I had the misfortune earlier today to listen to what the BBC allege is a “topical panel quiz show”. I refer, of course, to the News Quiz. The panelists were Jeremy Hardy, Paul Sinha, Imran Yusuf and Fred Macaulay. We all know Hardy for the hard left parasite he is, feeding off the largesse extended his way by the BBC. Palestinian loving Mecca visiting Imran Yusuf lived down to expectations and Paul Sinha (“Openly gay” according to his biog) proved to be particularly vicious in his leftist stream of hate. Macaulay got to spout about how wonderful Scotland is under SNP rule. What a lousy programme this has become – stripped of any value other than offering lefties a chance to spew out their trash “humour”.
NEWSQUIZ
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Immigrants biting the hand that feeds them.
When Barry Took was the question master I didn’t notice the bias – has it got worse or had I then not learnt to question what I heard?
Alan Coren was the token right-winger, and he was hardly that. Since Alan Coren sadly died the BBC seem to have delighted in inviting more and more left wing ‘comedians’ onto the programme. As well as Jeremy Hardy there is Mark Steele and others of their ilk.
Indeed. This programme used to be a lot of fun with such people as Alan Coren. I have not listened to it for over a year – the last time, Toksvig was openly derisive of Tories. It used to be a regular fixture of mine. <i>Have I got News for You</i> was the TV spin-off, and thanks to its regulars remains worth the odd half hour. Hardy is often funny, even if his humour is barbed, but Steele is just nasty. If you are a Lefty, continual jibes about Thatcher may make you feel better, I suppose. She makes a convenient conspiracy theory for adherents of a failing ideology, just like Mossad and the CIA are for the perennial failure of the Arabs.
A shake-out is long overdue, and I hope the New Labour Dividend (i.e the recession – you are paying it) will be the necessary dose of reality to kill the heroin of socialism once and for all. Unfortunately, more than just socialists will suffer, and Aunty will be there with the methodone to drag the pain out for that much longer.
and I hope the New Labour Dividend (i.e the recession – you are paying it) will be the necessary dose of reality to kill the heroin of socialism once and for all.
It will never, ever happen. Already the BBC have change peoples perceptions with six months of concentrated propaganda. The recession is the Tories/banks fault, the cuts (which haven’t even started yet) are unnecessary, Labours hands are clean …
Why do you think Brown is in hiding? Why isn’t the BBC looking for him? Because once Gibbo’s face gets on the box people start to remember. Just think about it. When was the last time you saw a picture of Brown on the BBC? May?
Unfortunately the opposite is true, socialism is the only possible answer now that ‘unfettered capitalism’ has failed!
Labour’ll be claiming ‘things can only get better’, next. They certainly have sufficient brass neck.
As for R4 ‘comedy’? I must admit I used to enjoy it, but haven’t bothered with it for ages. Hardy is a spiteful old Trot.
While visiting someone in hospital recently I overheard the patient in the next bed – a lovely old dear – asking if there was anything on the radio worth listening to that evening. Her visitor began reading out the listings from the paper: “Well, after the news there’s The News Quiz”. The old lady cut in: “Oh, I can’t listen to that any more. It’s all so left wing.”
The News Quiz, The Now Show, Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation, Mark Steel, Mark Thomas, Shappi Khorsandi, Josie Long, Richard Herring… you can see why lefties don’t mind paying the licence fee – at least they get a decent return for their money.
Nowadays the only new R4 comedy I make a point of listening to is Ed Reardon’s Week (recent episodes of which have made me wonder if the writer gets some of his subject matter via hidden microphones in my house.)
That should read “if the writers get some of their subject matter”.
Jeremy Hardy is one of the most vile pieces of communist filth that infests this disgusting corporation. I switched R4 on today just in time to hear him making some comment about Britain ‘plundering half the world’s riches’.
I switched off immediately.
I don’t listen to Radio 4 much any more. But I heard today’s News Quiz, just a long leftie diatribe.
It is meant to be FUNNY. I did not laugh once. Didn’t find any of it all funny or even “clever”.
