(The Comic Side Of) 7 Days
"7 Days" was a comedy show conceived by Tony Roche and Andy Marlatt, a British and an American writer who had met whilst working on a Sir David Frost pilot for Pozzitive, "The Strategic Humour Initiative"
Here, more or less, is the original blurb:
7 Days
The top comedy brains in the UK analyse, satirize and make funny-ize the previous week in a frighteningly fast-paced half-hour tied together with music, video clips and shiny bright graphics that handily reduce the news of the past 7 days to "7 Words", or "7 Numbers", or even "7 Vowel Sounds"; for people who are really busy, really rushed, really lazy, or have no tongues.
Tony Roche is a comedy writer who wrote the cult BBC2 comedy "World Of Pub" and whose short film, "How To Tell When A Relationship Is Over" won "Best Short Film" at the Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. Inbetween times, he's written for Armando Iannucci's Gash on Channel 4, Alistair McGowan's Big Impression, The All New Harry Hill Show and Radio 4 cult hits The 99p Challenge and The Sunday Format
Andy Marlatt is an American. Nevertheless, he is a world famous satirist and comedy journalist, thanks to his brilliant website Satirewire.com ("because you can read and we have a web site"). Rivalling The Onion in its satirical look at the world, Satirewire boasts such now-legendary stories as "Study: Women Who Drink More Fun To Study" and "Zimbabwe Changes name To AAA Zimbabwe"
The pilot show starred inter alia Armando Iannucci, Mark Steel and fast-rising star John Oliver.
Here's a link to SatireWire: http://www.satirewire.com
******************
The first series ran for six half-hours in early 2005, and was immediately re-commissioned by the then BBC Three Controller, Stuart Murphy, for another run later that same year - but of thirteen shows, an absurdly overwhelming commission which we somehow managed to carry out.
A small obstacle came our way when the BBC decided that the title "7 Days" (around which the whole rhythm and feel of the show was based) wasn't a distinguishable enough title for the average digital channel browser, so a number of suggestions were made by them of varying levels of awfulness until, with moments to go before the presses rolled, we all compromised on the baffling "The Comic Side Of 7 Days" which did the job, retained the "7" bit and was lousy. We still just call it "7 Days"*
The format of the show was simple, we took news topics and filmed comedians talking to camera about them, and edited them down to the funniest stuff. Interspersed with that were Tony & Andy's "lists" of Sevens... cut at a fast pace, voiced radio-style and matched with astonishingly sharp and speedily-produced graphics by Andy Carroll and Jonny Brosnan (joined by David Edwards in the second series). In the first series, we had different narrators each week - Kevin Eldon, Robert Webb & Ralf Little all got a go, but for the second series, we hit upon the non-dulcet tones of DJ and 99p Chalenge/Now Show star Jon Holmes to provide the exact tone of high-energy venom required.
The edit was usually a race against the clock, but by the second series, we'd got the method down sufficiently well to allow the format to become more sophisticated; there was time to put music under lists, and to shoot live-action sketches for example. Unlike the first series, there was probably no danger of not making it on to the air in time. The only mishap occurred one week, when somebody nameless (and by now probably jobless) in BBC Scheduling accidentally put the show, complete with swearing and highly unsuitable content, out at 6.30 in the morning, to a bunch of baffled pre-school children, and their startled if sleepy parents.
David Tyler produced and directed Series 1 and the first nine of series 2, and exec'd the final four, with Karen Rosie producing.
By the end of the second run, BBC Three had a new Controller, who decided that the channel didn't need satire any more, and didn't recommission it.
That Controller is now gone....
* The show came within an inch of being called "How Nuts Was That!!". Truly.
(The Comic Side Of) 7 Days
Pilot
"Pilot"
Rx 16/6/04
Featuring | Armando Iannucci |
Inder Manocha | |
Julia Morris | |
Roland Rivron | |
Rob Rouse | |
Andy Marlatt | |
John Oliver | |
And the voices of | Ewan Bailey |
Tony Gardner | |
Emma Kennedy | |
Written by | Andy Marlatt |
Tony Roche | |
Researcher | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
Series 1
Show 1
First Tx 1 20/1/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Germaine Greer |
Rich Hall | |
John Oliver | |
Lucy Porter | |
Will Smith | |
Mark Steel | |
Mark Thomas | |
And the voices of | Ralf Little |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 2
First Tx 1 27/1/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Marcus Brigstocke |
Rich Hall | |
Reginald D Hunter | |
John Oliver | |
Salam Pax | |
Lucy Porter | |
Will Smith | |
Mark Steel | |
Ava Vidal | |
And the voices of | Matthew Holness |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 3
First Tx 3/2/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Danny Bhoy |
Marcus Brigstocke | |
Jo Caulfield | |
Rich Hall | |
Reginald D Hunter | |
John Oliver | |
Will Smith | |
Mark Steel | |
Gina Yashere | |
And the voices of | Robert Webb |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 4
First Tx 10/2/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Danny Bhoy |
Marcus Brigstocke | |
Jo Caulfield | |
Dan Gaster | |
John Oliver | |
Junior Simpson | |
Will Smith | |
Mark Steel | |
Gina Yashere | |
