The News Quiz 2008

Three series of the award-winning satirical panel game, chaired by Sandi Toksvig

Hosted by the peerless Sandi Toksvig, these 25 episodes take us through the highlights and lowlights of 2008, a year dominated by the global financial crisis and the US presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain.

Scrutinising stories both world-shaking and whimsical are an esteemed panel of comedians, journalists and commentators, among them Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy, Phill Jupitus, Francis Wheen, Kevin Day, Carrie Quinlan, Mark Steel, Hugo Rifkind, Justin Edwards, Sue Perkins and Robin Ince. Trying not to laugh as they read out listeners’ comic cuttings are newsreaders Harriet Cass, Chris Aldridge, Carolyn Brown, Peter Donaldson, Charlotte Green, Rory Morrison, Corrie Corfield and Neil Sleat.

Subjects picked apart by the panel include Nicolas Sarkozy, Sarah Palin, Boris Johnson’s election as Mayor of London, the Large Hadron Collider, the dangers of obesity, stroppy teenagers and fuel duty protests – as well as the sex life of chimpanzees, naked flights for nudists, the formula for the perfect Yorkshire pudding and the surprising revelation that fish can count to four...

Production credits

Chaired by Sandi Toksvig

Chair’s script written by Stephen Carlin, Lucy Clarke, Rhodri Crooks, Jane Lamacraft, Simon Littlefield, Matthew Morton, Paul Kerensa, Suk Pannu, James Sherwood, Danielle Ward

With additional material by Stephen Carlin, Aaron Counter, Miriam Elia, Alistair Griggs, Gareth Gwynn, Jane Lamacraft, John-Luke Roberts, James Sherwood, Alan Stafford, Rory Stamp, Liz Stephens

Produced by Ed Morrish and Victoria Lloyd

A BBC Studios Production

Series 64 featuring: Kevin Day, Jack Dee, Justin Edwards, Simon Evans, Jeff Green, Andy Hamilton, Phil Hammond, Jeremy Hardy, Phill Jupitus, Fred MacAulay, Sue Perkins, Carrie Quinlan, Mark Steel, Francis Wheen

Series 65 featuring: Kevin Day, Simon Evans, Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy, Phill Jupitus, Fred MacAulay, Sue Perkins, Hugo Rifkind, Carrie Quinlan, Mark Steel, Francis Wheen

Series 66 featuring: Jo Caulfield, Kevin Day, Justin Edwards, Simon Evans, Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy, Robin Ince, Phill Jupitus, Fred MacAulay, Sue Perkins, Hugo Rifkind, Carrie Quinlan, Mark Steel, Francis Wheen

News items read by Harriet Cass, Chris Aldridge, Carolyn Brown, Peter Donaldson, Charlotte Green, Rory Morrison, Corrie Corfield and Neil Sleat

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 11 January-29 February 2008 (Series 64), 2 May-11 June 2008 (Series 65), 26 September-21 November 2008 (Series 66)

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