.

Art critic Brian Sewell with captain Paul Merton

It's a fix?

It has been revealed that the players are shown the clips and the questions (but not the answers) before the show, which although it ruins some of the spontaneity doesn't really matter too much because the questions act as a catalyst for the humour.

File:Hignfy set.jpgA wide shot of the studio. William Hague MP hosts, and the guests are Claudia Winkleman and Stanley Johnson (Boris' dad).

Indeed, the releasing of excerpts of the "scripts" for HIGNFY by Punch magazine (the main rival of Private Eye, which should sound familiar) makes one appreciate the intense level of detail that goes into the planning - nearly every factual point about each question has an optional gag the host can throw in. Furthermore, on a past Christmas video the programme sent itself up re: the level of scripting, so it was old news by the time this "revelation" came about.

File:Hignfy typical panel.jpgAnother panel with Ian McCaskill and Michael Mansfield QC

It is perhaps interesting to note that although many shows have tried to emulate the success of this show, it still remains the best.

Key moments

There are far too many to mention, but three of the most memorable are:

Roy Hattersley's guest non-appearance. He was booked to be on a show but didn't turn up. This was not the first time he had cancelled on the producers. So, rather than book a replacement, Paul's team-mate was... a tub of lard. The show's makers were quick to point out that there was no connection between the tub of lard and Roy Hattersley. Co-incidentally, in that episode things were made really difficult for Paul because they gave him foreign headlines for the Missing Words round (yes, actually in foreign). He still won!


After the airing of this edition, The Tub of Lard has gone from Rt. Hon. to Sr.

Ian Hislop's fated meeting with Paula Yates. Perhaps one of the funniest episodes ever where they continually bitch about each other. Ian won the battle (but not before being labelled the "Sperm of the Devil") and Angus, Paul and comedian Gordon Kennedy get caught in the crossfire.

Deayton's undoing. Revelations by a Sunday tabloid in May 2002 about Angus's private life led to lashings of ribbing from Merton, Hislop and guests Dave Gorman & Ken Livingstone

Catchphrases

"...Allegedly."

"In what way?"

"...is the wrong answer."

Theme music

The current theme is provided by Big George (George Webley). Writing in Sound on Sound magazine, he recalled how the theme had to be 32 seconds long, "manic, with a big kick at the end, and have a few demented twists and turns in the middle." Written overnight after a prior effort had been rejected, the tune we know and love was recorded in one take. The rejected theme was once aired on a Radio 2 documentary about TV themes some time in the mid-90s. George had a theory that you should be able to fit a show's title to its theme tune, so it was built around a six-note staccato motif. DAH DAH DAH DAH da-DAH! Like that.

Despite the awful opening theme used for the first series (and research of UKTV People repeats seems to suggest it was gone by the final episode of the first run), the closing credits still used a version of the theme tune we all know and love today.

Trivia

HIGNFY came fourth in a 2005 poll by PruHealth to find the TV programme that "lifts people's spirits" the most, behind The Good Life, Only Fools And Horses and Friends. [1]

Long-serving comedy producer John Lloyd presented the original pilot, which was called John Lloyd's Newsround. However, Sandi Toksvig said in 2015 that "They made two pilots, one with me and one with Angus Deayton. I was told by the producers that they preferred my version, but the channel decided they couldn’t have a woman in charge."

When Hat Trick was first approached by the BBC to make a satirical end-of-week comedy show, it turned the commission down because Jimmy Mulville wanted the company to generate its own programme ideas, not be hired to develop someone else's. Fortunately co-founder Denise O'Donohue managed to talk him round.

Deayton again

Infamously, Alexander Armstrong was nearly offered the host's job on a permanent basis after the departure of Deayton, before someone had a last-minute change of mind and decided the show should continue with guest presenters instead. What's less well-known is that Armstrong was on a shortlist of two who did screen tests for the show. The other was the former host of The RDA on BBC Choice, John Gordillo.

A special episode entitled Have I Got Election News for You was recorded at 9:30am on the day following the 2010 General Election. This morning recording was meant to allow the programme to mention and of course ridicule the result. However the plan fell apart to a certain extent when the election resulted in a hung parliament, and a five-day wait before the new government was formed.

The fifth episode of the 41st series in 2011 saw, for the first time, two people hosting the programme, as Masterchef judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace both took the helm.

After 22 years on the telly, HIGNFY took over the wireless in July 2012. Nick Hancock was the host (and producer) of the cunningly-titled Have I Got Sport for You.

23 and a half years on from the "Tub of Lard" episode (see "Key moments" above), a similar thing happened in December 2016, when Nicky Morgan chickened out of an appearance after making comments about the then-Prime Minister Theresa May's £995 trousers, and was instead replaced by a £995 handbag. This was the first time the BBC had aired a new episode of a television comedy panel show without a female panelist since the 3 October 2013 episode of Mock the Week.

One episode from series 57 was postponed by the BBC after it had been recorded, as Hislop's teammate Heidi Allen was the leader of political party Change UK and her appearance would have broken impartiality rules before that year's European Elections. The episode aired four weeks later, on 9 June 2019, by which time Allen was no longer in her party.

The fifty-ninth series, which aired in 2020, was filmed in participants' homes as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Merchandise

Have I Got News For You - Volume 1 (VHS)

Have I Got News For You (Paperback)

Unbroadcastable Have I Got News For You (VHS)

Have I Got News for You - Classic Battles and Bust-Ups (VHS)

Have I Got 1997 News for You (Hardcover)

Have I Got News for You: The Official Pirate Video (VHS)

The Very Best of Have I Got News for You (DVD)

Have I Got News For You (CD)

Have I Got News For You: The Best of the Guest Presenters (DVD)

Have I Got News For You 2 (CD)

Have I Got News For You: The Best of the Guest Presenters - Volume 2 (DVD)

Have I Got News For You Guide To Modern Britain (Hardcover)

Web links

Official BBC website (featuring exciting video-podcast highlights thing!)

Wikipedia entry

British Comedy Guide entry

Off the Telly published a three-part history (2005), and reviews in 2002 and 1999.

The show publicised the hashtags #hignfy and #bbchignfy, and the attag @haveigotnews.

Pictures

Original host Angus Deayton
The HIGNFY team - Paul Merton, Ian Hislop, Angus Deayton
Ian Hislop

See also

Weaver's Week review (2012)

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