John Lloyd (II)

John Lloyd on Spitting Image, QI & today's politicians

Watch out, Cameron! Take cover, Farage! The comic genius behind Spitting Image has hatched a plan to bring his swivel-eyed puppets back to the screen. And he's already drawn up his hit list...

John Lloyd and the comedy of words, water and science

John Lloyd agrees with me a little more quickly than I had expected.

John Lloyd: "Comedy will move away from television"

John Lloyd said that online channels were quick, cheap and allowed creativity to thrive. By contrast, "the TV route to market is so complicated and involves so many layers. Fear drives that whole process, fear of making a mistake."

Radio Times review

As a useful adjunct to BBC One's The Big Painting Challenge, try Hannah Gadsby's new series in which the Tasmanian comedian/art historian analyses four works of art. She also sketches in her own life as a gay art student, while a sardonic talking robot, who sounds to me like comedy producer John Lloyd, plays Richard Osman to Gadsby's Alexander Armstrong.

Amateur artists should draw inspiration from the fact that all four masterpieces were dissed by contemporary critics. The pieces scrutinised are Manet's Olympia (1865); Van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait (1434); Michelangelo's David (1504); and Picasso's Les demoiselles d'Avignon (1907). The robot impersonates Sister Wendy, which is much appreciated. As with Paul Sinha's similar comic reinterpretations of history, newcomer Gadsby elicits fascinating facts (Manet's nude was an artist in her own right).

Take the QI test

QI debuts tonight at 8pm on BBC America and runs every Thursday, three shows a night for five weeks. If you think you're smart (or even if you think other people are smarter than you) you need to be there.

Major comic stars appear for Organ Care Systems gig

A cast including Rowan Atkinson, Clive Anderson, Harry Enfield, Angus Deayton, Rob Brydon and many others will appear in '100 Hearts' at LSO St Luke's, London on February 10 to raise money for pre-transplant Organ Care Systems. John Lloyd of QI and The Museum of Curiosity will then hold a conversation with Andre Simon, Harefield's charismatic Director of Transplants, who will demonstrate the "heart in a box" Organ Care System in situ.

QI confirms special one-off show at University of Kent

A special one-off version of hit BBC TV quiz show QI is to be held at the University of Kent as part of the institution's 50th birthday celebrations. The line up will include regulars Alan Davies, Sandi Toksvig, Jo Brand and Phill Jupitus. Stephen Fry will not be present, but his place will be taken by the show's creator and producer, John Lloyd.

John Lloyd investigates if teachers use QI facts

While gearing up for the new series of our long-running quiz show QI, we put a call out on Twitter asking if teachers ever used facts from books and television programmes in their lessons.

QI supremo John Lloyd: We've forgotten how to remember

As QI returns to BBC Two, the show's creator takes a look at our relationship with facts.

Fringe Q&As: Juliette Burton

Juliette Burton talks to HeraldScotland about changing appearances, meeting John Lloyd and performing for her home crowd.