The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4

I remember one Friday I was trolling the net and being a creature of habit eventually started flipping through my favorite sites. As is usual, I came to the page of BBC Radio 4 whee I found myself looking at the comedy section. On the highlights section there was a program I had never seen before, The News Quiz. I decided to click on the play button.

It was one of the most hilarious 30 minutes I had spent in my life! The program is about the events of the week in the news, viewed through the jaundiced shades of satire. It consists of a host and four other comedians, divided into two teams. The host asks the questions and the comedians must answer them correctly to earn the points. (And what do points mean?...)

What really got me interested in the program within a couple of minutes was that it was composed of comedians I liked most. What was even more entertaining was that instead of getting the answer right, each comedian would veer off into a bizarre and often hilarious speculations about the topic of the question (usually a politician). And each comedian would jump in after another with their own speculation.

The program always begins with a news cutting with a double entendre (that's a risque pun) and then the questions begin. From 11^th June 2010 (topic being the Budget cuts proposed by the new Tory -led Coalition Government):

Sandy Toksvig: Jeremy, who wants the public to make some cutting remarks?

Jeremy Hardy: It's the Coalition forces that entered our Treasury. There'll be cuts everywhere. The previous government had borrowed a lot of money which means somebody lent it to them. Surely they knew they were taking a risk? Somebody in that much trouble asks you to lend a tenner to tie them over the weekend, you surely don't expect it back, do you? Like anything you borrow, you can always say you've lost it, can't you? It's like when you borrow somebody's ladder, they're not gonna get it back, are they?

Sandy: So that's where my ladder is!

Mark Steel: The whole attitude to bankers have changed so much. I mean, for 

years I've been saying that the solution to our problems is to sack the bankers. And every one would go: you're a crazy socialist. Now If I say, sack the bankers, every one would go: Sack 'em? No,, they should tie them up, cover them with marmalade and then lock them up in a box full of wasps, never mind sack 'em!

Susan Calman: I mean you have to be responsible for your own debt. I once blew 5000 pounds in a casino, but I paid it off! If they ask me: Susan, this 70 billion pounds we need to cut, I mean what would you prefer to have less, maternity wards at your local hospital or a school? I don't know, why don't you do your job for a change?
Sandy: Do you think if there were less maternity wards, eeventually there would be less need for schools?
Mark: That's the sort of modern thinking we need!
Miles Jupp: It's an age of austerity. We need to make cuts. I mean do we really need two Millibands? Do we need one Milliband?
Jeremy: 45 billion on defence budget and no ones invaded us since 1066! And we only lost that one 'cause we were busy chasing the Vikings on the other side of the country.
Sandy: Oh, don't blame me for that one! (Sandy Toksvig is Danish in origin)

Now those of you who have spent the nineties watching the Film program on BBC World Service, this might interest you. The first ever host of the News Quiz had been Barry Norman in 1977. Then Barry Took and Simon Hoggart had their share of being the host. Since 2006 Sandy Toksvig have been performing as the host.

The news quiz began another series today, January 7 2011. If you are reading this, I cannot recommend this program highly enough. It is half an hour of rollicking fun full of puns and double entendres and risque humor, all related to topical events.

Remember, most of the BBC Radio programs are on pod casts, available for listening around the week. If you miss a program, you can always catch up! Just Google “BBC iPlayer” and then click on Radio and it should take you to the radio page. The highlights on the page should get you the program you want. Otherwise click on Radio 4 or just the Comedy button. Good luck!