The Word (TV series)

Last updated

The Word
Directed byLuke Campbell
Julia Knowles
Presented by Terry Christian
Mark Lamarr
Dani Behr
Alan Connor
Amanda de Cadenet
Huffty
Katie Puckrik
Jasmine Dotiwala
Michelle Collins
Theme music composer 808 State [1]
Opening themeOlympic (Euro Bass Mix) [2]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series5
No. of episodes104
Production
Executive producerJane Buchanan
ProducersSean Borg
Paul Ross
Tamsin Summers
Asif Zubairy
Production locations Limehouse Studios (1990–92) [3]
Teddington Studios (1993–95) [3]
Running time60 minutes (inc. adverts)
Production company Planet 24
Original release
Network Channel 4
Release24 August 1990 (1990-08-24) [4]  
24 March 1995 (1995-03-24)
Related
The Girlie Show

The Word was a 1990s Channel 4 television programme in the United Kingdom. [5]

Contents

Format

The show's presenters included Terry Christian, comedian Mark Lamarr, Dani Behr, Katie Puckrik, Jasmine Dotiwala, Alan Connor, Amanda de Cadenet and Huffty. [6] Originally broadcast in the old Tube time slot of 6 pm Friday evenings, The Word's main live show was shifted to a late-night timeslot from 9 November 1990. The magazine format allowed for interviews, live music, features and even game shows. The flexible late-night format meant that guests could do just about anything to be controversial.

There was also an 'I'll do anything to be on television' section called "The Hopefuls" which ran for half of series 4 and half of series 5 in which people did generally repulsive things in order to get featured on the programme. [6]

Production

The show was the brainchild of Charlie Parsons and Christian and was originally produced for series 1 and 2 by the production company 24 Hour Productions, which later became Planet 24.

Paul Ross was the series editor on series 3 and 4, and became executive producer for series 5. Jo Whiley worked as a researcher/band booker on series 2 and half of series 3 and is credited as having given Nirvana their historic and notorious first TV appearance. [7]

The programme ran for five series from 1990 to 1995. From the start, there was considerable tabloid backlash against the show. In mid 2000, Channel 4 screened a short-running compilation series titled Best of The Word, which mostly featured music performances.

Tango sponsored the show in 1994.

Notable moments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Charles</span> English actor, comedian and DJ (born 1964)

Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, comedian, DJ, and television and radio presenter. He is best known for his roles as Dave Lister in the science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf and Lloyd Mullaney in the soap opera Coronation Street (2005–2015). He presented the gladiator-style game show Robot Wars from 1998 to 2004, and narrated the comedy endurance show Takeshi's Castle. As a DJ, he appears on BBC Radio 6 Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Bailey</span> British musician and comedian (born 1965)

Mark Robert Bailey, known professionally as Bill Bailey, is an English musician, comedian, actor and television presenter. He is known for his role as Manny in the sitcom Black Books and for his regular appearances on the panel shows Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI, as well as for his stand-up comedy work. He plays a variety of musical instruments and incorporates music into his performances.

<i>Top of the Pops</i> British music chart television series

Top of the Pops (TOTP) is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1 January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its history, it was broadcast on Thursday evenings on BBC One. Each show consisted of performances of some of the week's best-selling popular music records, usually excluding any tracks moving down the chart, including a rundown of that week's singles chart. This was originally the Top 20, though this varied throughout the show's history. The Top 30 was used from 1969, and the Top 40 from 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Ball</span> British television and radio personality

Zoe Louise Ball is a British broadcaster and presenter. She was the first female host of the Radio 1 and Radio 2 breakfast shows for the BBC, and presented the 1990s children's show Live & Kicking, alongside Jamie Theakston from 1996–1999.

<i>The Tube</i> (TV series) United Kingdom music television programme

The Tube is a United Kingdom music television programme, which ran for five series, from 5 November 1982 to 24 April 1987. It was filmed in Newcastle upon Tyne and produced for Channel 4 by Tyne Tees Television, which had previously produced the similar music show Alright Now and the music-oriented youth show Check it Out for ITV; production of the latter ended in favour of The Tube.

<i>Never Mind the Buzzcocks</i> British comedy panel game television show

Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hosted by Mark Lamarr, then by Simon Amstell, and later by a number of guest presenters, with Rhod Gilbert hosting the final series. It first starred Phill Jupitus and Sean Hughes as team captains, with Hughes being replaced by Bill Bailey from the eleventh series, and Bailey replaced by Noel Fielding for some of series 21 and from series 23 onward. The show returned six years later, now hosted by Greg Davies, with Daisy May Cooper as the new captain and Fielding returning as a captain. The show is produced by Talkback. The title plays on the names of the Sex Pistols album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols and the band Buzzcocks.

