The Comedy Years. Image shows from L to R: Louise Gold, Steve Nallon. Copyright: Shiver Productions
The Comedy Years

The Comedy Years

  • TV documentary
  • ITV3
  • 2019
  • 4 episodes (1 series)

Documentary series looking at how TV comedy shows portrayed society in 1979, 1984, 1998 and 2003. Features Shaparak Khorsandi, Jon Culshaw, Debra Stephenson, Dom Joly, Ann Widdecombe and more.

Episode menu

Series 1, Episode 4 - 2003

The Comedy Years. Image shows from L to R: Ewen MacIntosh, Joel Beckett. Copyright: Shiver Productions
Trigger Happy TV features in 2003 as TV viewers enjoyed the hidden prank antics of Dom Joly alongside Bruce Forsyth's hilarious hosting duties on Have I Got News For You and fond farewells to Cold Feet and The Office.

Further details

The Comedy Years: 2003 features interviews with stars of comedy past and present - revealing the comedy moments that inspired them - including the likes of Joel Dommett, Shappi Khorsandi, Dom Joly, Joel Beckett, Ewen MacIntosh, Ninia Benjamin, Clive Anderson and John Thomson.

This episode looks back at comedy from 2003. The final specials of The Office took a swipe at the world of reality television and instant celebrity - and the love triangle between Tim, Lee and Dawn reached a memorable conclusion.

Ordinary members of the public found themselves the unwitting comedy stooges of TV hidden camera shows like Trigger Happy TV and 3 Non-Blondes.

It was also the year Bruce Forsyth made a memorable appearance as guest host of Have I Got News For You and comedy legend Bob Monkhouse performed his last ever stand-up gig to an audience of fellow comics in a small London pub.

Meanwhile, the original run of award-winning comedy drama series Cold Feet bowed out with a tragic storyline.

Broadcast details

Date
Monday 22nd April 2019
Time
9pm
Channel
ITV3
Length
60 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Sunday 14th July 2019 9:00pm ITV3
Sunday 18th August 2019 7:30pm ITV1
Monday 8th June 2020 9:00pm ITV3
Sunday 19th July 2020 10:55pm ITV1
Thursday 27th August 2020 9:00pm ITV3
Friday 9th July 2021 6:00pm ITV3
Sunday 1st August 2021 8:00pm ITV3
Sunday 8th August 2021 5:00pm ITV3
Sunday 23rd October 2022 8:00pm ITV3

Cast & crew

Cast
Shaparak Khorsandi (as Shappi Khorsandi) Self
Jon Culshaw Self
Debra Stephenson Self
Dom Joly Self
Ann Widdecombe Self
John O'Farrell Self
Andrew Collins Self
Anil Gupta Self
Alastair Campbell Self
Barry Cryer Self
Hugh Bonneville Narrator
Guest cast
John Thomson Self
Joel Dommett Self
Brian Conley Self
Ninia Benjamin Self
Susannah Doyle Self
Ewen MacIntosh Self
Joel Beckett Self
Colin Edmonds Self
Production team
Kerry Allison Director
Gavin Barclay Director
Stuart Ramsay Series Producer
Kerry Allison Producer
Gavin Barclay Producer
Mark Scantlebury Executive Producer
Mark Robinson Executive Producer
Jude Bibby Post Producer
Mike Eccles Editor
Daniel Ward Editor
Dave Woodyer Editor

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