The News Quiz

Andy Zaltzman: Impartiality is difficult in comedy

Last week the BBC's new director-general, Tim Davie, used his introductory speech to stress the importance of impartiality - prompting articles asking whether the corporation's comedy was impartial enough. Zaltzman's response is characteristically thoughtful and level-headed. "Impartiality is a difficult thing in comedy, because I don't know how you define it. In a sense, what is being sought is a balance of partialities. You can't have all the comedy being neutral - you need to balance the opposing views." That balance is "clearly needed", he says - and he's working hard to make sure The News Quiz has "a balance of pundits - politically, geographically" (though he can't yet confirm who will appear in future episodes).

BBC comedy shows appear to be overwhelmingly biased

BBC topical comedy shows appear to be overwhelmingly biased against figures and institutions on the political right, analysis by the Sunday Telegraph has found.

Episodes of the long-running Have I Got News For You on BBC1 and The News Quiz on Radio 4, together with the more recent Mash Report on BBC2, which were broadcast during lockdown, featured 13 times as many jokes aimed at Right-wing figures and issues as opposed to those on the Left.

The BBC's bid to axe left-wing comedy will fail

From Punch in the 19th century to P. J. O'Rourke to Auberon Waugh to Craig Brown to Titania McGrath, if it's grown-up, nuanced political humour and satire you want, refer to books, newspapers, magazines or the internet. Let the lefties have the airwaves.

Shappi Khorsandi on the BBC and right-wing comedy

High on Tim Davie's list of shows deemed 'too left-wing' is Mock The Week. When I was on the show, I was told I must do my 'Iranian material' - that didn't feel left-wing to me.

BBC's new boss threatens to axe Left-wing comedy shows

New Director-General Tim Davie believes the BBC's comedy output is seen as too one-sided, and unfairly biased against the Tories, Donald Trump and Brexit.

BBC, the public thinks your values stink

"I see that the BBC has decided to make Nish Kumar one of the regular presenters of the Radio 4 comedy programme The News Quiz. I suppose it thinks he ticks a box - not for his ethnicity but because, like seemingly every other comedian employed by the corporation, he is about as funny as kidney stones or gas gangrene of the shin", says Rod Liddle.