Andy Zaltzman | |
And the voices of | Kevin Eldon |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 5
First Tx 17/2/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Hils Barker |
Dan Gaster | |
Rich Hall | |
Reginald D Hunter | |
John Oliver | |
Junior Simpson | |
Will Smith | |
Mark Steel | |
Lucy Porter | |
And the voices of | Robert Webb |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 6
First Tx 24/2/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Danny Bhoy |
Marcus Brigstocke | |
Jo Caulfield | |
Dan Gaster | |
Reginald D Hunter | |
John Oliver | |
Will Smith | |
Mark Steel | |
Lucy Porter | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey | |
Written by | Andy Marlatt |
Tony Roche | |
with | Dan Gaster |
Graphic Design | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
Produced In Association With Pozzitive Television |
Series 2
Show 1
First Tx 1 23/9/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Stephen K Amos |
Jo Caulfield | |
Kevin Day | |
Simon Evans | |
Dan Gaster | |
Andrew Maxwell | |
John Oliver | |
Lucy Porter | |
Junior Simpson | |
Will Smith | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 2
First Tx 1 30/9/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Show 3
First Tx 1 7/10/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Marcus Brigstocke |
Scott Capurro | |
Simon Evans | |
Dan Gaster | |
Derek Laud | |
Lucy Porter | |
Anita Rani | |
Rob Rouse | |
Junior Simpson | |
Will Smith | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 4
First Tx 1 14/10/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Marcus Brigstocke |
Scott Capurro | |
Jo Caulfield | |
Dan Gaster | |
Adam Hills | |
Eddie Nestor | |
John Oliver | |
Rob Rouse | |
Gina Yashere | |
Will Smith | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 5
First Tx 1 21/10/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Chris Addison |
Scott Capurro | |
Marcus Brigstocke | |
Felix Dexter | |
Nick Doody | |
Simon Evans | |
Dan Gaster | |
Andrew Maxwell | |
Sue Perkins | |
Gina Yashere | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 6
First Tx 1 28/10/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Matt Blaize |
Scott Capurro | |
Kevin Day | |
Nick Doody | |
Steve Furst | |
Dan Gaster | |
John Oliver | |
Sue Perkins | |
Gina Yashere | |
Will Smith | |
And | Ali Amadi |
Adam G Goodwin | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 7
First Tx 4/11/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Chris Addison |
Stephen K Amos | |
Marcus Brigstocke | |
Scott Capurro | |
Jo Caulfield | |
Nick Doody | |
Dan Gaster | |
Sarah Kendall | |
Andrew Maxwell | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 8
First Tx 11/11/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Chris Addison |
Matt Blaize | |
Jo Caulfield | |
Kevin Day | |
Simon Evans | |
Dan Gaster | |
Richard Herring | |
Mike Wilmot | |
Gina Yashere | |
Andy Zaltzman | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 9
First Tx 18/11/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Chris Addison |
Nick Doody | |
Dan Gaster | |
Demetri Martin | |
John Oliver | |
Sue Perkins | |
Lucy Porter | |
Will Smith | |
Mike Wilmot | |
Gina Yashere | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 10
First Tx 25/11/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Chris Addison |
Matt Blaize | |
Scott Capurro | |
Jo Caulfield | |
Simon Evans | |
Dan Gaster | |
Sarah Kendall | |
Rob Rouse | |
Alexei Sayle | |
Mike Wilmot | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 11
First Tx 2/12/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Chris Addison |
Scott Capurro | |
Kevin Day | |
Dan Gaster | |
Andrew Maxwell | |
David Mitchell | |
Sue Perkins | |
Junior Simpson | |
Glenn Wool | |
Gina Yashere | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 12
First Tx 9/12/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Matt Blaize |
Jo Caulfield | |
Kevin Day | |
Nick Doody | |
Dan Gaster | |
Sarah Kendall | |
Jason Manford | |
Phil Nichol | |
John Oliver | |
Will Smith | |
And | Amy Palmer |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey |
Show 13
First Tx 16/12/05 BBC Three 23.00-23.30
Featuring | Chris Addison |
Matt Blaize | |
Jo Caulfield | |
Kevin Day | |
Dan Gaster | |
Robin Ince | |
Sarah Kendall | |
Simon Munnery | |
Alexei Sayle | |
Glenn Wool | |
And the voices of | Jon Holmes |
Emma Kennedy | |
Ewan Bailey | |
Written by | Andy Marlatt |
Tony Roche | |
with | Dan Gaster |
Additional material | Simon Blackwell |
Mark Evans | |
Additional voices | Dave Lamb |
Graphic Design | |
Produced & directed by | David Tyler |
(The Comic Side Of) 7 Days
Click here to go to the BBC website where you can read more about the show and watch clips
And here are some of our favourite clips:
Series 1
- 7 Ways Security Impacts Teddy The Tank Engine
- 7 Reasons To Live Alone
- 7 Days That Begin With M
- 7 Emotions That Haven't Been Named Yet
- 7 Not-So-Scary Giant Chants
- 7 Ways To Stop Speeding
- 7 Seating Arrangements At The Royal Wedding
- 7 Nasty Rumours We Could Spread About The French (Olympic) Bid
- 7 Murders That Could Save Eastenders
Series 2
- 7 Perfumes Kate Moss Should Front
- 7 Dangerous Birds
- 7 Aftershaves Pete Doherty Should Front
- 7 More Dangerous Birds
- 7 Reasons Britain Never Gets Hurricanes
- 7 Items On Gordon Ramsey's School Dinner Menu
- 7 Smoking Pubs Named & Shamed
- 7 Yob Tube Stations
- 7 Other Bans Labour Is Floating
- 7 New Slang Phrases Coined In The Next 7 Seconds
- 7 More Slang Phrases Coined In The Next 7 Seconds