Lambeth councillor gagged over Jo Brand Streatham row

A Town Centre manager has been reprimanded for defending Streatham in south London, after comedian Jo Brand called it a "----hole".

Written by Andrew Hough. The Daily Telegraph, 18th May 2012

Nancy Dell'Olio criticises the BBC's 'sexist' HIGNFY

Nancy Dell'Olio has labelled the atmosphere of the BBC television programme Have I Got News For You as 'sexist'.

Written by Tim Walker and Richard Eden. The Daily Telegraph, 16th May 2012

William Shatner to host Have I Got News For You

Star Trek icon William Shatner will take the Have I Got News For You host's chair for the very first time on Friday 25th May.

BBC Press Office, 9th May 2012

How do we love HIGNFY? Let us count the ways...

Have I Got News For You celebrates its 22nd birthday this year and an astounding 43 series on the air.

Written by Liam Murphy. On the Box, 4th May 2012

Jeremy Clarkson is in the host's chair once again, always a gleeful prospect for anyone who enjoys watching him being needled by Ian Hislop. Remember when Clarkson threw his pen at Hislop, who'd had the temerity to cast doubt on Clarkson's authorship of his newspaper columns?

Their exchanges should be even more spicy, considering Private Eye's pursuit of Clarkson after he imposed a super-injunction on his ex-wife (a legal stricture Clarkson himself broke late last year).

Surely everyone will have some sport with guest Nancy Dell'Olio, a woman who has turned preening self-obsession into a profession.

Alison Graham, Radio Times, 4th May 2012

We're hoping for fireworks tonight as Jeremy Clarkson takes the ­driver's seat once again.

After the fun that Private Eye had at Clarkson's expense over the injunction he imposed against his ex-wife, editor Ian Hislop will have been gleefully sharpening up his ad libs in readiness.

Clarkson can give as good as he gets, of course, and if they can get through the entire show without lawyers or paramedics having to be helicoptered in then frankly, it will be a bit of a disappointment.

Into this already heady mix Nancy Dell'Olio, who lumbered so ­entertainingly through her stint on Strictly Come Dancing, is thrown in for good measure.

This woman's shield of ­self-confidence is so strong the panel should be warned that any taunts they hurl at her are likely to bounce straight off and poke them in the eye.

Jane Simon, The Daily Mirror, 4th May 2012

Interview with Hat Trick boss Jimmy Mulville

All the successive BBC suits know that in Have I Got News For You, they have enduring comedy gold. Yet Jimmy Mulville's original expectations were low. "I didn't even like the title, and the pilot was the worst programme made by human beings up to that point"

Written by Brian Viner. The Independent, 30th April 2012

Homeland's Damian Lewis takes to the host chair of this long-running panel show once again - but don't expect Paul Merton nor Ian Hislop to be any kinder to him now that's he's starring in one of the hottest shows on TV. Meanwhile Glasgow comic Susan Calman will be seeking to prove her quick-fire mettle among the guests.

Sharon Lougher, Metro, 27th April 2012

Jo Brand told: Streatham is no laughing matter

Jo Brand, the comedian, has been accused of doing "serious damage" to the reputation of Streatham after describing the south London suburb as a "----hole".

Written by Anita Singh. The Daily Telegraph, 25th April 2012

'HIGNFY' still ahead of 'Piers Morgan's Life Stories'

Have I Got News For You conquered Piers Morgan's Life Stories for a second week on Friday (April 20) night, early viewing figures indicate.

Written by Paul Millar. Digital Spy, 22nd April 2012

Ian Hislop, 'HIGNFY' trumps Piers Morgan in ratings

Have I Got News For You claimed a historic victory over Piers Morgan's Life Stories last night (April 13).