By contrast, I used iPlayer to listen to 60 minutes on Radio 7 of anecdotes and memories by Ned Sherrin. I cannot count how many times I laughed out loud, let – deft and understated wit, genuine intelligence, wide-angle view on life.
I have no idea what Ned Sherrin’s political views were – having seen and heard him countless times. I imagine he was centre-left – but he was never forcing his views on anyone, just doing a job of entertaining.
He had more talent in his little finger than the entire News Quiz crowd over the past several years.
I listened to The news Quiz on Friday, a long car journey is my excuse and I laughed twice. For real laughs try I’m Sorry I haven’t a Clue or anything with Gyles Brandreth – now I sometimes can hardly drive through the laughter when listening to them.
Count Arthur Strong can be quite funny and seems apolitical. But News Quiz is a death zone.
Now that programme I just dont get, I think I average two laughs a programme. Ed Reardon however is right on the money.
Indeed Ed Reardon is spot on. Lets keep quite though or the buggers will transfer it to TV where upon Ed will become a lefty with a live in Lesbian daughter or similar nonsense.
“What’s happened to the News Quiz ? It used to be topical, witty and funny. Last week’s and tonights (it’s Friday) seem to be nothing but a soapbox for anti government/coalition propaganda – or an opportunity for Sue Perkins to give us her left wing views on life. Which is generally just scoring political points. There are enough political points scoring shows. I am no Tory or Lib Dem. I just want the News Quiz back.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/comedy/2011/01/the-news-quiz-are-men-the-prob.shtml
The BBC is just going down the pan. How long will it continue like this. I listen and watch less and less. Its become trash.
Alan Coren used to be the funniest guy on News Quiz – plus he held the line against leftie ranting.
Now all we get is leftie ranting.
Which we are forced to pay for.
I didnt used to see or care that much about liberal bias, me being one of those who last voted for Labour in 97′, one of them idealistic types who wanted rid of the Tories. A genuine liberal person if you will.
My eyes have been opened since the coalition, which I’m generally in favour of. The clockwork attacks on everything our constitutionaly elected government does and the exposure that the 80’s revisionist activists are given on the BBC are beyond belief (They SO want Cameron to be Thatcher). When most of these comedians are challenged on their political views I have to hide behind the sofa in embarresment at the wafer thin knowledge that they actualy have on the subject, and why are comedians given so much exposure on general politcal debate anyways? They are ALL well-off and are completely unaware a working class exist, what with all the inward fervent agreeing and fake laughter how can they?
With all the critiscism of the government, barely any of it is from poor/working class folk (Trust me, the poor dont go to University), the vast majority of abuse is from the non-Tory squeezed middle. These Labourites have no ideology and I’m convinced that the Tories can and will, try to reinvigorate the pre-Thatch Tory working class vote.
I suggest a drastic cut in licence fee, which should then be redirected towards making fast internet available to everyone for free.
Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. Leave them only their eyes to weep with.
I can hardly bear to read myself as I agree with almost everything said above. The News Quiz used to be a genuine Radio highlight of the week. I no longer bother now.
If old ladies are starting to notice too (no offence, Maggie!) it is really is time for the captive bolt to the forehead.
I probably would not mind the left bias if it were genuinely funny, or perhaps one has to have that bias to find it so.
15 years ago I would have counted myself a left-leaning liberal, too!
One of us has changed.
The trick with Radio 4 is to be very selective in your listening.
The station is like most other TV and radio channels. It has a tiny amount of quality product swamped by a huge amount of mediocre and dumbed down rubbish. Dismal, ‘celebrity’ led panel shows and lame, politicially correct ‘dramas’ are a staple of Radio 4 just like they are on BBC 1 TV.
For some reason lots of radio 4 listeners behave like downmarket TV addicts. They keep the station on nearly all the time and then complain that lots of it is rubbish.
I used to have Radio 4 on as background through the day.
Now I use iPlayer to select anything on Radio 4 I want – usually no more than one or two programmes a day – eg the Raymond Chandler plays this month. Otherwise I find I am selecting 5 or 6 programmes a day from Radio 7 – that is, OLD STUFF. Where the comedy programmes are funny.
