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3.3 Not the Nine O'Clock News Explained

All British Comedy Explained

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All British Comedy Explained… to Abigoliah Schamaun, by Tom Salinsky

3.3: Not the Nine O’Clock News. Released 8 October 2026.

An even earlier example of alternative comedy than The Young Ones, this took the moribund sketch comedy form and infused radical new life into it as well as kickstarting at least half a dozen comedy careers. We’re going to watch series three episode three and the final episode, series four episode six.

Next time we’ll be watching Armando Iannucci’s blackly gripping The Thick Of It. We’ll start with the very first episode and then we’ll swap Hugh Abbot for Nicola Murray and pick up with series three episode two.

Thanks to the Independent Podcast Awards for the nomination. https://independentpodcastawards.com/...

Here’s a long list of social media systems where you can find the podcast and us.

The podcast
• Patreon: BritishComedyPod
• @allbritishcomedyexplained
• https://substack.com/@allbritishcomedy
• Mailing list: http://eepurl.com/jnPC56
• allbritishcomedy@gmail.com
• https://allbritishcomedy.com
• Instagram: britishcomedypod
• TikTok: britishcomedypod
• https://bsky.app/profile/allbritishco...
• https://www.threads.com/@britishcomed...
• Facebook: allbritishcomedy

Abigoliah Schamaun
• https://abigoliah.com
• abigoliah
• Instagram: abigoliah
• TikTok: abigoliah

Tom Salinsky
• https://thegangofthree.co.uk
• https://tomsalinsky.co.uk
• Facebook: tomsalinsky
• Instagram: tomsalinsky
• TikTok: tomsalinsky1972
• https://bsky.app/profile/tomsalinsky....
• https://www.threads.com/@tomsalinsky

All British Comedy Explained is produced by The Spontaneity Shop. If you enjoy this podcast, why not check out The Guilty Feminist with Deborah Frances-White, Tom’s other podcast Best Pick all about movies, or Abigoliah’s other podcast Neurodivergent Moments.

18 Comments

@davidadams3408 7 hours ago

I love Not the 9 O'clock News, especially the albums. Being able to listen to the Hedgehog Sandwich as an 10/11 year old when I wasn't allowed to watch it made it even better.
I know so many of the sketches off by heart. The arguing MP's, Gerald and PC Savage will always be favourites, along with the songs I love Trucking and Supa Dupa but my all time favourite sketch will always be Gramophone.
Next thing, you'll be telling me you don't want Slimline Salad dressing. 😂😂

@Paul-yh8km 10 hours ago

The two sketches that I remember are 'Made by Roberts' and the Gorilla interview.

@afjkernow1808 3 hours ago

Another great show. I was a bit too young to watch this programme. I’ve seen bits and pieces since then. The gorilla sketch is my favourite of the one’s I’ve seen.
Recently saw the That’s Life spoof on YouTube and it’s absolutely savage!

@RobinL337 5 hours ago

It's worth mentioning that Ronnie Barker remains one of the comedy greats. His writing and performances still stand out and work 40 years on. For all his apparent faults, he seems to have been honest about himself. I noticed a quote from him on wikipedia regarding his retirement: "I had completely run out of ideas and it scared and panicked me. I was always able to write scripts but, you know, I couldn't think of a single thing to write about. It was a very weird sensation. I had seen friends of mine start burning out. No one wants to see a 70-year-old on television who can't remember his lines. And also I had lost interest." But I'm pretty certain you'll be seeing more of him in due course...

@AndyRossism 4 hours ago

Just the other day I had 'Oh England My Leotard' , 'Kinda Lingers' going round my head, and sometimes, if I fancy someone visually but their personality, or lack , puts me off, I say of it 'Nice video, shame about the song' ! The song spoofs are the bits that stay with me the most.

@AGSSSH 3 hours ago

Mel Smith (and Peter Cook) of course show up in classic The Princess Bride

@alexg7417 3 hours ago

As chance would have it I have friends who worked with Smith & Jones in the TalkBack days and with Ronnie Corbett.

Mel loved a good time (as did most of the office).

Ronnie Corbett got a little bit grumpy as he got older (but many of us will!!).

But like Abigoliah said .. two things can be true at the same time.

Loving this series btw. When I find a job I'll join the patreon ... Very much my thing.

@NigelWaite-cx6mm 10 hours ago

I remember watching the first episode, which started with Kenny Everett entering the Parkinson set, sitting down and welcoming everyone to his new show. He explained that he and the Beeb had made up, and they’d given him this new show provided that he didn’t say the word “Boobies”. Chris Langham then steps in as the studio manager and throws him out.

@djashley2002 9 hours ago

I was lucky enough to be given a complete set of files of the show by a person who had got it through 'means' and it's surprising just how much of the show still stands up today - especially the songs - which is rather a shock when you consider that quite a lot of other shows from the time are about as funny as a broken leg.

So with that in mind, a shout out for I Like Trucking, England My Leotard, and Nice Video, Shame About The Song.

@AndyRossism 4 hours ago

I think Mel Smith is a little forgotten now, dying quite young as he did, he was a very good actor, lots of subtle stuff in his performances, as well as being able to go bigger and funnier. ..And that wonderful expressive yet also melancholic face.

@carolineskipper6976 8 hours ago

This show was definitely appointment viewing when I was at university......and then we had the albums to enjoy too!
It always seems odd to me, a humble Brit, when people's first 'go to' project for Rowan Atkinson is Mr Bean. It was popular here, but definitely not as much as Blackadder. But worldwide of course, it transcended languages, and is what people associate him with most.
Oooohhh - The Thick of It!!!! *rubs hands.

@fingersfinesilver 3 hours ago

I've gone through all the comments. The interesting nugget missed was that Pamela and Billy MET on Not the Nine O Clock news. The book Billy (biography was written by her. (And mega mega successful).

@paulhammond6978 8 hours ago

I think it's only called "Not the Nine O'Clock News" because it was on BBC2 at Nine O'Clock. I watched all the Smith and Jones series after this, I think this might also have been the first place I saw Billy Connolly on TV (I was probably a bit young to have seen his earlier Parkinson interviews)

@jonmcdevitt 7 hours ago (edited)

Not the Nine O'clock News was the first late comedy I was allowed to stay up and watch. I was about 9/10? Cue delight in playground renditions of the Bouncing Song, etc. Sad as it is to see Fawlty Towers go, I totally get the shelf decision. I might even have done the same myself. There's actually quite a lot NTNON on YouTube and both it and the album box set are endlessly amusing.