Controversial sketch series Brass Eye was Chris Morris’ lampoon of the broadcast news media and exposed the willingness of public figures to offer mindless endorsements of spurious campaigns. David Ames MP was persuaded to raise the danger of the new Czech killer drug ‘cake’ in the House of Commons, in the name of a pressure group ‘FUKD and BOMBD’.
When Chief Executive, Michael Grade, overruled the inclusion of a spoof musical based on the life of the Yorkshire Ripper, Morris inserted the slogan ‘Grade is a C***’ in a frame of the transmitted programme. In 2001, Morris was back to tackle media- inspired hysteria surrounding paedophiles. The programme was condemned unseen by Prisons Minister, Beverly Hughes, and prompted a press storm, thousands of calls from viewers, and an ITC intervention on the grounds that the pre-transmission warning had not adequately indicated the satirical nature of the show!
production details
UK | Channel 4-Talkback | 6×25 minutes | Broadcast 29 January – 5 March 1997
Writers: Chris Morris, Peter Baynham, Graham Linehan, Arthur Matthews
Executive Producer: Peter Finch
Producers: Chris Morris, Caroline Leddy
cast
Christopher Morris
Gina McKee
Claire Skinner
Alexander Armstrong as American Vox Pop
Simon Pegg
Richard Briers
Hugh Dennis as Dr. Balb Kubrox
