Armando Iannucci

Big names added to the Slapstick Festival 2022

Armando Iannucci, David Mitchell, Barry Cryer, Sally Phillips, Richard Herring, Tim Vine and more...

Armando Iannucci on his epic Covid poem

When Covid stalled his film work, the writer took revenge on the virus in the form of a poem about Britain, Brexit and the pandemic - exclusively extracted here.

Armando Iannucci pens Covid verse

Armando Iannucci has written an epic poem for Mental Health UK about Boris Johnson's handling of the Covid crisis. The 680-line Pandemonium: Some Verses On The Current Predicament focusses on how Orbis Rex - Latin for 'king of the world', as well as containing an anagram of 'Boris' - did battle with 'a wet and withered bat' from Wuhan.

The savage cult comedy that 'predicted' the future

From a guilt-ridden Tony Blair to plastic surgery for kids, Armando Iannucci's series deftly spoofed our love of nostalgic TV. 15 years on it's still brilliant - and a true hidden gem

BBC Radio 4's The Reunion brought together most of the main cast of 1994's TV news satire The Day Today, though not the ever elusive Chris Morris. Steve Coogan was down the line from the Lake District (presumably on a windy fell outside a restaurant from The Trip, while Rob Brydon ate pudding). Patrick Marber joined via Zoom too, while Armando Iannucci, Doon Mackichan and David Schneider were in the studio with Kirsty Wark. The recollections were riotous and giggly, but also instructive about how the news has changed. They didn't think Morris's interviewee-baiting, surreal vox pops would have worked now ("The power's now with whoever's stopped at the market," Schneider suggested). I also loved Wark teasing Coogan about ingesting helium to play a thinly veiled parody of Gerry Adams, whose voice was disguised on TV at the time. "You've never done dangerous substances before?" "Well, I have," Coogan replied, "but not ones that are funny."

Review: The Reunion - The Day Today, Radio 4

Want to feel old? Listen to this week's The Reunion, which brought together (most of) the key members of The Day Today, which was first broadcast by the BBC...27 years ago.

The Day Today is still funny in fake news era

Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris's satire first aired 27 years ago. These days the media is almost too shameless to satirise, but - as the cast reunite - the show's hilarity remains.

30 years of Alan Partridge

In August 1991, Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci gave birth to Alan via the BBC Radio 4 news parody On The Hour.

Armando Iannucci thinks people liking Tucker "sad"

Speaking exclusively at last week's RadioTimes.com Script to Screen event, writer Armando Iannucci admits it actually saddens him that the rude director of communications became such a beloved figure in British comedy.