Armando Iannucci
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Armando Iannucci (born 1964) is a Scottish comedian, satirist and radio producer. He has also produced, hosted and written extensively for television comedy. He was educated at University College, Oxford.
He is arguably one of the most under-appreciated comedians of our age; few know his name (even fewer know how to spell it), and yet his long-lasting domination over British comedy is undeniable. Being the producer for On The Hour in the early nineties, Iannucci brought together such comics as Chris Morris, Richard Herring, Stewart Lee and Steve Coogan. It was this 'posse' which led the alternative comedy 'wave' pre-New Labour, with Morris ultimately producing Brass Eye, Blue Jam and the Chris Morris Music Show, amongst others. Lee and Herring created Fist of Fun and This Morning With Richard Not Judy (Lee also recently co-wrote the tremendously successful Jerry Springer - The Opera). Perhaps most famously, Coogan has been responsible for Alan Partridge, a character which first surfaced in On The Hour.
Iannucci's influence throughout all this is undeniable; whilst more recently he produced the rather tame 'Smokehammer website with Morris, as well as the short-lived topical satire Gash, he continues to churn out work of note. He has also produced three programmes for BBC Radio 3 within the past year or so, including Mobiles Off!, a 20 minute segment on classical concert-going etiquette.
Iannucci has written The Thick Of It, a political satire-cum-Whitehall farce for BBC 4. This stars Chris Langham as a New Labour MP being manipulated by a cynical Press Officer played by Peter Capaldi, the latter being based on Tony Blair's former Press Secretary, Alastair Campbell. It was described by critics on BBC2's Newsnight Review as a modern-day counterpart to Yes, Minister, which Iannucci championed on the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom competition.
He has been involved in the following British radio and television programmes:
- On The Hour (BBC Radio 4 - creator, co-writer, producer)
- No' The Archie McPherson Show (BBC Radio Scotland - presenter, writer, producer)
- Armando Iannucci (BBC Radio 1 - writer, presenter, producer)
- The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4 - producer, also appeared as guest)
- Quote Unquote (BBC Radio 4 - producer)
- Loose Talk (producer)
- The Mary Whitehouse Experience (producer)
- The Day Today (BBC 2 - creator, co-writer, producer plus occasional appearances. The Day Today was the TV adaptation of On The Hour)
- The Saturday Night Armistice (writer, producer, presenter etc. - later The Friday Night Armistice)
- Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge (co-writer, producer, creator)
- I'm Alan Partridge (co-writer, producer, director)
- The Armando Iannucci Shows (writer, performer, director and producer)
- Clinton: His Struggle with Dirt (writer, director)
- Gash (writer, presenter)
- Have I Got News For You, as a panelist on 23rd April 2004.
- The 99p Challenge on BBC Radio 4.
- Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive on BBC Radio 4 (writer, presenter) (Six half-hour episodes, 11/05 - 15/06/05)
- The Thick of It (writer) (Three half-hour episodes, BBC4, 19/05 - 02/06/05. To be shown on BBC2 later in 2005).
He has won two Sony Radio Awards and three British Comedy Awards.
He also wrote a book in 1997, Facts and Fancies, which was turned into a BBC Radio Four series with Iannucci reading the odd collection of stories.
In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy.
Bibliography
- Print
- Alan Partridge: Every Ruddy Word by Steve Coogan, Peter Baynham, Armando Iannucci, Patrick Marber (Michael Joseph, 2003) ISBN 0718146786
- Facts and Fancies (Michael Joseph, 1997) ISBN 0718139518
- Audiobooks
- Facts and Fancies (BBC Audiobooks, 1998) ISBN 0563557567
- I'm Alan Partridge: Knowing Me, Knowing Yule (BBC Audiobooks, 1998) ISBN 056355763X
- Knowing Me, Knowing You...: With Alan Partridge: Complete Series (BBC Audiobooks, 1995) CD ISBN 056338896X, cassette ISBN 0563388919