British Comedy Guide
Mock The Week. Image shows from L to R: Hugh Dennis, Dara O Briain
Mock The Week

Mock The Week

  • TV panel show
  • BBC Two
  • 2005 - 2022
  • 212 episodes (21 series)

Topical panel show taking a satirical look at the week's news. Hosted by Dara O Briain with regular player Hugh Dennis. Also features Andy Parsons, Frankie Boyle, Russell Howard, Rory Bremner and Chris Addison

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Series 11

Mock The Week. Dara O Briain. Copyright: Angst Productions
Mock The Week. Image shows from L to R: Hugh Dennis, Dara O Briain, Andy Parsons, Chris Addison. Copyright: Angst Productions

Mock The Week is back for a new series. 2012 is set to be a big year for the show - not only does it have the topics of the Olympics, the Euro 2012 football and The Queen's Jubbly thing to tackle, this 11th series sees the show pass the 100th episode landmark.

Joining Dara O'Briain, Andy Parsons, Hugh Dennis and Chris Addison on the first episode of the show - Thursday 14th June - will be guests Micky Flanagan, Nathan Caton and Greg Davies.

Other performers due to feature later in June and July include Milton Jones, Carl Donnelly, Zoe Lyons, Miles Jupp, Ava Vidal. This series will also see Gary Delaney, Josh Widdicombe and Marcus Brigstocke appearing on the show for the first time.

After a run of six episodes the show will take a break, before returning in September with guests including Stewart Francis and Ed Byrne.

The 100th episode is due to fall on the 5th of July. The producers say "Ensure to remember where you are when you watch it and to lobby your MP for an extra Bank Holiday."

If you want to watch the new series being recorded, apply for free tickets

Whilst we await the new series, here's some interesting facts about the topical panel show:

- To date, 65 different performers have appeared on Mock The Week.

- Dara O'Briain and Hugh Dennis are the only performers who have appeared in every single episode.

- Ed Byrne has made the most guest appearances, with 20 to date.

- The oldest performer to make a debut on the show was Clive Anderson who was 53. The youngest person to appear on the show was Jack Whitehall, who was 21 at the time.

- The tallest person to appear on the show is, unsurprisingly, 6ft 8in Greg Davies. The shortest guests to appear on the series are 4ft 11in Sandi Toksvig and Lucy Porter.

- Panellists Alun Cochrane, Micky Flanagan and Ben Norris were all former studio warm up men for the show.

- Incredibly, Frank Skinner is the only winner of 'Rear of the Year' to have appeared on Mock The Week. So far.

Mock The Week. Image shows from L to R: Hugh Dennis, Dara O Briain, Rory Bremner, Frankie Boyle. Copyright: Angst Productions

- Former professions of panellists include: Psychiatric Nurse (Jo Brand), Prison Officer (Ava Vidal), Lift Engineer (Gina Yashere), Porter at Billingsgate Fish Market (Micky Flanagan) and Economic Researcher for the South Korean Embassy (Danielle Ward).

- During the recording, each cast member is given a banana and a mug containing either water or a 'mystery brew'; occasionally they are allowed a chocolate or energy bar.

- There have been 44 English-born performers on the show, five from Scotland, three each from Ireland and Wales, two each from the USA and Canada and one each from Australia, Denmark, Iran, New Zealand, Northern Ireland and South Africa.

- Adam Hills is, so far, the only performer to have removed his artificial foot on the show.

- The very first episode in June 2005 is the only one so far to end as a draw, as Dara said he found it "too difficult to choose a winner".

- When the first episode was broadcast in June 2005, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg had only been MPs for four weeks and David Cameron was a largely unknown Shadow Education Secretary.

- Episode 6 of Series 1 was cancelled because it was being recorded in central London on 7th July 2005, when bombings on the Tube network closed the system, ensuring that neither audience nor performers could get to TV Centre. A compilation of largely unseen material was broadcast instead. An end-of-series highlights special has continued as an idea ever since.

Published: Thursday 24th May 2012

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