British Comedy Guide
Have I Got News For You. Image shows left to right: Ian Hislop, Paul Merton. Credit: Matt Crockett
Have I Got News For You

Have I Got News For You

  • TV panel show
  • BBC One / BBC Two
  • 1990 - 2024
  • 610 episodes (68 series)

Long-running topical panel game with a strong political slant, featuring team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton. Also features Angus Deayton.

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Episode menu

- Series 57, Episode 1

Have I Got News For You. Image shows from L to R: Ian Hislop, David Dimbleby, Stacey Dooley, Henning Wehn, Paul Merton
Journalist and broadcaster David Dimbleby guest presents Have I Got News For You for the first time. Joining Ian Hislop and Paul Merton as panellists for the first episode of the new series are Stacey Dooley and Henning Wehn.

Further details

The first episode of the brand new series of Have I Got News For You will see journalist and broadcaster David Dimbleby make his HIGNFY guest presenting debut, in what will also be his first presenting role on the BBC since retiring from his role as chair of Question Time.

Joining Dimbleby and regular team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop as the opening episode's guest panellists will be journalist and documentary filmmaker Stacey Dooley and comedian Henning Wehn.

On guest presenting the programme for the first time, Dimbleby said: "It is an intriguing invitation. When chairing Question Time I became used to dealing with difficult panellists - but Ian Hislop and Paul Merton are another matter. They have turned disruptive subversion into an art form. It will be quite a challenge to keep the show on the road but whatever happens it will be fun."

Notes

Paul and Henning won, 8 points to 6.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 5th April 2019
Time
9pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
30 minutes
Recorded
  • Thursday 4th April 2019, 19:00 at Elstree Film Studios

Cast & crew

Cast
Ian Hislop Team Captain
Paul Merton Team Captain
Guest cast
David Dimbleby Host / Presenter
Henning Wehn Guest
Stacey Dooley Guest
Peter Snow Self
Writing team
Colin Swash Writer (Additional Material)
Rob Colley Writer (Additional Material)
Kevin Day Writer (Additional Material)
Giles Pilbrow Writer (Additional Material)
Shaun Pye Writer (Additional Material)
Fraser Steele Writer (Additional Material)
Karl Minns Writer (Additional Material)
Production team
Paul Wheeler Director
Jo Bunting Series Producer
Mike Rayment Producer
Richard Wilson Executive Producer
Pinki Chambers Executive Producer
Simon Brook Editor
Jon Ellis Editor
Todd Dalton Editor
Rich Ellis (as Richard Ellis) Editor
Laura Saimre Editor
Jonathan Paul Green Production Designer
Mikki Rain Production Designer
Hugo Keating Production Designer
Karen Jackson Costume Designer
Peter Raby Lighting Designer
George Webley (as Big George) Composer

Press

Series we've lost count (it's 57, if you must ask) of the panel show begins with David Dimbleby in the host's chair. Joining Merton and Hislop, meanwhile, are the doc-maker, Stacey Dooley and the German comic Henning Wehn, who is sure to land some digs at his adopted country's omni-Brexit-shambles.

Gwilym Mumford, The Guardian, 5th April 2019

One Brexit positive? It may make HIGNFY watchable again

The panel show hasn't been funny since at least 2012. But the sheer stupidity and self-destructiveness of our politics may just help it rediscover its bite.

Stuart Heritage, The Guardian, 5th April 2019

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