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Gash

"Gash" was a Talkback production, made in association with Pozzitive and arose when Armando Iannucci was asked by Channel 4 to pilot a run of a topical nightly show, a complex freewheeling mixture of topical sketches and guests with a resident panel of comedians. With a passing nod to the then new-fangled “The Daily Show” in the US, it ran for its week in late April 2003, but in the end, according to their letter to Armando, “didn’t make the right sort of noises for Channel 4”, a phrase that caused the team much bitter hilarity. The show’s format, or many of the elements from it, resurfaced later within Armando Iannucci’s Charm Offensive on Radio 4, now in its fourth series.

The title itself merits some explanation; “Gash” is a slightly old-fashioned technical term for odd bits and pieces of tape - audio or video - lying around the editing room; it was meant to give the impression that bits of the show - sketches, jokes, ideas - had come from all over the field of view that day. (Originally it was a naval terms for odd bits of rope lying around on deck.)

Highlights of the show included a wilful “Double Take” spoof of photo-artist Alison Jackson’s BBC 2 show featuring rubbish Alan Yentob and Alison Jackson look-alikes shot in the Double Take style arguing about why the series would be funny, the ever-so-twee Iraq War Reconstruction Society and the world’s first and only satirical balloon-modeller. Plus each show featured a spoof prankster, “Mickey Dick” getting involved in soi disant hilarious, but in truth, utterly tasteless and hateful “pranks”, usually resulting in his merciful injury or death...

Here’s the original blurb:


Gash

… is the new nightly political comedy show for Channel Four, presented by Armando Iannucci  (The Friday Night Armistice, writer/producer of “I'm Alan Partridge” and “The Day Today”), with guests from the world of comedy, news and the media being funny about everything that’s ever happened today, so probably the war with Iraq mostly. Definitely not just tame BBC 2-type sketches in which someone who looks nothing like Kylie Minogue injects her bottom with stuff and tries to pass off the whole limp event as the ‘topical satire’ show Double Take.

Gash – editor’s slang for any bits of cut-up tape – will try and compress twenty-four hours of the day’s events into twenty-four minutes of talk, jokes, bits, VT footage, more jokes, blindingly well-informed opinion, jokes, utter lack of balance, jokes and Armando Iannucci. One or more of these things could happen at the same time.

Gash

Show 1

 First Tx: 28/4/0323.00-23.30

StarringArmando Iannucci
 
with guestsDominic Holland
Nick Wilty
Martin Bell
 
and featuring
Ewan Bailey
The satirical balloonistGraham Lee

Show 2

 First Tx: 29/4/0323.00-23.30

StarringArmando Iannucci
 
with guestsDominic Holland
Jon Holmes
John McFall
 
and featuring
Admiral Sir Michael BoyceGeoffrey Whitehead
Gulf War ManAdam G Goodwin
Gulf War WomanOlivia Colman
Mickey DickDan Clark
Company MDPeter Corey
Additional voicesEwan Bailey
Melanie Hudson
The satirical balloonistGraham Lee

Show 3

First Tx: 30/4/0323.00-23.30

StarringArmando Iannucci
 
with guestsDominic Holland
Nick Wilty
Mark Oaten MP
 
and featuring
Mickey DickDan Clark
PriestEwan Bailey
WPC Rap NewsOlivia Colman
Clare Short/GollumMelanie Hudson
Ian Duncan SmithLewis Macleod
The satirical balloonistGraham Lee

Show 4

First Tx: 1/5/0323.00-23.30

StarringArmando Iannucci
 
with guestsJon Holmes
Nick Wilty
Jan Falkowski
Matthew Parris
 
and featuring
Mickey DickDan Clark
Sentry/Alan YentobEwan Bailey
Alison JacksonMelanie Hudson
The satirical balloonistGraham Lee
 
Additional material bySimon Blackwell
Roger Drew
Jon Holmes
Danny Robins
Tony Roche
withJoel Veitch
Ian Martin
 

Produced in association with Pozzitive Television Ltd

Associate Producers
Maggie Gu
David Skinner

Researchers
Chris Brazier
Pete Walter

Film Research
Belinda Harris

Graphics
Liquid TV
Andy Carroll
Nick Hellman

Production Buyer
Jess Kitley

Art Director
Simon Rogers

Costume Designer
Marcia Stanton

Make-Up Designer
Judith Barkas

Production Co-Ordinator
Libby Raybould

Production Team
Penny Anderson
Oliver Pease

Stage Manager
Shona Penman

Floor Manager
Michael Matheson

Script Supervisor
Amelia Price

Location Camera
Simon Robinson

Location Sound
Paul Zanders

Vision Mixer
Kathryn Randall

VT Editor
Mykola Pawluk

Sound Supervisor
Rob Ashard

Camera Supervisor
Mike Dugdale

Lighting Director
Chris Kempton

Designer
Dennis De Groot

Production Manager
Ruth Yahel

Production Executive
Penelope Chong

Graphics Producer
Adam Tandy

Executive Producer
Phil Clarke

 
Directed byBen Fuller
David Tyler
 
Produced byDavid Tyler

Gash

Because "Gash" only ran for a week, we haven't got any photos, alas. Nor was it ever released on DVD.... But you can -

- gawk at Armando's CV on The Internet Movie Database

or on his agent's website

And we can't resist linking you to "Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive" or even getting you to contemplate buying it as downloads, either via iTunes or by clicking here...


Other shows in TELEVISION ...