Written by Paul Millar. Digital Spy, 14th April 2012

Now in its 43rd series, amazingly, little has changed since Have I Got News For You was forced to ditch scandal-hit Angus Deayton as host for the successful but problematic "guest host" format. The thinking is that HIGNFY is kept fresh by having different celebs hosting the show every week, Saturday Night Live-style, and that's true to an extent-but it also means you have boring "safe pair of hands" episodes (here Stephen Mangan, usually Alexander Armstrong) more than the truly memorable hosts (like Boris Johnson or Bruce Forsyth). It also irritates me that the show still keeps in the "mistakes" a guest hosts make during the live recording, as if it's still a novelty having a "non-professional" sitting in the hot-seat and a fluffing a line or two. Isn't this the accepted format of the show now? Why are the still showing us what amounts to bloopers in the show itself?

HIGNFY is still incredibly popular and remains an entertaining watch, but I find myself wishing it would be overhauled. Ian Hislop and Paul Merton have been team captains for so long their shtick is fairly predictable, especially in the latter's case with his surreal meanderings. But more worrying than that, if we're honest HIGNFY is a much less perceptive satirical show than its reputation has us believe. If you note the type of jokes that are made off-the-cuff, or the writers have scripted for the guest host to read off the autocue, the majority of them are silly jibes about a particular famous person's public persona or physical looks. (Politician Eric Pickles is a particular target these days, just because he's fat. I guess Pickles is John Prescott's replacement because they've had the ex-Deputy PM on the show and now we know he's actually a straight-thinking and amusing man.)

Obviously not every joke can be a vividly perceptive gem that tackles the hot issues of the day in a fresh way, but I get the feeling that HIGNFY has less and less to say of real merit these days. It's like everyone who appears on it just follows the pattern they've seen play out hundreds of times, afraid or just unable to take the show down a different path. Why not alter some of the rounds, ditch some of the weaker ones, or bring in a few new ideas? For instance, why is there still a "guest publication" in the Missing Words round? Wasn't that a one-series joke that never got retired? Its weekly inclusion just removes the opportunity for a politically-based joke when the missing word has something to do with a niche topic like raisins instead of something topical and of public interest.

It just feels like HIGNFY could do with a facelift, because it's been around for so long that viewers find it comforting (some people have never known a world without HIGNFY, remember!), and treat it with a reverence it perhaps doesn't deserve anymore. It probably helps that there's no admirable challenger out there, with Channel 4's disappointing 10 O'Clock Live and Adrian Chiles' That Sunday Night Show its closest competitors. In comparison to both, HIGNFY remains genius.

Dan Owen, Dan's Media Digest, 14th April 2012

Ian Hislop on comedy, politics and HIGNFY

"Sometimes the ones who are really useless are incredibly funny..."

Written by Tom Loxley and Claire Webb. The Radio Times, 13th April 2012

What makes the perfect Have I Got News For You host?

After 10 years of guest hosts, the format is showing signs of wear and tear. How can proceedings be livened up?

Written by Stuart Heritage. The Guardian, 13th April 2012

If you were thinking Friday nights had become a little joyless lately, here's good news. The best panel shows around are back to make BBC1's end-of-week comedy desert bloom again.

Unbelievably, this is the 43rd series of Have I Got News for You sifting current events or, put another way, the 364th episode - and so far Ian Hislop hasn't missed one. He'll be renewing hostilities against Paul Merton here, with likeable wit Stephen Mangan in the chair as guest host (coming later in the series: Alastair Campbell!)

David Butcher, Radio Times, 13th April 2012

At the heart of BBC One's returning Friday night comedy block is the 43rd series of Have I Got News for You. Over the last 22 years the current affairs panel show has clocked up some improbable statistics: no fewer than 363 episodes transmitted, with Alexander Armstrong its most frequent guest host after 19 appearances in the chair. Tonight's show will be hosted by Stephen Mangan, alongside veteran team captains Ian Hislop (who has appeared in all 363 editions) and Paul Merton (a relative novice at just 355). Later in the series, we are promised debuts from new hosts such as former government spin doctor Alastair Campbell, as well as returns from motormouth Jeremy Clarkson and Homeland's Damian Lewis.

