Frost “I know my place” Report

It was the show that led to the birth of The Two Ronnies, the formation of Monty Python and the regurgitation of The Goodies.

It inspired future shows like Not the Nine O’clock News and was a foundation stone in the long and prosperous history of British Satire.

It produced sketches that, even today, feature heavily in the wealth of top 200 comedy sketch shows that plague Channel 4 late at night.





Well now the BBC are bringing the show back, in the great tradition that is currently popular in British television of bringing old shows back and hoping they stick.

But it’s not being ‘properly’ brought back, it’s not coming back in the same way that Boyzone are coming back (initially for a one off special, oh we’ll do a full tour, oh we need the money lets release a new album), they’re coming back in the same way that Led Zeplin reformed (a one off gig for charity).

The Frost Report special will be on BBC FOUR for a two hour special on Easter Monday (24 March) and will feature David Frost, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Ronnie Corbett and Tim Brooke-Taylor.

The show, originally aired in the 1960s, used to enjoy audiences of 14 million+ and started with the words “hello, good evening and welcome”.

David Frost told the BBC: ‘Putting The Frost Report back together has been a joy, with so many memories – and even more important – so many laughs along the way.’

So, there clearly is a desire for satire on television, there clearly is a government ripe to be satirised and a population in need of some good old fashioned, intelligent comedy.

In which case - why do we need to look to stars of the 60s for a piece of satire and to bring back this great show?

We’ve already got some brilliant satire on TV at the moment, original, modern satire - think Marcus Bridgestock’s Late Edition - where Marcus takes on the world in this Satirical chat show.





Then there’s Have I Got News For You - which has started to lose its teeth in more recent series - starting to become a parody of itself.

So - why do we need to bring back old stars to bring back an old satirical show - why not get, and I’m about to get all ideary here.

Armando Ianucci in the “Armando 24″ - a sketch show in the vein of classics like That Was the Week That Was, Frost Report and Not the 9 o’clock News.

Featuring Armando presenting a faux 24 hours news/documentary channel with a series of sketch based highlights from throughout that days programming - a sort of ‘mix tape’ showing the best bits.

With shows presented by Stephen Fry, Marcus Bridgstock, Paul Merton, Chris Addison, Mark Thomas and other beacons of British Satirical Comedy.

It won’t happen but it would be funny - I think. Or maybe we shouldn’t be looking to past formats and inviting these same comedians to invent new formats instead? Although we would run the risk of yet another Television/You Tube satire.

Maybe the problem is Labour. All the best satirical comedies have been created while a Conservative Government where in power (or at least it feels that way).

The British Media, Comedians and entertainmen folk tend to be Liberal/Socialist leaning - so it’s harder to parody or satire a government that you agree with or want to stay in power than it is a Government you oppose.

So if we want great satire to return - maybe we need to vote Conservative at the next election - then again maybe a vote for New Labour is pretty much the same thing? Who am I insulting there?

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