20 Funniest Moments In British Comedy

By Adam Clery / April 17, 2021

15. Not The 9 O'Clock News

The Show: Few shows have left a lasting legacy on the comedy landscape quite as dramatic as Not The Nine O'Clock News. In a evening slot that was crying out for something to contrasts the drab mainstream political and social agenda, the BBC offered up a quite literal alternative.

Making stars of Mel Smith, Pamela Stephenson, Rowan Atkinson, and Griff Rhys Jones, the sketch show had spawned Blackadder, Spitting Image and Alas Smith And Jones within a few years.

The Setup: As with all the shows finest sketches, there's no real background or lead-in to the piece. Just a scientist and his talking Gorilla taking part in a fictionalised chat show. Arguably the sketch when the writers flair for dialogue reached its most impressive.