Customer Reviews

The Day Today : Complete BBC Series (2 Disc Set) [1994] [DVD]

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Yes, well, I don't normally write about things with loads of reviews already like this but I was just reading through them and didn't understand half of the things they say. Never mind.

The Day Today is a brilliantly observed spoof news programme. Featuring Chris Morris, one revered by his fans and unheard of by most normal people, it also contains Alan Partridge's TV debut and a strong cast and writing team that almost all went on to become big names in "alternative" comedy.

It's main strength is it's accuracy. Ever since watching it, I can rarely watch the news without laughing at how like TDT these programmes are. Morris's arrogant anchorman is more like Jeremy Paxman than Jeremy Paxman, and his various reporters' voices are absolutely spot on, reading their reports with solemn self-important authority. The rest of the cast are brilliant too, most have been mentioned but I absolutely adore Rebecca Front as Babara Wintergeen and the way she pouts at the end of all of her reports!

They also manage to satarise the whole "fly on the wall" documentary brilliantly, as well as the soap opera and MTV. All in just six episodes!

Other than that, the humour is very surreal, with reports about the Bank of England losing the pound and making an emergency currency based on the Queen's eggs. Sounds strange? You should hear some of the headlines, "Bouncing Elephantitus destroys central Portsmouth" being one of my favourites.

The extras are very good, though it's a shame rumours of a cast commentary in character turned out to be false. Still, the extended versions of 'the pool' and 'the office' are nice, and the Pilot episode is very interesting.

I would recommend this whole-heartedly to anyone, I'm sure everyone would recognise all the characters in it from the news and find it funny. Fans of silly surreal humour would like it particularly, as would anyone who finds self-important news programmes annoying! Believe the hype, this is a satirical gem.

Superb. Just superb. This is comedy at its absolute best. The writing spawned a new generation of comedy that we've seen in shows such as Alan Partridge, Smack The Pony and Father Ted and Chris Morris is nothing short of a comedy genius. His parody of Kurt Cobain (singing an ad campaign for "Panty Smile" sanitary products) and his rendition of "Uzi Lover" make this box set worth the money alone.

Other gems include Alan Partridge reporting live from the rally driving championships, Barbara Wintergreen's report from Florida state penitentiary and the coverage on the outbreak of "War!". But there are really far too many classic moments to list. It's all one long laugh from beginning to end and is a must for anybody who enjoys top class comedy!

Peter, you're lying in a news grave!

One of the funniest TV comedy shows I've ever seen. The writing is extraordinary (Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews went on to make the equally brilliant "Father Ted", surely one of the greatest sitcoms ever) and Morris and his crowd of goons are spot-on. Did it change anything? No. TV news programmes, especially insofar as they resemble anything from the Murdoch stable, are still exactly this pompous, idiotic and self-important, although far less funny. The episode where Morris argues Britain and Australia into declaring war on each other is sublime. "Brasseye" was equally good, but Morris has become an increasingly frustrated-seeming figure; eager to change the world with his work, he's ended up tackling narrower and narrower milieux (did I just use that word?) so that the recent "Nathan Barley", co-written with Charlie Brooker (another gifted writer), was about twenty people in London satirising two hundred other people in London. All very oh-God-yeah if you write for the Guardian, I imagine, but lost on me.

Never mind. The glorious, crusading, vicious surrealism of "The Day Today" and "Brasseye" still rocks. Bishops pumped full of mayonnaise, Alan Partridge struck dumb with uneasiness by the sight of a female showjumper taking her top off...it's all here.

Genius, absolute genius. This series parodies the 90's current affairs programmes and does so with a huge amount of sucess.

I urge you to buy this DVD if you have not already done so. Each episode guarantees laughter throughout and actually stays with you and after watching it, the mere thought of it can bring you to laughter.

Chris Morris and Steve Coogan are utterly hilarious. It's worth buying if only to see Coogan as Alan Partridge.

Sheer brilliance. They don't make em like they used to!

I love this DVD! I honestly can't stop watching it and I love the names of people like Beverley Smax and Peter O Hanrahanrahan. The headlines, too, are just brilliant. If you have the DVD, here's something to look out for:

Insert Disc 1. When option to select episode comes up, press enter. Then press Top Menu and wait. You can hear a conversation between Chris Morris and Peter O Hanrahanrahan about 9/11. It's a bit sick but still deadly funny.

Fully deserves 5/5

This is the funniest TV series ever! It's like Newsnight on acid. From Alan Partridge's pathetic sports slots to Eugene Fraxby's report on Bomb Dogs (my fave) make sure you have a spare face because you'll wear yours out laughing. I laughed so much I now have a six-pack arnie would be proud of. This DVD is pure comedy genius and it should be illegal not to own it. Even if the DVD only had Chris Morris's superb skit on 999 for 3 hours it would still be worth buying. There is also a few morsels of new material in the shape of conversations between Morris and Alan Partridge and Morris and Peter O'Hanaraha-Hanarahan if you leave the menu screen alone for a few minutes.

However, you may find this DVD produces a very powerful sensation in your brain and body because fact into doubt won't go.

I'm not going to rant on about the merits of The Day Today - it is quite simply brilliant, as is this DVD release.

Special features include full length uncut versions of "The Pool" and "The Office" and the pilot show, which although containing material from the main series, is still excellent.
The only naff bit is the "Po Faced analysis" which is about a bunch of rather dim journalism students, and only slightly to do with assessing the show, or about how it was made!

Dont let it detract - this DVD release was long overdue, and it doesnt faulter - well worth it.

At last, The Day Today hs been unleashed on DVD! For those unfamiliarwith this comic creation of genius, The Day Today is the news programmepenned by Chris Morris, Steve Coogan etc. Originally aired 10 years ago,it's hysterically funny satire of new programmes and reporters is stillhilarious today. Look out for Gay Desk, John Fashanu, and Where now forMan raised by puffins. Those are the headlines, God I wish they weren't. Why not join me in buying it. Join me!

The Day Today is basically a TV version of Chris Morris's radio series "On The Hour", with many of the same characters. Brilliant, innovative humour, from the best comic mind since Peter Cook.

If you're not buying both tapes, I'd say Tape 1 is a little funnier than Tape 2.

The Day Today isn't quite as daring as Morris's more recent series Brass Eye, and doesn't "push the envelope" to the same degree, but it's still just as funny. If you like Morris's style, you'll like this.

Chris Morris is a genius - why oh why hasn't he done more TV work by now? Oh I know; he's managed to insult virtually anyone that calls themselves 'big' in television, which is reason in itself to get him on and making more stuff ASAP. In this video, look out for a shatteringly accurate take-off of MTV which is even more noteable when you realise that every part in it is played my Mr. Morris himself. Buy this video, wake up and SMELL THE NEWS!