The news quiz is one of the main reasons I no longer listen to R4 it’s collapse from a funny and inventive program to the lefty bitch fest it now is! has been startling and rapid! sad but like all BBC comedy it relies on the same few stock jokers [when not off working for ITV or selling insurance! the hypocrisy is stunning !] doing the same old routines they still think Thatcher jokes mean anything to most people
how edgy !.
I too used listen to the News Quiz on R4.
Having read the article and the comments above reminds me why once again the BBC can’t possibly defend the “impartiality is in our genes” bullshit they started to expound last year.
Barry Took as Chairman was impartial, as indeed was Simon Hoggart (Guardian sketch writer).
The current Danish lesbian chairwoman makes her predecessors sound like right-wing raving lunatics.
Members of the “teams” who used to make me laugh because they never gave away their politics and were all the more funny for it have included : Richard Ingrams, Will Self, Francis Wheen and Linda Smith to name but a few.
The crap that the BBC offer up to-day under the guise of once humorous Radio 4 programme, short of the intro/end musical ditty, is 29 minutes of tory- bashing from 10th-rate-couldn’t-get-a-job-anywhere-else-left-wing-prats.
Moving on :
Surprise ! – Marcus Bridgestock on “Just a minute”.
Surprise ! – Sue Perkins on, er, “Just aminute”.
Moving on again :
Surprise ! – Jeremy Hardy on “I’m sorry I haven’t a clue”.
Why don’t the BBC just go on and ruin the last R4 show I still listen to, “The Archers” and re-name it the “Edgy left-wing everyday story of ex-public school buffoons living in the countryside” so I can remove Broadcasting House from my Xmas card list once and for all.
I tuned in too, not to be amused, but just to check out how the old impartiality-is-in-our-genes thing is working out.
Answer: it’s not.
They don’t even try to be an equal opportunity offender.
With not a single mention of any opposition personality or policy, the targets were exclusively Tory. Does no one at the BBC notice this? Or care?
As for ‘the Big Society’, it’s become a lazy, all-purpose punchline, guaranteed to get the audience clapping and Sandi T yelping hysterically. (“Ooh, Jeremy, stop it, you’re killing me!”)
As for the rest of the anti-Tory comedy case, well, did you know that Michael Gove’s got a funny voice (!), David Cameron is too rich to care about poor folk (!!), we’re being ‘governed by a shower of numpties, (!!!)’ and we now call IDS, ‘Irritable Duncan Syndrome (!!!!)’ (Now, hasn’t that made you see his evil policies in an entirely new light?)
Oh, and did I mention the Big Society (!!!!!).
The Archers! – total right-on garbage!
Now now, give the BBC time and the Archers will become – total left-on garbage !
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That picture puts me in mind of ‘the hostess with the mostest’… is that her day’s salary (trolls… I know £1000 notes are not that big)?
Still, in this era of cuts and austerity and tough choices faced by most, it’s nice to know some are less troubled and can truly empathise with their audiences…
DavidACGregory – Recorded Zen ages ago and watching now. Is fabulous. Am going to spend all my money on great shoes and sharp suits.
I live in Birmingham where I work as BBC Science & Environment Correspondent. These are my personal views and not those of the BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/davidgregory
DavidACGregory – @MoystenGorjus From a reporter point of view what I say is news IS news
But it does depend a bit on what is chosen in advance, too…
BrumPlumber Charlie Sutherland
by DavidACGregory
Good to hear Radio WM & guests inviting David Cameron to come back to Sparkbrook and see multiculturalism working
The key appears to be to ensure that right (thinking?) folk are at the correct respective ends of the mic.
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Oh and if you’re looking for a dull half-hour don’t forget to listen to the Lenny Henry sitcom “Rudy’s Rare Records” on Radio 4 at 18:30 this evening (Tuesday). I hadn’t realised until I visited this page http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yqsj3 that this load of dross is coming to the end of its third series.
What do Lenny (and the resident “comics” on News Quiz) have to do to be thrown off the BBC comedy gravy train? I’ll tell you – come out against warmism or imply that the “cuts” might be necessary: funny or not, their feet wouldn’t touch the ground.