Top 10 Mock the Week Moments

There was some worry in 2008 that turning on the Large Hadron Collider may create a dangerous black hole, and the panelists tackle the subject with concern, but also humour. Frankie Boyle seems the most pessimistic about the subject, taking the conversation to a dark but hilarious place when he suggests that fellow panelist Russell Howard will definitely be the first to go when their studio gets sucked towards Switzerland.

Ripping into host Dara O’Briain is a common pastime on the show, and this example is no different. Talking about an article discussing the effect of Alzheimer’s Disease based on head size, Dara is taken aback that the article uses him as an example of someone with a big head. But instead of sympathy, the panelists are merciless with their retorts about the host’s appearance, with Chris Addison being especially perplexed why O’Briain would expect them to do anything but, well...mock him.

Whilst discussing one of the many controversies surrounding now-former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, panelist Hugh Dennis makes a humorous remark about how the infamous football administrator’s name sounds similar to a certain household object. The joke goes over well, but what really makes this bit work is how Dennis continues to work it into conversation throughout the episode. Hey, if you find good material, mine it for all it’s worth.

Frankie Boyle was a controversial figure during his tenure on the show, and he knows it. Whilst trying to figure out an acronym in the “Headliners” round, Holly Payne makes a crack about Glaswegians to which Boyle (a Glaswegian himself) takes as an opportunity to open up on the racial humour. The bit stretches on as Andy Parsons has his own go at the Scots whilst discussing Colonel Gaddafi and al-Megrahi, at which point Boyle decides to take control of the door again.

The effects of Great Britain leaving the European Union is still a scary topic at this point, but you can trust a bunch of comedians to find humour in the topic. Panelist James Acaster chimes in with his own outlook on the matter, using an analogy that compares the ramifications of the vote to the great British pastime: drinking tea. The concept is laughable at first, but Acaster’s comparison is surprisingly apt in surmising the logic of leaving the EU. Who says politics can’t be fun?

Going off on a tangent is no rare occurrence on “Mock the Week”, as the panelists constantly go down rabbit holes that leaves them and the audience in stitches. A conversation about concealing Internet history leads Dara O’Briain to create a fictional soldier character. The panel only goes further off-topic, but O’Briain is too cracked up to get on with the show despite the nagging of producers in his ears.

A rare show segment but one that’s always a treat when it comes, Hugh Dennis’ dubbing of news footage to hilarious effect has too many good moments to choose from. The comedian’s versatile voice captures a variety of incredible impressions, and the characters he crafts out of these real-life figures practically have a life of their own. Whether giving a voice to an arrogant Barack Obama, a weedy David Cameron, or a particularly filthy Prince Phillip, Newsreel is always guaranteed to get a laugh.

The initial responses given during the “If This is the Answer, What is the Question?” are often nonsensical, but this one goes down in legend. Given the answer “chickens, nurses and rain”, Hugh Dennis suggests a particularly bizarre but brilliant accompanying question. Dennis and Dara O’Briain then delight themselves with acting out scenes from the fictional show, and the joke even carried on to the next episode with O’Briain presenting the DVD of Monsoon Poultry Hospital.

One of the more legendary running gags in the series’ history, the jokes about Dara O’Briain’s appearance were taken to a new level all thanks to one heckler. Whilst discussing the odd decision of a mayor to wear a sausage costume, an audience member shows out that O’Briain resembles the outfit. Throughout the episode and several ensuing shows, the host is forced to compare himself to the Megabus mascot, a blobfish and a gorilla amongst others, all to his own chagrin.

Before we reach our hilarious top pick, here are a few honourable mentions:

Gold for Ireland

Mock the Week & Beano

Wearing Flag

Mock the Week doesn’t usually attract huge celebrities, but one of Britain’s biggest has made several hilarious appearances on the show. A fan of the program, tennis player Andy Murray, was in the audience after narrowly losing Wimbledon in 2012, causing the panel to unleash on him. However, after winning the competition the next year, Murray graciously returned to much fanfare but, even in victory, there is no escape from ridicule by these comedians.