NJ: Chris Patten Phones Silvio Berlusconi

My latest reject for Episode 2, thanks for reading.

JUSTIN:
Silvio Berlusconi is facing increasing pressure as lurid details of his private life are revealed in a series of wiretaps. Newsjack has managed to get hold of one of these taped telephone conversations...

[FX: PHONE RINGING]

BERLUSCONI:
Ciao! Berlusconi!

CHRIS PATTEN:
Hello Silvio, are you busy?

BERLUSCONI:
No, not any more, the Pope and-a Gordon Brown just-a popped in - those guys can-a really kill a party. Who is this?

CHRIS PATTEN:
It's Chris Patten, Chairman of the BBC.

BERLUSCONI:
The BBC? What is that, the Bunga-Bunga Channel?

CHRIS PATTEN:
Look Silvio, I've got a serious question, I need to get more women on TV, and I know that you're a proud champion of promoting women in the workplace.

BERLUSCONI:
Is-a true, no one does more for the-a working girls than I do.

CHRIS PATTEN:
We do have experienced and capable female presenters, but they're just not getting any offers.

BERLUSCONI:
Hmmm, maybe they're like Angela Merkel, huh? I tell you Chris, that woman, she is unfu-

CHRIS PATTEN:
[INTERRUPTING] Unforgettable? I know...

BERLUSCONI:
You want-a the sexy women on TV, then just-a make-a more sexy shows. Thongs of Praise? Dick and Dom in-a Da Bunga-Bungalow? Lady Gardeners' World?

CHRIS PATTEN:
No, we can't really do the sexy shows, it's all family stuff before the watershed, but we can let our hair down a bit after nine.

BERLUSCONI:
After nine?! Impressive! I can't-a do any more than eight these days!

----

I'm happy with the length of this one, I've come to reaslise that my NJ sketches were too long, so I'll be working to keep them shorter.
The punchline relies on you being aware of the reports of Saucy Silvio having a queue of 11 women outside his room, but only being able to manage 8 of them, the lightweight.
That may prove to be part of the downfall of this sketch, but I roadtested it on a couple of people, and they laughed and got the joke, and I thought that if NJ were going to run this sketch, they would have also made reference to Silvio's alleged antics elsewhere on the show.
I'm not happy with Justin's intro, but it's short and functional, but ideally I'd prefer to have at least one joke in there.
The other consideration is Justin would have to read the intro as himself, and then pitch in as Chris Patten, but I didn't think that would be a problem.

nice sketch

don't think it needed the below lines...gordon brown is off the satire agenda now I think, he's irrelevant now.

CHRIS PATTEN:
Hello Silvio, are you busy?

BERLUSCONI:
No, not any more, the Pope and-a Gordon Brown just-a popped in - those guys can-a really kill a party. Who is this?

liked the "sexy shows" - dick & dom in the bunga bungalow is excellent. Punchline is topical and I got it!

I can't see why Chris Patten is in this, to be honest. Justin could have done the role perfectly with his 'BBC' hat on, promoting the 'more women in the workplace thing'. Also, you'd need two impressions and best to focus on one so Lewis doesn't have to try and double up.

You need a joke in the intro. *Always* put a joke in the intro! They might use that, even if the sketch isn't used.

The sketch is alright, but didn't blow me away. There is no big laugh out loud moment in it and I'm not sure the punchline is enough of a twist. You want it to be about Chris Patten really wanting advice on how to hold bunga-bunga parties or trying to find out where Silvio went wrong so that Chris(/Justin) could last at least to the ninth woman.

Hope that's useful

Dan

I liked it, it went for laughs & didn't outstay it's welcome

Berlusconi has been one of the most controversial figures in world politics for some time. He has faced accusations of corruption, narrowly survived votes of no confidence and earlier this year, according to the Guardian, was put on trial for criminal charges. He was alleged to have had sexual encounters with an underage prostitute named "Ruby the Heart Stealer," among many other allegations concerning his personal life. Now, Silvio Berlusconi, the questionable Prime Minister of Italy, won't serve out the end of his 3rd term. Berlusconi has lost support in the government and has resigned.