Mark Lamarr is an English comedian, radio disc jockey and television presenter. He was a team captain on Shooting Stars from 1995 to 1997, and hosted Never Mind the Buzzcocks from 1996 to 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Mayo</span> English radio presenter and author

Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo is an English radio presenter and author who worked for BBC Radio from 1982 until 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Brooker</span> English writer, television presenter, and producer

Charlton Brooker is an English writer, television presenter, producer and satirist. He is the creator and co-showrunner of the sci-fi drama anthology series Black Mirror, and has written for comedy series such as Brass Eye, The 11 O'Clock Show, and Nathan Barley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Whiley</span> English television and radio personality

Johanne Whiley-Morton, better known by her professional name Jo Whiley, is an English radio DJ and television presenter. She was the host of the long-running weekday later weekend Jo Whiley Show on BBC Radio 1. She currently presents her weekday evening Radio 2 show. She is also the main presenter for the BBC's Glastonbury Festival coverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Laverne</span> English radio DJ, model, television presenter

Lauren Cecilia Fisher, known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She was the lead singer and additional guitarist in the alternative rock band Kenickie. The group's album At The Club reached the top 10, although her greatest chart success came when she performed vocals on Mint Royale's single "Don't Falter". Laverne has presented numerous television programmes, including 10 O'Clock Live for Channel 4, and The Culture Show and coverage of the Glastonbury Festival for the BBC. She has also written a published novel entitled Candypop: Candy and the Broken Biscuits. She presents the breakfast show on BBC Radio 6 Music, and in 2018 became the host of the long-running radio show Desert Island Discs.

Terence Christian is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He has presented several national television series in the UK including Channel 4's late-night entertainment show The Word (1990–1995) and six series of ITV1 moral issues talk show It's My Life (2003–2008). He has also been a regular guest panelist on the topical Channel 5 series The Wright Stuff and Jeremy Vine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edith Bowman</span> Scottish radio DJ and television presenter

Edith Eleanor Bowman is a Scottish radio DJ and television presenter. She hosted Colin and Edith, weekday afternoons, weekend breakfast, and The Radio 1 Review on BBC Radio 1 until 2014 and has presented a variety of music-related television shows and music festivals. Since 2020, Bowman has hosted the annual Scottish Music Awards ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Amstell</span> English comedian

Simon Marc Amstell is an English comedian, writer and director. He wrote and directed the films Carnage (2017) and Benjamin (2018). His work on television has included presenting Popworld and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Kielty</span> Northern Irish comedian, presenter and actor

Patrick Kielty is a comedian, presenter and actor from Northern Ireland. He is the host of The Late Late Show on RTÉ One and presents a Saturday morning programme on BBC Radio 5 Live. His television credits include the BBC's Patrick Kielty Almost Live and Channel 4's Last Chance Lottery. He has also presented ITV's Love Island and This Morning.

The Jo Whiley Show was a British weekday later weekend radio show on BBC Radio 1 hosted by Jo Whiley. The programme was on air from February 2001 to March 2011 and was broadcast each weekday morning between 10:00am and 12:45pm, and later 13:00-16:00 each weekend afternoon. And Bank Holidays And Good Fridays At 10.00–13.00

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fearne Cotton</span> English television and radio presenter

Fearne Wood is an English broadcaster and author. She began her career in the late 1990s as a children’s television presenter for GMTV, CITV and CBBC. She went on to present various television shows, including Top of the Pops (2004–2020), Children in Need (2005–2017), Love Island (2006), The Xtra Factor (2007), and Red Nose Day. From 2008 to 2018, Cotton was a team captain on the ITV2 comedy panel show Celebrity Juice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio 2</span> British national radio station

BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. The 'About Radio 2' BBC webpage says: "With a repertoire covering more than 40 years, Radio 2 plays the widest selection of music on the radio—from classic and mainstream pop to a specialist portfolio including classical, country, folk, jazz, soul, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues."

<i>When Nirvana Came to Britain</i> 2021 BBC documentary by Wise Owl Films

When Nirvana Came to Britain is a 2021 documentary about American rock band Nirvana's time in the United Kingdom from their first tour there in 1989 up to their headline performance at the Reading Festival in 1992 and their cancelled UK tour of 1994. It was produced by Wise Owl Films and first aired on BBC Two on 18 September 2021. It was produced to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band's Nevermind album, which was released in September 1991.

References

  1. Simon Donohue (31 December 2002). "Madchester revival may be on the cards – News – Music – Greater Manchester's CityLife". Citylife.co.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  2. "Nottingham Music – 808 State". BBC. 3 February 2003. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Wembley (Lee, Limehouse, Fountain)". TV Studio History. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  4. Date: Friday, 24 Aug 1990 Publication: The Times (London, England)Issue: 63793
  5. Parsons, Charlie (10 August 2010). "How The Word changed television for ever". Guardian. London. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  6. 1 2 Mark Lawson (9 March 1995). "The Last Word In Trash Tv – Life & Style" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  7. "BBC – Press Office – Jo Whiley". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Best of The Word". Channel 4. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  9. Tim Lusher (10 August 2010). "Best moments of The Word: from grunge to gross-out | Television & radio". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  10. Hill, Dave (1 March 2001). "Straight talking". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 February 2024.