Press clippings Page 13
Behind the scenes: Bellamy's People
Following their Radio 4 comedy, Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse took the show's weird and wonderful characters on a road trip across Britain.
Charlie Higson and June Nevin, Broadcast, 17th September 2009Meanwhile, anyone who tunes in to Radio 5 Live will recognise the absurdity of many phone-in programmes, and regular listeners to Radio 4 will have heard Down The Line, the phone-in spoof masterminded by Fast Show-ers Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson and Simon Day, which starred Rhys Thomas as host Gary Bellamy. Listeners to both will know how close to reality Down The Line's absurdist take on the phone-in format and its listeners is. And also how funny it was - a Berkshire racist ringing in says after a reference to Ebony & Ivory, "we just call that Ivory in our house". Thankfully - for anyone who's ever had the displeasure of watching Jeremy Kyle et al - Gary is meeting the public face-to-face as he travels around the country to chat to his deranged callers.
Will Dean, The Guardian, 11th July 2009Regular listeners to radio phone-ins (not necessarily on Radio 4) can't help but nod in recognition of the cavalcade of callers ranging from the stupid and the xenophobic, to he near deranged and frankly offensive stereotypes reeled out by those cunning comics Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse, who have got their mates to call in to a spoof show, hosted by a spoof DJ. Soon to be unleashed on BBC2, this is a last chance to hear these grotesques in their natural habitat. Prepare to be appalled and amused in equal measure.
Frances Lass, Radio Times, 21st April 2009Radio 4 spoof phone-in to move to BBC2
Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson to star alongside Rhys Thomas as host Gary Bellamy.
Leigh Holmwood, The Guardian, 2nd April 2009The nation's favourite waltzer John Sergeant chairs debates on the 2012 Olympics, video games and the Rooneys, with guests Jimmy Carr and Charlie Higson. It starts slowly but soon warms up when the improvisation starts - love him or loathe him, Carr is awfully quick.
Radio Times, 8th December 2008Whitehouse and Higson: Making (radio) waves
When Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson followed The Fast Show with a spoof on phone-ins, they created an uproar. And their plans don't stop there.
Ciar Byrne, The Independent, 1st October 2007