Britain tunes in to fake news "Daily Show"

[sabra]

http://today.reuters.co.uk/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2005-08-26T140730Z_01_FLE650840_RTRUKOC_0_UK-MEDIA-DAILYSHOW.xml

Britain tunes in to fake news "Daily Show"

LONDON (Reuters) - "The Daily Show", comedian Jon Stewart's popular deconstruction of U.S. nightly newscasts, has struck its first full-scale overseas syndication deal with UK broadcaster Channel 4.

Stewart and his team of fake news correspondents will be a cornerstone of Channel 4's new digital channel More4, filing nightly dispatches on U.S. politics, news media foibles and Iraq's "Mess O' Potamia."

American comedy has an uneven track record when it is exported across the pond, but More4 boss Peter Dale is betting that British audiences who are used to Ricky Gervais' "The Office" will latch onto "The Daily Show's" sardonic sensibility.

"I think it's irresistible to an audience that likes an irreverent brand of humour. It's made for British audiences in some ways," he told Reuters on Friday, noting that Comedy Central "seemed a bit surprised that we were interested."

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

1. "There is no cannibalism in the British Royal Navy"

I didn't get all of the Monty Python jokes but it was still funny...found out years later that this was a joke about the Royal Navy denying any homosexuality existed in their branch of the service.

I think the Brits will enjoy TDS and Jon.

[mrfrapp]

2. UK Opinion

I download it religiously and love it for its insight but I honestly don't see it being successful here in the UK. I hope I'm wrong but I'll be surprised.

And what similarity it has to "The Office" I simply don't know.

[Greeby]

3. Woot

No more searching blogs for me :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[Taxloss]

4. Hooray!

At last!

And on C4 as well, where better.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

5. I watch it via bittorrents and it's the best satire currently

coming out of the U.S. I think British audiences will "get it" and I think Channel Four will know how to handle and market it.