The Day Today

..and no, I'm not exaggerating. From Chris Morris' self-important tone of voice, to Steve Coogan's Alan Partridge, to illegal backstreet dentists, to Peter O'Hanererhanerohan, to The Bureau.. this show is a non-stop roller-coaster of insane ideas presented as reality, and has to be the best satire of news media ever done (possibly topped by Brass Eye). My favourite has to be Steve Coogan's road safety advert, 'well do I look cool? Do I really look cool? WELL DO I??'

It's a combination of performers who subsequently went on to do other brilliant stuff, but all of them combined is quite something.

Put simply, if you haven't seen this show, YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS.

The Day Today was NOT trying to fool veiwers. It was a satirical portrayal of the american style of news reporting, where the producers value ratings above the truth. Sadly, this is what UK news is becoming.

It's not really a news spoof. It is a sketch show like Monty Python's Flying Circus was. The sketches are held together by the news format. It is a reminder of the happy days of the BBC, when the suits took chances, and they paid off like this did.

This is the greatest piece of news-spoofery ever made. The team behind it have made many satirical programmes for the UK, bu this is their finest outing.

Based on news broadcasting in the UK, this programme mocked, spoofed and ridiculed all those involved in sloppy and lazy news. Although over 4 years old, the videos still sell, and more discover the genius of Chris Morris.

Watching I.T.N. nowadays one can't help but be reminded of 'The Day Today'. Smug, patronising presenters, gaudy sets, cheesy links, gimmicky presentation, an unmistakable political bias, all were hilariously parodied by Armando Ianucci and Chris Morris over a decade ago. Morris himself is superb as the anchorman, the rest of the cast are fine too, particularly the underrated Rebecca Front. But it was Steve Coogan's verbally constipated sports commentator 'Alan Partridge' who caught the public's imagination, going onto to appear in no less than two spin-offs. The bombastic theme music and flashy graphics of 'Today' added greatly to its humour. My favourite sketch featured a convicted American killer wanting to die like his idol Elvis Presley - by gorging himself on hamburgers. It is to the credit of Ianucci and Morris that they didn't milk the concept for all it was worth - 'The Day Today' ended after only one season. Luckily for us, Morris had another great show up his sleeve - 'Brass Eye'.

The Day Today was perhaps the best comedy programme ever invented. Chris Morris is the best News Reader ever. The rest of the cast react spectacularly to each other, and the news stories are just brilliant. "Sacked Chimney Sweep pumps boss full of mayonnaise" was just one such headline. Peter O'Hanrahanrahanrahan and Chris Morris are a great comedy pairing, and their battles still make me laugh out loud after hundreds of viewings. I cannot believe it took so long for this to be released on DVD. >From the first headline to the days papers, the show is pure, undiluted comedy. And the "War" episode is hilarious. I don't want to spoil it, but believe me, it is excellent, especially after hearing the news commentary during the recent Gulf War. It is so similar, it is uncanny. And all this from a simple comedy series! Chris Morris, Armando Ianucci, take a bow.