Rude Britannia. Copyright: BBC
Rude Britannia

Rude Britannia

  • TV documentary
  • BBC Four
  • 2010
  • 3 episodes (1 series)

Challenging and provocative series exploring British traditions of satire, bawdy and lewd humour and the nation's taste for ridicule and mockery. Features Julian Rhind-Tutt.

Episode menu

Series 1, Episode 3 - You've Never Had It So Rude!!

Radio, TV and theatre provided outlets for satire and bawdy humour in the 20th century.

Further details

The final part of the series exploring British traditions of satire and bawdy humour brings the story of a naughty nation up to date and explores how a mass democracy of rude emerged, beginning with the 1960s revolutions and continuing with the today's controversies.

There is a look at how a tradition of rude cartooning came back to life, as cartoonists draw the iconic political figures of the last 50 years: Gerald Scarfe captures Harold Macmillan, Steve Bell does Margaret Thatcher and Martin Rowson depicts Tony Blair.

The rude comic art of Viz is revealed in the characters of Sid the Sexist and the Fat Slags, and the rude theatre of Joe Orton, the rude radio of Round The Horne and the hippy rudeness of underground magazine Oz are also investigated.

And the history of rude television is traced from Till Death Us Do Part via Spitting Image to Little Britain. Finally, there is a look at how rude comedy begins to be seen as offensive in sexist and racist ways.

Broadcast details

Date
Wednesday 16th June 2010
Time
9pm
Channel
BBC Four
Length
60 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Thursday 17th June 2010 12:25am BBC4
Thursday 17th June 2010 3:15am BBC4
Sunday 14th November 2010 2:45am BBC4
Sunday 30th January 2011 1:30am BBC4
Tuesday 3rd July 2012 10:00pm BBC4
Thursday 5th July 2012 11:10pm BBC4
Tuesday 25th September 2012 11:45pm BBC4
Wednesday 13th May 2015 12:00am BBC4
Tuesday 2nd August 2016 2:30am BBC4
Tuesday 10th March 2020 1:30am BBC4

Cast & crew

Cast
Julian Rhind-Tutt Narrator
Guest cast
Martin Rowson Guest
Steve Bell Guest
Andy Medhurst Guest
Christopher Paul Lee (as Dr CP Lee) Guest
Gerald Scarfe Guest
Richard Eyre Guest
Simon Callow Guest
John Lloyd Guest
Charles Shaar Murray Guest
Mick Farren Guest
John Sutherland (as Professor John Sutherland) Guest
Mark Lawson Guest
Dominic Sandbrook Guest
Johnnie Hamp Guest
Roger Law Guest
Natalie Haynes Guest
John O'Farrell Guest
Simon Donald Guest
Production team
Francis Whately Director
Alastair Laurence Series Producer
Michael Poole Executive Producer
Glenn Rainton Editor

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