Not the Nine O'Clock News is a television comedy
sketch show which was broadcast on
BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the
Nine O'Clock News on
BBC1, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy sketches, re-edited videos, and spoof television formats. The show featured
Rowan Atkinson,
Pamela Stephenson,
Mel Smith, and
Griff Rhys Jones, as well as
Chris Langham in the first series. The format was a deliberate departure from the
Monty Python's Flying Circus stream-of-consciousness meta-comedy, returning to a more conventional sketch show format. Sketches were mostly self-contained, lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes and often had a degree of naturalism in performance. The series launched the careers of several high-profile actors and writers, and also led to other comedy series including
Blackadder,
Mr. Bean, and
Alas Smith and Jones.