The Now Show
Hugh Dennis (left) and Steve Punt at the 2005 Radio Festival, Edinburgh. | |
| Genre | Comedy |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 mins |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | BBC Radio 4 |
| Starring | Steve Punt Hugh Dennis Jon Holmes Mitch Benn Marcus Brigstocke Laura Shavin |
| Created by | Bill Dare |
| Produced by | Aled Evans (series 1-3), Colin Anderson (Series 19-20 & 25-27 & 31), Katie Marsden (Series 21-25), Ed Morrish (Series 26-28), Julia McKenzie (Series 29) |
| Recording studio | BBC Radio Theatre, Broadcasting House, RADA Studios |
| Original release | 26 September 1998 – 19 April 2024 |
| No. of series | 64 |
| No. of episodes | 466 (as of March 6th 2024) |
| Website | Radio 4 |
| Podcast | Podcast Download |
The Now Show is a British radio comedy programme on BBC Radio 4 which satirises the weekly news. The show, which ran from 1998 to 2024, is a mixture of stand-up, sketches and songs hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. It features regular appearances by Jon Holmes, Laura Shavin (earlier series had Emma Kennedy, or occasionally Sue Perkins, for the female voices), a monologue by Marcus Brigstocke, and music by Mitch Benn, Pippa Evans or Adam Kay. Later series feature a wider range of contributors.
Most episodes feature a special guest, including Robin Ince, Rory Bremner, Dave Gorman, Simon Munnery, Al Murray, Andy Zaltzman, Paul Sinha, Richard Stilgoe, Dr Phil Hammond, Barry Cryer, John Finnemore, Andy Parsons, Shappi Khorsandi, Nathan Caton, Grace Petrie, Sarah Kendall and Francesca Martinez. Jon Culshaw featured on the 2004 and 2005 Christmas editions and also starred in the 2008 Christmas edition. Guests have also stood in for absent cast members.
The series was a successor to the early 1990s topical comedy show The Mary Whitehouse Experience, in which Punt and Dennis were a key part, although its origins lie with the short-lived Live on Arrival from 1988. The programme first aired on 26 September 1998. Repeats of The Now Show are now aired on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
In early series each episode was introduced by Burt Kwouk announcing “The Now Show” in an increasingly shrill voice on the word “show”. This tradition continued with Hugh Dennis doing the honours.
In October 2016, long-running cast member Jon Holmes reported that he had been fired because 'the BBC want to recast with more women and diversity.'
In March 2024 it was announced that the spring 2024 series would be its last, with Punt and Dennis presenting a new BBC radio 4 show RouteMasters.
The show concluded on the 19th of April 2024.