Neil Midgley, The Daily Telegraph, 12th April 2012

Alastair Campbell to host Have I Got News For You

The former Downing Street spin doctor Alastair Campbell is to make his debut as a host on satirical panel show Have I Got News For You.

The Independent, 29th March 2012

Angus Deayton: Paul and Ian were paid as much as me

Angus Deayton on sex, scandals and why everybody gets paid too much on TV.

Written by Decca Aitkenhead. The Guardian, 3rd February 2012

This is one Christmas special from which you can't expect to hear too much goodwill to all men. It may have the jovial Martin Clunes returning for his tenth stint as guest host, but his hearty chuckle will not dull the sharp edge of Ian Hislop's satirical swipes at captains of industry, bankers, the Government, the opposition - anyone he feels he can accuse of hypocrisy basically.

Paul Merton's rants at the absurdities of the lighter side of the news should see Clunes's face crumple into paroxysms of laughter - he's always served as the lighter side to Hislop's more serious tone, but as the series has progressed the steady accumulation of idiocy in the world has proved enough to really get his goat.

David Crawford, Radio Times, 23rd December 2011

Martin Clunes is a veteran host of the topical news quiz - and clearly a favourite, as he is invited back here to present the Christmas special. Never short of material, team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton have had almost too much to play with in 2011, what with the phone-hacking scandal leading to the public airing of the tabloid media's laundry.

Josephine Moulds, Digital Spy, 22nd December 2011

A rotating line-up of hosts used to make HIGNFY one of television's most unpredictable panel shows, but we're afraid to say that the show's become a little stale of late - as much as we love them, it'd be nice to have a break from David Mitchell, Jack Dee, Jo Brand et al. The last time we had a left-field choice of host was 2010's Damian Lewis, so we're excited to see how Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens performs in the hot seat this Friday.

Digital Spy, 20th November 2011

Ian Hislop wants Tony Blair to be on HIGNFY

Ian Hislop wants Tony Blair to appear on Have I Got News For You - saying he would make a "terrific" guest.

The Sun, 15th November 2011

It seems unlikely that the ultimate question to the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything is: "How many series of Have I Got News for You have there been?" But this week saw the start of the 42nd series.

Jo Brand hosted the first episode back, with Victoria Coren alongside Ian Hislop and Graham Linehan with Paul Merton. When I learnt about the line-up my immediate reaction was, "Thank God!" It's something of a rarity for HIGNFY to have a line-up consisting of people who are all essentially humorists. No politicians, no journalists, just people who are paid to be funny for a living. That is who we want. It's generally one of the advantages that Mock the Week has over HIGNFY, in that all the people on MTW are nearly always comics.

Everyone on this week's show had their moments, whether it's Coren on her hatred of cat lovers, Linehan's in-depth knowledge of Twitter, or Merton suggesting confusion between Michael Winner smoking a cigar and a picture of a seagull doing a poo. What a wonderfully awful image.

However, the best bit was that this episode was the first in a while which didn't make any lazy jokes about Eric Pickles being fat. It won't last...

Ian Wolf, Giggle Beats, 17th October 2011

It's the big daddy, the elder statesman of satire shows. As Panorama is to current events, Have I Got News for You is to taking the mickey out of them.

Other shows (Mock the Week, say) may be faster-paced and more densely packed with gags but this is the satire show of record, the point on a Friday night where politicians and celebrities are enjoyably cut down to size and media storms dispatched with a curl of Ian Hislop's lip or a surreal quip from Paul Merton.

For the first of this new ten-part run - their 42nd - Jo Brand is tonight's guest host.

David Butcher, Radio Times, 14th October 2011

Back for its umpty-seventh series, Have I Got News For You is firmly established as the televisual equivalent of Private Eye. The two share not only the dominant presence of Ian Hislop, but an engaging balance of bitter satire and affable cosiness. Though the humour in both is essentially angry, it's also reliable and predictable, an exercise in applying the same jokes repeatedly to differing news events. Paul Merton returns as the opposition captain.

Andrew Mueller, The Guardian, 14th October 2011