Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned
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Baddielandskinnerunplanned.jpg
Baddiel and Skinner on the sofa
Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned (2000-2003) was a free-form talk show hosted by British comedians/personalities David Baddiel and Frank Skinner produced by Avalon Television. The concept was developed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and later had a run in the West End.
The show featured the two hosts sitting on a couch onstage and responding to questions from the audience — at times rather seriously, but usually with bizarre digressions into satirical comedy. An audience member would also be chosen as "Secretary" and have the job of keeping track of the topics covered on a white board. In practice, the personality of the secretary would also result in many jokes — usually at the expense of the audience member. At the end of the show, the secretary would choose a song to sing, which would then be performed by Skinner with Baddiel accompanying him on piano (or, on one occasion, acoustic guitar).
Topics of discussion were wholly mandated by the audience and ranged from reasonably serious discussions of the impending war against Iraq and other political events through to comments on the latest plot twists of popular soap operas and the Atkins Diet. Skinner's Catholicism and Baddiel's Jewish faith were also targets of humour (Baddiel describing Skinner's faith as being "insane" and Skinner often using a music-hall Jewish accent to hold mock dialogues among members of Baddiel's extended family, as well as both performers demonstrating how to "play the piano in a convincingly Jewish manner").
To avoid similarities to Fantasy Football League, there was a rule that they could not talk about football.
The first season ran for four consecutive nights (Sunday - Wednesday) for three consecutive weeks. It was transmitted live at around 22:30, with each edition thirty minutes. It is often repeated on Paramount 2 and ITV2.
Memorable moments
- a German audience member explaining in both German and English why he supported the war against Iraq (after another audience member could not translate his German answer)
- Skinner receiving a puppy on stage from Baddiel as a birthday present
- a long debate about the origins of the band Coldplay's name ("Yes, but why was that band called Coldplay?")
- Skinner making a reference to the purple songbook as being something that Ian Gillan would appreciate — while Baddiel opened the green one. Skinner's response was "Did you not hear me mentioning Ian Gillan? He was the lead singer of a band called Deep Purple, not Deep Green!"
- Frank: "Some of the worst people I've ever met work for The Guardian."
- Secretary Laurie thanked Baddiel for his compliment that she's very articulated.
External links
- TV Tome (http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-11901/Baddiel__Skinner_Unplanned/) Transmission dates and list of songs
- Off the Telly (http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/comedy/baddielskinner/) Extended review of season one