Mock The Week

Mock The Week Mock The Week

Mock The Week is BBC Two’s fast paced, irreverent and hugely popular topical panel show.

With his planet-sized brain, Irish comedian Dara O Briain has hosted over 180 episodes which regularly attract weekly audiences of some 3 million viewers across its BBC Two broadcasts and on BBC iPlayer. Mock The Week is also a favourite on Dave, where it was the channel’s most comedy watched programme (Broadcast, 29.4.16).

Apart from consistently providing one of the best loved half hours of comedy on TV, from the very start Mock The Week has championed new and up-and-coming comedians. Frankie Boyle, John Oliver, Michael McIntyre, Jack Whitehall, Sara Millican, and more recently, Josh Widdicome, Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Beckett, Sara Pascoe and James Acaster are among the stars who have all appeared early in their careers and developed and honed their skills on the show.

Regulars
Guests

Dara O’Briain

Having conquered his native Ireland, first as a stand-up and then on television hosting RTE’s The Panel, Dara took on the world, and won. He is one of the best stand-up comedians around and has performed to sell-out shows everywhere from London to Edinburgh, New York to Montreal and Dubai to Sydney. Now this mathematics and mathematical physics graduate is turning his lightening fast wit and incredible charm to television. From memorable performances on Have I Got News For You, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Q.I., Dara graduated to hosting Mock The Week and that in turn has led to starring in Three Men In A Boat, The Apprentice – You’re Fired, and Stargazing Live.

Hugh Dennis

Early in his career, Hugh lent his voice to a number of the Spitting Image puppets and worked with Steve Punt, his long standing comedy partner and fellow Cambridge footlights graduate, on Jasper Carrott’s TV shows. The pair then formed half of The Mary Whitehouse Experience (with David Baddiel and Rob Newman) and the rest, as they say, came later. After four seasons on BBC Radio 1, the show transferred to television and was a mega hit- comedy had become the new rock’n’roll. Since then Hugh, a Bishop’s son, has become an almost permanent fixture on hit satirical shows on BBC Radio, including The Now Show, and played memorable characters in a series of BBC 1 sitcoms including the obnoxious GP Piers Crispin in My Hero, the stressed out father, Pete, in Outnumbered, and Toby in Not Going Out.

Andy Parsons

Without doubt Andy, a regular from series 4, is one of the top satirical comics in Britain today. He is a formidable live performer and seasoned radio star most often associated with long-time comedy partner Henry Naylor. Andy is an award-winning stand-up who has appeared not just throughout Britain but across the globe and is also a gifted comedy writer who has provided material for, amongst others, Spitting Image, Smith & Jones and Lenny Henry.

Chris Addison

(Second half of series 10 until the first half of series 12, returning briefly in 2013)

Other than Mock The Week, Chris is best known for his starring role on the BAFTA-winning comedy The Thick of it and the Oscar-nominated feature film In The Loop. Recently Chris has switched to the other side of the camera and directed a number of episodes of Julia Louis Dreyfus’ American comedy Veep. You can also see Chris in the Paul Raymond biopic, The Look of Love. Chris has appeared as a guest on numerous comedy panel shows and is a feted live performer who has twice been nominated for the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Russell Howard

(A regular from series 4 to 8)

Bristolian Russell is a comedy star. He made a name for himself as a terrific stand-up as far afield ad the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he was nominated for the prestigious Perrier Comedy Award, and the Montreal Just for Laughs comedy festival. Following the success of Mock The Week, Russell launched his own news-based comedy show, Russell Howard’s Good News, on BBC3. In 2014, after 8 series, Good News transferred to BBC2.

Frankie Boyle

Series 1 to 7

After more than ten years as an increasingly successful stand-up and comedy writer, Frankie appeared on BBC Scotland’s Live Floor Show (which incidentally was hosted by our very own Dara O Briain). Frankie joined Mock The Week from its inception, his razor sharp comedy leaving everyone laughing and occasionally wincing. He has since appeared on 8 Out of 10 Cats, They Think It’s All Over and Have I Got News For You and wrote and starred in his own sketch series Tramadol Nights. To date Frankie has published three books including My Shit Life So Far.

Rory Bremner

Series 1 and 2

One of Britain’s foremost impressionists, Rory has been at the top of his game and on our television screens for thirty years. His uncanny ability to mimic politicians, sportsmen, media stars, indeed almost anyone he wishes has resulted in him appearing in a number of successful TV shows, including the award-winning Bremner, Bird and Fortune, and Rory Bremner Who Else? for Channel 4. Rory has also appeared a number of times very successfully on Whose Line Is It Anyway? and numerous election specials.